SLC Dunk - Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Season PreviewsOur Team Is On The Floorhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29190/slc-redunk-fv.jpg2016-11-01T08:28:24-06:00http://www.slcdunk.com/rss/stream/129547272016-11-01T08:28:24-06:002016-11-01T08:28:24-06:00This Jazz season will be a great adventure
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<img alt="Utah Jazz v Portland Trail Blazers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aztrzYqRdSmcLMc0NnIeozCgAOI=/248x0:3314x2044/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51623155/618160200.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Rodney Hood and these merry men will surprise the NBA</p> <p id="5yWspv">This <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah</a><a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/"> Jazz</a> season is the most important since the <span>Deron Williams</span> and <span>Carlos Boozer</span> days. Everything is at stake and that’s what sets this season up for a storybook year. </p>
<p id="m0dzTN">For the die hard fan, the season is about so much more than checking boxscores and having a winning record, but everything else that comes with it. Yes, the casual fan will be happy when they find out the Jazz are having a winning record and likely going to the playoffs. But for you and me, the ones who wait for the beat writer’s to tweet out who’s healthy, use the Jazz game hashtags incessantly, and trash talk other fanbases and beat writers on Twitter.... basically Jazz twitter... we live for so much more. The side stories of the season that drive the game within the game are like the little bits of goodies we stick in our metaphorical Jazz frozen yogurt. </p>
<p id="GA6Dlp">For today’s article, I wanted to write about the different story lines everyone should be paying attention to and I wanted to compare it to one of the greatest movies of all time, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Don’t at me...</p>
<h1 id="Xk7tae"><strong>We’re playing to win now!</strong></h1>
<p id="Wqc2jw">Since that fateful season where <span>Jerry </span><span>Sloan</span> retired and Deron was traded, the Jazz have been in a transition. They’ve been hiding in a metaphorical forest of capping out, tanking and developing talent. Success was not defined by wins for the past few seasons, but not this year. This year the Jazz have set the playoffs as their goal. It’s not about providing minutes to young talent to develop. We’re here to make the playoffs.</p>
<p id="j3tZUc">And some will look at the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> and their acquisition of <span>Kevin Durant</span>, or look at Cleveland still having the best player on the planet and react just like Bull, “They got armor!”</p>
<p id="DjQG4v">Robin is right when he says that he would rather be free then spend any more time in the forest. Here here!</p>
<p id="VTZybM">It’s a great feeling, but also a scary one. Will the last few years, a lot of them painful, be for not or will it all be worth it? Everything’s at stake and that’s what makes this adventure so fun. </p>
<p id="WBIVc6">But don’t worry, Dennis Lindsey understood this so, to help balance out the roster, he made a lot of off-season additions that have gotten everyone excited, and rightly so.</p>
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<h1 id="TCksXr"><strong>How will the new additions fit in?</strong></h1>
<p id="qI8O8J">The Jazz are filled with size, length and talent but they’ve been stuck in the forest for a long while, not quite able to get over the hump and into the playoffs. We’ve had injuries and setbacks, but there have been chances to make it. I was there the night we lost to Brooklyn last season. If there was ever a night we saw the Jazz inexperience it was that night. And you could argue it was the night we missed the playoffs. It certainly felt like it as everyone somberly filed out of the arena.</p>
<p id="AuS4jN">The story this off-season we’ve heard a thousand times was how the Jazz brought in some veteran merry men in <span>Joe Johnson</span>, <span>George Hill</span> and Boris Diaw. All of whom have a wealth of not just talent, but experience. They know what it takes to shape the talent the Jazz have into a real weapon. We already saw it with George Hill and Joe Johnson against Portland. Hill was the two way point guard presence we’ve missed since Deron and we saw what Johnson can do in the third quarter of that game. </p>
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<p id="CE1pS9">The additions are fitting in nicely, and we really will challenge for a top spot in the playoffs, especially when Gordon comes back. Which brings us to our last point of interest...</p>
<h1 id="OMgSLa"><strong>Will Gordon Hayward Leave?</strong></h1>
<p id="ce78A0">It’s the question that will loom over the Jazz the entire season. Some may be afraid of it, but I actually think it will be good for the team. They need reasons to give everything they have. Losses need to be painful. The Jazz have had too many games in the past where we took one in the loss column but called it a moral victory. </p>
<p id="nKfFCQ">If that happens this year we not only will miss the playoffs, but Gordon will leave. </p>
<p id="xm2Dop">Will Scarlett is the perfect representation of Jazz fans. When he reveals himself as Robin’s half brother, he articulates so many frustrations Jazz fans have, especially the distrust of our own players. We’ve been burned before by players leaving/or threatening to leave for other teams, the national media ignores us annually and we never get a sniff at top free agents like Durant, Lebron Steph etc. But Gordon Hayward is the star we’ve always wanted and we need to embrace him. And if we win this year, and even go deep into the playoffs, he will embrace us as well.</p>
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<p id="i2JWtk">It’s our year, guys, finally. Let’s enjoy the adventure while we can.</p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2016/11/1/13441174/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-rodney-hood-gordon-hayward-george-hill-jerry-sloanJames Hansen2016-10-25T18:03:36-06:002016-10-25T18:03:36-06:00Utah Jazz 2016-17 Preview: Roster
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<img alt="NBA: Preseason-Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x9Q89W-hM0g46fQCFtRsrJe_188=/0x0:3592x2395/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51520937/usa-today-9603632.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Four handy tables with all the details!</p> <p id="cidfyK">The 2016-2017 <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> season is hours away. I’m months away from being ready for this season (from a writer’s pov), but so ready for it to start as a fan. Because my main audience is comprised with mostly fans, I know you’re looking at the clock like it’s the last day of school — waiting to get out for the summer. I can’t wait for the games to start. I haven’t done much “in detail” previewing here, but here’s a look at the roster composition after all the training camp cuts.</p>
<p id="t4oMJp">The team captains are Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Bigman Rudy Gobert is going to make a lot of noise this year. But the team is deeper than ever before. Let’s dig in.</p>
<h2 id="krbD23">Where ya from:</h2>
<p id="h9kUdD">Who you are is a product of your experiences. If you travel a lot you keep a little bit of everywhere you’ve been with you, forever. </p>
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<img alt="Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Player Histories" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/quU6ugAkI3B5MjWpLK9slho_V_Y=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7346133/2016%202017%20Utah%20Jazz%20Roster%20-%20Age%20From.PNG">
<cite>AllThatAmar</cite>
<figcaption>Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Player Histories</figcaption>
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<p id="bI2YGL">Some of these guys were drafted -- and high too like <span>Derrick Favors</span> and <span>Rudy Gobert</span>. Others were steals at where they were selected, like Rudy Gobert, <span>Raul Neto</span>, <span>Rodney Hood</span>, George Hill, and, arguably, <span>Trey Lyles</span>. Utah had a number of undrafted guys in camp like <span>Chris Johnson</span>, <span>Quincy Ford</span>, <span>Eric Dawson</span>, <span>Henry Sims</span> — but only one made the team: <span>Joe Ingles</span>.</p>
<p id="tUUJwC">Trey Lyles remains the youngest player on the team. <span>Joe Johnson</span> is the eldest. I wonder what their relationship is like? </p>
<h2 id="wSsnAq">The Long and Short:</h2>
<p id="2jAcaL">Utah has tremendous length with Rudy Gobert. But it’s not just him! As far as point guards go, <span>George Hill</span> and <span>Dante Exum</span> have super long wingspans. They also have some speed they can possibly build around too.</p>
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<img alt="Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Anthropometrics" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U6T279OdXred4BfSvzfQmJYTNI0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7346123/2016%202017%20Utah%20Jazz%20Roster%20-%20Anthropometrics.PNG">
<cite>AllThatAmar</cite>
<figcaption>Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Anthropometrics</figcaption>
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<p id="pHGdnV">But the biggest surprise? <span>Joel Bolomboy</span> makes <span>Jeremy Evans</span> look ordinary. Please note that this data is synthesized from <a href="http://DraftExpress.com">DraftExpress.com</a>, <a href="http://Wikipedia.org">Wikipedia.org</a>, <a href="http://NBA.com">NBA.com</a>, and <a href="http://Basketball-Reference.com">Basketball-Reference.com</a>. Things like their combine results from the early 2000s may not mean much anymore. Also, I don’t have the updated values from P3 -- but some things are mostly static, like hand sizes and so forth. </p>
<p id="yNSaEK">#ThankYouBasedAnthopometrics</p>
<h2 id="fbZkVx">Age and Experience:</h2>
<p id="QpgvpZ">The Jazz have had a lot of youth, but not much experience outside of ‘rent-a-vets’. The three big names brought in this off season (Joe <span>Johnson</span>, <span>Boris Diaw</span>, George Hill) have over 9,000 combined career NBA Playoff minutes. The rest of the team? Only 541. Yeah.</p>
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<img alt="Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Experience" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xHT13nqeYX-q6q797DCXmhTH4zE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7346107/2016%202017%20Utah%20Jazz%20Roster%20-%20Experience.PNG">
<cite>AllThatAmar</cite>
<figcaption>Utah Jazz 2016-2017 Experience</figcaption>
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<p id="hqGb0C">This was needed. This data was taken from <a href="http://Basketball-Reference.com">Basketball-Reference.com</a>, <a href="http://RealGM.com">RealGM.com</a>, and of course, their college data which knows that Eric Dawson exists, but doesn’t have much info on him.</p>
<h2 id="ofrKOM">Salary Structure:</h2>
<p id="URWF9j">The Jazz recently announced that they’ve taken the team options on Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, and Trey Lyles. That puts some salary on the books, but honestly? It’s not that much because they are all on their rookie salaries still.</p>
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<img alt="2016 2017 Utah Jazz Salary" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7V2NNvV8g0Y3MPQ-SZxuJkzIAWY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7346101/2016%202017%20Utah%20Jazz%20Roster%20-%20Salary.PNG">
<cite>AllThatAmar</cite>
<figcaption>2016 2017 Utah Jazz Salary</figcaption>
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<p id="3pJdBl">The big fish are yet to be paid — <span>Gordon Hayward</span>, Rudy Gobert, and Derrick Favors. It’s likely that two of those three will be max players in their next contract. Thankfully, Dennis Lindsey has managed the cap so that the team has the space to accommodate that. Thank you to <a href="http://basketballinsiders.com/">BasketballInsiders.com</a> for this data.</p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2016/10/25/13412242/utah-jazz-2017-preview-roster-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert-derrick-favors-joe-johnson-dante-exumAllThatAmar2016-10-24T12:11:14-06:002016-10-24T12:11:14-06:00Utah Jazz Player Swag Ratings
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<img alt="NBA: Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c8sQtiRCKwE0hU0CL1gy4ryggO8=/0x0:3016x2011/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51492835/usa-today-9011417.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A lesson in Swagonomics</p> <p id="JreGFK">A lot of people are going to judge the Jazz by how many wins they have this season. With the young talent coming into its prime and high level off season acquisitions, people may think the win total is the most important thing this season.</p>
<p id="qJx8E9">That would be wrong.</p>
<p id="l8xV3Q">Anyone can win, but can you do it with swag?</p>
<p id="3ZuyQG">I know for a fact (I do not) that Dennis Lindsey takes into account each player’s swag. Lindsey has talked about having player profiles he uses when scouting players in the draft and free agency. The list probably looks like this....</p>
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<img alt="swag checkoff list" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0A3DftrnMHpLotvKaNp987OdD2A=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7314413/Untitled-1.jpg">
<figcaption>Swagometer </figcaption>
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<p id="Xyjw6L">I agree with Dennis Lindsey that the Swagometer is a vital part of a player’s performance. But we must take this further. We must! </p>
<p id="uFZwCK">Some of you may be asking, what is swag? This is a great, and important, question. Here is the definition from Merriam Webster:</p>
<blockquote><p id="CA9LdL">What about the other <em>swag</em>? That's a slang word that refers to stylish confidence. It shows up in songs ("Check out my swag, yo / I walk like a ballplayer"—Jay Z) and social media hashtags, but this word derives from <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swagger"><em>swagger</em></a>, not from stolen goods. And though it sounds newer than the "free stuff" <em>swag</em>, this <em>swag</em> is actually older. We can trace it back to 1640, where it's used to refer to "hansom swag fellowes."</p></blockquote>
<p id="lTUy3u">The Jazz are absolutely filled with “hansom swag fellowes” and what I’ve done is created a swag ranking of the Utah Jazz. To do this I’ve created a system.</p>
<p id="UpfVq9">I present to you Swagonomics. Swagonomics is an incredibly accurate system to measure a player’s swag. It is very, very scientific and it works like this...</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8ay3wrCPzzkSZxWWsCR6MlhA2aI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7314707/Untitled-2.jpg">
<figcaption>Swagonomics</figcaption>
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<p id="ygR8IY">Swagonomics asks the important questions that will tell us who on the Jazz has the most Swag. Here we go.</p>
<p id="FY02yg"><strong>15. </strong><span><strong>Shelvin Mack</strong></span></p>
<p id="hEdPsV">Coming in last for the Jazz is Shelvin Mack. Though Shelvin scores points for his ability to get assists, not many of those assists end in Dunks. Dunks being one of the large indicators of swag. If Shelvin dunked more and created sweet oops with his passing he would score higher. Sadly, much of Shelvin’s game involves very low swag floaters.</p>
<p id="g2ZMur"><strong>14. </strong><span><strong>Joel Bolomboy</strong></span></p>
<p id="mPo3Er">Joel moves up the swag meter with his dunks. He catches oops with his athleticism and then ferociously finishes them. This accounts for a lot of swag in my laboratory's swagonomics calculations. However, these dunk have happened in summer league and pre-season. To move up in the swagonomics calculations, Joel will need to produce his dunks and swag against higher competition. Also, Joel will be wearing a pink backpack this season which is hard to overcome.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joel Bolomboy with the dunk! Tonight's <a href="https://twitter.com/AFCU">@AFCU</a> Instant Rewind ⏮ <a href="https://t.co/93xHuE1M8P">https://t.co/93xHuE1M8P</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/785712914388946944">October 11, 2016</a>
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<p id="pHZC4V"><strong>13. </strong><span><strong>Dante Exum</strong></span></p>
<p id="WPRowv">Dante has an immense amount of swag potential, but he hasn’t quite gotten there yet. Dante has a winning record as a starter and has done it with strong defense. Though defense can have much swag, a lot of swag on defense come from intense blocks. Dante has not done a lot of chase-down blocks, the kind of blocks that get the crowd rocking. Dante scores points from creating oops, many of which happen with swag-heavy <span>Rudy Gobert</span>.</p>
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<p id="cyqBMP">With more of this, Dante’s swag rating will go way up!</p>
<p id="LKcY4x"><strong>12. </strong><span><strong>Joe Ingles</strong></span></p>
<p id="x01ddB">Ingles on court play is not something that scores especially high in swagonomics, although he does score well with his passing. Remember, sharing of swag is important. Even though Joe doesn’t have the typical highlight plays, he doesn’t care. Not caring about swag gives you swag points. I know, it’s science, I don’t always understand it either.</p>
<p id="QL4urg">What adds to Joe’s swag is an intense confidence and sense of humor. Joe Ingles is who he is and doesn’t care what others think. This creates a high level of swag, sometimes referenced as swagger, especially in Austrailia (don’t look that up). It’s also well documented that Ingles’ personality helps other players in the locker room to overcome adversity and get through a long season with higher spirits. </p>
<p id="ZmP1Tb"><strong>11. </strong><span><strong>Raul Neto</strong></span></p>
<p id="9zfgYz">Raul Neto is probably the most “hansom swag fellow” on the Jazz by appearance. He makes a bald, 5’8” portly fellow like myself have confidence issues. If you follow twitter or Instagram you will see many likes and retweets from ladies that are not just fans of his game, but his very hansom face. It’s just not fair sometimes.</p>
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<img alt="NBA: Utah Jazz-Media Day" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CxZrb1FP8MPcUAv1asWVXUkOaL8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7316365/usa-today-8837793.jpg">
<cite>Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Raul looks nicer than me</figcaption>
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<p id="7tqh12"><strong>10. </strong><span><strong>Trey Lyles</strong></span></p>
<p id="7cpPYF">Trey Lyles has a smooth game and a smooth personality. It’s rumored that Lyles has a funny personality, but it doesn’t show up much in post game interviews. The thing that makes Lyles swag go up is his ability to take, and make, shots that are usually meant for players much smaller than himself. He also has a dribble drive game that is ridiculous for a player at 6’10”. More smooth than explosive, Lyles lulls opponents to sleep until he does something like this. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Swat Lake City is alive and well! ✋✋ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHXatUTA?src=hash">#PHXatUTA</a> <a href="https://t.co/LYlw6Ew4uF">https://t.co/LYlw6Ew4uF</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/786384329836531712">October 13, 2016</a>
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<p id="66tPm1"><strong>9. </strong><span><strong>Rodney Hood</strong></span></p>
<p id="6Jpgrv">Rodney has maybe the smoothest game on the Jazz. He has a stroke that makes even the darkest souled analyst swoon. His passing is high level and there are times where he shows flashes of Harden with his ability to penetrate and either score or dish. To score higher, Rodney would need to show us dunks. If Rodney went up and dunked on someone, I might die. And If you need a reminder of Rodney’s swag, take a look at this shot...</p>
<div id="kYsk3S"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CSqD5rsf5pg?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="JrKUU6"><strong>8. </strong><span><strong>George Hill</strong></span></p>
<p id="2HBM3N">If you want someone who helps others with their swag, it’s George Hill. His ability to play off guard or take on point guard duties mean he gives everyone the chance to show off their swag. This ability to allow others to shine is an immense ability and he shines in these scientific, very professional, rankings. </p>
<p id="pDMtDd">George Hill also is incredible at denying opposing players the ball on defense. He also locks up players and keeps them from dunking on ours. Being posterized can hurt a players swag forever and George Hill protects the Jazz from ever allowing the other team huge dunks.</p>
<p id="tGLU3k"><strong>7. </strong><span><strong>Derrick Favors</strong></span></p>
<p id="t2mJQm">The thing that stands out to me now more than ever with Favors is his strength. How many times do we see Favors either gather a rebound or pass and then power through the defense to score. Being the most powerful guy on the floor almost always gives Derrick higher swag. He’s willing to dunk on people too which gives him solid marks in the swag department.</p>
<p id="FyvBeY">Also, Derrick stands up for teammates and shuts down opponents quicker than anyone out there when they think about starting something. This clip was the thing that made me swoon over Favors more than any moment before...</p>
<div id="uLV5uE"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFBEUks6Wvs?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="XzVeF5"><strong>6. </strong><span><strong>Joe Johnson</strong></span></p>
<p id="Cfflvn">Being a 6 time all star and having a huge amount of nicknames including “Iso Joe” and “Joe Jesus” puts Joe Johnson high on the list. Joe has that smooth game and ability to score in isolation that gives him huge marks. More than that, Joe has the personality that gets him high marks. He’s just cooler than most guys. The best quote from this preseason came from Joe, from Andy Larsen of KSL...</p>
<blockquote><p id="wdtxcG">And Joe Johnson had the best quote about the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz's</a> situation: "We've got a few guys banged up, but I'm sure they'll be ready when the popcorn really starts popping."</p></blockquote>
<p id="yGpWby">That type of quote comes from someone with supreme confidence. I’m actually not scared at all that Joe’s lackluster numbers this preseason will continue. When the season starts, Iso Joe will turn it up...</p>
<p id="iMGP20"><strong>5. </strong><span><strong>Gordon Hayward</strong></span></p>
<p id="EnoB5r">People will make jokes about Gordon’s hair, but deep down it’s obvious the haters are jealous. Gordon has a ton of swag. He’s an awesome dad with a beautiful family, he’s an all star caliber player in the NBA and legitimately great E-Gamer. Gordon was willing to <a href="http://www.gordonhayward20.life/2014/10/14/best-in-the-game/">smack talk Lebron</a> saying there was no chance he could beat him in League of Legends and also claimed his spot as the best in the world. At gaming that is...</p>
<p id="t3VTl0">Back to his hair... Gordon has changed a ton from when he came into the league to now, and he looks good doing it. I have three kids at home, I go to work and then write for this site as well as run some podcasts. I look like adrugged up, less attractive, wimpy version of Randy Couture. Gordon gets on the floor and looks like a GQ model. I think I’m gonna stop before I start crying.</p>
<div id="IJoWnw"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UfDXAA2MCD8?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="DnRs27"><strong>4. Rudy Gobert</strong></p>
<p id="5R9xFh">Rudy plays with a swag that has endeared fans to him for years. He dunks it with ferocity and rejects players at the rim with the same passion. He even talks smack after the block. Not only is Rudy a fantastic player, but he already has two things that set him above other players: a great nickname (Steiffel Tower) and a signature celebration (the salute). Just writing this makes me want to put Rudy higher, but, alas, Rudy has stopped giving us the salute. If he can bring that back... Please bring back the salute, Rudy. Please!</p>
<p id="4yI1UE"><strong>3. </strong><span><strong>Jeff Withey</strong></span></p>
<p id="XSFCzk">Jeff Withey? JEFFREE DAVID WITHEY!!!</p>
<p id="SthRZc">There was one moment this year that made me put Withey’s swag almost to the top. First, we all saw the drama between Withey and his girlfriend (a model from a magazine that showcases attractive women. This is taken into account for his swag). They were broken up, then back together and then broke up. Right after the break up Withey did this...</p>
<div id="53fQHg">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jeff Withey with the sweet poster - Tonight's <a href="https://twitter.com/AFCU">@AFCU</a> Instant Rewind <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UTAatPHX?src=hash">#UTAatPHX</a> ⏪<a href="https://t.co/4YMI6xeaxj">https://t.co/4YMI6xeaxj</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/783888330136035328">October 6, 2016</a>
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<p id="i1IABx">Withey took out his frustration on this dunk in such a way that he rocketed up these rankings. “Who needs model girlfriends, anyway!?!” was what he probably yelled as he dunked it.</p>
<p id="NXHLgJ"><strong>2. </strong><span><strong>Alec Burks</strong></span></p>
<p id="fms4WI">The original king of swag on the Jazz. If you question Alec’s swag, just remember that his all time starting 5 includes himself. When you are asked this question and you put yourself, you deserve this spot.</p>
<p id="q6JB6k">Burks doesn’t just talk though, he backs it up with a game all about getting to the rim and getting dunks. This dunk right here show’s why people still think Alec has a chance to become great...</p>
<div id="3W8J2D"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/07T3UVxZ0YQ?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="AJUReY">I mean, it’s just silly.</p>
<p id="k1SzJ6"><strong>1. </strong><span><strong>Boris Diaw</strong></span></p>
<p id="4LSrbS">I mean, come on, look at this...</p>
<div id="D0gmHi">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyNationalCoffeeDay?src=hash">#HappyNationalCoffeeDay</a> from <a href="https://twitter.com/theborisdiaw">@theborisdiaw</a>! <a href="https://t.co/rZDPHFyELc">pic.twitter.com/rZDPHFyELc</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/781560554733174784">September 29, 2016</a>
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<p id="2zmtXl">And this...</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:37.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ9TjwjAMAW/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Long drive from san antonio to utah, But a lot of good parks along the way, here is white sand national monument. I keep you posted for the other ones. #roadtrip #3daytrip #whatelse</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Borisdiaw (@diawboris) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-09-05T02:43:22+00:00">Sep 4, 2016 at 7:43pm PDT</time></p>
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<p id="2AAW2N">Boris is who he is and doesn’t care what people think. First, he’s a fantastic ball player, but his off court swag is what puts him over the top in these rankings. The fact that Boris loves his espresso machine so much that he’ll take it with him on a road trip to SLC. Incredible. And if you ever question Diaw’s swag, this photo as a response to Popovich questioning if Diaw was eating well is amazing...</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/tf7v55DI3A/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">No worries pop only one glass of wine and daily workouts!</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Borisdiaw (@diawboris) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-09-28T18:18:18+00:00">Sep 28, 2014 at 11:18am PDT</time></p>
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<p id="Jo8ywL">That face is the definition of swag.</p>
<p id="UHEMkF"></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/2016/10/24/13346976/utah-jazz-player-swag-ratings-boris-diaw-alec-burks-jeff-witheyJames Hansen2016-10-24T10:33:41-06:002016-10-24T10:33:41-06:00The Downbeat #2009 - #TakeNote
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<img alt="NBA: Preseason-Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3nE5XRUnmGxby3AmXvbvRfZBFNo=/0x0:3125x2083/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51488961/usa-today-9619758.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Get ready for a great season!</p> <p id="kgA2YO">The NBA Season is here, finally. And so too are the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a>. (We hope.)</p>
<p id="EOniXX">Okay, the NBA Season starts TOMORROW. Our Utah Jazz team gets to finally step on the floor in games that matter. It’s a big year for this squad — presumably now in bloom — that is supposed to make the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs">NBA Playoffs</a> this year. The last time the team was NOT in the lotto was back when the head coach <span>Tyrone Corbin</span> was starting <span>Josh Howard</span> in the playoffs (2011-2012). <a href="http://www.theunticket.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jesus-howard-weed.jpg">Yikes</a>.</p>
<p id="gQiBb7">As a fanbase we’ve been through the hell part. We’re now on the way back.</p>
<p id="IvnHwH">It’s clear that this is the deepest team in franchise history. Today we’ve seen the official hashtag revealed (#TakeNote) for the season, and in their first tweet it’s all about the talent that Dennis Lindsey has accumulated for this moment.</p>
<div id="beeesJ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash">#TakeNote</a> <a href="https://t.co/bU3UPSM1Nu">pic.twitter.com/bU3UPSM1Nu</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/790554954385674241">October 24, 2016</a>
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<div id="3QJKoB">
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash">#TakeNote</a> <a href="https://t.co/YZ3OzdCBOk">pic.twitter.com/YZ3OzdCBOk</a></p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/790574168534163456">October 24, 2016</a>
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<p id="QfUWXN">Even without the three guys on the end, (L to R) <span>Derrick Favors</span>, <span>Gordon Hayward</span>, and <span>Alec Burks</span>, this is a really good Top 7. The squad not shown are <span>Raul Neto</span> (PG), <span>Shelvin Mack</span> (PG/SG), <span>Joe Ingles</span> (SF/SG), <span>Joel Bolomboy</span> (PF/C), and <span>Jeff Withey</span> (C). I will argue that at least two of those guys could be rotation players for playoff teams, and they will be role players on this one.</p>
<p id="rraz7x">The Utah Jazz are going to be a threat for 50 wins this year, and potentially a first round series victory. Casual fans need to #TakeNote .</p>
<p id="VweZXW">The Utah Jazz finalized their 15 man rotation with their last cut: Chris Johnson. Tavan <a href="http://www.slcdunk.com/2016/10/22/13367494/nba-utah-jazz-chris-johnson-waived-15-man-roster-set">had you covered on the topic here</a>. I think like many of us we weren’t expecting big things from Christapher, but is commitment to hustle, grinding it out, dive on the floor basketball really stood out. Last season, and during this preseason, he displayed a nose for the ball and really helped the team out in clutch situations with everything from offensive rebounds to deflections. The best way to put it would be that he would have made this team had <span>Jerry Sloan</span> been the head coach instead of <span>Quin Snyder</span>. I cannot think of any higher praise to give a player than that.</p>
<p id="NBD512">Other teams are also cutting good players, real NBA players, in order to fit their modern rosters. Yesterday we saw the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a> say goodbye to <span>Jeremy Evans</span>.</p>
<div id="H7TjM4">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">OFFICIAL: The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pacers?src=hash">#Pacers</a> have waived forward Jeremy Evans and guard Julyan Stone. <a href="https://t.co/b567nsg4HT">https://t.co/b567nsg4HT</a></p>— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/790333924761280516">October 23, 2016</a>
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<p id="uLaSuq">We all love Evans, but I have to say that in his six professional years in the league he did not keep up with the league’s increasing demands for skills. If he was a guy in the 1970s or 80s he would not have been cut. But in this era (heck, he’s from the same 2010 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a> class as others still in the league) he didn’t improve his ball handling or perimeter defense enough to play small forward, or his strength and post defense enough to gain more minutes at power forward. His three point shooting is now somehow below average for both forward classes. Crazy. He’s always been efficient and effective when on the court despite those limitations to his skills. </p>
<p id="9EXAqV">I wish him all the best, he is one of the good guys out there. I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about him or his character. </p>
<p id="xvnju4">He wasn’t the only Jazz-y cut this preseason. <span>Phil Pressey</span> (Idaho Stampede) got cut from the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>, <span>Elliot Williams</span> got cut from the Golden State Warriors, J.J. O’Brien was cut from the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a>, <span>Toure’ Murry</span> was cut from the <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, <span>Quincy Ford</span> (after getting cut from the Jazz) then got cut from the <a href="https://www.thebirdwrites.com/">New Orleans Pelicans</a>, Lou Amundson got cut from the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a>, <span>Kevin Murphy</span> was cut from the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a>, <span>Grant Jerrett</span> was cut from the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a>, and all of these guys are joined by the Jazz cuts of <span>Eric Dawson</span>, Ford, Johnson, <span>Marcus Paige</span>, and <span>Henry Sims</span>.</p>
<p id="DlAFpR">As a fan and a human being, I want as many people to succeed as possible. I wish more players could play for an NBA affiliated team in America and be closer to their family and emotional support systems. I’ve worked in other countries before, far away from everyone I loved. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone else. And yes, these guys don’t HAVE to play basketball for their jobs, they could work at Burger King or whatever. But that’s missing the point. Many of these guys have NBA level games and talent, if not NBA level consistency. </p>
<p id="ASXaJv">Let them play here, create more jobs in America! Make the D-League great again!</p>
<p id="4dSCHG">Back to the Jazz, their 15-Man Roster has a lot of physical specimens on it. This team wanted to go from being bad on defense to having the length to switch everything. I think they have it now. FiveThirtyEight’s Patrick Redford broke it all down for you fans of Anthropometrics:</p>
<div id="3BN1j7">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Which NBA team is the tallest? <a href="https://t.co/EXBKihUAUA">https://t.co/EXBKihUAUA</a> <a href="https://t.co/aBwdm7IyIK">pic.twitter.com/aBwdm7IyIK</a></p>— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveThirtyEight/status/789254623878008833">October 20, 2016</a>
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<p id="ihYrZv">The Jazz have some of the tallest point guards. I don’t know if that’s just <span>Dante Exum</span> skewing the data, or the fact that the team has FOUR players at that position. But overall, Utah is one of the taller teams out there. Former coach Frank Layden (CoY, EXoY) said that you can’t teach height. It’s true. But there’s more to roster construction than just that. There is, at least, also weight:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="2016-2017 Height x Weight" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bxvB4FyDcZ8Zbyy1gAK6eNXGgVM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7335475/DB%202009%20538%20Redford%20Height%20Weight.png">
<cite>Patrick Redford, FiveThirtyEight</cite>
<figcaption>2016-2017 Height x Weight</figcaption>
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<p id="4xMCtg">Of course, being big and strong is great. You also need basketball players though. If not, then well, <span>Rafael Araujo</span> would still be in the NBA. Check out the rest of <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/which-nba-team-is-the-tallest/">Patrick Redford’s work on this subject over here</a>! Seriously, it’s worth it. He goes to the detail of explaining things in the easily understandable terms of how many hippos something weighs. </p>
<p id="g8CmxK">Moving from hippos to hard basketball discussion, our favorite son Andy Larsen continues to have great times in his climb up as reporter. </p>
<div id="fi1TZU">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I received a nice letter today, but I don't think it's for me. <a href="https://t.co/B0E3vjPJOC">pic.twitter.com/B0E3vjPJOC</a></p>— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) <a href="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/789578874895994880">October 21, 2016</a>
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<p id="YuQ0pR">I occasionally get crazy e-mails from people (I encourage all people to e-mail me as much as possible, I just don’t read / reply to them very quickly or at all). But Andy has bridged that gap, he’s now getting actual mails from actually crazy people. I wish I had trained him better for the horrible off-line world. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lNx5vS69MlvwOVT06AZobSppnLI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7335679/DB%202009%20Son%20of%20Stimpy.PNG">
<cite>Ren & Stimpy, Viacom, 1993</cite>
<figcaption>Pictured: It’s me, whenever people write mean comments or say bad things about Andy B. Larsen</figcaption>
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<p id="e85XWY">Now, Andy doesn’t need anyone to fight battles for him. It’s just an excuse to put up this amazing letter from an real Utah Jazz fan and/or this crazy image of Stimpy dressed up like a worried Babushka.</p>
<p id="NSm953">So, the team has gotten a lot of hype this off-season. The moves they made impressed the GMs. National Sports writers feel this team is ready to take the next step. And many more Utah Jazz fans are coming out of hiding. </p>
<div id="iE3uBg">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">everyone is bandwagoning the jazz this year let's take a moment to remember the real fans <a href="https://t.co/PiqhzsNy4n">pic.twitter.com/PiqhzsNy4n</a></p>— alex (@steven_lebron) <a href="https://twitter.com/steven_lebron/status/787522214367207424">October 16, 2016</a>
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<p id="GM2Wt8">The big question is -- how many wins for this team +/- playoff wins? What’s your number, fans? </p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat/2016/10/24/13383396/nba-utah-jazz-preview-take-note-gordon-hayward-derrick-favors-george-hill-jeremy-evansAllThatAmar2016-10-21T15:53:16-06:002016-10-21T15:53:16-06:0017 Off-the-Wall Utah Jazz Predictions for this Season
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<img alt="NBA: Preseason-Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9k6IwOOUu0Ix-XZpHjnqdBkB8YY=/0x123:2921x2070/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51457523/usa-today-9615876.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is not click bait, this is just how crazy this season will be</p> <p id="8IAEsr">The season is nearly upon us, which means it’s time for all of us to put ourselves out there and make unnecessary predictions. I’ve got 17 of them for you. Be forewarned: these aren’t your grandfather’s predictions. Unless your grandfather was the crazy old guy wearing a David Benoit jersey I talked to on TRAX the other day. Then some of these might be your grandfather’s predictions. Let’s get started.</p>
<p id="PIURNS"><strong>1. </strong><span><strong>Boris Diaw</strong></span><strong> will lead the </strong><a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/"><strong>Jazz</strong></a><strong> in assists per 36 minutes.</strong> Rest assured, these won’t all be stats predictions. Last year with the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> Diaw averaged 4.6 assists per 36 mins. That would have been second most on the Jazz behind <span>Shelvin Mack</span> (who averaged 6.1). Boris will edge out all 4 point guards on the Jazz and Gobert will be the benefactor of the French Connection. Side prediction: I’ll be tired of the French Connection nickname by about 5 games in.</p>
<p id="UmKIkj"><strong>2. The Jazz will have the fewest amount of technical fouls in the league this year. </strong> I don’t see this team getting many technical fouls. Last year the Jazz had the 6th least amount of technical fouls at 0.134 per game. The Spurs had the fewest at 0.049 per game. Rudy and Quin will get their fair share but I think those decrease with the Jazz getting more calls this year. Booker was usually good for a few techs every season and he’s gone.</p>
<p id="hrbFhs"><strong>3. </strong><span><strong>George Hill</strong></span><strong> will go back to being blonde.</strong> This needs to happen. George, you know you want to. It even goes with the Jazz color scheme.<br></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Los Angeles Clippers v Indiana Pacers" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0V3VHl9wCpeRPrZ9URTSCwwlNBk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7319397/507007342.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="QYGiVd"><strong>4. </strong><span><strong>Rudy Gobert</strong></span><strong> will win the NBA’s Most Improved Player.</strong> This is a bold prediction and I think that Rudy would need to increase his scoring by about 8-10 points to get it done. He’d have to continue the preseason tear he’s been on but why not? Stranger things have happened.</p>
<p id="nZMjCA"><strong>5. Shelvin Mack will get traded to the </strong><a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/"><strong>Boston Celtics</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Not a ton of real analysis here. No trade machine to make the numbers work and I’m not even predicting what they get in return. <span>Brad Stevens</span> coached Mack at Butler with Hayward. Boston seems like they’re are always willing to make a move and maybe they think it helps their chances at luring Hayward in free agency (a stretch, I know).<br></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Butler v Florida" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ag6Tcmw3HkBdeGg7Xu0-sW2QBWc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7319373/110918825.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="FuG9FT"><strong>6. Jazz fans will get free Chik-fil-a sandwiches 3 times.</strong> I’m not sure what the official over/under on this is but 3 sounds about right. One day I hope to love something as much as <span>Matt Harpring</span> loves this promotion. </p>
<p id="yGubDy"><strong>7. Jazz fans will get 50% off online orders at Papa John’s 49 times during the regular season. </strong>This is a sneaky way to make a non-off-the-wall prediction. Papa John’s offers 50% off the day after Jazz wins. If you are good at math you know I’m predicting 49 wins. I think early injuries will prevent them from getting to 50.</p>
<p id="uH5oFL"><strong>8. The Jazz will bring back their milk sponsor and </strong><span><strong>Trey Lyles</strong></span><strong> will become the new face of the terrible milk mustache.</strong> Sorry about this one Trey. Hopefully you wear it better than CJ Miles. <a href="http://twitpic.com/47ajfl">This</a> is the only picture I could find. Here is a fun Twitter conversation between Basketball John and CJ himself about that photo:<br></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/arotDcnTrD5i42TWQd9Ti3Chm_s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7319331/milk%20mustache.png">
</figure>
<p id="0OAS1o"><strong>9. The best lineup for the Jazz this year will be: Hill, Exum, Hayward, Diaw, & Gobert.</strong> By best lineup I mean best offensive rating and defensive rating combination. There is a good mix of defensive prowess and enough offensive firepower to make this work (if Exum and Gobert continue to make offensive strides). </p>
<p id="Zgs4DC"><strong>10. Rudy Gobert will make the all-star team.</strong> Rudy’s improvement will be most notable on the offensive end. He will shoot 70% from the free throw line and the trend of the Jazz finding Rudy more often down low in the preseason will continue into the regular season. Rudy will be his same ol’ dominant self on D and he will be chosen to replace a slightly injured Deandre or Boogie as an alternate in the game.</p>
<p id="EieJke"><strong>11. </strong><span><strong>Gordon Hayward</strong></span><strong> will get a triple double.</strong> Do you know the last time a Jazz player got a triple double? Unless, I’m missing something, the last player to ring the triple double bell was Carlos freaking Boozer back in 2008. Gordon was one assist shy back in 2014. In 2012, Amar wrote about all 7 triple doubles in Jazz history <a href="http://www.slcdunk.com/2012/5/21/3035482/utah-jazz-franchise-points-assists-rebounds-triple-double-list">here</a>. This is the year.</p>
<p id="CbxkMe"><strong>12. </strong><span><strong>Dante Exum</strong></span><strong> & Trey Lyles will play all 82 regular season games.</strong> Exum repeats his rookie feat (on reduced minutes some nights). Lyles’ style of play and backup role will enable him to bring scoring off the bench in every game this year.</p>
<p id="wOTB2d"><strong>13. The Jazz will beat the </strong><a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/"><strong>Warriors</strong></a><strong> on the road. </strong>The second-to-last game of the season is at Golden State. Jazz will be fighting for playoff positioning and the Warriors will rest. Even if they are not resting, the Jazz are playing great basketball at the end of the year and want to prove they can beat the Warriors. Final score 106-101.</p>
<p id="pTLb3W"><strong>14. George Hill & </strong><span><strong>Joe Johnson</strong></span><strong> will each have game-winning buzzer beaters.</strong> One of these games will come against Lebron because that’s just what happens with Lebron and the Jazz. Hill and Johnson each have the clutch gene. Teams will forget this as they focus on Hayward and Hood and leave too much space for these wily vets in critical moments at the end of games.</p>
<p id="jRhfae"><strong>15. The Jazz will have a 14 game win streak. </strong> This is where the depth starts to pay off for the Jazz. They able to withstand multiple sets of 3 games in 4 nights. In a vacuum, all of these games are individually reasonably winnable. It won’t be easy but it’s not completely out of the question either. Here are the games:<br></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DLyry9e_qYcHbhytR2j3jEKPrG4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7319081/14%20game%20win%20streak.png">
</figure>
<p id="CsUoJn"><strong>16. Matt Harpring will miss 15 games. </strong>Well, I wouldn’t say he’s missing them, Bob. This is actually written into his contract. Ok, not really but he seems to miss more games than anyone else on the broadcast team. Am I the only one that wonders what in the world Harpring could be doing? It’s 82 nights a year man!?! Ron Boone hasn’t missed a game since his ABA days.</p>
<p id="3RqXTw"><strong>17. Rudy will give us the salute 6 times.</strong> If you’re gonna have a signature celebration in NBA 2K you gotta let it loose more often than Rudy let us see the salute last year. That being said, the moment has to be right. Like this: <br></p>
<div id="rlOPko"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%;"><iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O9jpAtF1pnA/card" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="detREY">We will end on a salute. I’ll check back at the end of the season to see how we fared. In the meantime, make your own prediction in the comments section. Go Jazz.</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-articles/2016/10/21/13354604/utah-jazz-2016-17-predictions-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert-boris-diaw-george-hillhoopsapprentice2016-10-21T15:43:41-06:002016-10-21T15:43:41-06:00Don’t look now but the Jazz could win 50 games this season
<figure>
<img alt="NBA: Preseason-Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YIq5UyjpQI711FgKxjw6qI6FFvA=/0x634:3064x2677/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51457409/usa-today-9603743.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s not just Utah’s faithful fans that think the Jazz could put up serious numbers this season</p> <p id="JIX55J">According to the Las Vegas <a href="http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/16176731/nba-2017-nba-title-odds-westgate-las-vegas-superbook">Westgate superbook</a>, the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> are 50-1 longshots to win the Western Conference this NBA season. That speaks more to the heights and unimpeachable talents of the conference’s top three teams than it does say anything about the Jazz. Utah’s outlook can be felt better in its <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/updated-nba-overunder-win-totals-and-championships-odds-for-october-4/">over/under win total</a> projection. After going just 40-42 a season ago, the Jazz’s over/under is set at 47.5 wins. Utah is going to be a very good basketball team this season. All the pieces are in place.</p>
<p id="ZsaBkz">Piece number one is not currently in place, but he will be back soon. That being Gordon Hayward. The star forward broke his finger during the preseason and is expected to miss <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/home/4444312-155/story.html">roughly a month</a> of the regular season. This may do a number on Utah’s chances of hitting their over bet, but outside of gambling purposes, this isn’t the worst news in the world. Hayward will be back before the games start to matter the most, and Utah actually has some depth to tread water while he’s out.</p>
<p id="wsVfHT">Part of the reason Utah managed just 40 wins and had one of the least-productive offenses in the league last year was because of its backcourt. After having simply horrendous guard play in 2015-16, Utah’s backcourt now looks like a thing of beauty.</p>
<p id="qPdbDo"><span>George Hill</span>, one of the most underrated players in all of basketball regardless of position, is now in line to start at point guard for the Jazz. Hill is a tremendous defender and underappreciated creator. The Indiana offense he was in always went through <span>Paul George</span>, but when the talented forward was out injured, Hill did a great job of picking up his production. He can do a similar thing here with Hayward on the bench.</p>
<p id="fDx2gj"><span>Alec Burks</span> is still here, and the team will get former number five overall draft pick <span>Dante Exum</span> back for this season after he missed all of his rookie year with an injury. Exum is a 6-6 point guard who is just 21 years old. Entering the league, he needed to improve his jump shot, but the athleticism, length and game IQ for Exum were already NBA-ready.</p>
<p id="FJLrQU">The wing rotation for Utah will also be deeper this season than it was a year ago. <a href="http://rukkus.com/blog/best-moves-of-the-nba-offseason-not-named-kevin-durant/">Joe Johnson was brought in</a> as a shooter to space the floor around the Jazz’s twin towers inside. <span>Boris Diaw</span> spaces the floor better than most NBA centers because of his intelligence and passing, which was beautifully displayed in his recent 10 point 6 assist outing against a good <a href="https://rukkus.com/boston-celtics-tickets/">Celtics Basketball</a> team. There is no such thing as a crowded paint when Diaw can fit passes through spaces no other big man can. The team will also be looking for vast improvements from two young players who are already super talented: <span>Rodney Hood</span> and <span>Trey Lyles</span>.</p>
<p id="PfpDPO">Lyles is actually younger than Exum yet already proved he belongs in this league with his exceptionally effective rookie season. He should see an uptick in minutes this season at both forward spots and could anchor a small-ball lineup if Utah decides to get creative.</p>
<p id="cpGCiY">The improved spacing, guard depth and overall talent improvement underscores how good Utah can be. It also ignores the best thing about this team. <span>Derrick Favors</span> and <span>Rudy Gobert</span> form the most formidable frontcourt pairing in the NBA. Last year, <a href="http://stats.nba.com/league/team/#!/defense/?sort=OPP_PTS_PAINT&dir=-1&Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season">Utah allowed</a> the second-fewest paint points of any team in the league thanks to those two. It was also seventh in second-chance points allowed and defensive rebounding percentage. Favors and Gobert had a massive impact on any and all opponents who ventured too deep past the three-point arc.</p>
<p id="lijlIh">That defensive calling card will remain in 2016-17. In fact, it could even improve with gained experience and the addition of Hill on the perimeter. What will push Utah from a .500 team to a team capable of winning 50 games will be the offense. Coach Quin Snyder has a great group of guys here in Utah. If things come together, a 10-game improvement on last season isn’t out of the question.</p>
<p id="Jwt4xt"></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-articles/2016/10/21/13338830/las-vegas-nba-utah-jazz-george-hill-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert-50-winsMarcus.Williams2016-10-20T14:56:54-06:002016-10-20T14:56:54-06:00Quin Snyder vs. Himself: A Few Thoughts On Shots
<figure>
<img alt="NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Wlw4drJz3p28PNuh8pwyL-05qiI=/715x56:2193x1041/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51442473/usa-today-9027602.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What can we learn about Quin's coaching and the team's trajectory by analyzing shot selection?</p> <p id="r5gn0b">Newsflash: <span>Quin Snyder</span> still has a losing record. Also a newsflash: He’s a talented coach, and we’re lucky to have him here in Utah. To be honest with you all, I’m not really a stats guy when it comes to looking at things beyond what one would find in a box score. That said, I’ve been wondering lately about the developing <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah </a><a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a> offense in terms of where our players take their shots. Here’s what I found. </p>
<p id="2qEQZh">Let’s look at Quin Snyder’s first season with the team using the data from vorped.com. One caveat to these statistics is that they may not represent every shot taken by the Jazz during these seasons, only what Vorped was able to record. Here is the shot chart:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g6iz_brCyVBlQ9YlUnKIzdot3KA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7306921/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-19%20at%2010.44.00%20AM.png">
<cite>http://vorped.com/1-nba/2014-2015/team/461/utah-jazz/</cite>
</figure>
<p id="UorINV"><strong>Here are some things that jump out at me right away: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="CbXkyT">The team shot 514-1519 from beyond the three-point line, (33.8%) good for 19th in the league.</li>
<li id="38RwD4">Of the team’s 2902 two-point shots, 1524 of them were taken outside the paint, so when the Jazz put up a two-point shot it was taken outside the paint 52% of the time. The team shot just 37% on long two-pointers, while in the paint went 1604-2902, or 55%.</li>
<li id="NdfNDx">The Jazz had 1519 three-point attempts during this season, compared to 1524 long two-point attempts. In this case, I’m a glass half-empty kind of fellow: 50% of the Jazz’s shots outside the paint were long two-pointers, which is bad. In contrast, the 2014-15 <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> “two-point shots outside the paint frequency percentage” (2PSOTPFreq%) was around 42%. As I said, I’m not a stats guy, so if there’s an actual word for this please tell me.</li>
</ul>
<p id="AN03bP"><strong>What this means:</strong></p>
<p id="qEjBEg">Every year we seem to hear more about how the league has changed and evolved to a point where teams live and die by the three-point shot. I don’t think it’s completely unfair to say that the ‘14-’15 Jazz were a jump-shooting team, (51% of all shots were taken outside the paint) or to say that too many of those jump-shots were long two pointers. When you compare percentages of the “long two-pointers” to the three-point percentages just a few feet back, you see that 4/5 of the corresponding areas are within two percentage points of each other. The left-corner three-point percentage was even higher than the area a few feet inside the arc, yet the Jazz shot 34 fewer times there. Is it worth a taking 1.5% less chance of making a field goal if said field goal is worth 50% more points? I would argue that it is. </p>
<p id="xPQtqr">In addition, 37% on two-pointers outside the paint is a low number. With the players making 55% of shots inside the paint, one would think that Quin would try to get the team to slash to the rim more.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NBA: Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c7AQxhOT2zwx2E_Rv9Eea_lHepA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7310749/usa-today-9160370.jpg">
<cite>Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="kABqun"><strong>Let’s look at last season to see if Quin agreed:</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/coNLFHSz03xM8IzlCxz1BsRWFpk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7308929/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-19%20at%201.54.21%20PM.png">
<cite>http://vorped.com/1-nba/2015-2016/team/855/utah-jazz/</cite>
</figure>
<ul>
<li id="qWJ1yZ">The Jazz took and made more three-pointers than the season before, making 649 on 1818 attempts, (35%) rocketing them up to 15th in the league in attempts, 12th in percentage. </li>
<li id="FRex1z">Last season, the Jazz made 602 long two-point shots on 1542 attempts, improving to 39%, both higher numbers than ‘14-’15. Even better, the team’s 2PSOTPFreq% was a much-more acceptable 46%. [<strong>Ed. Note</strong> — There should be a more elegant way of expressing what 2PSOTPFreq is, but I cannot find one. Pray for our stat souls.]</li>
<li id="lwzacO">As far as the story of the paint goes, that 39% from long two-point range I just mentioned compares to about 54% in the paint on fewer attempts. The good news here is that many of those drives to the rim ended up being cleared beyond the arc for three-point attempts, which partially accounts for the fact that the Jazz attempted about 300 more 3PT shots during last season than in ‘14-15.</li>
</ul>
<p id="scaKw1"><strong>What this means:</strong></p>
<p id="a12pMO">It appears that Quin Snyder learned from the mistakes of the ‘14-’15 season, improving the team in all the metrics that I spotlighted. He even fixed the left-corner three problem, with the team taking 34 <em>more </em>shots from that spot compared to the one a few feet inside the arc. As a result, the Jazz finished with a better record than the year before, scoring 209 more points. </p>
<p id="huAikw">Quin probably saw similar data to what I saw, and took corrective actions. We’re not there yet, but it is encouraging to see positive trends. Look for the Jazz to take more shots from three-point land, more shots in the paint, and fewer shots in less-productive spots inside the arc this season.</p>
<p id="QqqkaO"></p>
<p id="yijOIk"></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/research-statistics-analytics/2016/10/20/13330538/utah-jazz-quin-snyder-offense-gordon-hayward-rodney-hood-joe-johnson-george-hillDaniel West2016-10-20T08:42:37-06:002016-10-20T08:42:37-06:00Utah Jazz 2016-17 Preview - The Basics
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lZwjnc8hg5b4GMqOpBQsnhouMt4=/83x0:1067x656/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51230849/Utah_20Jazz_202016_202017_20Media_20Day_20-_20Gordon_20Hayward.0.PNG" />
</figure>
<p>Are we having fun yet? Yes we are!</p> <p id="W5ggkP"><strong>Team Name</strong>: The Mighty <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a></p>
<p id="cldyyD"><strong>Last Year’s Record</strong>: 40-42</p>
<p id="E7sd95"><strong>Key Losses</strong>: <span>Trey Burke</span>, Trey Burke’s parents, <span>Trevor Booker</span>, <span>Tibor Pleiss</span>, the Idaho Stampede</p>
<p id="Lyr0j7"><strong>Key Additions</strong>: <span>George Hill</span>, <span>Joe Johnson</span>, <span>Boris Diaw</span>, <span>Joel Bolomboy</span>, the Salt Lake City Stars</p>
<p id="sT6t2C"></p>
<h3 id="VLnrMx">ONE. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?</h3>
<p id="uqGPS0">The Utah Jazz decided against holding only a never ending supply of future picks, and decided to cash some of their assets in and get players who can help the team win now. They did precisely that. </p>
<ul>
<li id="LL6387">They traded away their #12 pick in the 2016 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a> and received George Hill (from the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a>, in a three team deal that also involved the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>). That #12 pick became <span>Taurean Prince</span>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7K0mZX3kS4">a cerebral player no doubt</a>, but I don’t think adding small forward prospects was the right thing to do when the team’s current best player is a small forward.</li>
<li id="I2kzZM">Utah also traded away prospect combo guard <span>Olivier Hanlan</span> to the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> for aging Boris Diaw (and cash and a future pick). The Spurs needed to dump salary in order to sign the free agents they coveted. The Jazz were more than happy to oblige, Bobo’s talents are unique in the NBA. His experience will be invaluable for this team that is still trying to learn how to win.</li>
<li id="MoCwKu">Seven time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson was signed as a Free Agent in July, the first time the Jazz actually signed an impact free agent who had such a legendary reputation and length NBA resume.</li>
<li id="aseHBu">It’s not an actual roster move, but having <span>Dante Exum</span> return from injury gives the 2016-17 Jazz something that the 2015-16 Jazz did not have.</li>
</ul>
<div id="GHt4Yd"><iframe src="https://player.megaphone.fm/VMP9729951759" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 200px;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="ugMJYW">TWO. What are the team’s biggest strengths?</h3>
<p id="PT0yLh">Utah remains beefy inside. <span>Derrick Favors</span> and <span>Rudy Gobert</span> could play the their strengths in any era of NBA basketball. They are rugged rebounders who set screens and defend the paint. Most teams are going small — even the Jazz may elect to do so this year — but Utah does not have to. Not even when going to the bench! Utah has another 7’er on the roster in maligned Romeo / shot blocking savant Jeff Withey. Withey may be the 5th big in the rotation though because of Boris Diaw and Trey Lyles. Diaw’s versatility is well publicized, but his quire Lyles is just as versatile. The 6’8 Diaw can play each frontcourt spot, but probably less small forward than he used to. Lyles started at small forward in the NCAAs, and at 6’10 got some minutes at center as well as an NBA rookie. Both can handle the ball, rebound, hit the three, and score in the paint. GM Dennis Lindsey also greedily selected Joel Bolomboy late in the 2nd round. He is an athletic freak who has drawn comparisons to a mix of <span>Paul Millsap</span> and <span>Jeremy Evans</span> -- two other Utah Jazz late 2nd round selections of drafts gone by. Utah is mountain range big in the paint. That’s a strength very few teams boast.</p>
<p id="mhRXuw">Usually the first strength listed would be your possibly All-Star, but with the Jazz it’s inside out. The out is <span>Gordon Hayward</span>. The 6’8 former tennis stud has transformed his body to that of a Greek God over the years. He is verily ‘swole’ now. As a result he can now legitimately play shooting guard, small forward, and power forward for Quin Snyder. And regardless of where he is, he will be someone who initiates the offense. Somehow he’s still under-rated everywhere outside of Utah and Boston. Color may have something to do with that. But Hayward is a legit stud ready to go over, under, or through any defenses set up to thwart him.</p>
<p id="W0uz9C">A third strength, a new one for Jazz fans, is depth. Even during the John Stockton and Karl Malone years the franchise wasn’t able to make such a deep team. Those Finals era teams had Hall of Fame talent at the top, but were actually quite shallow. Utah has been burned over the last few seasons with bad injuries to rotation players. This year if that happens (and we hope it does not) they will be able to handle it. Point guard is set with four guys who could crack every team’s rotation. The bigmen are a legion of doom. And the wings are versatile enough to cover for either size / position extreme in a pinch — someone like <span>Alec Burks</span> can shift over to point, someone like <span>Joe Ingles</span> can play stretch four.</p>
<h3 id="fYC5cF">THREE. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?</h3>
<p id="2GVnTK">The team hasn’t figured out how to win games yet. No team was as frustrating to watch down the stretch of close games than the Jazz were last season. Utah lost at least 8-10 games where they were winning with 4 minutes to go. It wasn’t fun. Not at all. I guess that’s why the front office went out and head-hunted for vets who knew how to win games — including hotly contested playoff battles. Joe Johnson is simply one of the best closers of all time. George Hill is battle tested against some of the top point guards to lace them up in this era. Boris Diaw has played in Finals games in every type of basketball tournament, from the NBA to International tournaments for medals. Unfortunately, experience isn’t shared through osmosis. These three guys know how to win games, and know how to knock out teams on the ropes. The rest of the Jazz roster is still pretty clueless.</p>
<p id="rJCnIN">Offensively there are struggles. And when compounded with the inability to close out close games, this is force multiplier of struggle. Sure, Utah can get a three when they need one, but against an entrenched defense there hasn’t been enough ‘star play’ to elicit a defensive shift to get someone a good look. A <span>LeBron James</span>, or heck, a <span>Paul George</span> is great enough to force the defense out of their set, and allow for there to be an advantage found somewhere on the court. That hasn’t been the case for the Jazz who rely upon high screens to free up players for prayers. Other teams have players who can create on their own. I guess this is where Joe Johnson comes in, but he’s in his 16th year right now. There may not be a lot of tread left on those tires.</p>
<p id="LAAKLj">Injuries? Injuries have been mostly acute in Utah. But there have been so many of them — often at the same time -- that rotation players couldn’t be relied upon. That’s been a weakness for sure. We all know it. Utah is predicted to make that jump THIS season that they should have made TWO seasons ago. Injuries were a significant obstacle. Hopefully that is a think of the past now.</p>
<h3 id="m1LsBu">FOUR. What are the goals for this team?</h3>
<p id="vM0xW4">There are a few. </p>
<ol>
<li id="o7JwiW">Make The Playoffs</li>
<li id="xQidbK">Win enough games to make the playoffs</li>
<li id="z5ypm9">Return to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs">NBA Playoffs</a>
</li>
<li id="4iM6ic">Get out of the NBA Lottery</li>
<li id="ldR8i5">Be one of the top Eight seeds in the Western Conference after 82 games</li>
<li id="XXVPfA">and MAKE THE DAMN PLAYOFFS, C’MON GUYS!</li>
</ol>
<p id="NQhrjV">Fans, like me, play around with silly things like winning 50+ games or winning the North West division. But that’s not what’s really important. The team needs to be moving forward — they have to if they want a chance of retaining Gordon Hayward in a Jazz jersey after this year (he is going to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent). And that means they have to make the playoffs. I’d want them to win a round in there too, but I’m greedy. But for the team, no one is throwing out numbers. They are all throwing out the “P” word though.</p>
<p id="lmzaAy">And it’s long overdue in Utah, we haven’t hosted a playoff game since <span>Josh Howard</span> was starting. Don’t Look it up, trust us. We remember even if you don’t.</p>
<h3 id="iA9xMH">FIVE. What can stop the Utah Jazz?</h3>
<p id="nOvVyx">Honestly? Even though I’m a homer I need to point out that Utah is far from invulnerable. With all this pre-season hype there is now pre-season expectations. With all this depth comes other problems as well. Players have needs. They need security. They need to get paid. They need to play. They need to feel valued. Some even need their touches on top of all of that. When you have undeniable stars or strong locker room voices, everyone can be kept in some semblance of order. When there’s little to distinguish the talent levels or seniority, things could get weird. Things haven’t been weird like that in Utah since <span>Mark Jackson</span> staged a locker-room coup against John Stockton. </p>
<p id="NyP6Kg">This could be the year something like that returns if the team struggles early. Wins keep everyone happy. And for a team constructed like this, I think it could placate everyone. Without that some players may be looking at their contract year status (Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, and George Hill are all projected to start and be in contract negotiations this calendar year). </p>
<p id="gMhL5e">I don’t actually know who is the best player out of Joe Johnson, <span>Rodney Hood</span>, and Alec Burks. Two of them will be coming off the bench this year though. All three of them are going to know that.</p>
<p id="QwdP3u">Boris Diaw is a man for all seasons, and has interests outside of the game. He’s done it all on the court, and we are weary of what happened to him when he was traded to the <a href="https://www.atthehive.com/">Charlotte Hornets</a> — he ballooned up and lost focus. This off-season after France’s Olympic flame-out he spent more time on social media, living the good life, and promoting his films that he is involved in at Gala events. He’s not in basketball shape right now. This is the guy who is supposed to be giving life advice to our young bigs. Moving from the Spurs and title contention to the Jazz and just making the playoffs, I really hope he’s just not going through the motions here.</p>
<p id="RuRkq0">Honestly, off-the-court stuff — like <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> level distractions, but not <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a> level distractions — could sink this season; and not anything on the court. Hopefully by vocalizing it, and blogging about it, I have no secured the opposite will now happen in real life. Bless you Reverse-Jinxing! </p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-articles/2016/10/6/13190722/utah-jazz-2016-17-preview-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert-dante-exum-derrick-favors-joe-johnsonAllThatAmar