In reality the completed trades hardly ever look like the fantasy trades. Now it's time to speculate on the draft. I hope the Jazz get two lottery picks, the one from the nets which could be from 1 to 6th and the one they keep if they don't make the playoffs which would be 1,2,3 or 13 or 14th. Lottery picks are good for trading. The Jazz need a true defensive center and a good 2 that can shoot. There's only 4 months before the draft, so there's plenty of time for speculation.
The trade the Jazz made has a high probability of being one great deal. I mentioned in a post awhile back that the Jazz were only 5 defensive rebounds a game on average away from being a 50 plus win team. I realize I'm not in the majority with that view, but that's fine. The Jazz just picked up half that amount without any improvement, and next year, if this group's chemistry is solid and the two rookies, Hayward and Favors, improve the expected amount, the Jazz get the defensive rebounding improvements they need to win. And this doesn't count anything they can pick up in the draft or trade for. Of course this depends on the Jazz finding an equal replacement for AK or resigning him at a lower salary.
On another subject, Jason Whitlock said this about the NBA, and I totally agree.
Soaked in the arrogance of fame, wealth, immaturity and business ignorance, the players have dramatically reshaped the league with their free-agent and impending free-agent maneuvers.
If NBA players were smart, they’d consider the health of the entire league.
They won’t. They can’t. They’re too young, too uneducated, too compromised by a society that intellectually cripples its physically gifted, beautiful and famous. You can’t see the big picture when you’re surrounded by male and female groupies.
The thought of Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans having female groupies is not something I want to think about. At my age, however, I wouldn't mind having say 2! I could handle it.
I'd also like to thank Fido for pointing out the error of my thinking about trading Williams now.
by Fido on Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:42 pm
And I don't think the Jazz do anything like "trade him now while he still has value" (that statement is a load of crap by the way--what is he going to do, lose value between now and 2012?). Trading him somewhere for several role players and expiring contracts doesn't take you anywhere but the lottery--which is all anyone is going to offer in exchange.
With the confusion of new players who don't know the system and won't have time to learn it before the end of the season, the shock from the loss of Williams, the shock of Sloan leaving, and a new coach, the Jazz might not make the playoffs. I think the draft pick is far more valuable than the 7th or 8th playoff spot and out in the first round. But I unfortunately, they just might keep one of those spots, even with all the chaos. Without two lottery picks, they won't get to pick Fredette. Imagine the disappointment! With a 6th pick or higher they have to go for a defensive center. They are too hard to get to pass it up.
If Deron can help the Nets move up the lottery maybe the Jazz get better than the 6th pick!
