Shams: Ekpe Udoh to Utah | 2 years $6.5M

[BrooklynBulls]

This is an underrated move. I do think they need to move Favors for a scorer. I absolutely think Favors will do better as a 5 in this league.

[obispo]

perfect signing considering the money. we will all see what he has learned from obradovic. i think he will be better but he could be in a much suitable team. Utah has a perfect defensive minded center already. anyway he will be useful per 15m a game.

[Hikari]

They still have 3 days before Diaw's contract becomes guaranteed they will show it until then. I'm pretty sure the date is the 17th.

[UcanUwill]

That whole Fenerbache team has quite a few interesting names. Luigi DaTome, Jan Vesely, who fullly transitioned to center position, and one of my favorites - Nikola Kalinic, 6'9 athletic defensive minded Serbian SF. Wouldn't shocked me if he is in the NBA someday. And the whole thing is coached by Zelko Obradovic, who is basically Euro Popovich. Before 2017 season, Luigi Datome said that a lot of guys declined NBA offers so they could stay together and win Euroleague. They knew they had what it takes, and they did. Good sports story all around.

[Mirotic12]

I dont think he improved to be honest. But he always been NBA caliber somewhat. He didnt leave NBA
because he was unplayable or smth.

He has more offensive IQ and understanding now. He learned how to play offense in EuroLeague. And he steadily got better at a short mid range jumper.

It's a good signing, because of his defensive versatility.

With that being said, he's gotten way overrated just because he played in a team and system that was perfect for him, and because he had a good EuroLeague Final Four playing at home.........when it's always normally a neutral site.

It's a good signing, but he's not as good as people think.

He was pretty close to unplayable his last stint in the NBA - he was an offensive liability and not a very good rebounder for his position at the NBA level, and was a fouling machine. He can see some limited minutes as a situational defender and shotblocker, but I wouldn't expect much of a contribution - spot minutes role player.

Well, he's way better than Khem Birch is. That's for sure.

[stitches]

That whole Fenerbache team has quite a few interesting names. Luigi DaTome, Jan Vesely, who fullly transitioned to center position, and one of my favorites - Nikola Kalinic, 6'9 athletic defensive minded Serbian SF. Wouldn't shocked me if he is in the NBA someday. And the whole thing is coached by Zelko Obradovic, who is basically Euro Popovich. Before 2017 season, Luigi Datome said that a lot of guys declined NBA offers so they could stay together and win Euroleague. They knew they had what it takes, and they did. Good sports story all around.

I wanted the Jazz to pursue Kalinic as a 3&D role player. I think the Euro role player market is relatively under-explored.

[UcanUwill]

I dont think he improved to be honest. But he always been NBA caliber somewhat. He didnt leave NBA
because he was unplayable or smth.

He has more offensive IQ and understanding now. He learned how to play offense in EuroLeague. And he steadily got better at a short mid range jumper.

It's a good signing, because of his defensive versatility.

With that being said, he's gotten way overrated just because he played in a team and system that was perfect for him, and because he had a good EuroLeague Final Four playing at home.........when it's always normally a neutral site.

It's a good signing, but he's not as good as people think.

He improved his range a bit, but he just looks like one of those players who can take and make that shot in Europe, but would look like complete scrub who drives fans crazy if he frequently attempted that in the NBA. His offense is very awkward and I am not sold on his improvements so to speak.

I liked him in Europe, but I agree he became i little overrated. When you say he was Euroleague final 4 MVP, it makes it sound like he was a superstar. He really wasnt.

[Mirotic12]

Here's a write-up by DX(Mike Schmitz) on the Euroleague Final 4(the Jazz were at the Final 4) and there is a part on Udoh:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/what-did-we-learn-at-the-2017-euroleague-final-four-5954/

What Did We Learn at the 2017 Euroleague Final Four


Taking stock of what we learned at the 2017 Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul, especially as it pertains to modern basketball, the NBA, and by extension, the 2017 NBA Draft.

EKPE UDOH'S NBA FIT

Ekpe Udoh, the #6 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, switched, slid, stripped, contested, recovered, rotated and swatted Fenerbahce to a 2017 Euroleague Final Four title, the Turkish power's first in club history. Written off as a 'bust' relative to his lofty draft status and just-decent NBA production (10.8 PER in 274 games played over five seasons), the recently turned 30-year-old Udoh thoroughly dominated the Euroleague Final Four with his stout, versatile defense, putting the clamps on Greek legend and three time Euroleague Final Four MVP Vassilis Spanoulis, one game after neutralizing incumbent Euroleague MVP Sergio Llull (the 34th overall pick in 2009).

Watch on YouTube

Thanks to his excellent feet, massive 7' 4.5 wingspan, sharp timing and overall defensive range, Udoh killed nearly every ball screen with his 'switchability', stalling Olympiacos' offense. His dominant defensive performance (seven blocks in 75 Euroleague Final Four minutes) begs the question - why didn't Udoh stick in the NBA? The former Michigan big turned Baylor transfer certainly could have done more to maximize his opportunities at the NBA level, but the league had yet to evolve into what it is today. At 6-10, Udoh was 'undersized' for a center, and didn't quite have the skill set to fit as a four man, evident by his porous 8.9 points per 40 minutes on 44% shooting as a rookie in Golden State. With post touches more prevalent, Udoh didn't exactly fit on either end - undersized as a defender on the block, and raw as an interior scorer. His toughness was also questioned, and his lack of defensive rebounding was worrisome in a league that played bigger, and wasn't nearly as switch-heavy as it is today. But since his underwhelming seasons with the Warriors (2010-12), Bucks (2012-14) and Clippers (2014-15), the NBA has trended back in Udoh's direction. He's without question a five in today's NBA, and his perimeter defense and shot blocking instincts are as valuable as ever. Spanoulis, who shot 2-for-12 from the field largely due to Udoh's stifling perimeter defense, definitely isn't Steph Curry, Chris Paul or Kyrie Irving, but Udoh fits a prototype that all teams are looking for, and would most definitely be a defensive asset on virtually any NBA team today. More than anything, Udoh's Euroleague Final Four dominance emphasized the importance of having a big who can switch ball screens when involved in pick and roll, and put a lid on the rim when he's in help position. His much-improved passing is certainly an added bonus (3.0 assists per 40 minutes this past season), but it's his ability to switch, guard either big spot, and protect the rim that make him an attractive option for a team looking to bring him back over, although after his now-legendary weekend in Istanbul, he likely wouldn't come on the cheap.

THE STYLES OF NBA CENTER

In a point guard, wing-heavy era, the NBA is seemingly employing three styles of centers: The Switch-Heavy Rim Protectors: Bigs like Udoh and Birch who can switch everything and protect the rim when not involved in the primary action. These bigs are generally vertical spacers as well. To varying degrees (some are more switch than anchor and vice versa) this is the Cauley-Steins, Nerlens Noels, Goberts, DeAndre Jordans, and Biyombos of the league.

This is why DX is such complete and total nonsense on anything related to European basketball. Udoh is a very good defensive player, and excellent at covering on switches. But he didn't put the clamps on Spanoulis and Llull....that's totally ridiculous.

Real Madrid is largely based on just Llull, and Fener (Udoh's team) just let him play and cover on other guys as a strategy. Saying he shut down Llull is factually false.

In the case of Spanoulis, the entire Olympiacos is 100% based on him, and as usual, he saw 2-3 defenders at all times, with Udoh just being a helper if he got switched on him late. So all he had to do was guard Spanoulis 25 to 30 feet from the basket for 1-2 seconds, at the end of the shot clock.

He did get some nice blocks on them, but it was late in the games, when their teams were way behind, and they had to make desperation drives with the shot clock winding down.

Udoh is a very good defender, but Draftexpress is so absurd with the things they just totally make up about EuroLeague.

This is the equivalent of someone saying Tiago Splitter shut down LeBron in the NBA Finals...just completely ridiculous and not at all based on reality.

DX can never write a single thing about European basketball that isn't pure click bait.

[UcanUwill]

I never knew Rebounding was a problem for him. Went back to check the numbers, and yeah, his first year in Turkey, his rebounding was very piss poor. He did improved last year considerably, still not elite, but tolerable

2016 - 4.1 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes - 14.5 DRB% - 12.2 TRB%
2017 - 6.0 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes - 21.5 DRB% - 16.3 TRB%

That for me is bigger takeaway of his improvement, not his awkward mid range jumper or whatever.

[Batu7]

I'll just post the same thing I posted on the Jazz board:

Anyways, Udoh has improved significantly since he left the NBA. He's become an elite defender at Euroleague level, not only patrolling the paint but also switching to guards(albeit slower ones compared to the NBA) when needed. A complete defender. He has also expanded his range to 13 feet or something close so while he's not going to knock down threes, the floor will be spaced a bit. His passing(especially in the Final Four) has improved as well, and he's certainly not a black hole on offense. Don't expect him to be a regular contributor though, just assume that he won't hurt you on offense.

Regarding his departure, Fener fans are depressed because he really seemed to find a home there after being rejected numerous times in the NBA. He had settled pretty well and played with a chip on his shoulder all season after losing dramatically in the Euroleague final against CSKA in 2016. He was loved immensely by the fans and he really did seem to be enjoying his stay here with all the love surrounding him. He even studied a bit on the founder of our country, Atatürk. Really, no foreigner who came here to play professional sports does that. For example, Vesely was seen as trying to return back to the NBA if he found a possible way while Ekpe would be here for life. He also agreed for the same money(maybe even less) he would have gotten from Fener. That's really surprising.

[Mirotic12]

I never knew Rebounding was a problem for him. Went back to check the numbers, and yeah, his first year in Turkey, his rebounding was very piss poor. He did improved last year considerably, still not elite, but tolerable

2016 - 4.1 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes - 14.5 DRB% - 12.2 TRB%
2017 - 6.0 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes - 21.5 DRB% - 16.3 TRB%

That for me is bigger takeaway of his improvement, not his awkward mid range jumper or whatever.

Part of the problem in evaluating a player like him, is that as I said, he played in the absolute perfect team and system for him. He can't be that good in any other team in the world probably.

So you have to try to evaluate his individual game and skill, more than how he looked in Fener. He was getting praise from the media voters that he was the best center in EuroLeague, but in reality, he was more like 5th best or so. He seemed better because of the fit to his team.

And the final four MVP helped, but like I said, it's misleading, because he played at home, and in EuroLeague history, the few times that happens, it's an automatic win for the home team. They had two blowout wins at home, and at a neutral site, they are 50/50 at best to win either game. So it's basically an asterisk championship and final four MVP.

With that being said, the only centers in EuroLeague probably better than him on an individual basis all around and overall are Bourousis (too old now), Tomic (too soft), Voightmann, Shermadini (inconsistent though)...

Ayon is at a similar level maybe, better on offense for sure, but not nearly as good on defense. Dunston is probably better individually, but he's only 6-8...Parahkouski is way better at rebounding and offense, but he can't guard anyone and can't play team defense....

Zizic might be better, but he was very inconsistent (probably due to age), so kind of hard to tell for sure. I like Milutinov better than Udoh, but he's still a project...

So it's a good signing definitely, one of the best centers in EuroLeague, just not the best one, as he is hyped to be. It's mainly the fact that he's a very versatile defensive player, that is something that very few other centers can do. But his defensive abilities got magnified in importance and meaning, because he played in a team stacked with scorers.

If he was playing in a team that didn't have much offense, like say Barca, then there wouldn't have been hardly any hype on him at all probably. It's a good signing though, and a really good one, considering the contract amount.

He also agreed for the same money(maybe even less) he would have gotten from Fener. That's really surprising.

Contracts in Europe are in net terms, while NBA contracts are in gross terms. So yes, it's way less money than he was making in Turkey.

[jazzfan1971]

This suggests one of Goss or Bolomboy is gone. (unless Jazz make a consolidation deal)

[mudsak]

That's a blast from the not-so-distant past. At the very least, Utah is getting a good defender. I think they're loaded enough on that end of the floor, though. They should be targeting someone who can get them some buckets.

Teams are going to struggle scoring against this Jazz team, but it won't matter because they don't have anyone who can score consistently.

They'll be a team that no one likes to play because their defense is going to be brutal. Just signed Sefolosha, and Jerebko... both great defensive players. They'll be able to roll out a starting lineup AND a bench full of mostly + defender players.

[slothrop8]

He was pretty close to unplayable his last stint in the NBA - he was an offensive liability and not a very good rebounder for his position at the NBA level, and was a fouling machine. He can see some limited minutes as a situational defender and shotblocker, but I wouldn't expect much of a contribution - spot minutes role player.

Well, he's way better than Khem Birch is. That's for sure.

No strong disagreement from me there - "way better" might be a little strong - they are a little closer in level than that would imply - but Udoh's is pretty likely to get more minutes and opportunity early in the year for sure. If Udoh's offensive improvements don't translate back across to stronger competition, their overall impact at the NBA level will likely be very similar - but Udoh gets to play with Rubio might at least get a few easy opportunities created for him now and then - Birch is likely to find tough sledding for his limited offense with the Magic's fairly dubious point guard rotation. Given Udoh's prior NBA experience I'd certainly expect him to get more opportunity and perform better early in the year, but I won't be shocked if Birch works his way into a little bigger role with his team if Orlando really gets the tank rolling in the last part of the season. But, yeah, Udoh is definitely ahead to start the season and if he's no longer the offensive liability at the NBA level that he was in his first stint he may well stay ahead.

[mudsak]

This suggests one of Goss or Bolomboy is gone. (unless Jazz make a consolidation deal)

My bet is Goss is gone... Bolomboy is has shown flashes of upside (along with flashes of downside). I also think the fact that the Jazz already have Rubio, Exum, Neto, and even Mitchel can play some PG...Goss is way at the end of that bench.

Bolomboy could play some C or PF. He's raw, but he's got a motor. His performances in D-league were extremely dominant. I think the kid has some potential.

[og15]

I dont think he improved to be honest. But he always been NBA caliber somewhat. He didnt leave NBA
because he was unplayable or smth.

He has more offensive IQ and understanding now. He learned how to play offense in EuroLeague. And he steadily got better at a short mid range jumper.

It's a good signing, because of his defensive versatility.

With that being said, he's gotten way overrated just because he played in a team and system that was perfect for him, and because he had a good EuroLeague Final Four playing at home.........when it's always normally a neutral site.

It's a good signing, but he's not as good as people think.

He was pretty close to unplayable his last stint in the NBA - he was an offensive liability and not a very good rebounder for his position at the NBA level, and was a fouling machine. He can see some limited minutes as a situational defender and shotblocker, but I wouldn't expect much of a contribution - spot minutes role player.

Well, he's way better than Khem Birch is. That's for sure.

Honestly, the passing and the short jumper I even saw in his one year and few minutes with the Clippers even though he only took 24 FGA all season, a decent amount were from there and he made them. I had also seen that short jumper from him in other seasons in the NBA.

I don't know if he will do much differently than his previous NBA time.

[guille4s]

GREAT signing. The best player in Europe last season. Completely dominant in Euroleague, best player in his team, largely over Vesely, Datome, Bogdan
In the NBA he will have his role with how he has improved, bargain at that price, imo

[LivingLegend]

They can care less about offense over there...

I guess the goal is to be the Greatest defense of all time though... Lock Down Defenders 9 out of 10 rotation players...

Defense leads to easy offense.

[Slava]

They can care less about offense over there...

I guess the goal is to be the Greatest defense of all time though... Lock Down Defenders 9 out of 10 rotation players...

Defense leads to easy offense.

Yes if you have good decision makers in transition. I guess Rubio might help there but who is going to run standard pick and roll sets in half court? Rubio and Gobert? THey'd trap the roll man and dare Rubio to shoot all game long and Gobert cannot pop out to add variety either. Scoring is going to be a real struggle for that team.

[axeman23]

They can care less about offense over there...

I guess the goal is to be the Greatest defense of all time though... Lock Down Defenders 9 out of 10 rotation players...

2004 Pistons done it, why not give it a go? They're never gonna be a "sexy" free-agent destination for the cream of the offensive crop, so do what you have to do, I guess. If "boring basketball" gives you a shot at competing, you go boring, no questions asked...

No, I get the plan and I get why. But if it were me, and I had an elite D like them. I'd try to get at least a decent offensive player or two.

Why go into the season with Rodney Hood being your best, and just about only offensive player?

I'm not saying they should sign some superstar scorer, I'm saying a player or 2 who can help put the ball in the whole while everyone else is locking down. Jamal Crawford, Illyasova, Speights, Pau, maybe even that scrub Derrick Rose...

They're in perfect position to excel with 1 of those "chucker" type players that no one wants on their team because they don't play D...

Somebody who can help put the ball in the basket so you won't have to get all of your wins 65-60...

Fair enough, no argument there. You can always use someone who "gets buckets" , as long as you take care of the defense, which they definitely have.