Bold Predictions for the Jazz Next Year

[nghedman]

(currently rely on their bench too much, which won't win it in the playoffs)

It won them plenty last year.

exactly, but they couldn't win it all and I don't think they ever will unless the starting 5 can win games for them. Their great record during the season was highly impacted by Harden and the bench. And they could've lost to SA if they meet them early in the playoffs.

[StocktonShorts]

Bold Prediction: major Al Jefferson injury forces Jazz to play Favors at center the rest of the season; the Jazz's success with a Millsap/Favors frontcourt makes future direction of roster much more clear.

(btw: I hate to predict an injury)

[erudite23]

Enes Kanter becomes a full time starter by the end of the season.

[nghedman]

Enes Kanter becomes a full time starter by the end of the season.

wow, bold.... very bold.

This means you think two of Al, Sap or Favors will be gone or sitting the bench eh?

[Jefff]

Hayward goes to the all star game

[SoCalJazzFan]

Marv averages 15 pts, 5 rbs and 3 assists by the All Star break, doesn't make the All Star team, but there are talks of extending his contract with the Jazz. Hayward hasn't improved significantly from his Soph season, and Burks is fighting him for starting time. With the SF position locked up, and Burks appearing to have more potential at the SG spot due to his better speed and ability to get to the rim, fans wonder if the Jazz will sign Hayward to a new contract or deal him before his contract is up.

[The59Sound]

I'd be absolutely shocked if Hayward is on the block this year (but I guess that's why these are bold predictions).

[countrybama24]

The warriors pick ends up in the top 10, we package that with one of Kanter / Burks / Hayward and our own pick to land a potential superstar wing / guard.

[nghedman]

Marv averages 15 pts, 5 rbs and 3 assists by the All Star break, doesn't make the All Star team, but there are talks of extending his contract with the Jazz. Hayward hasn't improved significantly from his Soph season, and Burks is fighting him for starting time. With the SF position locked up, and Burks appearing to have more potential at the SG spot due to his better speed and ability to get to the rim, fans wonder if the Jazz will sign Hayward to a new contract or deal him before his contract is up.

I like it!! I've wondered what the love relationship is that fans have with Hayward. He is very average with only a lot of potential that Jazz fans seem to put a lot of stock into. True he is improving into that potential slowly but it could also be blamed on Hayward why the Jazz got beat in the playoffs. And I couldn't agree more that Burks is looking better and better too.
Similar with Kantor though I admit I think Hayward is currently playing better than Kantor is.

(I still like him, and ultimately think he is a keeper)

[countrybama24]

Marv averages 15 pts, 5 rbs and 3 assists by the All Star break, doesn't make the All Star team, but there are talks of extending his contract with the Jazz. Hayward hasn't improved significantly from his Soph season, and Burks is fighting him for starting time. With the SF position locked up, and Burks appearing to have more potential at the SG spot due to his better speed and ability to get to the rim, fans wonder if the Jazz will sign Hayward to a new contract or deal him before his contract is up.

Seems likely, not bold.

[countrybama24]

Marv averages 15 pts, 5 rbs and 3 assists by the All Star break, doesn't make the All Star team, but there are talks of extending his contract with the Jazz. Hayward hasn't improved significantly from his Soph season, and Burks is fighting him for starting time. With the SF position locked up, and Burks appearing to have more potential at the SG spot due to his better speed and ability to get to the rim, fans wonder if the Jazz will sign Hayward to a new contract or deal him before his contract is up.

Seems likely, not bold.

[The59Sound]

The Jazz seeking to cut ties with Hayward is likely? In what world? There's nothing to indicate that's probable.

[erudite23]

Marv averages 15 pts, 5 rbs and 3 assists by the All Star break, doesn't make the All Star team, but there are talks of extending his contract with the Jazz. Hayward hasn't improved significantly from his Soph season, and Burks is fighting him for starting time. With the SF position locked up, and Burks appearing to have more potential at the SG spot due to his better speed and ability to get to the rim, fans wonder if the Jazz will sign Hayward to a new contract or deal him before his contract is up.

I like it!! I've wondered what the love relationship is that fans have with Hayward. He is very average with only a lot of potential that Jazz fans seem to put a lot of stock into. True he is improving into that potential slowly but it could also be blamed on Hayward why the Jazz got beat in the playoffs. And I couldn't agree more that Burks is looking better and better too.
Similar with Kantor though I admit I think Hayward is currently playing better than Kantor is.

(I still like him, and ultimately think he is a keeper)

The love affair is this: the kid is one of the very few players in the NBA who looks like he is capable of being a great at getting to the FT line AND hitting 3s. Those are the types of players that produce elite offenses. He made a massive leap from year 1 to year 2....and to top it off, he's an incredibly intelligent player and looks capable of being an excellent defender. He might never average over 20 ppg, but these are the types of support players that championship caliber teams always seem to have. If he ever develops enough of a repertoire to where he be the primary perimeter creator for a team, we'll be talking All Star caliber player. But right now he's a solid starter on nearly any team in the NBA.....and he still has a lot of room for growth.

Not bad for less than 6m over the next two years.

[countrybama24]

The Jazz seeking to cut ties with Hayward is likely? In what world? There's nothing to indicate that's probable.

I didn't say I think we'll cut ties. Gordon is going to be here a very, very long time. I just think people will speculate that we might get rid of him because he seems to be extremely polarizing, he's highly scrutinized (I'll be honest, I wouldn't have guessed he shot the three at 35% last year) and it might be hard for him to get minutes if Burks really starts coming on (which I think is likely). I almost want to take back my comment because of how much I like Gordon.

My only worry about Gordon is that our management might think he can be like our 2nd or 3rd best player on a championship contender. I don't think he's that caliber of star, just a really good, all-around player.

The love affair is this: the kid is one of the very few players in the NBA who looks like he is capable of being a great at getting to the FT line AND hitting 3s. Those are the types of players that produce elite offenses. He made a massive leap from year 1 to year 2....and to top it off, he's an incredibly intelligent player and looks capable of being an excellent defender. He might never average over 20 ppg, but these are the types of support players that championship caliber teams always seem to have. If he ever develops enough of a repertoire to where he be the primary perimeter creator for a team, we'll be talking All Star caliber player. But right now he's a solid starter on nearly any team in the NBA.....and he still has a lot of room for growth.

I'd say the most unique thing about him is his distributing, and I'd like to see what he can do with a usage rate of 20+ (I think thats why he was so much better coming off the bench). I think he's a late bloomer (almost quit basketball his sophomore year of high school, and wasn't even thinking about the NBA his senior year), which should bode well for his career arc.

The one thing I disagree with is your characterization of his defense as excellent. I just don't see him shutting down elite wing players (ie consistently making them score much below an average clip), which is my threshold for "excellent." I'm definitely splitting hairs here, but I just see him somewhere between good and very good. He can defend durant for example, but I don't think he'll do any better than the average defender durant faces (who to be fair, are much better defenders than the average starter). He seems like a very good team defender, but I think his on-ball defense is only pretty good.

I don't like him as the best perimeter defender in a starting lineup for example, unless we have two bigs who are both very good help defenders (IE not kanter, who has great potential defending the post, but not the weak side).

Incredibly unique player, can't wait for the season to start. I absolutely love how underrated he is nationally.