Utah Jazz: NBA Draft

Utah Jazz: 2009 NBA Draft

Jason Tomassini — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:16:58 -0700

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

- We’ll update our Team Capsules with more specific info once the lottery is complete.

Utah Jazz

2008-09 Record: 48-34

Draft Picks: 20, 50

Key Free Agents:

Restricted: Paul Millsap, Kyrylo Fesenko; Unrestricted: Carlos Boozer, Morris Allmond, Jarron Collins, Brevin Knight, Ronnie Price. Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver have early termination options.

How They Got Here:

It was a season that really can only be described as weird for Utah. Deron Williams and Ronnie Brewer made nice steps in the right direction and Paul Millsap made an unexpected leap into the realm of Soon To Be Very Rich People. But the team seemed to be constantly mired in rumors of turmoil, mainly because of the potential free agency of a good portion of their rotation and Andrei Kirilenko seemingly always on the brink of a nervous breakdown. There is a big decision looming on whether to retain Millsap or Boozer, and they almost certainly can’t keep both.

What They Need:

This could be a make-or-break offseason for Utah’s future and essentially for Deron Williams’ career. He’s going to need that power forward to run the screen and roll with and Utah needs to chose the right one. In a draft this weak, No. 20 isn’t going to replace Boozer, Millsap or Okur, so they need to look at gaining some depth with the free agency period shortly following the draft. Also, due to Kirilenko’s craziness, finding another wing player (a non-crazy one of course) couldn’t hurt.

Who They'll Take:

The Kosta Koufos pick last year continues to boggle minds, unless they thought, “Hey, if Okur leaves next year, we can just replace him with a worse, softer version!” So, even with two other European bigs drafted last year and Fesenko on the bench, drafting a solid defensive big man would be a good look. Unfortunately there aren’t many in this draft, which is exactly why BJ Mullens’ draft position will be sure to confound. If they lose Millsap, it seems to make perfect sense to target DeJuan Blair. Chase Budinger would seem like the perfect way for the Jazz to waste this pick and as you can see below, there’s about a 50 percent chance that will happen.

Utah Jazz Draft History (since 2001)

2008: Kosta Koufos (23), Ante Tomic (44), Tadija Dragecevic (53)

2007: Morris Almond (25), Herbert Hill (55)

2006: Ronnie Brewer (14), Dee Brown (46), Paul Millsap (47)

2005: Deron Williams (3), C.J. Miles (34), Robert Whaley (51)

2004: Kris Humphries (14), Kirk Snyder (16)

2003: Aleksandar Pavlovic (19), Mo Williams (47)

2002: Ryan Humphrey (19), Jamal Sampson (47)

2001: Raul Lopez (24), Jarron Collins (53)

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Top Prospects

Stephen Curry - PG/SG - Davidson

Tyreke Evans - PG/SG - Memphis

Blake Griffin - PF - Oklahoma

James Harden - SG - Arizona State

Jordan Hill - PF - Arizona

Ty Lawson - PG - UNC

BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State

Ricky Rubio - PG - DKV Joventut

Brandon Jennings - PG - Arizona

Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN

NBA: Utah Jazz The NBA's Best?

Hoopsworld — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:13:07 -0800

By: Librado Wright

It's early in the NBA season, and looking around the league it is so easy to overlook the Utah Jazz -even with a 6-1 record that makes them the second best team in the Western Conference. There is no surprise to anyone how much talent and depth this roster has, but what has raised eyebrows around the league is how good this team was (5-1) before Deron Williams made his return to the lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

It must be noted that the early season schedule has played a part in the Jazz success, playing the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers twice, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets at home.

Doing all of this without Williams now brings about the question: How good can this team be?

Let's look at a few reasons why Utah is probably the most balanced team in the league, and why not having Williams in the lineup did not effect the team's success.

Names like Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap aren't household names that everyone has grown to know, but with what they both have shown thus far it won't be long before the opposition starts to game plan around them.

Brewer is averaging a career-high 12.6 points per game and he is the ring leader on defense, notching two steals on a nightly basis. This third year pro has played hefty minutes this season and when the Jazz needed a basket in the clutch Brewer hasn't hesitate.

The Jazz already possess one of the best big men in the game in Carlos Boozer to anchor the post for this team, but when the opposition chooses to double team him, third year forward Millsap has stepped in and delivered. Millsap is also averaging a career-high 11.3 points and closely 6.1 rebounds per game in limited minutes.

Big contributions from guys who aren't accustomed to producing is the main reason why Jazz fans are possibly looking at a magical season.

This team has depth going with a steady ten-man rotation and getting production from anyone that head coach Jerry Sloan calls on.

In Williams absence, it has been a collective effort from reserve point guards Ronnie Price and Brevin Knight who have been the stabilizers to keep this high octane offense going. Before this season Price started a combined four games in four years in th league and this season alone he found himself in the starting lineup six times, averaging a steady five points and assists.

If having the talent wasn't enough to win games, their biggest asset as a team is the ability to pass the basketball and create easy baskets. The Jazz currently lead the league in assists (25.7 per game) and are the most unselfish team who always looks for the extra pass.

There are many things that can be said about this team, but this continuity that the Jazz are showing did not just appear this season. This group assembled by Sloan has been around for the past two seasons, excluding guard Kyle Korver, and they have shown their likeness for each other on the court since last season.

It's too early to tell if this team is the best team in the West, but they have definitely shown they will be contenders in a tightly packed conference.

Summer League Player Grades: Picks 21-30

Hoopsworld — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:34:40 -0700

By: Preetom Bhattacharya

NBA GMs are judged for their ability to evaluate talent and the best of them are able to find prospects that have been overlooked by other teams. Whether it be finding a contributor in the tail end of the first round or taking a project in the second, executives in the NBA have plenty of reasons to sit through the grueling two rounds. The main one? Those players may be integral pieces in a championship puzzle.

After grading the top and middle 10 picks, HOOPSWORLD rates the last third of the first round:

21. Ryan Anderson – New Jersey Nets (via trade from Dallas)
Noteworthy Performance: 18 points, seven rebounds against the Miami HEAT
Grade: B-
Review: The biggest question mark for Ryan Anderson was whether he was physical enough to play the power forward position in the NBA or if he was going to be an oversized 3 – he didn't quite answer that. Anderson's perimeter game was already known to be very solid, as he has range to the three-point and his ball-handling and quickness are good enough to get to the basket. Although he showed a willingness to play in the paint, Anderson's next step is to continue to develop as a "big". He's on the right track.

22. Courtney Lee – Orlando Magic
Noteworthy Performance: 27 points (8-14 FG), 4 assists, 3-3 from 3P, 8-9 FT against Oklahoma City
Grade: B+
Review: Courtney Lee did exactly what the Magic had hoped they would see from him – score. In addition to his notable statline above, Lee had a 30-point outburst to finish the Summer League. The variety in which he was getting those points is what will really makes the Magic happy – he knocked down threes, nailed the mid-range, and even penetrated to get to the basket and foul line as well. That kind of diversity will be nice for an Orlando team that was far too heavily reliant on the three-pointer at times.

23. Kosta Koufos – Utah Jazz
Noteworthy Performance: 12 points, 10 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks
Grade: INC
Review: Kosta Koufos has shown that he's able to shoot the NBA three-pointer and he'll be able to develop nicely behind Mehmet Okur, but his performances in Salt Lake City's Rocky Mountain Revue have been too inconsistent so far. After a rough debut, in which it seemed like Koufos could only net fouls, he recovered nicely with the double-double noted above and then had a mediocre showing in Game 3. With a few more games left to go, Koufos can still earn himself a nice grade with solid performances.

24. Serge Ibaka – Oklahoma City (via trade from Phoenix)
Noteworthy Performance: N/A
Grade: N/A
Review: OKC decided to keep Ibaka in Spain for a few years as he continues to develop.

25. Nicolas Batum – Portland Trail Blazers (via trade from Houston)
Noteworthy Performance: 12 points, five rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Grade: C
Review: The Trail Blazers believe that Nicolas Batum will become a very solid defender in the future because of his length and athleticism. In Vegas, though, Batum was overwhelmed by the speed and physicality of many of his opponents. Although he improved and adjusted as each game passed, he didn't show much aggressiveness on offense and must develop a consistent jumpshot. He's only 19-years old, so he has time, but the Blazers' patience will certainly be tested, as it was with Travis Outlaw.

26. George Hill – San Antonio Spurs
Noteworthy Performance: 21 points, three assists, four rebounds against the Utah Jazz
Grade: C+
Review: The Spurs have said that George Hill has an opportunity to be the team's primary backup to Tony Parker and he has certainly shown talent so far but has been inconsistent. His shot wasn't falling for him in Las Vegas, but his performances have gotten better since coming to Salt Lake City. The nice part for the Spurs is that even if Hill is inconsistent, the team can turn to the steady veteran hand of Jacque Vaughn.

27. Darrell Arthur – Memphis Grizzlies (via trade from New Orleans and Portland)
Noteworthy Performance: 23 points (10-15 FG), six rebounds, one block against the San Antonio Spurs
Grade: B
Review: Everyone knew that Darrell Arthur had talent, but too many teams foolishly passed up on him over a rumor that his kidney isn't 100%. Arthur certainly has a chip on his shoulder and came out with something to prove in Vegas with a stellar debut. He's been resilient as well – in Games 2 and 3, he struggled to hit his shots, but he's clearly confident in his abilities and wasn't fazed. Arthur's mobility gets him up and down the court and his ability to score in a variety of ways (jumpers and post moves) will almost certainly make him a bench contributor for Memphis this season.

28. Donte Greene – Houston Rockets (via trade from Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis)
Noteworthy Performance: 40 points (12-20 FG, 5-10 3P), three assists, three rebounds against the Phoenix Suns
Grade: A
Review: Donte Greene can flat-out shoot the ball, which is certainly something Rockets' head coach Rick Adelman is excited about. Greene needs to diversify his offensive game, becoming more than just a jumpshooter, but he's athletic enough and showed in college that he has a lot of variety of ways to score. He'll need to develop as a defender, but was a flat-out dominant scorer in Las Vegas.

29. D.J. White – Oklahoma City (via trade from Detroit)
Noteworthy Performance: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 9-15 from the field against the Chicago Bulls
Grade: C
Review: White started in all of OKC's games, averaging a nice 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He showed that he was able to leave the paint and knock down some midrange jumpers and that he could bang around inside and grab a few rebounds. Because White is a smart player, he'll adjust as needed and should continue to grow in his productivity.

30. J.R. Giddens – Boston Celtics
Noteworthy Performance: N/A
Grade: N/A
Review: The Champs didn't get involved in any of the summer leagues and Giddens has yet to sign a contract.

Utah Jazz: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:56:00 -0700

2007-08 Record: 52-30; 1^st Northwest

Draft Picks: 23, 44, 53

Key Free Agents

F Paul Millsap (team option)

How they got here and what they need

The Jazz once again won the Northwest Division and made it out of the first round of the playoffs, this time beating the Rockets in seven games. But the run came to an end against the Lakers, as key players Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko found way in which to disappear at the worst possible times for Jerry Sloan's club. But they do have two pillars on which to build towards a title in point guard Deron Williams and power forward Carlos Boozer, which is good news for Utah fans.

As for what they need, a backup point guard would be a good place to look since I'm not sure they have a credible one on the roster right now. But they could also use some more size inside, especially with the lack of point guard depth in this draft. Look for Utah to go big, preferably finding a guy who also possesses some offensive polish.

Who they take

He's not a 20 and 10 kind of big man, which quite a few critics had a tough time understanding during his senior season. But given his offensive skill set combined with an interior presence on the defensive end, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert would be a good fit for the Jazz. And don't let his quiet nature fool you; after four seasons in the Big East he's plenty tough.

Draft History (since 2000)

- 2007: Morris Almond (25), Herbert Hill (55)
- 2006: Ronnie Brewer (14), Dee Brown (46), Paul Millsap (47)
- 2005: Deron Williams (3), C.J. Miles (34), Robert Whaley (51)
- 2004: Kris Humphries (14), Kirk Snyder (16)
- 2003: Aleksandar Pavlovic (19), Mo Williams (47)
- 2002: Ryan Humphrey (19), Jamal Sampson (47)
- 2001: Raul Lopez (24), Jarron Collins (53)
- 2000: DeShawn Stevenson (23), Kaniel Dickens (50)

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