Grade Offseason

[pickIBL]

This isn't so much a judgment on this thread as it is an overall comment, but the quality of the posting content on this board has really gone downhill over the past few months.

As for Snyder. One thing I would point out is that he has coached internationally. He also has head coaching experience at the D1 level and D-league level. Additionally, he comes from the Hawks bench (which was an awesome team last year all things considered). He's pretty well rounded, and he probably was rather affordable for the club.

Blatt went to Cleveland and ended up with Lebron. Messina did some things at the end of last season that I found troubling. Sure there were some NBA retreads available. Passing on those (probably more expensive) coaches to give Snyder his shot is understandable. You have a really talented guy like Skiles out there, but there has always been the burn out factor with him. Sure you have George Karl out there. Plenty call him a HOF coach, but his Nuggets had major problems defensively. And when the playoffs came around they almost always imploded instantly.

Snyder was a pretty understandable coach for the franchise. Everyone outside of Missouri is pretty cool with it. Free agents don't want to come to Utah. I'm not sure what the FO could have done to get a good grade there. With Booker and Novak on the squad I am under the impression that there isn't much confidence in Favors and Kanter playing well together.

This summer was all about the draft. I understand the frustration when people see bad small market franchises get gifts (like Milwaukee and Cleveland), but I'd much prefer this forum stick to reality.

There is no big free agent splash to be had unfortunately. I've come to terms with that. The Jazz are clearly growing organically. They will see where they are at the end of next season and go from there.

The biggest topic of conversation right now is Enes Kanter. Will he get extended? Will he get traded? Will he get a Hayward type contract next summer? I find the topic of grading the off-season less interesting than the Kanter conversation.

We will see how Exum and Hood pan out in seasons to come. That's when you can grade this summer. I'm skeptical how well Kanter fits with this roster especially if Gobert is ready to play off the bench. I think an extension will be hard to reach. I say there is a 30% chance he gets traded and a 50% chance they all just ride it out til summer (20% trade chance).

[Inigo Montoya]

The Jazz's free agency yield so far is:
Booker (backup)
Novak (backup, hardly played)
Murry (backup, hardly played)
Felix (backup, hardly played)
Bost (3rd PG, d-league)

Most of those guys are\have been borderline d-leaguers up until now. Hard to argue the Jazz aren't tanking again. I hope people realize that's what it is, and grade the offseason accordingly. I'm ok with them tanking, for the record.

[BudTugly]

Exum doesn't really need the DL. He can get a lot of minutes without feeling like he has to carry the team at all. I guess some people would prefer he plays a primary role on a DL team than a reserve role on an NBA team. Either has its advantages.

Kanter and probably Favors too would really have been helped with this kind of move early in their careers with Al/Sap pulling the cart. Water/bridge and all, but still.

[pickIBL]

Exum doesn't really need the DL. He can get a lot of minutes without feeling like he has to carry the team at all. I guess some people would prefer he plays a primary role on a DL team than a reserve role on an NBA team. Either has its advantages.

Kanter and probably Favors too would really have been helped with this kind of move early in their careers with Al/Sap pulling the cart. Water/bridge and all, but still.

In reality we can see why the Jazz would not want to send him down. He's selling tickets and by sending him down that could crush the ego. The D-league has a bad connotation to it and for that reason sending him down is rather risky.

The question is what is actually best for his development on the floor? The D-League could be a nice stepping stone league in the future. It's a place where you send someone like Rudy Gobert to get minutes. He sat on the bench a little too much last year. In theory summer league, pre-season, and the D-League would be a nice stepping stone for a prep to pro... hopefully someday that's exactly what it is used for.

[Holdthebooze]

I think it's been okay.

[pickIBL]

One thing I will bring up is that the Jazz do telegraph their moves at this point with how conservative they are. The problem is their war chest ends up spilling over like when GWB was President (see Hayward contract).

It's like the football coach that keeps calling power right iso right on 1... ready break LOL over and over again. Or the coach the runs the same basic offensive set in basketball and the defense follows it and steps thru knowing where the offensive player is going.

When you look at the Booker, Novak, and Clark contracts... you could have Ante Tomic and Teodosic instead. I'm just saying...

[SoCalJazzFan]

One thing I will bring up is that the Jazz do telegraph their moves at this point with how conservative they are. The problem is their war chest ends up spilling over like when GWB was President (see Hayward contract).

It's like the football coach that keeps calling power right iso right on 1... ready break LOL over and over again. Or the coach the runs the same basic offensive set in basketball and the defense follows it and steps thru knowing where the offensive player is going.

When you look at the Booker, Novak, and Clark contracts... you could have Ante Tomic and Teodosic instead. I'm just saying...

With the acquisitions you propose above, the perceived direction of the rebuild would certainly change. If you take on Teodosic, you might as well trade Burke tomorrow. Same with Tomic and either Kanter or Favors.

Also, you assume that Teodosic and Tomic are interested in coming over to the NBA and playing for the Jazz, which is really uncertain. It also assumes that they were available to be signed in July, which they weren't. Teodosic signed extension in June and Tomic is under contract until next summer, when he has an option. Perhaps the Jazz bite then, as they have several tradeable, partially guaranteed contracts and contracts that will expire this year, so we'll see. Should be interesting to see what the Jazz do over the next 12 months.

[pickIBL]

One thing I will bring up is that the Jazz do telegraph their moves at this point with how conservative they are. The problem is their war chest ends up spilling over like when GWB was President (see Hayward contract).

It's like the football coach that keeps calling power right iso right on 1... ready break LOL over and over again. Or the coach the runs the same basic offensive set in basketball and the defense follows it and steps thru knowing where the offensive player is going.

When you look at the Booker, Novak, and Clark contracts... you could have Ante Tomic and Teodosic instead. I'm just saying...

With the acquisitions you propose above, the perceived direction of the rebuild would certainly change. If you take on Teodosic, you might as well trade Burke tomorrow. Same with Tomic and either Kanter or Favors.

Also, you assume that Teodosic and Tomic are interested in coming over to the NBA and playing for the Jazz, which is really uncertain. It also assumes that they were available to be signed in July, which they weren't. Teodosic signed extension in June and Tomic is under contract until next summer, when he has an option. Perhaps the Jazz bite then, as they have several tradeable, partially guaranteed contracts and contracts that will expire this year, so we'll see. Should be interesting to see what the Jazz do over the next 12 months.

Tomic was available to buyout. This is the last year of his deal so a compromise could be had there. Teodosic was a unrestricted free agent who later signed back with Moscow. You take the Booker money and give it to Teodosic and he'd be a very happy guy.

Sure it does change the direction, but this direction is not above change. Right now the plan is pray for a superstar next year via draft and develop the young guys. It's going to be hard for the Jazz to get back to the playoffs in the western conference. My only point was booker or teodosic.

[Inigo Montoya]

Sure it does change the direction, but this direction is not above change. Right now the plan is pray for a superstar next year via draft and develop the young guys. It's going to be hard for the Jazz to get back to the playoffs in the western conference. My only point was booker or teodosic.

I'm pro tanking while playing the guys a lot of minutes and developing them, rather than fighting for the playoffs, so I'm ok with the moves the Jazz made in that respect. But I'd much rather have Exum learn how to run a team from Teodosic than from Burke.

[pickIBL]

Getting to the playoffs in the west is very hard. I may have to take a page out of the Cruz Azul fan base to get through next year. There will be a lot of swearing.

[FJS]

Murphy, Cooley, Murry and Mount... what an offseason folks!

[Doc Cherno]

I understand so many people's wish lists that the Jazz picked up a ringer in the off-season, but I think these are the right moves for the development of the young, promising players we have. You bring in scrappy bench and role players that have at least a 60% percent chance of coming in on nights when the starters and immediate reserves are struggling and make a little run. Murray is a great example. Booker, too. In fact, Booker may surprise some people this year. And I think he'll certainly light a fire under Kanter.

Exum, as many have said, wasn't a pick to get excited about this year. He'll hopefully come along and we'll see him shine in a year or two. Reportedly high BBIQ and from all appearances a mature, solid citizen. In short, the FO's wet dream.

We also somehow had Hood land in our laps. I'd been a homer for Cleanthony Early at that spot, but then couldn't believe Hood fell that far. Great, great draft. Unexciting but smart off-season. Hayward got paid more than he deserved at this point, but the Jazz had to spend anyway and his contract comes off the books or is in a highly tradeable position at an excellent time for the FO. Just smart-if-conservative all around this summer.

And I totally agree with the the Snyder above. I'm excited to see what he does with Favors, Burks, Burke, Hayward, Kanter, Hood, and Gobert. I'm predicting that'll be the 7 that see the bulk of the floor time early in the season with a little mop-up time left for Evans, Booker, and Murray. When we're 100 points behind against Cleveland he can bring in Novak to try to shoot us back in the game.