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Utah Jazz brass are ready to play ball
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If you adjust Koufos's numbers for last year they are about the same as Okur's but Koufos has twice as many blocks and he has no 3s.
There are 5 free agent Cs the Jazz could go after if Okur walks and most of them can be had for a lot less than 9 Mill (Wallace, Anderson, Gortat, Pachulia, and Nesterovic).
There are several PFs who are worth looking at. Odom, Gooden, Bass, Varejao, McDyess, and maybe Joe Smith. With the exception of Odom all of these would cost a lot less than Boozer and should put up decent numbers in the Jazz system. Many of these players could be signed to a one year contract.
The Jazz could also trade Harp for a PF or C. Or they could sign Collins, Price etc. to a one year contract and bundle additional expiring contracts in a mid year trade for a good player. They would get by until mid year with Koufos/Suton.
LAKERS 15 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kobe is my hero.
We listen to Mr. Anonymous who won't give his name but thinks Boozer is bad. The thing bad Boozer forgets to play the humble role and talks like a man offending some shallow Jazz fans. Doesn't matter that he is one of 5 NBA players to put up the 20 / 10 numbers we want him gone. Grow up, use your real name..Boozer does.
Another suggestion is play Koufous and a second round draft choice in the NBA. Hello!! did anyone see Koufous in even a backup role against Pao Gasol or Odom during the playoffs? do you think there is a reason for that?
Mark Stein says Korver cannot guard a cheerleader but we are going to keep him due to his offseason surgery, that iis really kind of you. that might change his stats from a passer to shooter in the pressure situations. Keep dreaming.
We want to compete in the league then we have to surround our stars, Dwill and Boozer with some help. Trade Andre for Magette, trade Okur for Gortat, buy someone to help us out.
D-Will - 36 MPG 19.4 PPG 10.7 APG - Great
R Brewer - 32 MPG 13.7 PPG Dunking 50%FG%
P Millsap - 30 MPG 13.5 PPG 8.6 RPG
A Kirilenko - 27 MPG 11.6 PPG
If Okur and Boozer are lost the Jazz loose 33.2 points per game and the rest of the team can only score just better than that. Granted Millsap will pick up but he cannot do it all. The Jazz need 33 PPG either in one or two players.
If you think that Miles or Korver will make up the Difference you are crazy. Unless the Jazz find two Great to Good players the 2009/2010 season will be a lottery year.
My guess the Jazz will fold to the pressure and sign both Okur and Boozer. Then for the next 3 years will be a first or second round team. Then D-Will will Opt out and go where he can win.
But I must admit Coach Sloans courtside rantings are getting to be a little much. He's an embarrassment and might even be overrated at this point.
Yeah, he averages 20/10. But how can Boozer lovers ignore his non-existent defense? It's not hard to score 20 when the offense is run through you. And the rebounds? Just watch him play. He doesn't try to defend his man or get over on help defense. He just turns around and positions himself for a possible rebound.
During the winning streak last season (with Boozer out), the five starters all had better stats, especially Okur, who was on fire when he was running the pick and pop with Williams.
Boozer is not a championship-level player. He's overpaid and is completely unreliable. You can't pay $12M+ to a guy with the pain tolerance of a 3-yr old who misses 1/3 of the games.
No one is rushing to try to obtain him. That says a lot about his value. I predict he'll opt in and have a great year. He has to. If he gets hurt, his market value will be non-existent.
Fortunately, KOC and Miller won't be fooled. They're not going to re-sign him.
Sayonara Carlos!
Boozer is very replaceable with a very good PF who will play defense and most of the games. The Jazz need to be patient and position for the right mid season trade and they will get the right player.
If Korver opts in the Jazz are stuck with him. However, his expiring contract can be traded (with Harps) for a better PF than Boozer.
Had Sloan played Koufos instead of Collins in the regular season, Koufos would have been playing in the playoffs and done much better than Collins. If you are going to lose at least develop the cheap young talent so they are ready when they are needed.
One reason the Jazz are in this situation is Sloan's Vet bias. Vet's are more expensive and he will not develop the young talent fast enough.
The Jazz can replace Korver's outside shooting cheaply this year.
A coach and players that play with heart. Go Big Blue!
1. Sloan will insist on Collins if there is any way to get him.
2. This year his only value would be as a traded expiring contract.
I should have suggested the Jazz actually get a one year contract with a player who had trade value.
Both Price and Collins have little trade value outside of their expiration dates. I was thinking in terms of what the Jazz were likely to do instead of what they really should do.
It was my mistake. Thanks for pointing out that it would be much smarter to get 2 better players for cheap and then use them in trades.
Gortat comes to mind. Gortat plays defence and is a rebounding machine. Birdman comes to mind. The Jazz can improve at C for less than 9 Mill. If all else fails Koufos can play C this year and put up the same numbers as Okur (adjusted for 33 minutes) and he only costs about 1 Mill.
Boozer can be replaced with someone who plays most of the games and plays defense for less than 10 Mill.
Boozer and Okur's offensive numbers are replaceable. Fortunately their bad defense will be fixed at the same time.
KOC can make the team better on defense and the offensive system can adjust and put of nearly the same offensive numbers for under the lux tax.
RE: Eskimo
Don't blame Collins for cashing the checks the Jazz keep giving him!!!! You are probably robbing your employer by commenting on company time!!
That just isn't true. They may not be elite snobby Lakers, but they are certainly taken more seriously than more than half the teams out there. Laker fans don't really watch games to know that. They just show up to be seen anyway.
Sloan has veto power of KOC so any player decision is really Sloan's responsibility.
I think that Greg is still learning as he goes and is relying heavily on Sloan and KOC. Any moves that are made now will be Sloan/KOC moves and lack L Miller input and have limited input from Greg.
If the Jazz do nothing else except avoid over paying they will in the long run make improvements to the team.
Greg seems willing to spend, the fan base is supportive as long as the franchise is trying to improve and not acting stupid, and this is a great market for making improvements.
Boozer can be replaced in the next 2 years with a PF who plays defense and puts up numbers. Okur can be replaced if to greedy.
The Jazz can play without Boozer if they have Millsap and a good back up.
front runners
1. You can't just adjust a players points for minutes played and expect a rational comparison. Koufos can not just fill in for Okur. He does not have a shot outside of 12 feet, so unless you want to watch opponents play the zone all year the Jazz need an outside threat.
2. When Hornacheck came to Utah his scoring dropped dramatically, but the Jazz Started winning more. When Korver came to Utah, his scoring dropped, but the Jazz started winning more. Korver played with a wrist injury most of the season, he didn't stay on the bench resting up for a good playoff showing so he could land a big contract. Sounds like the kind of player any team should try to hold on to.
3. The Jazz draft picks are consistently in the 2o's. Most players taken in the 20's do not stay in the NBA, so don't expect any Coach to give them significant playing time their first year. Sloan is working with mid major talent out of the draft, give him a few years to develop the players
Koufos had range in College. He does not dare shoot out more than 12 feet for fear of Sloan benching him (So much for Sloan's development). His shooting should be better this year and his inside moves should improve. He needs to work on his left hand a lot.
He is not a perfect replacement for Okur but he is good enough to get by until Okur signs or until the Jazz trade for a replacement.
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