A "What If" game...

[JStockLivesOn]

Okay, so I know one can't aptly predict how things would have developed differently if minor signings, trades, or drafts had been different in years past (Butterfly Effect and all of that), BUT...

How would the Jazz and the NBA at large be different if --

The Clippers didn't match Maggette's offer sheet?

Or the Hawks didn't match Terry's offer sheet?

Or Boozer hadn't been injured for most of his first season here?

Or if Boozer and Memo hadn't been signed at all?

What if we hadn't traded up to be able to draft Deron?

Calling all clairvoyants... posit some theories.

[Narcist]

I dont think Maggette's the missing piece. I think we would still be rebuilding if we didn't draft deron. The rest i dont realy know.

[BiggMann]

FATE!!!

Maggette or Terry = No Boozer or Okur

There's a reason why I call Deron "The Savior". If not for him we would be fighting for a playoff spot. Deron has revitalized me as a Jazz fan, and has given our front office confidence that we CAN win now so they are actively trying to make this team better..

As a Jazz fan. I couldn't be happier with our situation, we are in a spot to win now, but not truely contend until we find that missing piece.

[JStockLivesOn]

If neither LA or Atlanta had matched our offer sheets to Maggette or Terry, Utah would have been in a good position to make the playoffs in 2003-2004. It would have been very interesting to see how things turned out at the swing position.

Kirilenko was all set to break out, Harpring was in his prime, we still had Deshawn Stevenson and Sasha Pavlovic, and Raja Bell was incoming. Obviously there were plenty of minutes for AK at the 4, but would Bell have had room to break out and get that big offer from the Phoenix Suns? Would he have still rose to prominence w/out the opportunity to showcase his defensive talents with us?

At the point, Jason Terry obviously steals most of the minutes away from our rookie PG, Mo Williams. And Carlos Arroyo would have been relegated to the periphery. Not to mention Raul Lopez, though no matter the circumstance, his fate doesn't really change.

That's a playoff team right there, but with our cap room swallowed up, we don't sign Memo or Boozer, and we definitely aren't in a position to draft Deron.

We would have been successful, I believe, as a low-seed playoff team, but we'd be nowhere close to the position we're in now. So, yeah, many thanks to the Clippers and Hawks for upsetting me in the short-term, and giving me years of Jazz fan joy in the long term.

[carrottop12]

Any of those things happen, and the Jazz end up with Ray Felton... or worse if that is possible.

And if the Jazz end up with Ray Felton, we turn into the Bobcats.

I'd rather be dead then be the Bobcats.

[Racer X]

This is just like an episode of Futurama.

What if Bender was a human? "Whooooooooo."

[GP]

What if we drafted Chris Paul instead?

Had to add this question for my own edification, this for me is the big one, I love DW, but paul still is the player I would pick if I were the jazz. I will refrain from adding any more as this topic may or may not have been discussed to death already.

[JStockLivesOn]

I think they're both a lot better off where they ended up. Paul is an enormous talent, but a bad fit for our system, which values shooting ability and range out of the PG position. Deron has a much, much better jumper at this stage of their careers.

I'm not sure how things would be different. Would we have had to adapt the system to suit Paul's talents? How or how well that would have worked is anyone's guess. I don't think we'd be in as good a position as we are now as a franchise.

[GP]

I think they're both a lot better off where they ended up. Paul is an enormous talent, but a bad fit for our system, which values shooting ability and range out of the PG position. Deron has a much, much better jumper at this stage of their careers.

I'm not sure how things would be different. Would we have had to adapt the system to suit Paul's talents? How or how well that would have worked is anyone's guess. I don't think we'd be in as good a position as we are now as a franchise.

That's an interesting view, I actually would think paul would fit quite nicely in the jazz's current system:

1. Paul is basically just running the pick and roll in NO, about 70% of the plays seems to be just that, as we know the jazz run that play as well.

2. Paul pushes the tempo and in the past few years I have read sloan discussing how he wants the pg to get into the offense as fast as possible. (Again DW does this fine) This seems to fit Paul too.

Now of course the flip side is how DW would play in NO, and I think DW would succeed as he has here. Obviously, the point is you wouldn't lose either way, as both player are going to be all-stars, but I, personally, would have like to seen what paul would have been like on the Jazz.

[JStockLivesOn]

Paul is an excellent pick-and-roll PG. You're correct about that. But there's other things to consider.

They're both excellent PAR PGs, and as you said, both are good at exploring offense on the break and initiating the offense quickly. But Paul's outside shooting leaves a lot to be desired, whereas Deron has an excellent jumper.

Also to Paul's detriment in this system would be his lack of size and physicality. Can you imagine Chris Paul setting screens down low for Boozer to any effect, game after game after game? The dude would break into pieces.

Plus, Paul has free reign down in NO, but while Deron has the freedom to call the plays, they're still all very structured sets we run.

[GP]

Good points Jstock, however, I think paul gets a bad wrap about his toughness. The guy throws himself at players twice his mass as he drives to the hoop, which I consider to be physicality. The oddity between these two players is that while paul is of the slighter build, he spends a lot more time in the paint and gets more rebounds (in essence, playing a role that is "physical"). DW is a big guy, but stays outside more often, mostly, shooting jumpers (which he makes at a high percentage, of course). So I think Paul could throw some picks. His outside shot is not as refined as deron, but his ability to drive and kick would be a advantage to our shooters okur and korver (not saying that deron doesn't do this, but I believe paul does this more effectively). Again one can only go so far in the "what if" scenarios. BTW, I think everyone should look at the final stats for these two players again and be especially nice to portland fans, without portland's help we would have felton.

[JStockLivesOn]

That's a fair point about the rebounding. I can't account for that. Does New Orleans put up a lot more shots than the Jazz in general? I'm not sure what the team statistics are.

And yeah, thank you, Portland. It's interesting because this isn't a situation where they screwed themselves for years to come with the deal, as sometimes happens. They've been making some amazing moves ever since.

[Soul Patch]

If we had taken Paul over Williams, how would have Paul handled playing back up to Palacio his rookie year?

[russ1]

Paul wouldn't be the same player in the jazz system. Both Paul and Williams are better suited with their respected teams. Personally, I am more than happy that we took Williams. He has an attitude and toughness that I don't think is observed in Paul.

[edfmx86]

I very happy with the way things have turned out. The Jazz are really lucky to be where they are at right now and we are all very lucky to have a great PG. hopefully we get as lucky as we have been in landing our "missing peice"

[tylero87]

I very happy with the way things have turned out. The Jazz are really lucky to be where they are at right now and we are all very lucky to have a great PG. hopefully we get as lucky as we have been in landing our "missing peice"

You may very well get your wish in the 2010 lottery. Here's a big "What If", what if the Knicks and by the Knicks I mean the Jazz win the lottery, and have the first pick in the 2010 draft.

Thank you NY and Tom Guggilota!