| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Utah Draft Preview Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 20, 2009 - 9:42 pm
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2009 Draft Picks: 20th, 50th
Pre-Draft 2009-10 Projected Starters:
PG Deron Williams
SG Ronnie Brewer
SF Andrei Kirilenko
PF Carlos Boozer
C Mehmet Okur
Key Reserves:
PG Ronnie Price
SG Kyle Korver
SF C.J. Miles
PF Paul Millsap
C Kosta Koufos
What The Jazz Do Well:
The Jazz are a very strong home team. Despite key injuries to many players over last season, they still finished with a 33-8 record at home, despite the spotty 15-26 record away from Salt Lake. Coach Jerry Sloan toyed with the lineup and had 14 different guys start at least one game for the Jazz –- including Kyrylo Fesenko. The only roster member that didn't get a single start was the timeless Brevin Knight.
Team leader Deron Williams played in only 68 games this past season and still led the team with 19.4 points and 10.7 assists per game. Williams' game has been the reason why the Jazz have been among the top eight teams in the West ever since he was selected with the third overall pick in 2005.
The big news out of Utah this season was the emergence of Paul Millsap, who stepped up big time in the absence of Carlos Boozer. Millsap put up career bests of 13.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 block in his third NBA season. Many experts believe that this may impact the perceived importance of Boozer on the team, explaining that perhaps it is the elite pick-and-roll play of Williams that is pumping up the stats of the Utah power forward tandem.
Regardless, both Boozer and Millsap are up for potential free agency this summer and it will be interesting to see what each player does. While it's believed that the reason both of these players have put up such strong numbers playing alongside D-Will, there will still be many teams looking to inquire about their services. Stay tuned to see how Utah plans to retain one or both of these big men.
Greatest Areas Of Improvement:
Big Men Depth
Without question, the Jazz will have to look to the draft for a big man if they determine that they are not financially capable of retaining both Millsap and Boozer. Should one or both decide to leave, the Jazz must use their first rounder on another skilled athletic big who can be the next to get big-time stats playing the pick-and-roll with Williams.
Insurance at the Point
When Williams is wearing street clothes, the Jazz are usually in a bit of a bind. Behind Deron's 10.7 assists per game, the second-leading assister on the roster was AK-47, with a paltry 2.6 assists. And he's a 6-9 small forward. Backups Brevin Knight (2.6 apg) and Ronnie Price (2.1 apg) averaged less than half of D-Will's production (4.7 apg), so the Jazz should look for a solid upgrade in such a point guard heavy draft.
Who's Gone Number 20 Recently?
The Denver Nuggets seem to have a secret love for the 20th overall pick. They have had the 20th pick in three of the past five drafts, and last year traded for Renaldo Balkman, one of the two non-Denver 20th picks in the past five years. The only problem is that the only one of their picks that they kept was Julius Hodge, while Jameer Nelson has become an All-Star point guard in Orlando.
2008
Alexis Ajinca, Denver Nuggets (traded to Charlotte)
2007
Jason Smith, Miami Heat (traded to Philadelphia)
2006
Renaldo Balkman, New York Knicks
2005
Julius Hodge, Denver Nuggets
2004
Jameer Nelson, Denver Nuggets (traded to Orlando)
Who Should The Jazz Target?
- Tyler Hansbrough of UNC
As perfect as Hansbrough's work ethic, skill set, and team-first mindset sounds for the Jazz, there is a growing suspicion that he will no longer be available when the Jazz come to bat with the 20th pick. Hansbrough would fit into Sloan's team concept immediately and would allow the franchise to let Millsap or Boozer walk to save the team some money.
- Eric Maynor of VCU
Maynor is another point guard that seems tailor-made for this team. He is a big-bodied guard who is ready to contribute on the NBA level immediately, similar to Orlando's Courtney Lee. The four-year point is a prospect similar in style of play to D-Will, with the ability to get to the hoop without fear.
- Sam Young of Pittsburgh
If Young was 2 years older, we'd be talking about a lottery pick. But since the powerful Pittsburgh forward is already 24, his stock is likely to drop. However, he is a very capable combo forward, who can score inside and out. His developing three-point shot makes him very attractive to the Utah offense.
- Toney Douglas of Florida State
The growing theme with RealGM's suggestions for the Jazz selection is a veteran collegiate player who is ready to step in and take the floor immediately. Douglas is a three-year starter out of FSU who can provide immediate impact from beyong the arc. He is perhaps one of the most polished scorers in the draft, with one of the quickest shot releases resembling Boston’s duo of Ray Allen and Eddie House.
Picks Over the Past Five Years
If you look below, you will notice that the Jazz have done an excellent job of drafting quality talent in mediocre draft slots. The Jazz made a move up to the 3rd slot in 2005 to nab D-Will and have made sound late picks with C.J. Miles (34th), Paul Millsap (47th), Ronnie Brewer (14th), Kosta Koufos (23rd), and even Kirk Snyder (16th) to a certain extent. The jury is still out on Morris Almond.
2008
Kosta Koufos, 23rd
Ante Tomic, 44th
Tadija Dragicevic, 53rd
2007
Morris Almond, 25th
Herbert Hill, 55th (traded to Philadelphia)
2006
Ronnie Brewer, 14th
Dee Brown 46th
Paul Millsap, 47th
2005
Deron Williams, 3rd
C.J. Miles, 34th
2004
Kris Humphries, 14th
Kirk Snyder, 16th
Pavel Podkolzine, 21st (traded to Dallas)
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna's Utah Jazz Draft Summit, an interactive forum featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Jazz Draft discussion, the fans of Utah have made it known that they would like to draft the most athletic player available.
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done differently to advance further in the playoffs?
Bat: If they had better bench play and more energy from role players.
loserX: There is no quick answer to this. The Lakers are a superior team. I'm not sure the Jazz could have won that series without a minor miracle.
ele.ven: One thing that could have been done was to give Ronnie Price and Kosta Koufos the playing time they deserved.
tylero87: Health, Chemistry and avoiding the Lakers altogether.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Play more physical defense, block shots, run the offense better, cut down on turnovers, get consistent bench play, and get to the foul line more.
babyjax13: If we won late in the season so we didn't have to play the Lakers. We had the talent to beat L.A., but our players were too passive.
J_Ray: If we didn’t blow two cupcake home games at the end of the year.
jazzfan1971: If Jerry Sloan went to Ronnie Price earlier.
nebraski: If we won more games down the stretch, and didn’t play L.A. in first round.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Bat: Point guard play; Deron Williams.
loserX: Depth and passing.
ele.ven: Williams, and the ability of players to step up in his absence.
tylero87: Bench contributions and coaching.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Williams, depth, and sharing the ball.
babyjax13: Offense from the front-court. Boozer and Memo are a pretty deadly combo, and then we have two excellent players coming off the bench (Koufos and Millsap).
J_Ray: Offensive execution as usual and the bench.
jazzfan1971: Deron, when healthy.
nebraski: Williams, and the bench play before Boozer returned from injury.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Bat: Millsap was easily the bright point of the season. He had a very solid stretch of games while Boozer was hurt.
loserX: Our bench. The let us down a bit late in the season, but got us through some disastrous injury stretches to start things off.
ele.ven: I thought Koufos was doing great when he was getting playing time, and of course Millsap.
tylero87: Millsap. He'll get his payday for the way he filled in as a starter this year.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Millsap, Ronnie Brewer, Koufos and Matt Harpring.
babyjax13: Statistically, C.J. Miles was certainly a surprise.
J_Ray: Millsap had a huge year while Boozer was out and Brewer somewhat stepped up on the defensive end.
jazzfan1971: Nobody surprised me.
nebraski: Millsap and Brewer.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Bat: Brevin Knight was supposed to be the solid veteran presence off the bench, but provided very little all season.
loserX: Boozer performed below expectations.
ele.ven: Kirilenko. He started off the season matching his 2004 All-Star numbers, then gradually lost it as he lost weight.
tylero87: Knight. The Jazz gained nothing by trading Jason Hart for Knight and putting him ahead of Price in the rotation.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Knight, Kyle Korver and Price.
babyjax13: Knight is the popular pick, but Miles was just so terrible for our system that I don't see why we matched his offer from Oklahoma City.
J_Ray: Kirilenko and Harpring were ineffective.
jazzfan1971: Knight. I thought he'd be much better.
nebraski: Watson, Kirilenko and Knight.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Bat: I’m confident that they will put a good product on the court. However, with so many free agents it could be out of their hands whether or not it is a great team.
loserX: Not very. It will be interesting to see if the team's leadership/philosophy changes after the sad passing of Larry Miller.
ele.ven: 50% confidence, 50% doubt. It's going to be tough to work something out, but I'm encouraged by the fact that Greg Miller understands our weaknesses.
tylero87: Kevin O’Conner seems to have a good idea of where this team needs to go. With new owner Greg Miller saying he's willing to pay the luxury tax to keep the core of the Jazz together; I trust they will make smart decisions this offseason.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Not very. I am afraid the Jazz front office is lacking the guts to pull off a big time trade or make any drastic team changing moves.
babyjax13: They are conservative, but normally make decisions in the best interest of the team. I would like to see them make a run at a 'risky' (high-upside) draft pick in the first round just to shake things up and see if we can get a difference maker.
J_Ray: O'Connor and the gang are heading into a new era.
jazzfan1971: Wary.
nebraski: When the front office finds out what Boozer, Okur and Korver are going to do, I'm fairly confident they will make the best moves possible.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Bat: Best Player available. With questions at every position including back-up point guard, a shooter to replace Korver off the bench, a hard nosed perimeter defender, and open spots at the reserve power forward and center, the Jazz are unlikely looking to fill just one specific position.
loserX: Size, since Boozer and Millsap's situations are still unclear.
ele.ven: A solid back-up point guard, preferably that can shoot.
tylero87: A big man and a back up point guard. Maybe make a draft day trade for a shooting guard that can actually shoot.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Defense and three-point shooting.
babyjax13: Backup point guard is a need, but I think that can be addressed with a minimum salary player or just by retaining Price.
J_Ray: Length, toughness, and defense
jazzfan1971: BPA.
nebraski: Best athlete available.
7. Who would you like the Jazz to take with the 20th pick?
Bat: Eric Maynor, Sam Young, Patty Mills, Jeff Teague, DeJuan Blair, or BJ Mullens.
ele.ven: Teague.
tylero87: Granted they fall that far I would take Ty Lawson or Jeff Teague.
UTJazzFan_Echo1: Young, Darren Collison, Teague, Lawson, Terrence Williams, Marcus Thornton, or Jrue Holiday.
babyjax13: Teague, Thornton, Mullens and Maynor are the guys I like.
J_Ray: Williams, Danny Green, Maynor, Mills, Jeff Pendergraph, and Josh Heytvelt are on my list.
jazzfan1971: A young Hakeem.
nebraski: If we keep pick go with: Chase Budinger, Teague, Holiday, Blair, or Daye.
Click here to read other draft previews in our 30 Teams, 30 Days series
Who do you want the Jazz to draft at number 20? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments and questions. |
