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Back before this season started I put together my own little syllabus for this season for certain benchmarks that the Jazz team and players would have to achieve to get an A, B, C, etc.
Click here for link to original post if you wish to see the original criteria/benchmarks
Admittedly, many of the thresholds for A were probably unrealistic standards, so I will also give a grade on a curve that better describes how well the player improved throughout the season.
2014-15 Utah Jazz Final Grades:
1. 2014-15 Utah Jazz and/or Quin Snyder:
Key Performance Achievements:
- The Jazz finished the season with the league's 15th best offensive rating (down from 14th last season).
- The Jazz finished the season with league's 12th best defensive rating (up from 24th last season).
- The Jazz did not make the playoffs, had no all stars, and the jury is still out on All-NBA players, but it is assumed for now that no Jazz player this season made All-NBA.
- Steve Novak played 5 MPG and only played 22 games for the Jazz before getting traded to the Thunder.
- Rudy Gobert played 26.3 MPG and played in all 82 games, starting 37 of them.
- The Jazz finished with 38 wins.
- Rudy Gobert is likely to finish in the top 5 in the most improved voting.
According to my original criteria, the Jazz only passed one of my A benchmarks (play Rudy a lot, and Novak very little). They got another B benchmark in surpassing 35 wins. They then also got the remainder of the C benchmarks (assuming Gobert finishes top 5 in MIP voting). This would net them a grade in the C+ to B- range. In hindsight, this Jazz team was hardly on par for even a C in the first half of the season, but since the all star break they were on pace for the B, if not A, range. And for that, for the season, I give the Utah Jazz team and Quin Snyder a solid B for the season in general.
Final Grade: B
2. Derrick Favors:
Key Performance Acheivements:
- Favors finished with averages of 16.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.7 BPG, a PER of 21.9, and a defensive rating of 102.
3. Gordon Hayward:
Key Performance Acheivements:
- Hayward finished with averages of 19.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, a PER of 20.2, while shooting 44.5 FG%, 36.4 3P%, and 81.2 FT%.
4. Alec Burks:
Key Performance Acheivements:
- In the 27 games Alec Burks played in before his shoulder surgery he averaged: 13.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, with a PER of 13.1 while shooting 40.3 FG%, 38.2 3P%, and 82 FT%.
5. Enes Kanter:
Key Performance Achievements:
- In the 49 games that
non-team playerKanter played for the Jazz before getting traded, he averaged: 13.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG with a PER of 17.6 and a defensive rating of 106 while shooting 49.1 FG%.
6. Trey Burke
Key Performance Achievements:
- Burke finished with averages of 12.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.9 SPG with a PER of 12.6, defensive rating of 108 while shooting 36.8 FG%, 31.8 3P%, and 75.2 FT%.
7. Dante Exum
Key Performance Achievements:
- In 82 games, Exum finished with averages of 4.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, and 0.2 BPG with a PER of 5.7, and a defensive rating of 109 while shooting 34.9 FG%, 31.4 3P%, and 62.5 FT%.
8. Rudy Gobert
Key Performance Achievements:
- In 82 games, Gobert finished with averages of 8.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.3 BPG, with a PER of 21.6, a offensive rating of 122, and a defensive rating of 98 while shooting 60.4 FG% and 62.3 FT%.
9. Rodney Hood
Key Performance Achievements:
- In 50 games, Hood averaged 8.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG with a PER of 12.4, had a defensive rating of 107 while shooting 41.4 FG%, 36.5 3P%, and 76.3 FT%.
10. Trevor Booker
Key Performance Acheivements:
- In 79 games, Booker finished with averages of 7.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, a PER of 15.3, and a defensive rating of 104, while shooting 48.7 FG%, 34.5 3P%, and 58.1 FT%.
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading this season's Jazz syllabus.
These are the final grades all together:
Team and/or Quin Snyder: B
Favors: B
Hayward: B+
Burks: Incomplete
Kanter: D
Burke: D
Exum: D+
Gobert: A
Hood: B-
Booker: C+
Avg. Grade: B-
I think that average grade of B- concisely yet accurately captures the Utah Jazz in this 2014-15 season. This team did slightly above average, but at the same time left more to be desired. A burning flame awaits within for what is yet to come in the following seasons.
The bar will be set higher next season for our team's and younger players' goals. If we can achieve those we may just find ourselves still watching Jazz games at this point of April next year.
Let's Go Jazz!!!