Utah is one player away from a ‘chip … and they’ll get him in 2010
Deron Williams (photo. Christian Kozowyck)
Even with Carlos Boozer’s contract coming off the books, the Jazz don’t have a lot of cap room in 2010. For that reason, nobody is really talking about Utah as a major player in the Summer of LeBron (and D-Wade, Bosh Joe Johnson, etc.).
But even without that cap room, the Jazz will be in position to add an instant impact player or two to their roster, who could be the missing piece in getting Jerry Sloan a championship before he retires and giving the Western Conference a new powerhouse.
Utah has New York’s first-round pick in 2010, and as bad as the Knicks have been so far, it’s looking like that will be a Top-5 choice in what’s generally considered a strong draft. That means anybody from Kansas two-guard Xavier Henry to Georgia Tech forward Derrick Favors to Lithuanian 7-footer Donatas Motiejunas could be added to a Utah roster that is already on the cusp of being a legit contender. Or the Jazz could trade the pick for quality veteran players to complete the championship puzzle.
When Boozer leaves — I’d say he’s a lock for Miami or Chicago — Utah has Paul Millsap ready to assume the power forward spot full-time and put up close to 20-and-10 numbers. And with Deron Williams locked in for the next few years, plus Eric Maynor as a solid backup point guard (i.e., no need for projected No. 1 pick John Wall), the Jazz are set at the two most important positions in Sloan’s system.
After that it gets tricky.
Ronnie Brewer is a stud defender and developing offensive threat at two-guard, but he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2010. His qualifying offer is a low $3.7 million, and with his talent and potential, Brewer would have to think he can command more than that on the open market. If the Jazz are able to re-sign him for a reasonable price, Brewer and undrafted rookie Wes Matthews (a pleasant surprise so far) are a respectable tandem at the two, but then again, Henry has “future star” written all over him, as does Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson, and Ohio State’s Evan Turner.
At small forward, Andrei Kirilenko has one more year left on his inflated contract. At best his versatile game helps Utah contend next season and provides cap room in 2011, and at worst he’s a valuable trade piece. C.J. Miles is also under contract next season, and if he stays healthy, takes care of some of the outside shooting Utah will lose in case free agent Kyle Korver leaves. Small forward is another position, though, where the Jazz might think toward the future and address in the draft with West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks (think Rudy Gay) or Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu.
The weakest spot is the five. Mehmet Okur is good, but he’s injury-prone, and I’m still not sure what to make of Kyrylo Fesenko or Kosta Koufos. The draft should have some attractive big men like Favors and Kansas’ Cole Aldrich, or Utah could use one of their trade assets to get an experienced All-Star level center.
At the moment, the Jazz are an inconsistent bunch that will likely peak as a second-round playoff team. In their last three games I’ve seen a squad that can compete with any contender in the NBA, but in the long run they’re one or two players away. With Deron and Millsap as the anchors for the foreseeable future, a Hall of Fame coach and some solid role players surrounding them, the moves Utah makes next summer could significantly shift the power balance of the League and turn their fortunes around.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
ahoapap says:
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for the write up.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:49 pm
mess says:
If the Jazz packaged Boozer (via sign-and-trade) or AK’s expiring contract next summer with their lottery pick, it’d be interesting to see what they could get in return.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
kudos says:
why the hell would the jazz trade their best pick in years…just to get rid of boozer. They wanna keep the pick, and go the draft route.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
D.H. says:
If you have a shot at John Wall you take it. period. end of sentence.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:06 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Ummmmmm i wholeheartedly agree with #4..
December 1st, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Coultin says:
Great read, thanks.
As a Jazz fan in Utah, I can never decide what I think we need on the team.. On one hand, Okur is terrible on defense, but he is a damn good 3 point shooter, who spreads the defense, which enables a player like Ronnie Brewer to shine. If we move Okur, we need to move Brewer as well… and snag someone like Ray Allen.. a good shooter.
I hope Boozer stays, because I think the guy is extremely good.. Can’t wait to see who we draft!
Not sure why we would draft a point guard when we have a proven top 3 in the NBA point guard already…
December 1st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
jand says:
y would u get wall and u hav d.will , if they get #1 pick i say trade 4 bosh
December 1st, 2009 at 3:30 pm
hector says:
Getting a chance to land a first round pick is a dream come true. It doesn’t happen very often, so, if they get a chance to get John Wall, they should take it… then trade him. But you don’t give up a player of that caliber just because it doesn’t fill your needs. The way the Knicks are playing is very likely that it will happen. I’m a knick fan. (if i only could get 2 minutes with Isiah Thomas… i will punch his face.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
smoothy says:
what about this trade
Toronto gets – Knicks (Jazz) first round pick, boozer, koufus
Utah gets – Chris Bosh, Patrick “Bust” O Bryant
T. gets a pretty much guaranteed top 5 pick in a strong draft, and can move bargnani to his natural 4 positon unless they get someone like favors
December 1st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Mikey B says:
The Jazz should go after Chris Bosh in a sign and trade scenario. The Raptors can get back AK 47’s expriring contract, Memo and the first round pick. Who the Raptors will undoubtedly waste on another European born player.
Chris Bosh to the Jazz in 2010.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
eyes says:
@8
Yes the Knicks downfall started and began with Isiah Thomas. No one else. Even if Thomas hadn’t coached we’d still be bad. Hoping for a Dolan abduction. Has to be one of the worst owners in sports. He doesn’t have a clue on talent/staff or anything. You could take a few people of this site and let us have volunteer yr. The Knicks would be back up & running. Would aim for a mix between the Hawks/Blazers/Kings. Promising. Better than this misfit team we have. It’s really not there fault. They’ve been put there to fail. It’s like growing up in the hood. It’s hard to succeed. It’s not the contracts. They’re scared of our own players. What sense does that make. We’ll be at the bottom for at least the next 5 yrs unless a miracle happens nxt yr. I still think we have the worst scout dept in the league. Our team doctors aren’t any better. The whole organization should take a 5yr vacation and come back.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
POPPI GEE says:
It’s cute, likeable, dreamy and real nice in theory. Reality wise though, and this is personal view of course till otherwise proven wrong, but they ain’t never gonna win a championship as long as they keep running the same system.
No disrespect to the coach but unless he willing to change with the times, then just a very formidable playoff team they always will be. You can move the pieces all you want and trade up, down and sideways.
Still I would say history has proven there is always a way to slove his system eventually.
Those that disagree will bring up a wide array and range of excuses of why the Jazz have never one it all. My reason is the system and they coach, which pretty much go hand in hand till he is willing to switch things up.
I ain’t saying get rid of his system cause it’s really good, but you got be flexible and the coach or system ain’t really flexible at all.
Doesn’t matter who disagrees really, history backs the points.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pm
mess says:
I’m not trying to contradict myself here because my previous post was simply questioning what kind of talent they could get if they packaged the two together. But I also see the reason for keeping the pick, mainly because of what the blazers did 15+ years ago. I heard on factor on them passing on Jordan was because they already had Drexler.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Da_Griff says:
Whoever they draft, they need someone who can create his own shot and shoot the three, and they MUST be athletic.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Da_Griff says:
And whoever thinks Bosh is going to the Jazz next year needs to have a labotomy, because you’re delusional.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:49 pm
eyes says:
Deron Williams is AWESOME BABYYYYY!!!!! WES MATTHEWS HAS SUPRISED ME. WHAT HAPPEN TO THE BEST GUARD SINCE SLICED BREAD. DOMINIC JAMES. I TELL YOU THE COLLEGE EXPERTS. THEY MAKE OR BREAK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAREERS. IF BILAS OR SOMEONE WHO’S PRO ACC DOESN’T LIKE YOU. Forget they’re word is law. Ronnie Brewer reminds me of Gerald Wallace. That’s his ceiling. Kirelenko what happen dude. You were a stud. Dont know about championship. Deron does deserve all the pub he gets & more. Dee Brown was better than him to in college. LOLOLOLOLOL.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
eyes says:
@Austin
GM skills to a tee. I’d love to watch that team wth those options. Lets see if they lend an ear or eye. Really impressed. Loved all the pieces. Especially Ebanks or Gay. With D.Will all is possible. He just needs the rest of the puzzle
December 1st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
omar says:
they could really use t-mac, he would fit there very well
December 1st, 2009 at 4:20 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
@POPPI GEE – what exactly is wrong with Sloan’s system?
December 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
ab_40 says:
no… just no. this team in the west is first or second round material for the next three or four years. and unless he’s dennis rodman you’re not gonna win with your best post player being 6-5 (Millsap) D Will is a nice player but he needs to go to a team with a real second star. Carlos Boozer is not that IT guy.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
eyes says:
@Bob
It’s not the system. What about when it doesn’t work or the other team figure is out after all this years. Then what. It’s what stopped Stockton & Malone aside from Jordan. Pick Roll all day untilllll.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
POPPI GEE says:
BiG ShoT BoB also ultimately it doesn’t, hasn’t and won’t win it all.
Again many might argue otherwise and provide a tremendous amount of varied reasons, but while his system, choices and otherwise make his team always in the mix, the record has shown to many times that it eventually will fail to deliver.
Again it’s just my view, some people will say, Sloan never had the right players, some will say it was always a greater player that was their demise while other will say their market never attracted that one big name player such as a Wade or Kobe that could carry them to the promise land.
I honestly just really feel they that none of the pre-mentioned reasons can really stand up over time as a constant for the failure of being a champion.
Yet the one consistent over all these years has been the same coach and the same style and system.
Deron is fighting and I do mean fighting to be in that upper echelon of players that are having all of these remarkable attributes and accolades fall their way.
For as good and dynamic as he is, personally I feel Sloan makes him play to tight. The times he has been able to get that rhythm or play freely so to speak he can go OFF! Yet where are his All-Star games, 50+ point games, amazing feats at Madison Square and triple doubles?
Please know that it ain’t because he can’t do it, I just feel it’s because the dictatorship is to tight. And the real frustrating thing about it is that it’s not like you would expect Deron to buck the system cause it has proven to be good.
So of course seemingly the right thing to do is go with it because it does garner success. But it’s like the dude chasing the road runner. You get so close and end up falling off that cliff only to keep chasing over and over again with the same falling off of cliff results.
Yet I would love to see him with the freedom of a Nash, CP3, Kidd or Tony Parker or even Fisher (green light to shoot when he wants to wise lol). Cause I feel Deron is most def. as good as if not better than them, but I don’t feel we will ever see what Deron really can do till he is allowed to really have that green light and freedom he deserves.
Honorable mention, 3rd place and 2nd are cool to always get. But dang after years and I do mean years something has to be done to bring that championship on in.
Sorry all this is so long and don’t expect it to be read but it’s my view anyway.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Dave says:
Poppi Gee….gotta disagree with your take on Sloan. He’s finally getting these guys to play his style of ball on both ends and they’ve kicked the crap out of nearly everyone and have shot over 60% as a team the last three games straight, that’s from a system working not AK and Booz getting hot.
The Jazz only shot at winning is with Sloan and Jazz fans will wish he were still the coach soon after he retires.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Dave says:
there are other systems that work, but for people to say that Sloan’s running the same old stuff don’t watch very closely. The Jazz didn’t run the pick and roll much last year, and ran it rarely when Okur and Boozer were out, look up the stats on it. They are always adjusting to the personnel they have and have found ways to get Milsap, AK, Boozer, Brewer, and Williams the ball in places on the floor they can score the ball. If these prima donna’s would run the plays and systems they’re taught as opposed to brushing the coaches aside we’d see a better brand of basketball throughout the league.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Dave says:
Sloan and Boozer have had to come to an agreement. Boozer wasn’t playing defense to begin the season, there were a couple of times Sloan sat Boozer in crunch time. Boozer finally realized that to get pt, and to have a chance to get paid at the end of the year he had to do it Sloan’s way and that’s what is happening, bottom line.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:33 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Dave what up. I gotta disagree slightly, cause I do and have been watching closely for years (more simply cause I detest them being a Rockets fan)lol. Most def. he ain’t running it 100% the same, cause of course with different players you make adjustments.
Still when it comes to the meat and heart of it all it’s the pick and roll, half-court sets, rare transition and screens on offense. That is the Utah Jazz in a nut-shell offensively.
World know it ain’t like Sloan got his boys running like the Suns.
Remember too we not just talking about this year, we going off of yearrssss so I most def. can’t put that on the players cause again the 1 consistent has been Sloan and what…he…do.
To bring up current success means little cause again the Jazz for the most part always do well, but we ain’t talking about well, at least I ain’t I am talkin about a championship.
-22 seasons as head coach
-The fourth winningest coach in NBA history I think
-Sloan is the longest tenured active coach with one team in pro major sports
-360 wins ahead of San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich in coaching with 1 team
-Since Sloan’s hiring there have been a total of 225 coaching changes
-Sloan has coached 123 different Jazz players in regular season games during his time. 123 folks!
-Sloan has produced two conference championships
-Seven division titles
-16 consecutive winning seasons
-12 seasons with 50-plus wins
-18 playoff appearances
AND NO CHAMPIONSHIP AT AAAAALLLL!
Now amongst all that and those many years of change he been the 1 dude there always. Don’t put all the lack of winning it all on the player come on.
You tell me what it really is?
December 1st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
hater says:
soooo…. what you’re saying is they should replace boozer with a rookie back up C and that will make them a contender? does that sound odd to anyone else? trade a solid 20-10 big man for a rookie back up C and the team will become MORE likely to win a championship? huh?
December 1st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Spanky says:
I think every Jazz fan will agree that the offense is not the problem, it’s the deffense. In the last few games the Jazz have hustled back on deffense and have contested more shots, blocked more shots(boozer), and stolen the ball more than they have in a while. I always said that when the Jazz play D at the highest level, they can beat any team. I think the only kink in sloans system is defense.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
Alright Poppi let me throw my thoughts around. First point is every team that has won the championship in the last decade has had a system in place and it’s usually half court. In fact in the last 10 years most chips have been won with the triangle and Pops in out style in San An same with Pat when he had Shaq. Second every team in the league uses pick and roll as their bread and butter when they can’t score Sloan’s no different. Third no team has won the chip by playing fast break basketball since the showtime Lakers which is what you think Sloan should do right? Last because Sloan has been good every year so consistently they never have a great draft pick.
I also think Deron has more freedom then you think. Take someone like J-Kidd you look at him and think he has the green light but Rick Carlisle is known for having one of the more structured offenses in the league. When Sloan has had the players i.e. Karl and John he made it to the finals. Other than just recently when he drafted Deron and brought in Booz who have the Jazz really fielded that could compete for a chip? I think he does more with less better than anyone in the league and that’s one of the big reasons why he’s the most tenured coach in sports. Sloan’s system is nothing more than teaching fundamental basketball and hard nosed defense all of which wins championships.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Sanssasin says:
@ Poppi Gee
Don’t the Jazz run a motion-type offense? Sometimes they will run a type of flex offense, but generally speaking it’s more of a motion-type offense.
Don’t the Spurs run a motion-type offense? They obviously run different variations and others.
Point being that the type of offense the Jazz run wins and has produced championships. You might be onto something though with the coaching and/or talent. But the offense the Jazz run is awesome to watch.
They are one of the few teams in the NBA that run a structured offense. Seems more teams are getting into a give him the ball type offense.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:53 pm
j yosef says:
@ AUSTIN BURTEN
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY’s Al-Farouq Aminu
probably wont be available at Utah’s pick.
This is beyond a grammatical error. Arnt you the college hoops guy as well?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Dave says:
it is a motion offense using picks and back-cuts to get layups, and while the pick and roll is part of it the Jazz ran the pick and roll fewer than all but 3 teams last season.
Poppi, good stats on Sloan. Using the same info I would argue that it’s very much about timing and Sloan deserves higher recognition than he does. Take the Spurs for example, when Pop took the job he said that he wanted to model his team after the Jazz from the way they ran their team to their offense, and especially like their coach. The difference was picking up Duncan while the Admiral was still effective and in his prime, and not having to face Jordan in his prime.
There were three seasons the Jazz had a shot other than the years they lost to the Bulls. Houston beat them as a 6 seed and won their title and then repeated. Both years the Jazz had a legit shot. When Portland went and got beat and when the Sonics got beat, both by the Bulls, the Jazz had excellent teams but injuries to Stock in both series hurt them, again timing.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
POPPI GEE says:
BiG ShoT BoB & Sanssasin it still doesn’t ultimately answer the question as to where is the championship even if I went the line of your thinking?
See the lack of being able to pin-point that answer leads to so many different answers to which all may have credibility at different levels.
You reall can’t go so much on not having 1 draft picks in this day and age of trading and movement. Granted it’s not like players are jumping to go to Utah but still money moves many.
I am not saying teams don’t run systems and/or multiple systems, I am just saying what Jerry Sloan has been doing has been great, but his style/styles won’t wint a championship and history is proving that correct, is it not?
Every team doesn’t go to the pick and roll when they cant score, some teams clearout or increase defense in order to get transition buckets, or many sguads go to a post feed kick-out game. So yes some teams go pick and roll but that is not the end-all option for scoring and not even saying that is Sloan’s primary, although it has been in many cases, still whatever style anyone wants to call it, it’s has not gotten them the goal.
Fastbreak basketball is not what I am saying Sloan should do, I am saying Sloan does need to speed it up in times where he insist on running half court sets or pick and roll when it’s not working. He will keep his team running what doesn’t work in a lot of situations when they lose.
As far as Deron naw I don’t think he has as much freedom as it seems. Trust me he is a better player than what we see. Considering what we see is indeed good, Sloan again needs to learn to adjust which is his kryptonite (along with his style/styles).
Don’t get me wrong I think this is coming off as me bashing dude and I am not. I think he is a phenomenal coach that should have gotten COY more times than most. He indeed has made the most out of nothing and he is WWAAAY more of a winner than loser.
I guess even in my dislike of the Jazz I would just like to see Sloan win one or let me say he deserves one, but the thing is he to me is his own greatest hinder.
Again I have my reasons that I have clearly stated.
I am trying to see what reasons others have for him, despite all the great accolades …never winning.
I have him not having great players do to not having great draft picks as what someone listed, but again they have had plenty in players and cash to move around to get at least someone to build around.
Not to mention it ain’t like teams of the past with Stockton and Malone have been garbage.
Most reasons I have heard are:
draft picks
market not big in Utah
Jordan stopped them
They never had the complete team needed
My reason of Sloan not being flexible and his system
Brass not making the trades necessary
Sloan not player friendly
Players not doing what is necessary
any more lol?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:51 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Dave sorry I was in process of writing. I do understand timing and chance and I know that has much to do with it.
Still I just think further they will not go unless changes are made. Either Sloan himself or either he changes more of his coaching.
I guess time will certainly tell.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Austin Burton says:
@ #30 — Good catch. My bad, you know Al-Farouq’s brother when to GA Tech so that explains the goof.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:56 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
You could go through all those same reasons as to why 29 other teams haven’t won a chip the same way can’t you? Only one team wins the chip and only 5 different teams have won them in the last 12.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:17 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Still those teams haven’t had the same coach…aaaahhaaaa, which is the one consistent above all those excuses.
I know me calling out a hall of fame coach to be taken down is nuts and I know I am certainly part of the minority when it comes to that issue.
Still I figure just about everything in Utah except that has been tried so that is the only logical move next.
I will say yall have given me some food for thought in regards to Deron’s supposed green light and the possible upcoming year?
Guess we will see.
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:39 am
CTP says:
Poppi. Being a Jazz fan in Utah on the D will green light comments.
I am obviously not in the locker room, but D will hardly ever looks to Sloan for plays, as Stockton did every play.
Interviews with D Will and Sloan both prove/show that D will runs the offense, and is free to do as he sees fit. The dude has words for his teammates as much as Sloan does! (He gets way heated at times. That is beside the point though. ha..)
And how D Will hasn’t made the all star team… well, who knows. I think he will this year…
I don’t think the guy goes for 50 because he is an assist man, similar to Stockton, and he prides himself on making others better. Although he has been putting in some gooood minutes the last 8 or so games playing the 2, with maynor running the point.. It’s been good.
You have valid points with your Sloan statements.. I wont argue those. I personally hope he doesn’t leave any time soon, because he’s surely a far better coach than 80% of the coaches in the league, IMO.
Rambling here, but I am almost positive I read that in the summer the Rockets were trying to trade T-Mac for AK47. Jazz were wise to decline, even though AK is overpaid..
Bosh is not going to come to Utah, but that’s fine… I don’t think the dude is quite as good as everyone says. He’s insanely good, yes… but Jazz should keep Boozer and get a 3 that can shoot lights out. ( Or a 2, but I like Ronnie Brewers cutting and defense a lot.)
I just wanna see the Jazz win a title so bad… Sloan deserves one. (Along with a few COY awards.) Sorry Laker fans, but seeing the Jazz beat the Lakers like we did in the 90’s would make me so happy.
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:45 am
orangeblobman says:
Isiah Thomas should be tried for some type of criminal offense for the way he mauled the Knicks and mortgaged the franchise’s future. His stupidity, or, I think, intentional handing-out of huge contracts to ‘his boys’ was both unprofessional and criminal.
How many first round picks did he trade away? I can’t even count. But I know that next year’s potential 1st overall could have been in New York’s hands. Instead, the Knicks enjoyed the likes of Curry, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury, Jerome James, and Jared Jeffries, to name a few.
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Mo says:
Jazz WILL NOT win a championship with Sloan as head coach.
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
POPPI GEE says:
^Amen, amen and amen.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Dlite says:
Jazz, Good Coach, 2 stars and some role players…sound familiar..back to the future? No chip
December 26th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
SAM PENROD says:
SUBSTITUTION — is the winning CHIP, IF we all kept saying one player away then we would keep SLOAN forever as the COACHE — UTAH JAZZ has grown boring — and SLOAN has always been the problem burning players out because he never could substitute them right (GET THE PICTURE)