First Half Of The Season - Grades

[Inigo Montoya]

Now that we officially crossed the halfway mark of the season, we have a large enough sample size to form an impression of the team, players, and our coach.

Lauri Markkanen - A+
I don't think anyone expected Markkanen to be this good. He looks like a legit building block and a great 2nd option on a contending team. This is the easiest grade to give, he's been amazing.


Jordan Clarkson - B
I think his best role is 6th man but the Jazz would have a lot of trouble scoring without him, and need his shot creation ability. He does play hero ball too much but often it is hard to blame him because the offense is stuck without him. Overall, he's been good but he's also probably at his peak, which should give the FO pause regarding offering him a new contract.

Collin Sexton - B
I love his intensity and effort on both ends. He's scoring efficiently from all ranges. He also shows willingness to learn and adapt his game, which gives me hope for the future. He's coming back from an injury that sidelined him an entire season and adjusting to a nee role. He hasn't played winning basketball throughout his career but he's learning and could pay dividends down the road.


Malik Beasley - B+
He's been a pleasant surprise. There aren't a lot of players in the league who can shoot like he does. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like the Jazz to keep him. Every team in the league can use him.


Kelly Olynyk - B-
No one like the trade of Bojan for Olynyk but he proved to be an important piece for the current roster. His high BBIQ, vet savvy, shooting and passing are important to keep the offense going. Alas, since he's been back from his injury he hasn't been playing very well, and he's also a bad defender and rebounder. Ideally he'll be a bench player on a good team. BTW, if the Pistons manage to get an unprotected 1st for Bojan I'm going to lose it.

Mike Conley - B
He started the season well but ever since he came back from his injury he hasn't been the same. I think he makes more of a difference with this roster than he did with the previous Gobert-Mitchell roster. He runs the offense well and makes good decisions and the Jazz don't have a replacement for him currently who can run the offense at his level. Unfortunately, his offense has fallen off and we often see him get abused on defense.

Jarred Vanderbilt - A-
I didn't know what to expect and he's been a pleasant surprise. I see Nuggets and Wolves fans say, "wait, he can shoot the 3? He didn't do that when he was with us." He's probably the best defender on the team, his offensive game is very limited but developing, high motor, and contributes in all aspect of the game. He's also a foul magnet and probably stick to defending wings because larger players get the better of him but at $4M per season he's an absolute steal.


Walker Kessler - A
Huge surprise. I don't think anyone expected him to be this good, and this quickly. He looks like a possible Gobert replacement and already surpasses him in several stats and metrics (obviously Gobert is still much better at this point). He's further ahead of where Gobert was as a rookie, and there is the hope that unlike Gobert, he could actually develop at least one move on offense. Another steal.


Talen Horton-Tucker - C+
He started the season well imho but regressed and fell out of the rotation. Still very young and has shown potential. Could be a very good defender. Recently found his way back into the rotation and has looked better. Only 22 years old, worth keeping and developing.


Nickeil Alexander-Walker - B
Fell out of the rotation recently for some reason but had a very good stretch of games and shown some talent. I like what he brings on both ends and he may be worth keeping. He's a UFA at the end of the season so we'll see. It doesn't reflect well on Snyder that he couldn't find minutes for him, imho.


Rudy Gay - D (tank commander rating: A+)
During his time with the Jazz, he's been heavily criticized and I didn't take part in it and also refrained throughout most of this season from criticizing him too heavily, until lately. I don't like criticizing players for how badly they play, so I'll just say that he's been bad, I think it's universally recognized. No further words needed.


Simone Fontecchio - B-
Doesn't get a lot of playing time but it's clear he can really shoot. Not a bad signing considering he's an undrafted player. I think he should get some more minutes but either way, he's a good gamble with his small contract.


Ochai Agbaji - C
Until recently he didn't get to play at all and almost received and INC rating for incomplete. Given his latest performances, he gets a bump to C. If he continues to get minutes and ball like he has recently, his score at the end of the season will be much better.


Udoka Azubuike - C

Only gets filler minutes. The Jazz did not pick up his option for next season. Not much to say other than wish him well with his career moving forward.

Micah Potter - INC
Same as Doke, only gets even less minutes.

Leandro Bolmaro - D
I liked him out of the draft and was glad we got him in the Gobert trade but he hasn't shown much. Not very aggressive and not a good scorer, but also not a great passer. He has a versatile skillset but all the skills aren't developed enough. The Jazz didn't pick up his option for next season so he'll also be moving on.

Will Hardy - A

I don't think anyone expected the Jazz to be this good, and Hardy has done a great job as a rookie coach. The Jazz have been over-performing expectations by a wide margin and it's a great credit to Hardy that he managed to take this roster and make it to a team that is as competitive as it is. The Jazz don't get blown out often and has been in a lot of close games, and could have easily had a much better record. The defense is a mess but the team is fun to watch. Hardy looks like a great signing by the front office - I don't miss Snyder.

[AingesBurner]

Now that we officially crossed the halfway mark of the season, we have a large enough sample size to form an impression of the team, players, and our coach.

Lauri Markkanen - A+
I don't think anyone expected Markkanen to be this good. He looks like a legit building block and a great 2nd option on a contending team. This is the easiest grade to give, he's been amazing.


Jordan Clarkson - B
I think his best role is 6th man but the Jazz would have a lot of trouble scoring without him, and need his shot creation ability. He does play hero ball too much but often it is hard to blame him because the offense is stuck without him. Overall, he's been good but he's also probably at his peak, which should give the FO pause regarding offering him a new contract.

Collin Sexton - B
I love his intensity and effort on both ends. He's scoring efficiently from all ranges. He also shows willingness to learn and adapt his game, which gives me hope for the future. He's coming back from an injury that sidelined him an entire season and adjusting to a nee role. He hasn't played winning basketball throughout his career but he's learning and could pay dividends down the road.


Malik Beasley - B+
He's been a pleasant surprise. There aren't a lot of players in the league who can shoot like he does. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like the Jazz to keep him. Every team in the league can use him.


Kelly Olynyk - B-
No one like the trade of Bojan for Olynyk but he proved to be an important piece for the current roster. His high BBIQ, vet savvy, shooting and passing are important to keep the offense going. Alas, since he's been back from his injury he hasn't been playing very well, and he's also a bad defender and rebounder. Ideally he'll be a bench player on a good team. BTW, if the Pistons manage to get an unprotected 1st for Bojan I'm going to lose it.

Mike Conley - B
He started the season well but ever since he came back from his injury he hasn't been the same. I think he makes more of a difference with this roster than he did with the previous Gobert-Mitchell roster. He runs the offense well and makes good decisions and the Jazz don't have a replacement for him currently who can run the offense at his level. Unfortunately, his offense has fallen off and we often see him get abused on defense.

Jarred Vanderbilt - A-
I didn't know what to expect and he's been a pleasant surprise. I see Nuggets and Wolves fans say, "wait, he can shoot the 3? He didn't do that when he was with us." He's probably the best defender on the team, his offensive game is very limited but developing, high motor, and contributes in all aspect of the game. He's also a foul magnet and probably stick to defending wings because larger players get the better of him but at $4M per season he's an absolute steal.


Walker Kessler - A
Huge surprise. I don't think anyone expected him to be this good, and this quickly. He looks like a possible Gobert replacement and already surpasses him in several stats and metrics (obviously Gobert is still much better at this point). He's further ahead of where Gobert was as a rookie, and there is the hope that unlike Gobert, he could actually develop at least one move on offense. Another steal.


Talen Horton-Tucker - C+
He started the season well imho but regressed and fell out of the rotation. Still very young and has shown potential. Could be a very good defender. Recently found his way back into the rotation and has looked better. Only 22 years old, worth keeping and developing.


Nickeil Alexander-Walker - B
Fell out of the rotation recently for some reason but had a very good stretch of games and shown some talent. I like what he brings on both ends and he may be worth keeping. He's a UFA at the end of the season so we'll see. It doesn't reflect well on Snyder that he couldn't find minutes for him, imho.


Rudy Gay - D (tank commander rating: A+)
During his time with the Jazz, he's been heavily criticized and I didn't take part in it and also refrained throughout most of this season from criticizing him too heavily, until lately. I don't like criticizing players for how badly they play, so I'll just say that he's been bad, I think it's universally recognized. No further words needed.


Simone Fontecchio - B-
Doesn't get a lot of playing time but it's clear he can really shoot. Not a bad signing considering he's an undrafted player. I think he should get some more minutes but either way, he's a good gamble with his small contract.


Ochai Agbaji - C
Until recently he didn't get to play at all and almost received and INC rating for incomplete. Given his latest performances, he gets a bump to C. If he continues to get minutes and ball like he has recently, his score at the end of the season will be much better.


Udoka Azubuike - C

Only gets filler minutes. The Jazz did not pick up his option for next season. Not much to say other than wish him well with his career moving forward.

Micah Potter - INC
Same as Doke, only gets even less minutes.

Leandro Bolmaro - D
I liked him out of the draft and was glad we got him in the Gobert trade but he hasn't shown much. Not very aggressive and not a good scorer, but also not a great passer. He has a versatile skillset but all the skills aren't developed enough. The Jazz didn't pick up his option for next season so he'll also be moving on.

Will Hardy - A

I don't think anyone expected the Jazz to be this good, and Hardy has done a great job as a rookie coach. The Jazz have been over-performing expectations by a wide margin and it's a great credit to Hardy that he managed to take this roster and make it to a team that is as competitive as it is. The Jazz don't get blown out often and has been in a lot of close games, and could have easily had a much better record. The defense is a mess but the team is fun to watch. Hardy looks like a great signing by the front office - I don't miss Snyder.

I agree with your grades and analysis of Sexton, and I really think he has potential to be a legit #3 on a championship team. We really need Adam Sandler here to put him through training.

[AingesBurner]

Going off your grades, I would like to see our lineups in March to April:

Sexton
Ochai
Vando
Markannen
Kessler

[Jammer]

Now that we officially crossed the halfway mark of the season, we have a large enough sample size to form an impression of the team, players, and our coach.

I think that your summaries are spot on but I list why I liked the Olynyk trade, why I don't like Horton-Tucker and why I like Gay more than his stats.
...

Kelly Olynyk - B-
No one like the trade of Bojan for Olynyk but he proved to be an important piece for the current roster. His high BBIQ, vet savvy, shooting and passing are important to keep the offense going. Alas, since he's been back from his injury he hasn't been playing very well, and he's also a bad defender and rebounder. Ideally he'll be a bench player on a good team. BTW, if the Pistons manage to get an unprotected 1st for Bojan I'm going to lose it.
Utah reduced payroll by $7 Million this season (since Detroit reimbursed Utah $1.752 Million for Saben Lee's salary) and got a player (6' 10.75" Kelly Olynyk) who plays a position of greater need than Bojan. I'd give this trade a grade of A. Just because the Minnesota Trade was A+++ and the Cleveland Trade was A++ doesn't diminish that this was still a good trade for the Team.


Talen Horton-Tucker - C+
He started the season well imho but regressed and fell out of the rotation. Still very young and has shown potential. Could be a very good defender. Recently found his way back into the rotation and has looked better. Only 22 years old, worth keeping and developing.
Can't shoot. Good defender and rebounder as an SG but you have too many better players at SG for him to ever see the court. There are only two SFs on the team (Markannen and Rudy Gay), but Rudy Gay seems to fit in with the offense better even though his sun is setting. I like Gay better as a player and as a Teammate. If Horton-Tucker doesn't learn to shoot he will be an end of bench player, which is pretty close to what he is right now. His defense is probably his strongest suit, because his offensive moves are extremely predictable if you watch any game film of this guy.

[zero24gravity]

Very good overall summary. The changes I see are minimal vs what is written.

Olynyk C+ . Good beginning to the year, but probably a C or C- lately, drops him out of the "B" range. His D is so bad. Not for lack of effort, it's just hard to imagine seeing a player his size/position play any smaller. 3% is still over 40%, but that number has been declining steadily after a super hot start.

Agbaji C+ . Increased grade due to the last 2 games alone. Hasn't really had opportunity before now, so this grade has the potential to be higher soon.

Azubuike D . He does nothing of value while on the court. Nothing. His summer league "beast" moments are long gone. Not an NBA player at this point, IMO.

Bolmaro C- . Limited minutes, so I may be splitting hairs here, but when he's got PT, I've really liked his defensive effort. Shooting has been wretched, but when you only get in a few minutes at the end of the game, there's no flow, so I won't judge him too harshly. Total eye-test rating for me on this one. 6'6" with PG skills. If he can work on his shooting a bit, he could be a semi-rotation player, IMO.

[FJS]

With those grades you would think we would be better in the standings... but this is the problem of this team. They did well in offense, but horrible in defense, so it's difficult to say someone really sucks but Gay.