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Araujo finds a home with Russian team

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t cook | 10:58 p.m. Aug. 23, 2007

I wish the jazz would have given hafa a better look. ie-PT

Dave | 11:01 p.m. Aug. 23, 2007

Good Luck!! Work hard you will do well!!

Beren | 4:05 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Oh no,I think KOC is a loser!

Comments continue below

K C | 5:40 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Jazz brazz, it's better to carry dead weight as COLLINS,then to have Haffa .

Jimmy's Sneakers | 7:09 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Jimmy still likes Hafa's potential better than Collins, but Jimmy is fine letting Araujo go to Russia for a year and see if he can get better. Jimmy doesn't expect to see Araujo in a Jazz uniform again.

A. | 7:10 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I am still mystified they'd keep Collins over Hafa. Hafa's work on Duncan alone should have merityed that switch. I realize Araujo is no Shaq or Duncan, but he's definitely a better bruiser & baller than Collins.

B | 7:28 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Too true. Why does Collins get a pass? Putting him in is like an open invitation to score from the lane.

ihatelennykravitz | 8:18 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

As much as all of us would have like to have seen them keep Hafa and dump Collins, the front office cannot make this move, because Collins is under contract for this season. They would have to trade him or cut him and still have his salary count against the cap.

Matt | 8:49 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Hafa will be missed. He worked hard all the time and when he got some playing time he always tried to do what he was supposed to. Good luck to him in
Russia.

Jdizzle | 9:10 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I think Jimmy works for deseretnews, because he is always the first to comment.

bjh | 9:14 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Perhaps after Hafa gets to play everyday on a higher level than he did in college the Jazz can then switch out Collins for Araujo. Both will be free agents next year.

Hafa's #1 fan | 9:26 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I hate that the Jazz have Collins! What I wouldn't give to get rid of him and Fesenko (who I don't think will do anything at all for the Jazz except play for the NBDA) for Hafa. He at least worked his tail off. The guy has a chisled body that is ready to bang against some big guys. All he needed was some playing time. Tim Duncan hated seeing him in the games because he was willing to pound him back and he was a solid 280 pounds. Not soft at all. Boo the Jazz for letting this one go. Hopefully they don't do the same with CJ Miles.

LW | 9:26 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Everyone rants about Miles not playing in the Revue in order to avoid injury. Arujo played in the review -- and got injured.

LW | 9:28 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Better to pay Collins to LEAVE and get production out of his replacement than to pay Collins to stay and get NOTHING out of him!

Jefe | 9:30 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Fesenko Forever, Hoffa Never! Fesenko Forever, Hoffa Never!

Joe | 10:11 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

to bad for Hofa, he did work his butt off, but, I think "Fezz" has more basket ball up side. Young, long, and some fire in the belly.

Ty | 10:26 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Hey Hafa's #1 fan, just a little information for ya... Araujo is horrible! Who really wants a guy that costs that much money and does little to nothing for you? He had ONE good DEFENSIVE game against the Spurs! I guarantee you that Tim Duncan is not near as nervous to play against Haffa as he is play against a guy like Alonzo Mourning, or Tyson Chandler! Tim Duncan is the best big man in the league! He could take anyone to school! I hate the guy, but he is super good!

And another thing... I guarantee you that Fesenko will do tons better then Araujo even thought of doing!

And it's the NBDL, not the NBDA!

RT Morley | 10:37 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I think that they made a mistake on this one (Hofa)they needed to give him more time and he would have been a solid contributor, and even made the list of great forwards if not centers, he will come back to haunt us in the future, as if that has not happened before!

Rafa Ara-WHO-jo? | 10:46 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Rafa: Hard worker, but never learned not to foul. Consider a career in boxing.

Fesenko: Will probably not get a chance to prove himself. If he's still around in 4 years, could begin to show his upside. I would say that he could replace AK, but I haven't seen him cry yet.

Miles: Lacks mental toughness. Let 'em walk.

plowboy | 10:48 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

How many of us would jump on a plane to Russia right now to get paid $800,000 per year doing something lousy? I would, so don't feel too sorry for Hafa. After all, it will only take me 26 years of work to make $800K.

Anonymous | 11:30 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Hafa is horrible anyone who thinks otherwise is wearing ten inch thick blue glasses

The Ridge | 11:51 a.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I think he made a smart move. Playing in Russia will give him some more exposure to the game, and more playing time as well. Let's hope he can develop his game and maybe comeback and impress us in future NBA seasons.

Good luck | 12:01 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

As much as I'd like to see Araujo stay, I think this will be good for his development. He will get to play all the time and work on his game. I don't forsee Utah picking him up again, but I do wish him well.

seanjohn | 12:28 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Good luck hard working talentless bid buddy. This game not just about hard working it's talent first. Collins he is better than Hoffa. Proshai Hoffa. I wish nothing but best. from Orem

SMW | 12:44 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I think Hafa is a little better than JC, but JC has another year on his contract and Fes has 2 inches. You can not learn to be tall. The bottom line is will the refs let the Jazz compete.

pro-hafa. | 4:25 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

i think that for y'all thinking hafa's terrible didnt watch jazz basketball. let alone the playoff series and what he did against tim duncan. he just wasnt given a fair shot, which was tough because of the minutes that memo and booz take up. i wished they kept him. hafa and dee were seemingly the best teammates they could have been. for people who've played organized ball, its easier to get through some tough minutes when teammates encourage you. hafa and dee BOTH did that without knowing whether they would get in the game or not. for the guy that said that he lacks mental toughness...well, to know you can contribute, not play regularly and still be the first one in the gym to practice for the ENTIRE year, i would think shows mental toughness.

Mike | 4:54 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

I think it's funny that anyone who is "pro-hafa" keeps going back to that spurs game. Sure he did a good job, but that's the only good thing he did all season. Hafa's had plenty of time to prove himself, and eventhough Collin's isn't very good either, he's better than Hafa is. I wish him the best. This really is the best option for him.

By the way, I still believe Dee will be on the team next year. He still has the offer on the table, all he has to do is sign. If he signs the offer, the Jazz will play him for the entire season down in Orem and see how he developes with a significant role there and a lot of playing time. Don't forget Hart and Price only have two year contracts. Give Brown one year in Orem and by time he's ready to be the primary #2 point gaurd, both Hart and Price will have one year left. That sounds like good trade bargaining tools to me. If Dee doesn't mature like the Jazz hope, then he will be released then and we will continue with Hart and Price. I hope Dee makes it. He's a great addition to the team.

Ryan | 5:41 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Both Jarron Collins and Hafa are throw-away players, but I would much rather have Hafa than Jarron Collins. My brother and I have a game where we see how long it takes for Collins to make a play that makes us go ugggh! It usually takes 25-35 seconds and never more than two minutes. The guy is terrible!!!!

steve | 6:03 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

This is really a disappointment. Take away Hafa and we lose our only backup center that can throw some weight around. Collins is too busy trying to take a charge, and Fesenko is too lanky. Mike - Collins is not better than Hafa. If you look at them side by side, they have almost identical stats, with a slight edge to hafa on points and rebounds. He lacked a chance to prove himself on the court, but off the court he was an all-star. Anyone who can ride the bench all season and still have his determination and show up first for practice every day deserves a chance on the court. I know that winning games is important, but why put Collins in, who is lazy and doesn't know smart basketball, when you can put in Hafa, who is in the best shape of his life and actually works in practice to earn time on the floor. It's a shame that he didn't get more of a chance.

Jazz need a good big man | 10:08 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

The Jazz hardly gave Haffa a chance. His drive to improve his game was awesome. He obviously didn't improve extremely quick, but I think he could have been a valuable big man if we would have given him more time to develop, and slowly increased his minutes. Why in the world did we ever keep Collins? I would take Ostertag back over collins. I know that's a strong statement, but come on, the Jazz are lacking a dominant force in the middle. When are we gonna snatch us up a good big man? I hope Fesenko and Almond can make up for some of what the Jazz lacked last year.

vanchickavan | 10:44 p.m. Aug. 24, 2007

Sure, Hafa works hard, but how long does it take for a first round pick to develop? It isn't like he was drafted right out of high school and you expect three to four years. Hafa had his chance. He may work hard, but he still didn't really get any better when put into games. As for what is best for him? Next year would have been more of the same. This Russia move is the very best thing for him.

sturdy | 11:15 a.m. Aug. 25, 2007

Only a BYU fan with blinders on could appreciate Hofa's contributions to the team. It's too bad that the Raptors weren't any better at evaluating talent. That pick was the worst thing that could have happened to Hafa. Unrealistic expectations were placed on him and he simply didn't have the talent to measure up. Hard worker, yes; talented, no!
This Russia thing is definitely the best thing for him and God Bless.

josh | 11:52 a.m. Aug. 25, 2007

araujo is not worth an nba spot. anyone who is not a byu fan will completely agree. He is not any better than collins and definately not better than Fess. Espn scout David Thorpe stated he'd have been a top 10 pick if he played college ball instead of in Ukraine. Araujo has peaked. He's like 27, he isn't going to get better.

Adam | 3:33 p.m. Aug. 25, 2007

I agree with Josh (and I'm a complete BYU Fan) Araujo has peaked and is not worth a 1-12 NBA spot. But I did like to watch him put people on the floor on occasion. The Jazz knew they could use him for that (a 13-15 spot) if he wanted to ride the bench the whole season. He may never play in the NBA again but I wish him the best of luck in Russia. As for Collins, those of you who think he is lazy and no good haven't talked to Coach Slone, or attended a Jazz practice so how would you know. Collins isn't the best player but they keep him because he does what he is told, tries his best and doesn't complain about his role on the team. Wouldn't you want that from all of your players if you were the GM or Head Coach? I would. Its Dee Brown that I'm worried about. I am not sure what the Jazz are getting with Hart. Has he proven that he can play winning ball in the NBA? I'm not sure. Price was a good pick-up because he can play defense. If the review was any indication of the future, Dee Brown is going to have a pretty decent career and the Jazz could use him. I hope the GM will give him a chance.

luke | 9:50 a.m. Aug. 26, 2007

Let's face it, not since Eaton has the Jazz seen a truly great interior defender. Hoffa wasn't great, I'll admit, but I thought his work ethic would've impressed Sloan and the coaches enough to keep him at least one more year, especially over a 4-year prospect in Fesenko. Why not put Fesenko in the D-league and give Hoffa another chance? Will Fesenko on the bench (a rookie, which Sloan rarely would play) be better than towel-twirling Hoffa? Sure, his best game (vs the Spurs) was a defensive effort, but are the Jazz really looking for more offense? With Boozer and Okur being more offensive specialists than defensive, I always thought Hoffa clogging up the middle made sense. Hoffa, we wish you the best, and thank you for the effort and dedication to the Jazz.

Hoffa | 12:16 p.m. Aug. 26, 2007

Hoffa has more potential than Collins! He can bring size and some intimidation. Collins will just get worse!

woody | 3:37 p.m. Aug. 26, 2007

I'm sure glad all you so-called experts have all the answers. You can assume all you want about any player and what he has done but to almost worship this Fesenko kid before he even has a chance to be blowen away by some of the biggie in the NBA, down low. Wait until he picks himself of the floor a few times and then see what fire is left in him.

Aaron | 5:19 p.m. Aug. 26, 2007

There's no nice way to say good riddance. I don't know about boxing; I think he ought to consider a career in being a hired goon for the Brazilian mafia. That's all he was good for in basketball, breaking a few kneecaps. Not even an occasional blocked shot. You Cougar fans can say whatever you want, but the fact is that 30 NBA teams agree with me and the majority of posters on this board. I predict we will never hear from him again.

Leo | 1:07 a.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Sure would miss a hard worker like him. Hope he makes it well in Russia and the rest of his carrier. I'm pretty sure if Hoffa could have stayed, he wont reach full potential bench warming.

Rafa Fan | 8:49 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Yeah, yeah, yeah - doesn't anyone actually WATCH Hoffa when he plays? He's good at clogging the middle - the other team's score goes down when Hoffa is in. Maybe he doesn't block the shots, but that's because he doesn't let them get in there to shoot! He also does a great job of deflecting passes by the opposing team. We'll hear from, and see, him again - just wait, Aaron.

Joe | 2:41 p.m. Aug. 28, 2007

Rafa was a player I liked a lot for the jazz. He came from toronto where he was not developed real well so he came to utah to be developed better. he showed up with a great work ethic, but did not have enough skill to get a lot of playing time. In Russia I hope he brings his work ethic with him and he will see playing time there. Hopefully he could bring his game up where he could have a shot to play for any NBA team in the future.

Rafa Ara-WHO-jo? | 3:55 p.m. Aug. 28, 2007

I agree with Woody. Everyone seems to think that Fesenko is the answer to the low post. This kid is about as raw as you can get. I would be shocked if this kid makes an impact within four years of being in the league. 5.7 pts, 5.2 reb, and 1.3 blks - oh, and 55% on fts are his numbers - overseas.

Maybe Fess has skill, but I'm saying he has an uphill battle, and I'm skeptical to say the least.

Z | 8:21 p.m. Aug. 29, 2007

The moves the Jazz have made this off season are a disappointment and somewhat confusing to me. They've flooded the backcourt with so-so players and let their only big man capable of intimidating opponents go sign with a team in Russia. Unless they have a trade in mind they've really taken a step back this year in my mind. They need to offer Dee some money. He's a legit #2 in this league. If they don't sign him he'll come back to haunt them, mark my words. I wish Hafa the best in Russia. I hope Fess gets a chance to show what he can do. On the bright side, he can't be any worse than Collins.

RAFAEL ARAUJO #2fan | 7:43 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I like rafael araujo a lot... (cause he have my name and cuz he is brazilian)

i feel sorry for him i think hes a good player only had a though time in jazz

Im with hope that next season NBA team going to scout him to NBA again.

so i wish good luck for Araujo in Russia

he gonna gain experience by playing a lot of time

Carl Childer | 10:48 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I reckon them Utes fans don't care a great deal for that araujo feller. I reckon if he'd gone to that Utah school them folks would like him a great deal more. I reckon that he'll do good in Russia. Them folks over there is nice. I reckon that Collins feller ain't no count for them Jazz, he ought not be on the team either.

Rafa Ara-WHO-jo? | 10:31 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Z, when on earth did Rafa intimidate anyone on the court? The guy played 30 games last year. When he did play, the only person he could intimidate was himself by getting into foul trouble all the time.

Let me shut everyone up about the Spurs series and Rafa's "performance": I'm tired of people talking about how stellar Rafa was in the playoffs against Duncan. Lest we forget, we lost the series. Bygones. If we had beaten the Spurs, and Rafa was a factor, we would have the oaf on our roster still. Obvously he didn't make a big enough impact to gain a reward, like a one year contract. Sorry.

Dee has spirit, and maybe even some speed, but he's a throw-in. Perhaps if he plays for the Bobcats, or some other team that's willing to let him develop, he can become a decent player. I just dont trust him with the ball - butterfingers.

Deseret News: please write a new story about the Jazz.

Z | 10:09 p.m. Aug. 31, 2007

Rafa Ara-WHO-jo?, are you implying that that there is someonoe on that jazz roster who is more capable of intimidating someone than Hafa? If you are, I find that laughable. And for the record I never mentioned anything about that spurs-jazz series. I'm saying in general the jazz are soft. Especially in the middle with memo and boozer being as soft as a powdered babies' behind. Collins Can't even tie his shoe without getting a foul called on him, and isn't worth a 1-12 roster spot. Hafa is a physical guy who can bang around inside, and at least wear an opponent down. With hafa in the mix you'd have a pretty tough line up coming off the bench. You'd have Millsap, Hafa, Harpring, sign Brown and have him run point, throw in Almond, Miles, Brewer or whoever at the 2. People would not like playing against that lineup, trust me. Maybe if the jazz would have given hafa some decent playing time against the spurs he would have had a greater impact on the series. He didn't even play until that last game when they were already getting trounced. But what's done is done, and I hope the jazz can build on last season and take it even farther.

Deseret News: I agree with Rafa Ara-WHO-jo? on one point. Please write a new jazz story.

Rafa Ara-WHO-jo? | 11:00 p.m. Sept. 1, 2007

Z, my Spurs comments was merely aimed at 90% of all people who seem to use the same argument that Rafa is more than just a foul monkey: that he played well in the Spurs series.

As far as "proving himself", Rafa's problem was always the same: foul trouble. With 7.55 fouls per 48 minutes, there's no way you could be in a game long enough to prove anything. Sure, he's ferocious. But unless he is intending to use his ferocity for celebrity wrestling, he's not going to ever be able to prove anything - let alone intimidate anyone other than Coach Sloan into giving him playing time. Perhaps he'll find this out in Russia...

I never defended the Jazz's toughness in the middle; they are soft. Of course, the Jazz are going to start Okur for his offense, so the backup C position is the concern. Of course, the only thing that Collins can do is flop like a bounced check. Perhaps if we can get Millsap to grow four inches...

LB | 1:39 p.m. Sept. 15, 2007

No one, not anyone at all, ever in history, is worse that Jarron Collins. He can't shoot, he can't pass, he can't run, he can't defend, he surely can't dribble, and he can't intimidate (he'll get knocked on his skinny behind if he tries)! The only thing he can do is what Jerry Sloan likes best--kiss JS's butt!

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