Your Pre-Draft Report Card For The Utah Jazz
by Basketball John on Jun 24, 2010 2:00 PM MDT
25 comments
In about 6-12 hours, anyone and everyone is going to be releasing their draft grades for each of the teams tonight. No need to wait that long for the Jazz draft grade. Consider this your scoring sheet at home when you're watching the draft take place. Remember, a lot of stuff isn't announced until after the first round or later, so there's a little hope later if you're not immediately impressed.
A+++++++++ (Done in Ralphie's teacher's voice)
The only way the Jazz score this high is if they get into the top 5 somehow tonight. While it's not likely, it's not impossible, so pretty much the same chance that we had at landing in the top 3 on lotto night.
The easiest way to get there seems to be through Philly who would of course want you to take Brand's contract as part of any deal. The Jazz would likely give up AK in return with of course the #9 pick. From there, you have your pick of anyone in the draft not named Wall. Would you go with Evans? Favors? Cousins? Anyone else with a last name ending with an s?
I'm not a GM mastermind but I don't see many other options if the Jazz want to move up and ensure they get their man. While a lot of trades work technically, there aren't trades that make sense with Minnesota or New Jersey. The only pieces we have to move that are of value are AK, Millsap, and CJ. None of them really fit into those plans for those teams.
Sacramento seems to have their mind set on Cousins so I don't see them trading out. After that, is it worth giving up a player and the 9 pick to move up 3 spots? The answer to that will likely depend on who's still available. The Jazz may have told those teams that if so and so is still on the board when you pick, we're interested in dealing. Then again, the Jazz probably haven't said a word.
Of course you have a lot of other teams that want to move up as well. Some of those teams have more to offer than the Jazz. There seems to be a real fight to get into the top 6 or 7 this season. So to not sound too much like a FO homer, if the Jazz don't move up, it's not because they didn't try, they just got outbid.
If they do pull something off, it's a huge day for the franchise.
B
There's really no straight A in this draft. The Jazz are just on the outside of the party it seems with the #9 pick. All the cool kids are 1-7. The Jazz are still going to get a very good player at #9. In a few years when we look back at this draft, we might even grade them an A.
But a B is what you get for doing as expected, right? If the Jazz pick at 9, they could land Greg Monroe, Xavier Henry, or Ed Davis. Those guys would all be a B in my book. They're not the game-changer that you're hoping for but you're going to be pretty happy with them.
I'm willing to give the Jazz a B+ if the Jazz were able to keep their #9 pick and also pick up a mid to late first-rounder. There are teams trying to free up cap space or that have a lot of picks that the Jazz might be able to buy/trade for.
They might also get a B+ if someone like Aminu were to fall to them.
Still, if the Jazz land here, given what we had to give up to get this pick 6 years ago, you have to be happy with that.
C
I don't have the information that the Jazz FO or other scouts have, but if the Jazz end up taking Cole Aldrich (who has been falling), Luke Babbitt, or Hayward at the #9, consider me disappointed. The latest reports have the Jazz being very high on Babbitt.
I will likely be proven wrong in a couple of years but for now, as far as expectations are concerned and the team's needs, I think any of these would be a just getting by type of pick which is what a C is. To have had such high hopes for this draft for the past couple of seasons,
Since last season, Aldrich has been inextricably tied to the Jazz. And from the same point last season, most Jazz fans have been saying, "No, no, no." It doesn't matter his skills, fans just don't want another stereotypical big, white center the Jazz have always had. He could be a Mark Eaton or even a serviceable Greg Ostertag-type player and still the plea would be, "No more white guys." Here's a list of white big men to play for the Jazz,
- Mark Eaton
- Greg Ostertag
- Ben Handlogten
- Curtis Borchardt
- Goran Suton (training camp and draft pick. He would have been signed if not for salary cap issues)
- Kosta Koufos
- Kyrylo Fensenko
- Tom Chambers
- Greg Foster
- Jarron Collins
- Todd Fuller
- Tom Gugliotta
- Marc Iavoroni
- Adam Keefe
- Larry Krystkowiak
- Pace Freakin' Mannion
- Mehmet Okur
- Kelly Tripucka
- And many, many more
You hear a lot about picking the best player available and the reason you always hear is because of Bowie over Jordan. Maybe the Jazz always keep taking the tall, white guy is that they still have regrets from 1980 when they took Darrel Griffith over Kevin McHale. The Golden Griff was a good player in his own right but it was Kevin McHale! Though there's no one left from that time still with the team, maybe it's been a clause passed down through sale of the team that they're no longer able to pass up promising white guys.
So call Jazz fans racist, but it's because they would rather have a black, yes black, athletic guy than another white center. Chew on that.
I really didn't mean to group the three white guys in this group either. They just so happened to be in my middle-of-the-pack guys left in the draft.
D
I've been trying to think what would constitute a D for the Jazz. A horrible or out of nowhere pick would certainly qualify. However, with as much hype as we've had for this pick, I think a bad pick would put the Jazz on the border of receiving an F. They would have to be doing so much makeup-work for me not to fail them. We're talking summer-school type of makeup work if they wanted to get a passing grade. I don't even know what that would be but it would certainly entail a lot of cleaning erasers, scraping gum off the bottom of desks and a 10,000 essay on why they blew the draft and how they're going to step down before the season starts. Then, and only then, would they get a D.
That said, they would probably get a D if they traded down far or tried to stockpile "assets." Really though, that's not going to happen. They're either going to trade up or get someone at the #9. I don't see the Jazz getting below a C in this draft.
While they're often criticized (that's not a bad thing), we have a very good FO. They've been hit and miss in drafts but have had more hits than misses. When we have drafted in the lotto, they've done very well. They're not going to blow this.
My guess at their final grade will be a solid B.
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I'd move Aldrich up to a B
but that’s just me.
And Aminu would be a B-/C+ in my books… we don’t need another wing that can’t shoot.
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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The Nets are entertaining offers as of now for the #3.
Saw that coming. Now go get it KOC!!!!!
Jazz move up and get Favors, the draft is an A++++.
They don’t, I change my vote to a D, regardless of who they draft.
Keefe played sf for us, and Tripucka was a guard (or at least a strong outside shooting forward) . . . . so . . . .
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by AllThatJazzBasketball on Jun 24, 2010 2:32 PM MDT reply actions
also
a list of the black guy’s we’ve had to play either the 4 or 5 for us isn’t that impressive either, once you get rid of the guys from L-Tech (Malone, Millsap):
luther wright
felton spencer
james donaldson
mike brown
i could go on . . .
Follow me on Twitter: AllThatAmar
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Really, I'm totally not lonely or anything . . .
by AllThatJazzBasketball on Jun 24, 2010 2:35 PM MDT up reply actions
we did okay for a few seasons with "other"
with Jose Ortiz (the first PR jazz man)
Follow me on Twitter: AllThatAmar
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Really, I'm totally not lonely or anything . . .
by AllThatJazzBasketball on Jun 24, 2010 2:35 PM MDT up reply actions
So pretty much
we shouldn’t get any big that is white or black?
What would it cost to get Yao Ming?
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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Umm...
Why is Jarron Collins on the list of white guys?
Cause he's white?
Just an ill-fated joke. Good to see I pulled you out of the woodwork though.
by Basketball John on Jun 24, 2010 4:33 PM MDT up reply actions
Trading up...
If it took #9 + Millsap to go up to #3 and get Favors or Cousins, would you do it?
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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No
that’s on Booze. The Jazz might try harder; personally, I wouldn’t mind Favors/Cousins and then the Jazz adding some other FA instead
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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Nice... can't wait to apologize for thinking I wanted Whiteside at #9.
Wow, his interviews turned me off in about… 5 seconds.
lol.
As the draft grows closer, I get more and more confident that I don’t want any part of anyone that we’re going to consider taking.
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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I'd be extra pleased with Monroe if he slips.
Davis is interesting, but I dunno… I’m just kinda pissed my computer died earlier and need something to get me back into the mood.
BOOM BITCHES!
Ahhh…..
Monroe... I'm kinda losing interest as time goes on.
Davis I’m still not sold on… he’s too raw
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
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I dunno...
I think he does a lot of things that the Jazz do well. Interior passing, decent shooter, can rebound. I just don’t think we’re gonna do much better at #9.
And those who get all upset we’re not trading up to #3 or something…c’mon… that’s so much easier said than done. It’s not the FO’s fault if that doesn’t happen.
Monroe
Maybe, but he’s not going to fall anyways, barring something very shocking.
As for trading up… won’t be upset, but this is the chance to add an true impact player (not happening via FA)… it’s just fun to think about another impact player on this team.
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
SLC Dunk
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Oh for sure...
As head-casey as they all say, I think Cousins would be fun as hell to see play. And of course Favors, etc… I dunno… I’ve seen some weird draft scenarios where if GS picks Udoh or something, Detroit goes for Ed Davis instead. Then, you never know. If we pick Hayward, I’m gonna cry. Babbitt, cry less, but still cry.
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