Box Score

I know our draft pick is going to be potentially hurt by winning but come boys let's do it.

[Game link](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/\_/gameId/401704945/jazz-nets)

Box Score

[Game link](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/\_/gameId/401704926/jazz-pistons)

Ryan Smith, I know you are constantly sifting through the Reddit sphere for the next great innovation and marketing ideas, so you’re welcome in advance. Let’s set the scene.

The Jazz are at home and down 30 points again. You are in the stands and think to yourself… “you know, I can do better than these guys. I played some school ball and was on the YMCA all-star team a couple years ago. Maybe I should get a shot!” So you take your phone out, go to the Utah Jazz website and select “instant virtual contract”. You sign few quick questionnaire and consent forms, Ryan approved, you sign it, and viola! You start heading to the Jazz bench, they give you a spare uniform, Will briefs you quickly on the plays, and you get paid $20.00 for the mid-game contract. Who knows, maybe you hit a few shots and warm Will’s heart, and they ask you to come again and fill another mid-game contact.

Imagine getting the chance to play some hoops against nba players…and the Jazz may find that untapped potential that turns into the next Superstar…and they live in Utah, so no worries about relication expenses.

You’re welcome, Ryan.

So I haven't watched any games this season. I just can't. I don't even watch the "highlights" anymore as I am not interested in terrible losing basketball. But what I want to know from you who watch the games; how do you feel about Lauri Markkanen right now? He is the highest paid player on this team and should be without a doubt the number one option and an alpha but for some reason he isn't. He's constantly not getting more than like 9 shots in a game and seems to fade in to just standing in the corner (I hear, I don't watch as I said before). He's performance is starting to remind me of the Bulls days. How do you feel about him and his big contract going forward?

2022 - Jazz had 0 picks

2023 - #9 Taylor Hendricks over Cason Wallace and Jett Howard

. #16 Keyonte George over Jalen Hood Schifino and Jamie Jasquez

. #28 Brice Sensabaugh over Julian Strawther and Kobe Brown

2024 - #10 Cody Williams over Matas Buzelis and Nikola Topic

. #29 Isiah Collier over Baylor Scheierman

. #32 Kyle Filipowski over Tyler Smith and Tyler Kolek

Where did Ainge/Zanik make a mistake? I don't see it.

Edit (I only added the players drafted immediately after. Y'all are too young to remember when the Jazz drafted Trey Lyles over Devin Booker)

Title.

We are 3 years into rebuild and it's just sad. Our gang of misfit toys is headed by trade pieces not draft picks. I'm incredibly pessimistic about our picks. Key has heart but he's undersized and I see his ceiling as a Reggie Jackson bench type. Flip is mid city, and Cody is a bust.

I'm really confused because I thought this was Ainge's pedigree, but I am seriously concerned if he has any idea on how to evaluate talent this far. Jared McCain, Missi, and Knecht are all much much more valuable picks we let slide and this is year 3 of this crap.

McCain would have kick-started our rebuild. What's the point if you are going to bomb every lottery pick?

Depressed

View Poll

Seeing a ton of negativity across socials and news articles outright hating on the team. I'll give you a few pinpoints here

Utah isn't in some eternal rebuild, they literally just want to get a few pieces in these drafts and decided to not spend cap on valuable players in free agency to value this tank instead. Other fans have mentioned but if we wanted to win this year we'd have not let Phoenix get Tyus Jones and paid him and Gary Trent among other pieces instead of mr Patrick mills. 40+ point losses will happen, half the roster is like 20

Edit: bonus for the last part but it's unlikely Utah actually makes all 12-13 draft selections they own between now and 2029 even if every prior pick misses. This implies they aren't truly tanking for as long as some people say, but we're not close yet

To go off the last part, even if none of the young guys truly pan out, which I bet over half will be fine, Utah has enough draft capital to buy back a team as good as they had just before the rebuild began in 2023, for those who enjoy 2nd round exits, this option probably sounds awesome.

Ainge has one of the best track records in the NBA despite having a billion haters, crazy that he's been the cause of two championships while Utah has 0 in their entire history yet people ask to fire him.

The vast majority of us literally asked for this type of season, we wanted to finally tank and we did. I'll admit I just wish we could've actually bottomed out in 2023.

Lauri isn't the focus this year and his struggles need to be taken with a huge groan of salt as he's being put in tough, tough situations.

It takes time and that's ok, these dudes are insanely young

With the deadline creeping towards us, expect some more trades, it's about to be a wild ride here and I know that the deals are probably going to sting at first, but I trust that pieces will be found.

Look I just want a championship, I don't care if we do 7 years of this to get even one, I just want to see this team win one and I know you guys do too lol.

Lauri, B: Has been relatively good when he's fully healthy. Still believe he can be even more efficient from the floor and should take more shots. Part of that is his teammates finding him in the right spots and part of that is him demanding the ball, taking the game by the scruff of the neck to lead the team. Some turnovers have come when he puts the ball on the floor as teams are very focused on not allowing him to get going, would like to see him use his height to make the open pass when this happens more.

Keyonte, C+: Started the season off very badly but has shown some nice improvement as a lead guard overall. His defense still leaves a lot to be desired and would like to see him compete on that end more consistently. Currently shooting below 40% from the field and averaging 3.3 turnovers to 5.8 assists, two metrics that have to improve for him in the next part of the season.

Walker, B+: Had been out with an injury for a bit and you could see how much he was missed. Now the starting center and has really been important for the team anchoring the defense. Needs to keep improving his offensive feel for the ball and his free throw shooting. Averaging a double double currently along with 2.9 blocks a game, hope this continues.

John, A: Whether it's coming off the bench or starting, he has been excellent. Currently part of the 50/40/90 club, which no one would've predicted for him. Plays hard on every possession and has been a joy to watch.

Collin, B+: Does his best every night and has been scoring the ball efficiently all season. Not sure if there is another level he can go to with his game but you know what you're getting from him on a nightly basis. Coach Hardy had him come off the bench early in the season but quickly stopped doing that. Perhaps something for him to focus on would be his turnovers, he's averaging 2.2 while not being the primary ballhandler.

Jordan, B-: Injury hasn't helped him get into a shooting rhythm but on any given night he can get his 20 points off the bench which is what the team needs. He's a professional scorer and whilst he doesn't always make the best decisions, a lot of it you can live with because of his output overall.

Taylor, B: Just a shame with his injury and hope he recovers very well. When he was playing he showed some really nice play on both ends of the court, particularly on defense with his length and awareness.

Micah, B: When he has played, he has looked very solid. A big who can shoot 3's and do a bit of everything is nice to see. Probably won't get much opportunity over the next part of the season due to being down in the pecking order but has shown he belongs when on the court.

Cody, C: Very young and raw as a player and that showed during his time so far on a NBA court. His shooting splits are terrible and he looked lightweight for his position which is going to happen. Got some valuable NBA experience even starting games, due to Taylor's injury. He has some really nice defensive instincts and uses them well. Can see him continuing to develop all parts of his game in the G League, hopefully when he gets back into the rotation we see someone who is a lot more confident in scoring/shooting the ball. That might not be until later this season or next season.

Kyle, B: Our most NBA ready rookie. Thrust into the rotation due to injuries and did not disappoint. Strong, moves his feet decently for a big and isn't afraid of contact. Has a really nice feel for the game and can play through him in the high post when we need to. Reminds me of Kevin Love. Want to see him keep working on his 3 point shot so he can be an important part of the Jazz moving forward.

Johnny, B-: Worked his way into the rotation and now consistently comes off the bench. A really good 3 point shooter on the move, needs to keep working on his defense and overall game. Doesn't try to do too much on offense other than shoot which I like, because it limits turnovers and keeps his game simple. Shooting 36% from 3, think that number could get closer to 40 in the next part of the season.

Isaiah, C+: Similar to Cody in his rawness, his shooting splits are atrocious. Games down in the G League like he had the other day are important for his confidence and development. Very turnover and foul prone, needs to focus more on these aspects of the game. When he is in the game the ball moves well and he loves a drive to kick play. Competes on both ends of the floor and I hope his offensive game shows consistent development.

Brice, C-: As a second year player, you'd expect him to get more minutes than last year after even starting some games. There's a reason why Coach Hardy doesn't have him playing as much. Played his way out of the rotation early with his poor performances from the bench. Back into the rotation recently and has shot the ball well from 3 but aside from that, I cannot see many positives. Turns the ball over like crazy in his limited time handling the ball, not very competitive on defense, no impact on the boards and has poor defensive instincts. Will be interesting to see how he does in this next part of the season and if there is any development.

Oscar, N/A: One game off the bench, worked hard in those minutes against Denver. Undersized big not ready for NBA minutes yet it seems.

Patty, B: Played the first 9 games due to Isaiah's injury off the bench. A really good professional and role model for the roster. While his shot was a little off, 6 out of those 9 games when he was on the court he had a positive plus minus. Great on and off the floor for his teammates as a veteran leader.

Drew, B: In and out of the rotation but you know what you're getting from him when he plays. Hustles hard, isn't afraid of anything plus you might see a dunk or two from him every now and then. With Kyle back from injury I don't expect him to play much but he's a good depth big to have for this roster.

Svi, C+: Very limited opportunity but he had an awesome game against Portland showing what he can do with extended minutes. Out currently with an injury and don't expect him to crack the rotation when he does return but when he hits the court he'll shoot the 3 ball and compete.

Coach Hardy, B: Roster is obviously not as talented as many others but has the team competing for the most part on a nightly basis. Playing a lot of the more inexperienced players on the roster in meaningful minutes and has tinkered well despite many injuries along the way. Can see him fired up and locked in on the game no matter what the score is which I like. Should have the full support of the fanbase throughout this rebuild. Will be interesting to see how his rotation changes for the next part of this season.

The NBA needs to be more like the other major sports leagues in regards to young players. In the NHL, prospects are drafted but aren’t playing with the big squad until years later. Same goes for the MLB. In the NFL, prospects spend multiple years in college and even when they do get drafted in some cases they sit and learn for a year or two before getting major NFL game action.

The NBA is the only league in which you can draft a 19 year old and that same 19 year old can be declared a bust midway through the season.

The best rookies this year in the NBA are the ones who spent multiple years in college and are more physically ready. Why can’t we be more patient with our young guys like Keyonte, Brice, Taylor, and Cody? All 4 of those guys are already busts if you ask the majority of Jazz Nation. Why can’t the NBA be more like the other sports leagues and let talent develop?

Don’t hate me guys. But Lauri is very handsomely paid to be pretty remarkably average. He had one good year when Conley was setting him up but besides that he’s just been average. I like the guy, I love how much he loves Utah, but he’s not THE guy. If you put him in the Thunder he is probably their fourth option. Tanking is hard. I’m sad.

I didn't see one so figured I would make one myself

My trade via Fanspo

2/2 thanks to today's game. Does this make him the most efficient shooter from 3 in the league?

Box Score

I think this game not being scheduled until the NBA Cup games made it to the bracket stage meant that AutoModerator didn't make a thread.

Box Score (NBA.com)

Box Score (ESPN)

If the goal is to build Lauri's ball handling and attack mentality, why doesn't he bring the ball up more or iniate the offense more? I would much rather watch him dribble up the court and throw up a 3 or attack the basket even if he turns it over cuz Sexton and Keyonte are already doing those things less efficiently

Wemby was doing it last year.

The coaching staff has the perfect opportunity to push players out of their comfort zone. Have Kessler shoot corner 3s. Have Collins throwing lobs to Sexton. Most importantly get Lauri the ball.

(Yes, I am bored waiting for the Jazz to play. The NBA cup isn't cutting it)