What Should Be the Future of the Utah Jazz: Contend, Continue or Concede?
by Jason Pratt on Jun 26, 2011 8:14 AM MDT
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PrintThe Utah Jazz are at a crossroads. They have added exciting young pieces in Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks. Utah holds Golden State's 2012 first round pick and might gain two additional lottery picks for three draft classes in a row. They also have veteran assets such as Devin Harris, Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap and the expiring contract of Mehmet Okur. The Jazz now have Tyrone Corbin coaching after a 23-year blessing of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan.
The Jazz can take the team in three directions: make moves to contend, continue with existing pieces, or concede that the current team is not championship caliber and blow up the roster.
Contend: If the Jazz decide they are not rebuilding, they have many pieces that other teams would want.
By combining draft picks, young talent and Mehmet Okur's expiring contract, the Jazz could trade for a player in his prime such as Andre Iguodala, Lamar Odom or Monta Ellis. Next, the Jazz would need to pay free agent Andrei Kirilenko whatever price he asks to stay with the team.
The Utah Jazz have missed the playoffs only three times since 1984, and trading for veterans would guarantee that they continue this tradition.
Continue: Rather than adopt a win-now strategy, the Jazz are more likely to continue mixing their roster with rookie and veteran talent.
This strategy requires the Jazz to stand pat unless Paul Milsap is unable to play small forward. The Jazz currently have five players who can play both power forward and center, so expect the Jazz to trade one of their big men for a wing or a point guard to tweak the roster.
If the Jazz opt to continue with the current team, expect them to make the playoffs with a first-round exit.
Concede: General Manager Kevin O'Conner has admitted that the team is rebuilding, and the Jazz may need to step back to be able to step forward as contenders.
Veteran assets Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap and Devin Harris can be traded for young players, draft picks and cap relief. This would be rebuilding and not tanking. The Jazz would miss the playoffs, but get to use their protected draft pick owed to Minnesota as well as a Golden State top seven protected pick acquired from the Deron Williams trade.
After Deron Williams's and Jerry Sloan's departure, conceding that the Jazz are aiming toward the future gives them a chance to be contenders in three to five years by building around Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks.
What direction should the Utah Jazz take?
All comments are the opinion of the commenter and not necessarily that of SLC Dunk or SB Nation.
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well
its not contend cuz those guys you mentioned will not be as successful on any other team cuz they’re very niche-oriented
lol@continuejazz couldn’t get into the playoffs if they wanted :(
by default, its “concede” i think it was obvious when we traded for favors (dwill, sloan blah blah blah)
J.UST E.NJOY T.HIS S.HIT
This is Forty08.
I disagree
I think the Jazz stand a very good chance at making the playoffs this year and that it is largely based on how they manage playing time, especially for Raja.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
I think there is a fairly good shot to make the playoffs too
What I think some people forget is that the Jazz don’t play in a vaccuum, some other teams are getting better, while others are getting worse & a select few are in holding patterns.
The Lakers, Mavs, Thunder, Grizzlies, Spurs & Nuggets are probably going to be in the playoffs in some order or another barring something ridiculous happening. The Blazers are probably the next best team after that bunch, but who knows what will go on with Roy or Oden & they just got rid of the underrated Miller for the overrated Felton, but so long as Aldridge, Matthews & Camby are alright, they should make it. So that accounts for 7 of 8 playoff teams. I don’t think that any of the remaining teams in the west are in markedly better shape than the Jazz will be next year, thus there is a fighting chance.
What kind of sucks is that the Warriors look like they will easily be one of the worst teams in the league (along with the Raptors, Cavs, Bobcats, Kings & Wolves) unless they get someone useful for Ellis & start playing some defense, & of course if they finish too low, then we don’t get their pick. The double whammy would be not getting the Warrior pick or our own in next year’s potentially loaded draft.
I'm not sure things have to be divided quite so exactly
You can “continue” without adding vets and you can certainly rebuild (=“concede”) through more ways than just stockpiling draft picks. To my mind, the Jazz are certainly in a rebuilding mode, but I’d like to see them add pieces via trade rather than via the draft- since it’s easier to scout existing NBA players than college one and dones.
Danny Granger
is another player that would seem to be on the trading block, and may be available to the Jazz, whereas one of the weak spots for Indiana is at PF.
by Fesenko for President on Jun 26, 2011 5:12 PM MDT reply actions
but granger plays no D anymore
& requires a lot of touches, plus Indy would want quite a bit for him
Contend
If you’re not making moves to contend, you’re not in the right business.
Go Buffalo Bills, Utah Jazz, and Arkansas Razorbacks
Moves
Moves do not have to be made immediately. The Jazz can blend options 2 and 3 over 2 years.
They can see how the existing team functions in the lockout year. They can decide to move Okur at the trade deadline depending on how he is playing. They can decide to resign AK based on price and then decide on replacing him over time with a pick or a trade.
Ditto for Harris. They can give him and AJ a year or more to adjust and see what they have. They can play Millsap next year giving Favors time to develop moves.
The Jazz can keep the same team for the lock out year or they can make moves as the year develops.
If they actually get 2 lotto picks next year that is a lot of talent and youth to absorb. 2 picks do not include trading any existing players. 3 picks maybe good but would be difficult to absorb. AJ, Harris and Millsap could play out their contracts and then get moved as expiring contracts. That gives the picks who will replace them time to develop.
I expect them to wait for the new CBA before making major moves. AJ and Harris are KOC players. I think he give them time before he pulls the plug.
The primary reason the Jazz are in the lotto next year is not because the team is bad. It is because the team will need time to develop chemistry and that is not going to happen in a lockout shortened year very quickly.
Dude, get out of my head
Seriously, I don’t think I agree with anyone else on the board more than you, and I’ve only noticed your posts for a couple of weeks or so. You tend to express your ideas better than I do, so I’m a big fan.
I am firmly in the camp of keeping assets until we find the right deals. What if Big Al has worked on his lateral movement, pick and roll defense, and general offensive awareness (i.e. passing out of the post)? Besides that, if Big Al and Harris end up being large expiring contracts for the Jazz, then that’s fine. Nothing wrong with being well under the cap. I think clark or Yucca or maybe Amar has pontificated on the importance of keeping your expiring contracts for yourself and not trading them away.
I don’t like the idea of throwing rookies out against All Stars and All Pros right away. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to give them some time to grow up and adjust to NBA life by coming off the bench behind some vets for a year or so.
I totally agree that the Jazz will wait until after the new CBA to make major moves.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
Huh?
If the team wants to contend it has to “sign AK to whatever price he asks to stay with the team.” Why? How does that help a team contend for a title? That’s the last thing a team that is looking to compete for a title needs is a max deal for AK on the books.
+1
That’s a pretty silly requirement. No one should have voted for “Contend” given those criteria.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
If we wanter to contend...
I don’t think it would make the most sense, but if we wanted to go for a championship… we would want to turn Okur’s contract into a difference maker by including picks in a trade, pay AK more than New Jersey, and trade our rooks out for people in their prime. Not what I would vote for, but it would be the best chance for a championship this year (though in my opinion an admittedly small one). I would mix strategies 2 and 3.
I think AK's pretty overrated around here
I know he’s an important part of the Jazz’s help D, but he gets caught out of position over and over and even though he’s got long arms, he’s often not close enough to affect the 3-pt shooter he just left wide open.
On offense, he’s generally a liability. He makes nice passes, but he also makes a lot of risky passes that end up in turnovers and points for the other team.
I like AK overall, but I don’t think he’d really turn the Jazz from an 82 overall to a 92 overall or anything like that.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
AK covers for all the defensive problems of Al and Millsap
That’s a big reason he’s out of position. He’s rotating to help defend the dribble penetration because Al might as well not exist in those situations.
And before Favors came, AK was ALSO the only regular player holding his guys to lower than average PER’s. Seriously, the ONLY guy (besides Fesenko). And he does that while covering for all the problems Sap and Al had (both were pretty bad). His defense is very underrated.
Offensively he’s a good passer who turns the ball over more than he ought (that’s true), but he’s also right with Millsap in regards to most dependable scorer. You will scoff, but look at their stats. AK’s a very efficient scorer.
I got the crap beat out of me in Provo one time
I'm not saying he doesn't fill up a stat sheet
Or even that he’s not efficient. It’s that for some reason, the offense doesn’t seem to function that well as a team when he’s in. It doesn’t look as smooth. That could be because the other guys don’t know how to work off of him or don’t find him when he’s open, but it looks a little disjointed. No stats to back that up, just my personal observations.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
Yeah, there is a difference between
being an efficient scorer, and being a dependable scorer (or even scoring option). AK has always played off of other, better scorers with cuts, open jumpers, and drives off of closeouts. Whenever he has had 1 on 1 chances it is not pretty. though I will say that he does have a knack for getting fouled at times when making a 1 on 1 move.
I do think that defensively AK is a nice luxury to have. He is a very valuable player especially when he is mentally in the game.
by davidthecomposer on Jun 28, 2011 8:46 PM MDT up reply actions
Next season, I hope the Jazz are really good or really bad.
Our pick that goes to Minny is only protected to #12— and this is a deep draft. We either need to be good and make a nice playoff run, or be worse than #12. I’d hate to be what the Suns or Rockets were this year. One way or the other, please.
I think we’ll get to keep our pick though. Post D Will was on track for 24 wins. We won’t be much better this seaon.
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