| Lottery Summit: Utah Jazz Authored by Andrew Perna & The RGM Jazz Forum - June 19, 2008 - 11:17 am
Last month I posted a series of Lottery Summits for each of the league’s fourteen non-playoff teams. I posed a set of questions, almost exactly the same as the ones asked in the first series of Pre-Draft Summits, to each of the NBA’s playoff team forums as we continue our up-to-the-minute, expert 2008 Draft coverage. The following responses were compiled from our Utah forum, the people who know the Jazz better than some of the players themselves.
The Utah Jazz:
2007-08 Record: 54-28
Difference From 2006-07: Three More Wins
Playoff Result: Lost In Six To L.A. (Semifinals)
Restricted Free Agents: C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap (T)
Unrestricted Free Agents: Jason Hart (P)
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done differently to advance in the playoffs?
fivas14: If we played better defense against the third and fourth best players on the opposing team.
loserX: A consistent effort from game-to-game. We have plenty of talent, but never seemed to be firing on all cylinders.
Batronuj: If we had shown a better team effort on defense, and found a way to get Carlos Boozer out of his funk.
dr0welf: We needed to make shots and stop whining about the non-calls.
jazzarenumber1: If we played consistently and weren’t always battling from behind.
ele.ven: More consistency, which stems from a lack of solid defense.
JStockLivesOn: If we had played smarter defense with crisper rotations, we certainly could have beaten the Lakers.
JDubJazz: If we exploited matchups better. The Jazz stuck to their standard rotation regardless of matchups, and it bit them hard. Kyle Korver wasn't able to get up a decent shot for much of the series, but he still played too many minutes. Andrei Kirilenko was our most effective defender, but was often benched for long stretches in favor of the pathetically ineffective Matt Harpring. C.J. Miles produced in the few minutes he was given, yet he hardly saw any court time.
vainsake: It wouldn’t have been hard.
bsutefan: We needed one man to step up besides Deron Williams.
DelaneyRudd: Defensively we needed a better effort up front, especially from Boozer. Also, the cold shooting by Korver was a big reason we struggled against the Lakers.
troy: Utah needed to play better interior defense. They let the Lakers shoot 49% from the floor, which our offense was unable to overcome.
ut_jazz: If we played better team defense, shot the ball better and play under control.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
fivas14: Moving the ball and outrebounding the other team.
loserX: Point guard play and team passing.
Batronuj: Williams was definitely the biggest strength. He turned into an unstoppable scorer/distributor and his leadership was solid. The offense was easily the team's strong point this season.
dr0welf: Home court was our biggest strength, along with play of our bench at home. Deron’s dominance was also a huge strength as well.
jazzarenumber1: Williams.
ele.ven: Williams, consistent coaching and a good overall shooting percentage.
JStockLivesOn: Our offensive execution, under the dynamic care of Williams, was as good as it's been since John Stockton retired.
JDubJazz: Point guard play and persistence. Williams made another leap and is now among the best two or three point guards in the game. The Jazz were also very good when fighting their way back into games. This team does not give up, regardless of how far they fall behind.
vainsake: Scoring.
bsutefan: Point guard play, shooting, rebounding and our bench
DelaneyRudd: Team play. That all starts at the point guard position. When Deron is distributing, and scoring evenly, watching basketball is a joy.
troy: The Jazz have one of the best point guards in the game. Jerry Sloan’s offense is great with a lot of movement without the ball and Deron drives it perfectly.
ut_jazz: D-Will at point is our biggest strength, because of his ability to get easy looks for other players. He has also become a very efficient scorer himself, which is why we have the most efficient offense in the league.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
fivas14: AK47, no doubt.
loserX: Kirilenko, especially after the previous season's nightmare.
Batronuj: AK-47 had a solid bounce back year, but I felt Ronnie Brewer's ability to contribute was the reason the Jazz were a contender this year.
dr0welf: Brewer did a lot better then I expected. The way he moved around screens and along the baseline to get open dunks was refreshing.
jazzarenumber1: Like everyone said Kirilenko and Brewer.
ele.ven: Brewer was our Most Improved Player, hands down.
JStockLivesOn: After all of the trade talk, Kirilenko came in and played his heart out. He cut hard, dove for loose balls and shared the ball on offense. I'd also point to Brewer and Ronnie Price, the former for his huge improvement in every facet of the game and the latter for his ability to make plays on the break.
JDubJazz: Brewer. He has some flaws in his game, but for a guy who sat on the bench all of last season, he was spectacular at creating around the hoop and getting buckets without having plays run for him. His defense steadily improved as well, as he was among league leaders in steals.
vainsake: Brewer. Nobody expected him to do this well this season.
bsutefan: Brewer.
DelaneyRudd: Korver was the key to the team breaking out of its slump. His free throw shooting at the ends of games changed the season too.
troy: Kirilenko. After last year’s chaos, he rebounded nicely with a complete season and he even found a reliable outside shot (38% from three).
ut_jazz: Brewer really stepped into his role and consistently gave strong efforts.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
fivas14: Gordan Giricek.
loserX: Jason Collins and Hart were just awful, but that came as no surprise to me.
Batronuj: I expected a lot more out of Paul Millsap after the Rocky Mountain Revue, he was the league MVP in preseason, but he hit a sophomore slump and really only had five or six memorable games.
dr0welf: Most guys were expected to perform during the season did. Boozer was surprisingly ineffective during the playoffs though.
jazzarenumber1: It would have to be Hart and Collins, but that isn’t that big of a surprise.
ele.ven: Boozer. He excelled the first couple months with Mehmet Okur suffering from back strains, but then it was all downhill. His defense has always stunk as well.
JStockLivesOn: Boozer. The dude was an albatross in the playoffs.
JDubJazz: The "Bigs". In the first half of the season, Okur was downright bad. He was playing through several injuries and didn’t found his groove until after the All-Star game, which coincidentally, is when Boozer fell apart. His defense got worse as the year went on, and then his offense started to follow
vainsake: Morris Almond.
bsutefan: The biggest disappointment would have to be Hart.
DelaneyRudd: Hart was a complete bust, but I knew he wasn't going to be a big part of the equation.
troy: Boozer was a disappointment in the playoffs. Last year he upped his level of play in the postseason, so his struggles this year took us all by surprise.
ut_jazz: Millsap wasn't as effective offensively.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
fivas14: As confident as I could possibly be.
loserX: Mostly. I'm curious to see whether the luxury tax will be a team-shaking obstacle or not.
Batronuj: It seems like these guys finally really care and believe that a championship is close. I have a ton of confidence.
dr0welf: Kevin O’Connor has done a great job so far, and I have faith that he will continue his efforts.
jazzarenumber1: I am extremely confident.
ele.ven: Pretty confident. We are a bit conservative at times, but they draft well and are patient with players.
JStockLivesOn: I have extreme confidence in them. They've built a fantastic team, and I know they are on the lookout for opportunities to improve.
JDubJazz: I have very little confidence in the Jazz's front office, because of the team’s overly conservative nature.
vainsake: Honestly, no. O’Connor told the media that he's gonna take whoever is the best player on the board, and that worries me.
bsutefan: We have one of the best front offices in the league that also understands the dynamics of Utah.
DelaneyRudd: I would like to see a move that will improve our defense. I am afraid this team will be a perennial playoff runner-up, much like the Kings and Pacers of a few years ago.
troy: The Jazz need to make a move to improve the defense. Okur and Boozer are both mediocre interior defenders and one of the two needs to go. Unfortunately, the Jazz brass has proven time and time again that they don’t like to trade star players, so I’m afraid it will be status quo again.
ut_jazz: I’m very confident. We have a predictable front office that makes good moves most of the time.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
fivas14: Athletic players, shot-blocking centers and driving specialists
loserX: I don't think our biggest needs can be solved by the draft, especially as late as we're picking. If we keep the pick it'll be more about asset collection than "solving" any problems.
Batronuj: Low-post defense.
dr0welf: We need to trade our draft picks for future picks. I don't feel we’ll benefit this year from drafting.
jazzarenumber1: A shot blocker and a player to clog the lane.
ele.ven: A defensive center to contribute soon, whether through the draft or by trades.
JStockLivesOn: We need a good interior defender or a competent third point guard.
JDubJazz: If the Jazz keep their draft picks, then interior defense and athletic bigs are the priority. The team’s current rotation really struggles against opponents with length, as the Lakers and Spurs exposed this year.
vainsake: A center.
bsutefan: Center and a backup point guard though with only one roster spot open and the MLE, I don't see things staying put.
DelaneyRudd: A backup center and point guard.
troy: Size. Utah needs a presence under the basket that blocks shot or can intimidate the opponent's slasher.
ut_jazz: A backup for Memo, because Collins has to go.
7. Who would you like your team to select?
fivas14: I don't know who'll be there so I'll just name prospects that should be there: Roy Hibbert, JaVale McGee, Robin Lopez, Chris Douglas-Robert, Donte Green, Nathan Jawai, Marreese Speights or Bill Walker.
loserX: If we keep the pick, Hibbert makes the most sense.
Batronuj: Hibbert.
dr0welf: Hibbert or Lopez look decent.
jazzarenumber1: Hibbert.
ele.ven: Hibbert.
JStockLivesOn: Hibbert or Mario Chalmers would fit the bill
JDubJazz: This team needs size, and I think Lopez has an ideal combination of size and mobility. I would be okay with Hibbert, because the man really is huge, and as Frank Layden said, "you can't teach height."
vainsake: Hibbert.
bsutefan: Hibbert is a good fit, Serge Ibaka would also solve the roster problem as he could stay oversees for a while and trading for a future first-rounder is always a good option.
DelaneyRudd: Hibbert's short comings are overblown. I think he could be a real steal and fits the need for a passing post player perfectly.
troy: Hibbert.
ut_jazz: Hibbert is the consensus pick from the fans and it's hard to argue against it, he'd fill a role and have a immediate impact.
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Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM. If you’re a fan of one of the many teams that we have yet to feature, surf over to our forums and weigh in on what is happening within the organization. If you’d like to contact Andrew, shoot him an e-mail at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
