The Fresh Prince
Well-Known Member
That's just it: He wasn't.
Year 1. He hadn't played in over a year. He was drafted based on potential, not "NBA readiness." He played in 66 games and averaged 13 mins.
Year 2. You CAN make a case for underusage that season, Played 15 mins/per. Probably deserved more. But based on his play, the Jazz made a commitment and let Big Al go so he could be the starter the following season.
Year 3. Averaged 27 mins/per. Was starting the first of the season but his defense was HORRIBLE. Moved to the bench. Still got the same number of mins. but with less pressure and able to play more against subs.
Year 4. Starting and averaging 27 mins, more than Gobert or Booker, but less than Favors.
Again, you can blame Corbin all you want, but please tell me why Favors and Hayward were able to improve so much under the same coaches and in each off-season? Please, stop being disingenuous like Enes and his agent. It was NOT about development. Jazz gave him the opportunity to go to P3; they had him work with Karl Malone; Big Al mentored him during his first 2 seasons. At some point, Enes has to be the one responsible for putting in the time and effort to get better. In that respect, he was very much like AK. AK didn't work very hard during the summers and progressed very little from his 3rd season on. In fact, he regressed soon after signing his big deal.
The trade demand was all about Kanter's sense of self-entitlement. He hangs that #3 draft status around his neck like it's a golden ticket. Too a certain extent, it is. I have no doubt some desperate team is going to use all that extra space in 2016 to pay him a huge contract. But the reason for leaving Utah was not about development. It was about no longer being King of the Mountain.
Core-4 can you be my advocate for life?