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Utah Jazz: Trio of players trimmed from roster

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Observation-ist | 12:02 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
As if my vote matters anyway but ... KEEP MATTHEWS!!!
Paul Harris | 12:20 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
It is unfortunate that Paul Harris did not get to show what he has got because of his sprain. I wondered if the Jazz would keep him as a 15th for a few weeks to see what he has got. He looks like he has the same game as Mathews.
Everyone seems in love with Mathews because of his defense but Dupree is a more consistent shooter.
The reality is that the impact the 13th and 14th players will have on the game is minimal.
dan  | 12:21 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
We are pulling for you Wes!
Comments continue below
Easy Choice | 12:22 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Wes Matthews, Looks like a very solid and capable player. Jazz need to sign this kid.
Anonymous | 12:39 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
+ 1 KEEP MATTHEWS
Anonymous | 12:43 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
+ 1 ON KEEP MATTHEWS!!!
Gotta Be Matthews | 1:02 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
The 14th and 15th guys are there for their effort in practice, for their potential to improve, and their ability to step in and play if (when?) injuries happen. Matthews fits the bill in all cases.

We don't wanna lose this guy, another team would certainly pick him up.
Bo Ryan | 1:06 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Keep Wesley Matthews. Great kid and player. Nice mom.
matthews | 1:10 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
keep him please. he will be better than dupree.
Anonymous | 1:21 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Another vote for Wesley Matthews!
The Jazz have options | 1:39 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
They do not yet know how the Harp saga will play out or if they will trade him for another contract. The Jazz need to get the best players they can and fix all of their weaknesses that they can.

Better D and 3 point shooting are important. Fez and Koufos are rebounding well. If Fez can cut the fouls and TOs and if Koufos can improve his moves and shot the Jazz only need D and 3 point shooting.
Miles | 1:46 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Like it really matters. They will never play. Price is better than all of them and he never plays.
todd from santa ana | 2:14 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I guess Kevie O Connor draft is not so great after all O Connieholics....Goran is gone. I questioned the pick. This is a wake up call and great news for Fez because this means he is pretty safe. He is our true hope and has to come through to back up Okur to provide some defense, and intimidation and truly clog the paint...If he progresses to play decent minutes and not get into foul trouble, we could have a pretty good year.

It is clear Wes should make this final 14 man roster.
Random MU fan | 2:14 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Wesley is a strong player. He had a wonderful senior season, and I think the Jazz would make a big mistake if they cut him.
jazz fan | 2:23 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
keep wes!
UncleRico | 2:26 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
it would be a mistake to cut Harris - he's the best of the 3 guys mentioned as non-guaranteed contracts, would be a great defensive sub and has the most overall upside.
cheetah | 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
it has got to be be WES!! He has earned this spot.
The Cheetah | 2:31 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
It has got to be Wes Matthews. He has earned this spot!
Bob carlisle | 2:38 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
what a waste of a second round pick!
Booze tastes good S.Lake City! | 2:56 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Hopefully Jerry keeps this Wes Matthews kid... he seems like a good kid with huge upside. Why didn't any other teams grab this guy w/ a draft pick?!? What's the catch?
Chris | 3:01 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Cut Dupree. We already know what he is capable of. Paul Harris is a beast and perfect for challenging players in practice. Matthews could be great too.
Draft Errors | 3:08 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I said before the draft that the Jazz should have packaged their second round pick with a player or a pick to get something out of it. They didn't. Now they cut the pick (which is right, Suton isn't good enough) and have nothing to show for it at all. O'Connor is an idiot. Fire him.
Why Matthews? | 3:24 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Looks like Matthews family is pulling for Him!
KC Utah Fan | 3:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I love the way Wes played at Marquette. Strong, physical, a warrior. Good luck Wes!
Hollywood | 3:33 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Dupree a more consistent shooter? Just look at his percentages over his 5-year career - 42% FG and 56% FT's. I know he's a SF and Matthews is a SG, but I'd go with Matthews. Brewer can slide over to SF.

After 5 years, Dupree is probably as good as he's going to get. Matthews has upside. If $ isn't a huge concern, maybe they'll hang on to Harris. From the videos I've seen the guy is a heck of a baller. Guy is cut like a boxer with absolutely no body fat. He could be the equivalent of getting a mid-first rounder next season.
nick | 4:12 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Harp retires, we sign Matthews and let Harris and Dupree play D league and whoever plays better and if someone goes down, we bring up one or both
Tom Crean | 4:23 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Wes Matthews all the way...
Jazz need a big guy | 6:05 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I think they should cut Dupree and Matthews and sign some veteran big guy. Its pretty apparent that Koufus and Fesenko aren't gonna get it done and Okur, Boozer and Millsap just aren't big enough to handle the rest of the NBA.

Price, Korver, Brewer, Miles, AK and Harpring can handle the SG/SF minutes. We need a defensive big man.
Chris matheny | 7:26 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Wes Matthews!!!!!
David | 7:37 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
For those blasting KOC, stating Suton was a waste of a second-pick...really, how many second-round picks from 2009's draft will actually make their teams. For every Paul Millsap, there are 15-20 non-namers.

I'm all for keeping Matthews. He seems like a keeper. I wouldn't mind a veteran--Juan Dixon, Wally Szcerbiak, Jerry Stackhouse, etc. Then again, a young player with upside like Wes might be better
todd to david | 8:12 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
David you must be a relative of O Connor. I give him credit for only one thing-he is good at finding undrafted and free agent talent that could possibly make other parent rosters, or guys who can help flash.

Matthews is pretty good I would keep him.

Your credibility is zero wanting the guys you asked for, they will not help the Jazz one inch.

I saw Mikki Moore last night play defense and be lazy like a matador for "Nellie" thinking he is a guard, and it makes more obvious I am glad we did not get him last year when he was cut.

I would love sign another big man for depth which would make us a real complete team. My question, who may be available?


Open for suggestions....
John | 8:37 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Darn.... There is 3 more people the state of Utah can't count towards the 2010 Census...DOH!!!!
Luke Nevill | 8:44 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Did someone say "available big man"?
Nelson | 8:44 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I was rooting for Nelson -- until I saw him play. I was terribly disappointed. No Defense -- none. Dude, GET UP ON PEOPLE. Deny, crowd, bump.

Nelson isn't the only one, however. How is it possible that players who are trying to replace Harpring cannot figure out that the way to an NBA career is to play defense, toughen up, play hard?

High school heroes, college bmoc's, no heart in them.

Greg | 8:49 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Good job Spencer. Too bad it didn't work out, cous. Keep your head up
Re: Jazz need a big guy | 8:56 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Maybe we can pick up Shack off of waivers :) I would rather get some shorter players that are "Ballers" We don't need anymore tall stiffs. Teams are not putting quality bigs on the waiver list. They just let 6"10" Johnson go and he played more like 6' 3". Do you remember the year that Denver upset the Jazz in the playoffs using a small line up with a 6'7" center.
Whenever I see the twin tower combo of Fez and Kufus I just close my eyes to avoid the carnage.
Basketballogy | 9:04 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
Saying that after 5 years, a player is "probably as good as he is going to get" is not even close to being true. Consider late bloomers:

Kobe Bryant
Steve Nash
Danny Ainge
Jeff Hornacek
Hedo Turkoglu

Also, it's a bit deceptive to knock Dupree's NBA shooting percentage without also stating that 42% is for 11 minutes and 18 seconds of NBA play spread out over 4 years!

Yeah, in 11 minutes of NBA play over 4 years, Dupree shot 42%, but in 2,479 minutes of D-League play, Ronald Dupree has shot 51%.

Of course, none of that means Dupree should stay and Matthews should go, but it does set the record straight so we can discuss it honestly.

In college at LSU, Ronald Dupree:

o Was 2nd in the SEC in rebounding 3 straight years

o Led the SEC in scoring one year

o Is LSU's 8th highest scorer and 6th best rebounder

You should see his work ethic for the Utah Flash on both ends of the court.

The guy's got game, paid his dues, and deserves a shot at the Jazz.
Harpring can't/won't "retire" | 9:08 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
His contract is guarenteed so unless he is traded, he will count toward the roster and salary total even if we never seen him. The only way a team would trade for him is:
1) salary relief - Matt has this year only left on his contract and they trade a player with a multi-year contract
2) roster relief - they do a 2 for one trade

Both of these seem unlikely so unfortunately, he takes up roster and salary space without even being here.
Big guys | 10:08 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009
I just looked at the NBA Free Agent tracker. Big guys that are still available include (maybe some of them are retiring?)

Calvin Booth (I still resent that guy! But he was good) Jerome James, Chris Mihm (too skinny) Robert Swift.

And then there is always Greg Ostertag or Jarron Collins... I really wish the Jazz would have picked up Oberto.
Beaver Bob | 6:55 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
Once again we keep forgetting that we have a potentially great player from the draft 3 years ago. Why don't we do something with Morris Almond. To say he is not good enough to play with the Jazz is rediculaous. We have to quit drafting these big guys who will never make it in the league. Keep Matthews and put him in the D League for a yeart and bring up Morris. Give the guy a chance.
beaver | 8:08 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
hey your a big Jazz fan? Morris Almond is no longer with the Jazz...sorry
to Bob & all the Almond lovers | 8:33 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
Give it up already! Almond probably isn't good enough to play on ANY nba team this year ... just because he played great in the D league and was invited to Miami to play pre-season dosn't mean squat until he is SIGNED by a team - no signing means all the other teams agree with the Jazz management.
Great insight Beaver... | 8:38 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
Beaver, that would be a great suggestion, if it weren't for the fact Morris Almond was cut loose by the Jazz quite some time ago. He tried to stick with the Knicks, couldn't cut it, and I am not sure where he ended up, but don't expect him to be "potentially great" for the Jazz any time soon.
Almond | 8:43 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
did not make it with NY or ORL after leaving the Jazz. He can shoot but his overall game creates other problems. Maybe he will fix those but not with the Jazz.
Sneaky Jimmy | 9:11 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
You have to give O'con credit for cutting Suton rather than keeping a guy that won't make it. Sounds like they wanted Matthews but spent the draft pick on the bigger guy.
Hollywood | 9:13 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
@Basketballogy.
Dupree AVERAGED 11.6 mins last season. Overall, he's played in 154 games for 1745 minutes. That's just NBA time, does not include the D-League.

Your list of stars is laughable. You're saying Dupree can be a Nash or Kobe? Sure there is some improvement year-to-year. Will Deron continue to get better? Yes. Were Malone and Stockton better in years 6 and 7 than 4 or 5? Yes. Despite improvement, you can still tell with 99% of all players after 3-5 years what kind of potential they have.

Dupree is a fringe NBA player. He can be a 3rd-string forward on a good team, maybe a backup on a bad team. But he's not going to be an impact player. He's had chances with 6 teams over 5 years.

Matthews and Harris, on the other hand, are rookies. Both are probably as good - or better - than RD right now. And if that's the case, you keep the rookie over the 5-year vet because the rookie has a ton more upside.

Beaver Bob- Almond was released by NY and then cut by Orlando. He's not NBA talent.
Miles | 9:45 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
Almond won't be playing in the NBA EVER. If he can't make it with the Knicks, who play zero defense, he can't make it period.
Go Jerry | 10:39 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Jerry I am glad you gave Morris a shot, he played D league as well as NBA games here so he should understand what it takes but hasn't grasped what he needs to change yet.

Korver has to be identified as our new weak link. He does not defend and he is less than consistent as a 3 point shooter (not even in the top 50% in the league) so he becomes a glorified foul shooter with crowd appeal. Tough for the coach to win with that in the arsenal.

Now his knee is bad so there is no hope for the first half of the season for him to get in any shape to play.

Ostertag should be picked up but only as radio man and bench Locke.
Almond was just waived | 11:31 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
Guess the rest of the league agrees with Sloan and KOC - Orlando just waived Almond. As far a KOC "throwing away a draft pick" by releasing Sutton...this is actually better for the Jazz because now if they keep Wesley he will be MUCH cheaper than what a draft pick needs to be paid.
todd to jerry | 11:54 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009
send Locke to parts unknown like the Undertaker

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Former Utah State star Spencer Nelson was with the Jazz for the preseason but was a waiver casualty Wednesday.

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