SB Nation User Blog: clarkpojo

Interested in Boozer for Maggette?

clarkpojo — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:17:23 -0000

Hey Golden State fans,

Several Jazz fans are chomping at the bit to trade newly opted-in Carlos Boozer. Mostly because they are just tired of his selfish antics and desire to get paid more money. Jazz fans can turn quickly on a player who doesn't show absolute loyalty. The hot trade idea in Jazzville is Carlos Boozer for Richard Hamilton. I am not excited about the idea and would much rather trade Boozer for Corey Maggette and one of your young power forwards like Branden Wright. Is this a trade that would interest the Golden State Warriors and their fans. My guess is yes, thank you. After all, Boozer would not only give you a low post presence, but some salary cap relief.

I am guessing at this point that the Stoudemire deal isn't going to happen after all. I don't see the Suns budging on not requesting Curry and I definitely don't see the Warriors budging on not including him. So would Boozer be a good consolation prize. It would cost you a lot less and I could see Boozer and Biedrins being a really nice complement to each other down low. So let me know what you think. I am just curious what you guys think of it and how bad of a trade it would be. And for which team.

Why the sad face, Jazz fans? The Jazz now have options

clarkpojo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:13:55 -0000

Whether the Jazz take what is behind door number 2 or 3, or even 7, they have lots of options. And in the game of basketball business and "Let's Make a Deal," that is a good position to be in. In Kevin O'Connors own words "teams are really saying, 'We've got to rebuild,' or teams are saying, 'We're going to try and get to the top.' I don't see any teams staying status quo." And after Okur, Boozer and Korver all opted in, I think the scales have been tipped far towards being a team that needs to make it to the top. O' Connor is going to be hard at work figuring out how to do that, but he does have options now that we have very good players and expiring contracts. That is the best thing to have during these economic times. Financially, here is what the Jazz are looking at and what they could do.

THE EBENEZER SCROOGE APPROACH

As much money as the Jazz have tied up already to guaranteed contracts, they still could, hypothetically avoid the luxury tax or else only pay an extra one or two million dollars. The downside? They wouldn't be title contenders, most likely. And judging from O'Connor's above statement, I don't think that is really an option. Staying under the luxury tax would require the Jazz to either let Millsap go to another team or find a team under the salary cap to take Mehmet Okur or Carlos Boozer for free. Or else the Jazz could just lose Millsap and find a team to take Matt Harpring or Kyle Korver's contract for free. "Why would a team take Matt Harpring's contract for free", you ask? It would actually be a really smart move for a team like Memphis or OKC or even Toronto to make. For all the guff the Jazz get for being unable to attract big name free agents, those teams listed might be even worse destinations for a free agent. So what is the use of having cap space if people don't want to come to your team? So if one of those teams can stockpile expiring contracts, they can use them to trade for a very good player on a team who needs cap relief. So all of the sudden a player like Harpring or Korver is very valuable. Keep this in mind.

THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/ BILL BELICHICK APPROACH-

Much like the Utah Jazz, the New England Patriots are a team that offer disciplined contracts and find the right players for their system. So what happens when someone gets a "me first" attitude and wants more money than they are worth? They get traded for a 2nd round pick and the Patriots do their homework to find a guy who can replace that production. So if the Jazz don't think they can afford to match Paul Millsap's offer he gets from another team, then they can find a cheap ($3-4 million/ year) replacement for Millsap and sign another minimum player and pay $3-6 million in luxury tax instead of $10-$15 they will pay for resigning Millsap. The Jazz could offer some good cash to players like Brandon Bass, Leon Powe, Hakim Warrick, or longshot Antonio McDyess and be nearly as good if not better. My prediction: This is a more plausible scenario. If Millsap gets an offer for more than $8 million a year, the Jazz may have to fold their hand. But as a backup plan, they may be able to find nice pieces. If the Jazz let Millsap walk, I think they make offers to Warrick, or else Channing Frye. It doesn't get me excited, but those are offers the Jazz tend to make. And as a side note to this comparison of the Patriots, I learned that for being over 50, Bill Belichick has a really hot girlfriend.

THE DADDY WARBUCKS APPROACH-

Daddy Warbucks is considered the wealthiest fictional character of all time and if the Jazz want to shoot for the stars this season, they may have to do their best Daddy Warbucks impression. The Good news, if the Jazz can spend the cash, they will only have to do it for one year with $22-35 coming off the books next season depending on who they do or don't trade. But make no mistake about it: if the Jazz are willing to spend for one more year, they could become serious contenders with one or two swift moves. People are talking about how they want to trade Okur or especially Boozer for a shooting guard to bolster the lineup, but the truth is that the Jazz can keep their bigs intact while still adding a big piece to the puzzle. It would probably be smarter for the Jazz to keep Boozer, Okur and Millsap down low and move some combination of CJ Miles, Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver for a $10-13 player. All the Jazz would have to find is a team who is not going to contend and who needs fast cap relief like Milwaukee did last week. For instance, Kevin O'Connor should put New Orleans' GM's phone number on speed dial. Here are some trade ideas in no particular order:

1. CJ Miles and Matt Harpring for Tyson Chandler- If the Hornets were willing to ship Chandler out for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith and the rights to Devon Hardin, aka expiring contracts, then they would be glad to take Harpring's expiring deal and a reasonably priced Miles' contract in return for Chandler's $11 million. If the Bugs weren't excited about this trade, the Jazz could include Fesenko in the deal and make the money match almost dollar for dollar. Or else the Jazz could replace CJ Miles for Kyle Korver. It would give the Hornets cap relief and it would give the Jazz a frontcourt of Chandler, Okur, Boozer and Millsap. They would be able to match up well with the likes of the Lakers and Blazers.

2. Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver for Jason Richardson- Again, I think the Suns are going to trade good players for cap relief, so that they can re-sign and sign the players they would like to. I am not positive about Richardson's availability, but the Suns would get out from his contract and replace him with a good three point shooter. Richardson would give the Jazz a legitimate starter at the shooting guard position. He is athletic and shot 40% from the 3 point line each of the last two seasons while taking tons of them. And if we moved Brewer to the starting 3 position, we would have the greatest dunkers in the 2 and 3 position in the NBA. And that has to be worth something. This deal would have the Jazz bringing $2 million dollars back, and Richardson would cost $14 next year, but he would also be an expiring contract. In the very least, it would be a better move than trading for Richard Hamilton.

3. CJ Miles and Matt Harpring for Kirk Hinrich- I am not sure that Chicago would make this deal, but it would be a call O'Connor should make. Hinrich makes $9.5 million to be a backup in Chicago at either the point guard or shooting guard positions. If the Bulls were able to unload his contract, they may be able to make an offer and try to reconcile with Ben Gordon. At worst, they could save some long term money in order to pursue two big name stars next offseason. Hinrich would help the Jazz in a lot of areas. I would start him at shooting guard and move Brewer to small forward. Hinrich is small for a shooting guard, but he often guards the opposing teams best shooters and defends them well. He is an underrated defender in the league and he can shoot the ball. He also shot over 40% from the three point line last season. And in case of injury or Maynor not being good, he can play the backup point guard position. Did I mention that Kirk Hinrich's salary is descending? $9.5 million this year, $9 million the next and $8 million in his last season. Me likey.

4. CJ Miles, Harpring, and Fesenko for Kevin Martin- You don't think this trade is going to happen? Well, neither do I. But I am just throwing it out there in case, the Kings realize that newly drafted Tyreke Evans is a talented, ball-dominating shooting guard and not a point guard and they feel pressure to move Kevin Martin who gets disgruntled because he never touches the ball. It is a more realistic scenario than you realize. If the Kings shopped Martin, I would give them Boozer and Fesenko. I love Kevin Martin. I don't understand why the Kings drafted Evans and not Rubio. And if this scenario doesn't come to fruition, the Jazz can always wait until they get the #1 overall pick in the draft and trade it along with AK to Sacramento for Kevin Martin and their top 5 pick, since the Jazz won't want John Wall and the Kings will. You're laughing, but its going to happen. Call me Nostradamus.

5. Carlos Boozer for David West + Filler- I think this deal would take some serious sweet talking to convince the Hornets to make this trade, but they would have to consider it. I actually think that David West is similar to Carlos Boozer production wise and his contract is much, much sexier. West is scheduled to make on $9 million this next season, but the two years after that, he will make only $8.2 and $7.5 million respectively. In terms of the sexiness of contracts, David West's contract is like the Megan Fox of NBA contracts. Or the Hugh Jackman of NBA contracts depending on your persuasion. The Hornets would have to consider this deal because it allows them to be contenders this year and appease the fanbase, but also shed salary and appease the owners. The Hornets have to be focused on appeasing Chris Paul and this might give them a chance to quickly reload after next season. For the Jazz, they would get another future power forward and some future financial relief. Also, many Jazz fans don't hate David West. It would complcate things with Paul Millsap, but they could figure it out.

The Bottom line is this: The Jazz have several options to make this team better and if you believe Kevin O Connor, they will be doing what they can to make this team a title contender.

The Utah Jazz- More than Meets the Eye

clarkpojo — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:31:02 -0000

In honor of the release of Transformers 2 this past weekend, and because Basketball John oddly asked which Jazz players resembled which Transformer autobots, I have compiled a list of players and the autobot they resemble. I have pulled the descriptions of the Transformers from Wikipedia. I don't know this much about each individual autobot. But I have to say, it is creepy how closely some of our Jazz players fit the descriptions of Optimus Prime and his crew.

Coach Jerry Sloan- Optimus Prime- "Across the assorted continuities of the original Transformers universe, there have been various interpretations of Optimus Prime. One of Prime's most notable characteristics in any form was his adamant commitment to leadership by example, and avoidance of any hypocrisy in his command, but beyond this, the animated series leaned towards Optimus Prime as a straightforward, wise and essentially upbeat battlefield general. The Marvel Comics series, on the other hand, in addition to these more obvious characteristics, suggested a Prime secretly plagued by self-doubt and, more importantly, a conflicted sense of pacifism that often made him an extremely reluctant warrior. It was occasionally implied that the conflict with the Decepticons lasted as long as it did primarily because of his unwillingness to take a more aggressive stance."

Explanation: I know that a lot of you will want Deron Williams to be Optimus Prime, but other than the upbeat part of Optimus' description, it more correctly describes coach Sloan. Add the fact that Optimus Prime turns into a tractor trailer and you have a pretty nice fit.

Deron WIlliams- Jazz- Jazz is the "very cool, very stylish, very competent" member of the Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His original vehicle mode is a Martini Porsche 935 Turbo racing car. Self-possessed, calm, and utterly collected, Jazz is head of Special Operations, with his own dedicated roster of agents. He often gives the most dangerous assignments to himself. It's not a matter of ego—he just really is the coolest head for the toughest missions. Jazz's ease extends to whatever environment he finds himself in, no matter how weird or wonderful. He effortlessly tunes in to the local culture, assimilating and improvising, and making creative command decisions, making him an indispensable right-hand bot to Optimus Prime.

Explanation: Deron Williams truly is the Jazz right now and deserves the namesake. He is also the righthand man of Jerry Sloan and an extension of the coach on the floor. Add the fact that he has the coolest head in pressure situations and is very "cool, stylish, and competent" and you have a perfect match.

CJ Miles- SIlverstreak – "Bluestreak’s biography described him as a highly incessant talker; he simply couldn’t stop. Other Autobots didn’t mind this, as it helped to lighten their mood."

Explanation: None of the Jazz players are incessant talkers, but there have been reports that CJ makes his fair share of jokes and that he sometimes doesn't stop talking.

Carlos Boozer- Side swipe- "Sideswipe is described as a brave but often rash warrior. He is almost as skilled as his twin brother Sunstreaker in combat, but is less ruthless. He enjoys a good fight, but his impetuousness can often lead to his being injured."

Explanation: I don't know if it can be attributed to his impetuousness, but I figured Carlos Boozer's injury-prone history made him a good fit with Side Swipe. And I am sure that there are some Cavs fans who think that Boozer side-swiped them some years ago.

Ronnie Brewer- Pipes- "His original tech spec reads: The more seemingly worthless a gadget, the more Pipes is fascinated by it. And he finds Earth a veritable gold mine of worthless gadgetry: carrot juicers, musical wristwatches, electric hair combers—the capacity of the human imagination never ceases to amaze Pipes! He is so enthralled by all this that he now collects these artifacts, creating a sort of mini-museum of American consumerism in an unused corner of the Ark. Pipes doesn't allow his hobby to interfere with his responsibilities to the Autobot struggle—at least not usually. Even while on a mission, he's been known to pull over to the curb and enviously ogle a human walking by using a hand-held portable electric fan. Pipes explains, "The true collector never knows when or where he'll discover his next treasure!"

Explanation: Brewer is the Utah Jazz expert on sound systems and large-screen TVs. In all of his interviews, he mentions his love for movies, video games and the speakers, he plays and watches them with.

Andrei Kirilenko-Brawn- "Brawn's character biography describes him as "the most macho" of the original eighteen Autobots and one of the strongest despite his small size. He is further described as agile and second in physical strength only to Optimus Prime, able to lift weights of up to 190,000 lbs. and strong enough to level a small building with a single punch. His physical resilience is also high, enough to resist artillery fire."

Explanation: We all know that this doesn't describe AK-47 at all. I am just being overly optimistic about his offseason work out habits, I guess.

Kobe Bryant- Sunstreak- Sunstreaker was one of the first generation of Autobots in the original Transformers television series. He was the twin brother of Sideswipe, another Autobot, and like him also turned into a 1980 Lamborghini Countach. His alternate mode however, was yellow and had a modification in the form of an engine that sticks out the back. He was described as the ultimate egotist, being notoriously difficult to work with and pair up with anyone else besides Sideswipe, and described himself as the most beautiful thing ever. He was also a cold, ruthless and effective fighter who would do anything to win.

Explanation: I had to throw this one in, because it was such a perfect description. I don't remember if I pulled this description off of the autobot's list site, or Kobe's actual personal website.

Kyrylo Fesenko- Trailbreaker-

"Trailbreaker was portrayed as a light-hearted joker, who often acted a morale booster for his comrades. Deep down, however, he considers himself a liability due to his high fuel consumption. Because of this he has a low sense of self-worth, he often asks to be left out of missions. Despite this, the other Autobots know he is a valuable addition to their ranks."

Explanation: This one fits all too well. Fesenko is a light-hearted Joker, but deep down we all know that he is too high of a fuel consumer to be the best benefit to the team. Replace high-fuel with IHOP waffles and pancakes, and I think you aren't talking about Trailbreaker anymore.

Mehmet Okur- Mirage- "It is ironic that, given his unwillingness to fight, Mirage is a superior hand-to-hand combatant, and a skilled sharpshooter, having honed his talents hunting game on Cybertron. He is armed with a rifle which fires explosive, armor-piercing darts, but the most important piece of his arsenal in his function as a spy is his shoulder-mounted electro-disruptor, which can bend photons to make Mirage invisible, or appear to be where he is not, or even alter his physical appearance, hence his name."

Explanation: This one is a stretch, but Okur is a skilled sharpshooter and like mirage, is good at sneaking away and freeing himself up behind the 3-point arc. As for the shoulder-mounted electro-disruptor which can bend photons? I'm guessing Okur probably has one of those laying around somewhere too.

Matt Harpring- Ironhide-

"Ironhide is portrayed as a toughened old Autobot who has seen his share of battle."

Explanation: Not needed. Seriously, this is too perfect.

Kyle Korver- Tracks-

"Tracks is somewhat of a rarity amongst the Autobots in that he prefers his new Earth car mode to his original Cybertronian form. His concern over his appearance has led to some friction with his fellow Autobots, as they think he should be less concerned with his looks and more on the battle with the Decepticons."

Explanation: Let's face it. Korver is too sexy for his shirt, too sexy for his body, the way he's disco-dancing. And he's definitely too sexy for his original Cybertronian form. And probably too sexy for his teammates.

Jarron Collins- Prowl -"Prowl is an Autobot of many virtues – he is quiet, competent, loyal, and possessed of almost endless patience. When Optimus Prime appoints Prowl a task, he can be guaranteed that it will be completed to the best of Prowl’s ability."

Explanation: You can knock Collins' basketball abilities, but you can't knock the fact that he plays to the best of his abilities. Hence, he is Prowl.

Ronnie Price- Blurr- "Blurr is the fastest Autobot on land. He was used primarily by the Autobots as a high speed messenger. Blurr was also portrayed having extremely fast speaking mannerisms, and a nervous streak when dealing with his superiors. Despite this he is a loyal warrior and friend."

Explanation: Price's speed, athleticism and hustle, made him a perfect fit for Blurr. Add his loyalty to the team and the coaching staff and the description is perfect. And I imagine that Coach Sloan makes him at least a little nervous.

Gary Briggs- Ratchet- "Ratchet is the chief medic of the Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His vehicle mode is an ambulance. Named after Nurse Ratched by Bob Budiansky, Ratchet is well-remembered by fans of the original comic series, in which he played a major role."

Explanation: This one was easy. Briggs is the ambulance and medic of the Utah Jazz.

Tyronne Corbin- Kup- Introduced in 1986, Kup is an Autobot who can transform into a light bluish-green futuristic pickup truck and wields a musket laser. He has a wealth of experience and is well-liked by the Dinobots for his old war stories, of which he seems to have an endless supply."

Explanation: It just seemed appropriate.

The general public of Utah Jazz fans- Gears- Gears is anti-social, a self-proclaimed misfit. His tech spec indicated he acted this way to cheer others up as they attempted to cheer him up. However, his portrayal in the animated series indicated he tended to annoy his comrades with his constant complaining. Despite this he never shirks from battle with the Decepticons.

Explanation: This is an apt description of many Jazz fans right now. "Why don't we trade for Bosh? Why haven't we won a championship? COACH SLOAN HAS TO GO! We are just sitting on our hands while everyone else gets better." I love you fellow Jazz fans, but just remember, to be grateful that you follow one of the best franchises in the NBA. Our time will come. YES WE CAN!

Hopefully the Jazz draft a Tarheel

clarkpojo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:22:26 -0000

Tyler Hansbrough is a tough, tough basketball player. All you have to do is see the clip of his nose gushing blood all over his chin after Gerald Henderson sucker-elbowed him in the face to be convinced. And his nose wasn't even broken. You know that Jerry Sloan would just love the effort that this kid would put in the gym and on the court. It's no wonder so many Jazz fans are so excited about the prospect of bringing in the guy to replace either Boozer or Millsap.

via farm1.static.flickr.com

And after the official measurements came out reading Psycho T as more athletic and long than many realized, many other teams' fans are clamoring for the lunch-pail attitude and basketball ability that Hansbrough possesses. I am just not one of the fans that hopes he comes to the Jazz. You see, there is a teammate of Hansbrough that I covet about 10 times more.

The player that the Jazz should be targeting right now as we speak, is not Tyler Hansbrough, but Ty Lawson. And just for the record, I wanted the Jazz to take Lawson over anyone else who would possibly last until 20th before John Hollinger wrote this or Dave Berri, the SUU professor wrote this. There really isn't a good reason not to take the best player on the best college team of last year in this year's upcoming draft.

Before I go into making a case for Lawson, I need to get one thing out of the way. The best move in the draft 9 times out of 10 is to draft the best player available. I would say that right now teams draft for need about 50-60% of the time, but justify most of those decisions by saying that it was, in their mind, the best player available also. To illustrate my point, lets look at the Clippers this year. The last position they need to fill, is the power forward position, but everyone would call them crazy if they took anyone but Griffin, because he is more talented than the other players in the draft. That same train of thought still applies at the 15th pick, or the 30th pick. In fact, when teams pick for need, they draft players like AC Law, or Sam Bowie, or Goran Dragic. It fails more often than succeeds. About 3 seasons, ago, if a basketball team was up by 3 points and the other team had the ball in the closing seconds, less than half of the teams would foul in that situation. Now, you are criticized harshly if you don't foul in that situation. The drafting strategy of GMs is going to become the 3-point lead situation in a few years. The league will catch up and realize that drafting for a need is not the way to go. With that said, if Ty Lawson is still on the board when the Jazz are ready to use the 20th pick, then I am 99% confident that Lawson will be the best available player left in the draft.

I am not going to spend a lot of time in breaking down Ty Lawson's game, but to prove how much I love his game, I have decided that if I had the 5th pick or lower, I would draft Lawson. I think he is the 2nd or 3rd best point guard in the draft. Most of you have seen him play in college and I will just pass on a couple of tidbits of information.

1) He was the most important and best player on the national championship team last season. I am not a UNC fan, but I live in North Carolina and I listened to the talk radio and watched the ACC games and the Heels didn't need a good game from Tyler Hansbrough to win. But they did need Lawson to have a good game to win. He carried them in the NCAA tournament.

2) He is lightning quick and upon his first NBA game, will immediately be in the top 5 percent of fastest players in the league joining the likes of Aaron Brooks, Nate Robinson, Jonny Flynn, and Chris Paul.

3) He can shoot it from outside- he shot better than 50% from the field in his 3 years at UNC and last season, he shot 48% from the college 3 point line and his continuing improvement with the outside jumper shows he may be able to get even better. Similarly to Aaron Brooks, Chris Paul and other speedy point guards, if you can't keep a guy in front of you and you can't back off him and let him shoot open jumpers, how do you guard him?

We can call Lawson Psycho T if it will make disappointed Jazz fans feel better.

The way I see it, there are only three reasons that Jazz fans would give for not wanting Lawson to be the pick. Two of them I can refute.

REASON #1- Why would the Jazz draft a guy that will only play 5-10 minutes behind our best player every night? We don't need another point guard.

If this is how you feel, take a minute and ask yourself if you are falling into the drafting for need trap. Other than the Lakers of last season, championship teams have always had a very good back up point guard. Sam Cassell, Lindsey Hunter, Beno Udrih, Derek Fisher and BJ Armstrong all came off the bench and helped their teams keep or extend leads. When the Jazz were at their collective best, they had one of the team's best back up point guards in Howard Eisley. And in the Jazz system a back up point guard needs to only do two things: run the team offense and make an open jumper. Last season, Ronnie Price couldn't run the team offense and Brevin Knight couldn't hit an open jumper with consistency. Lawson has some of Ronnie Price's shooting mentality, but more importantly, he played the point in college and he knows how to run plays and get the ball to scorers.

If Lawson only played 10 minutes behind Deron Williams it would make the team a lot better, but if he is productive, Sloan could easily find ways to give him more minutes. For instance, I could see Lawson and Deron playing in the backcourt together for 5-10 minutes every game. Deron doesn't love playing shooting guard, but he does it when Sloan asks him too. I would also love the idea of throwing a lineup of Lawson, Williams, Brewer, AK and Okur and just running and gunning a few weaker teams off the floor when we are on the road. Which just really sums up my whole best player argument. The best move is to take the best player and then figure out the details later and get creative. But two good players at one position is always better than one good player and one barely scraping by at two different positions.

REASON #2- Lawson has a toe injury that is worrying some teams.

This is the one argument I cannot refute with 100% confidence. I don't know what his toe issues are specifically and I haven't seen any x-rays or diagnostic tests on it. What I do know is that the toe kept him out of a couple of games this last season, but I also know that his toe was injured during the NCAA tournament and he was the Most Outstanding Player, so I think he can probably work it out okay.

REASON #3- Lawson won't even be there at number 20, so don't worry about it.

This might be true, but one or two people that are projected to go top 20 are going to fall this draft. It will just happen. And I would bet a hundred dollars that at least one very good point guard will fall to 20. And there is probably a 50/50 chance that Lawson is there when the Jazz draft. Here is a list of teams that could or will take a point guard before the Jazz select:

1. Kings

2. T-Wolves

3. Golden State

4. Knicks

5. Bucks

6.Pacers

7. Suns

8. 76ers

9. Hawks

Here is a list of point guards that are projected to go higher than Lawson on most draft boards.

Ricky Rubio

Stephen Curry

Jonny Flynn

Tyreke Evans

Jrue Holiday

Brandon Jennings

Jeff Teague

Eric Maynor

Ty Lawson

So if you do the math one of two things needs to happen in order for Lawson to fall to 20th. Either another point needs to pass Lawson on the list or else one or two of those listed teams, needs to take someone other than a point guard. The latter scenario is not only possible but likely. Guys like Earl Clark, James Johnson, DeJuan Blair, and BJ Mullens are going to tempt teams into avoiding there need to take a point guard. And yes, I said a need, because you know they will be looking for needs. Of course, the flip side is that only one team in the 1-19 spots needs to fall in love with Lawson and this is all a moot point. But looking at the media outlets of all those listed teams, only Philadelphia has shown an inkling for Lawson over other similar point guards. That is why I think Lawson being there for the Jazz is a 50/50 chance. If he gets past number 17, I think the chances of him being at 20 will raise to about 80%.

The good news is that if Lawson does get snatched up by an earlier team, then another talented point guard or great player at another position will fall to them. Right now I think that there is a good chance that the best player available will be a point guard, but there are a few sleepers that may fall at the forward spots. In closing here is my list of the best players in this draft with position making no impact on the list. If any of these players are available to the Jazz, then they should be drafted.

1. Blake Griffin

2. Ricky Rubio

3. Stephen Curry

4. Hasheem Thabeet

5. Jrue Holiday

6. Jordan Hill

7. Ty Lawson

8. Tyreke Evans

9. Jonny Flynn

10. Earl Clark

11. Dejuan Blair

12. Demar DeRozan

13. Brandon Jennings

14. James Harden

15. Eric Maynor

16. Gerald Henderson

17. Jeff Teague

18. Terrence Williams

19. Tyler Hansbrough

20. Derrick Brown

It's not that I don't like you Tyler. Cheer up. I put you in my top 20.

Chris Bosh and other phases that will/should pass

clarkpojo — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:34:02 -0000

I don't really understand people's fascination with tattoos. I am not opposed to tattoos for any moral reasons or from any societal perspective. When it comes to tattoos for me, I just don't see the longevity of the idea. For one thing, if I wanted to get a tattoo I can't think of one that I would want to have for longer than like two years. There is nothing that has meaning to me now or looks cool that I would think would be cool or have meaning to me in 2-3 years. I would regret having it. I mean, how young was Greg Ostertag when he got that Fred Flinstone tat? And how much does he regret it? Actually, maybe the fact that he doesn't regret it is what bothers me.

The other thing that we have all seen, is the grizzled world war II veteran at the beach with blue faded tattoos up and down his arms and you can't tell if he has an anchor or a naked woman on his bicep. Don't tell me that that guy isn't regretting the decisions of his youth. To me, tattoos just don't stand the test of time from a meaningful or physical standpoint. If some people would take a step back before getting a tattoo and really think about the long term ramifications, then many folks would stick to the permanent markers and henna designs.

This is one of the thousands of tattoos that the owner regrets each year.

And so we come to the Jazz offseason, an offseason that will undoubtedly bring about change and a different direction for the team. No matter what you think about this team from the last few years and no matter how badly you want Millsap, Boozer, and Okur to return, it just isn't going to happen. Sorry. So how have the majority of Jazz fans wanted to salvage the fact that their team may take a step backward next season? LET'S BRING IN CHRIS BOSH! MAKE IT HAPPEN KEVIN O'CONNOR! IF WE DON'T TRADE BOOZER FOR BOSH THEN OUR FRONT OFFICE STINKS! Let me make one thing very clear. Chris Bosh is a rebellious earring. He is sneaking out of the house after your parents go to sleep. He is a regrettable tattoo.

Chris Bosh may seem like a good idea, or even the missing piece to a Jazz championship, but I promise you that he is nothing short of a "sleazy rebound" after a Boozer breakup or a "mid-life crisis" such as buying a ferrari you can't afford, or getting ink you will regret even sooner than most. Here is why:

1. If you think Bosh is going to change the fortune of the Jazz, you need to put away your olympic-colored glasses- Chris Bosh is one of the better players in the league and that was evidenced by the fact that he was arguably the United States' best big man at the games. He is tall, long and athletic and to be honest, he matched up well against other countries big men, who, besides Gasol and Ming, are often smaller and quicker. But you need to remember that although Bosh was fantastic at the olympic games, he wasn't asked to do that much. He is a very good player, but good players can look like superstars when they play on a team with mostly superstars. Do you remember the olympic team that dominated the summer games in 2000? Off the top of your head, who played on that team? I am guessing that you could come up with Vince Carter. He was clearly the best player on that team, and he will forever be immortalized with that dunk he had, jumping over the head of the seven foot defender (I'm not going to look up his name). And after those games Vince Carter was the next big deal, the next Jordan. And 9 years later, he is the same incredibly talented, but disappointing player who can't lead a successful team. I'm not saying that Bosh's good performance at the olympics makes him not a superstar, but I am saying that he could be more Carter than Lebron or Kobe.

2. Bosh made $14.4 million last season and will make $15.8 million- That may seem like a reasonable amount to pay for one of the best players in the game, but it is a hefty paycheck. It is 30% more than Carlos Boozer is scheduled to make next season and I believe it is too much to pay Boozer also. That paycheck means that Toronto paid Bosh almost $500,000 per victory. Toronto went a paltry 33-49 in a conference full of less than average teams. And Toronto isn't devoid of talent. They weren't supposed to be juggernauts, but I believe that most people thought the Raptors would be a top 5 team in the East. They have decent players at each position except for shooting guard and had Jermaine O'neal and Bosh in the frontcourt. Add the fact that Andrea Bargnani had a career year and it is safe to say that while Bosh wasn't the cause of all the Raptors' ills, he certainly wasn't the doctor either. Bosh put up good numbers this season, but if he is really a superstar on an average team, you have to be more helpful and do more to pick up the slack. They were six games worse than a team that has no lowpost presence (Chicago) and a rookie point guard. Bosh's $16 million is in his last year, which is another big problem, because...

3. Bosh expects big money, max money, on his new contract- Since this will be Bosh's second max money contract, he can command something like $20-21 million starting salary and if you ask Bosh, he believes he is worth every penny. In fact, someone did ask Bosh if he was worth max money and he said, courtesy of The Toronto Sun:

"Without a doubt. I really don't see any negotiation about that part." He went on to say, "An old school guy told me: 'Take advantage. You can't play this game forever. Make sure you maximize your potential,'"

Or in other words, maximize your earning potential. I may be wrong here, but isn't many Jazz fans' beef with Carlos Boozer that he is unloyal and looking for a big pay day before he is looking for a good situation and a winning team? I know a lot of people feel that way. Carlos Boozer has never said anything as bold and self-loving as what Bosh has said. Even in these economic times, Bosh said there was no negotiation about whether or not he deserved $20+ million/ year after this season. That is up there with the Manny Ramirez comments.

Some of you may be thinking that Bosh will be worth even $20 million a year, because he is so good and will lead the Jazz to a title. But let's take a look at the numbers.

"I DESERVE TO BE PAID LIKE LEBRON, KOBE, AND WADE!!!" No, Chris, you really don't.

4. Bosh is not worth a max money contract- Chris Bosh can give you 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, making him part of this elite group of 5 or so guys, including Carlos Boozer and Al Jefferson. And like Boozer and Jefferson, Bosh isn't going to be the main guy on a championship team. Toronto is conceding as much and has been trying to pair Bosh with another star for the last two seasons.

First of all, Chris Bosh hasn't really improved as a player over the last 4 seasons. He has averaged between 22.3 and 22.7 points a game and 8.7 and 10.7 rebounds a game for the last four seasons. That means he is either really consistent or just not making strides forward. Doesn't that scare you a little bit? The guy is 25 years old and has perhaps hit his peak performance. Bosh has also shot over 50% from the field only once in his career. Bosh is a big man and John Stockton shot a better career field goal percentage than he has so far. That isn't good. For comparison's sake, Boozer is a career 54% field goal shooter, while Millsap is 52% over his career. Bosh is a career 48% shooter.

Bosh's relatively low field goal percentage is probably due to the fact that he settles for jumpshots. If you think that Bosh is a great finisher at the rim, then you may be surprised to hear some of these next statistics. If you go to NBA.com, there is this fantastic feature that will show you where players shoot all of there shots from. Chris Bosh shot only 41% of his shot attempts from inside 5 feet of the rim. Boozer shot 56% of his shots and Paul Millsap shot 72% of his shots from the same area. Now you know one of the reasons that I love Paul Millsap. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why Millsap and Boozer shoot better from the field than Bosh every season. This stat is also surprising because Chris Bosh is very effective at getting to the line when he attacks the basket, averaging 8 free throws a game, but truthfully, he should be attacking the rim much much more. He perhaps just loves the jumpshot.

So to summarize his offensive game, Bosh is a slight upgrade over Carlos Boozer, but essentially, other than this last season, he is really comparable to Boozer offensively. Millsap was better than Boozer this last season. Did I mention that Bosh will be more than $3 million more expensive than Boozer? Okay. Just to make sure you heard.

I am sure that most of you are fine with Bosh's offensive numbers because he is such a better defender than any of the Jazz's power forwards. This might be true, but if you are going to give a guy max money or have him be your main man, he needs to be a big help on the defensive side of the ball as well as a scorer. I must admit, that I believe defensive stats are more difficult to apply to defensive ability than offensive stats to offensive efficiency, but I think we can do so with Bosh. Bosh is longer and taller than either Boozer or Millsap, but he is also skinnier than either of those guys. He is long, but probably not adding more muscle or bulk to his frame. But let's look at some numbers closely.

First of all Bosh averaged 7 defensive rebounds and 1 steal and 1 block a game. I am a little disappointed in only one block a game, but I also admit that these stats don't tell much about his defensive ability. I can do better. Plus/minus statistics don't tell the entire story, but I think they can shed some light. The Raptors had an overall plus/minus of -221 and when Chris Bosh was on the floor the Raptors were -84. That was good for 12th best point differential on his team behind one other starter. In fact, over his career, Bosh has only had a positive point differential in one season. I know what you are thinking. The Raptors were a bad team and of course Bosh's numbers will be negative overall. Dwayne Wade was on a mediocre to bad team and he had a + 212 this season. And to drive the point home even further, the Golden State Warriors had the same -2.7 point differential as the Toronto Raptors and Rony Turiaf, the Warriors starting power forward had a +/- of only -50. Just something to consider.

But I can do even better. Chris Bosh played along side of Jermaine O'neal for the first 50 games of the season. O'neal isn't a fantastic player, but I think most people would agree that he is an average defender, maybe even above average. So defensively, Bosh wasn't manning the paint all alone. But I went through the first 50 games of the season and looked at the points scored by opposing starting power forwards. Opposing starting power forwards scored an average of 18.9 points per game against the Raptors. Bosh scored 22.7 points over those same 50 games. You may be thinking that a personal +3 differential isn't bad, but some of those games, Bosh was matched up against guys like Ben Wallace, or Jason Thompson. Bosh was clearly the better offensive power forward in 85% of those 50 games. Not to mention that Bosh only scored 14.5 points a game on less than 40% shooting in his games against SA, Cleveland, Boston, and the LA Lakers. That is not impressive for the best player on a team.

I actually agree with Jazz fans that overall, Chris Bosh would be an upgrade over Carlos Boozer. I do think that Bosh would fit in well with the Jazz and would make the Jazz a good team. But Chris Bosh isn't going to send the Jazz over the top next season. If Carlos Boozer is a B minus player, then Bosh is a B or a B+ at best. I would hesitate paying Bosh his money next season and there is no way I would pay him the next max contract. And if I were the Jazz, in financial staits this upcoming season, I am saying no way to bringing in Chris Bosh. It would cost you Boozer AND Okur at least.

So if you have read this piece and you are still thinking to yourself, "THE JAZZ NEED CHRIS BOSH! KEVIN O'CONNOR MAKE THIS HAPPEN PLEASE!!!! Then I ask you to please step back and look at the long-term ramifications. Bosh would most likely be making a one-year stop in Utah. We would have to start Millsap or Koufos along side Bosh and the Jazz would most likely be paying the luxury tax, losing millions of dollars. And I think our ceiling would be the second round of the playoffs most likely. Because like Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh has been eaten alive by Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers.

And while we are on the subject of Pau Gasol, there are only 4 big men I would pay max money to in the league. Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett last year. And Yao Ming and Nowitzki are really close to entering that group. Nowitzki is so gifted, but not the defender I would like and Ming is fantastic but so injury prone. After that, a big man is too expensive and too entitled to think that they deserve the best money. After all, being an olympic gold medalist doesn't necessarily make you a superstar in the league.

The Worthless draft pick that the Jazz own

clarkpojo — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:27:54 -0000

Who will be 2009's version of Kevin Martin?

I love the NBA Draft. Besides the fact that it is the only draft that can be finished in a few hours, let alone, a single night, the NBA Draft is always filled with college stars, draft reaches, and infamous draft slides. With only 60 picks in the entire draft, there will be 50 someodd guys that think they may get drafted who will be disappointed, but you know that the draft will be filled with "can't misses," "shouldn't be drafteds," "no video footage availables," and the foreign "I'm gonna slaughter this guy's names." This upcoming draft class has been labeled with terms that aren't very flattering, with "weak" being the most common adjective. But over the last 15 years or so the previous drafts have shown that there are three things that will happen on draft night:

1. There will be at least one bust drafted in the top 10- Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams, Patrick O'Bryant, Ike Diogu, Rafael Araujo, Luke Jackson, Michael Sweetney, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Dejuan Wagner are just a few of the busts taken in the top ten in the last several years. Need I go on? Okay. There's also Rodney White, Marcus Fizer, DerMarr Johnson, Jonathon Bender, Michael Olawokandi, Robert Traylor and bust hopeful Joe Alexander. So not only will 2 of the top ten picks not become stars in the league, they probably won't even stay in the league longer than their first contract. Good luck picks 3-10. You are going to need it.

2. There will be players drafted in the second round who will go on to be stars and/ or all-stars in the NBA- In the past 15 years there have been 8 players drafted in the 2nd round that went on to play in an all-star game with a handful of other better than average NBA players not drafted in the 1st round. Three of those all-star second rounders play for or played for the Jazz. And I would like to go on the record as saying that Paul Millsap, Ramon Sessions, Marcin Gortat, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will play in at least one all-star game before their days are over. And maybe Monta Ellis too.

3. There will be a very good future NBA player picked between 20 and 30- Do I have your attention now? If you are a Jazz fan, or a Hornets fan, or even a Cavs fan, you don't necessarily have to associate this year's pick with building for the future. Here is a breakdown of players picked at or after 20th, that became contributors on teams in their first two years. Some are now cornerstones of their franchise.

2008- Courtney Lee (22)

2007- Rudy Fernandez (24)

2006- Rajon Rondo (21)

2005- Nate Robinson (21), Francisco Garcia (23), Jason Maxiell (26), David Lee (30)

2004- Jameer Nelson (20), Kevin Martin (26)

2003- Leandro Barbosa (28), Josh Howard (29)

2002- Tayshaun Prince (23), Nenad Krstic (24), John Salmons (26)

2001- Gerald Wallace (25), Tony Parker (28),

2000- Exception, although Michael Redd was drafted 43rd

1999- Andrei Kirilenko (24)

1998- Al Harrington (28), Rashard Lewis (32)

1996- Zydrunas Ilgauskas (20), Derek Fisher (24) and several Jazz just threw up in their mouths

1995- Michael Finley (21), Greg Ostertag (28) several more Jazz fans just threw up in their mouths

And that is what makes the upcoming draft so fun for everyone except GMs. There is a hidden gem that will fall to the 20's this year and the pressure is on to find it. So what can we learn from this group up above, besides the fact that the Kings and Magic are good at drafting in the twenties? With the exception of Tony Parker, I think that these guys fall into one of three categories: pure shooters, best players in small college conferences, or freakish athletes that were tweeners, meaning they didn't fit the mold of a traditional basketball position. Guys like Kevin Martin and Courtney Lee succeed in the league because they already know what it takes to shoulder expectations of having to succeed and they have learned how to do so. Players like Andrei Kirilenko, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Nate Robinson and Rajon Rondo fell in the draft because no one was confident what position they could play. They were too small to play shooting guard or too slow to play small forward. And the rest had their shortcomings, but they could flat out shoot the rock and if there is anything that Mark Jackson has taught us all during ABC coverage of NBA playoff games, it is that "the NBA is a shooter's league." Thanks Mark.

So judging by this criteria, here are a handful of players that will be there when the Jazz make the 20th selection who may be the steals of the draft.

Tyson Lawson, UNC- He is getting some bad publicity due to his small stature and broken toe. But the guy has the tantalizing combination of speed and an outside jumper. We all know he can get into the paint at will, but he also shot 47% from the 3 point line in college. If teams play him close, he can go by them and if they play off, he can hit the 20 foot jumper.

Darren Collison, UCLA- Similar to Ty Lawson with his speed and serviceable shooting. He doesn't get to the rim as easily as Lawson does and he only shot 40% from the 3 point line last season. But he has proven to be a good defender at the point guard position and he shot 90 % from the free throw line.

Derrick Brown, Xavier- Brown is a quick power forward who is also strong and athletic. His points per game and rebounding won't blow you away, but he shot 43 % from the 3 point line and over 75% from the line. One of his knocks is that scouts aren't sure if he is a power forward or a small forward. Classic tweener.

Toney Douglas, FSU- I love Toney Douglas because he was the best player on a good team that played in one of the two best conferences in college. Other teams gameplanned against him, but he simply lit them up for 22 points a game on 45 % shooting from the field. Douglas' offensive numbers aren't out of this world, but the guy is an above average defender with good quickness and great strength.

DeMarre Carroll- Carroll doesn't exactly fit the shooters mold, but he is a gifted athlete who was the unquestioned leader on a team that made the elite 8 with their hustle, athleticism and discipline. He is a reach for me, but I feel pretty confident that he becomes a solid pro. He has improved greatly over his college career and has the intangibles to complement his strength and athleticism.

Tony Gaffney- Gafney is only 6-9, but he is long and can jump out of the gym. He averaged over 10 rebounds a game and is a shot blocker. He is a second round sleeper, but I just wanted to add him to the list for fun. Watch out for him.

GUYS WHO DIDN'T MAKE THE LIST:

Tyler Hansbrough- For a guy who was such a great player in college and who supposedly did well at combines this past week, explain to me how he only averaged 8 rebounds a game playing at one of the fastest paces in the college game last year. Add the facts that he just barely developed an NBA 20 foot jumper to the point of acceptable and you have the potential for a guy who will be a role guy at best. The Mark Madsen comparisons are applicable.

Wayne Ellington- He is a scorer and a pure shooter, but he hasn't used his athleticism to play standout defense. If the Jazz were to draft Ellington, they would have the second coming of Morris Almond on their hands.

Patty Mills- He has the speed and athleticism of a Collison or Lawson, but the guy only shot 40% from the field and 33% from the 3 point line. And he played in a small conference, so the fact he didn't dominate more than he did is concerning.

A mock Draft where the Jazz don't take Hansbrough

clarkpojo — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:36:06 -0000

1. Blake Griffin- I don't trust the Clippers to not mess this up, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt. They draft the only sure thing for them and take consensus #1 Blake Griffin.

2. Hasheem Thabeet- Anyone who thinks the Grizzlies will draft Ricky Rubio, haven't heard that he won't play in Memphis or Oklahoma City. And it is his decision in part, because he can withdraw from the draft. Besides, the Grizzlies want Thabeet more than Rubio to shore up there interior defense.

3. Ricky Rubio- The Thunder front office are debating about whether Rubio should be the pick here and considering his aforementioned unwillingness to play in OKC, the Thunder will either draft James Harden or else address their need for a center by trading this pick with Washington's 5th pick and either Javale McGee or Andray Blatche. That is a sexier scenario, so it makes my mock draft and Washington drafts Rubio.

4. Jrue Holiday- The Kings are the victims of this lottery, because they are going to miss out on getting the point guard they desperately want with Rubio and will also miss out on getting Griffin or Thabeet. So they will have to address their point guard situation by drafting Holiday, who has a little more upside than Brandon Jennings or the other point guards.

5. James Harden- Having already grabbed their center on draft day, the Thunder will take the draft's supposed best shooting guard to pair with all of their other young studs who play not the shooting guard position.

6. DeMar DeRozan- The Wolves will love the versatility of DeRozan who can play either the 2 or the 3 in their offense, which is a need with an unproven Corey Brewer. And if DeRozan pans out, the Wolves will have an easier time moving obviously disgruntled small forward Mike Miller. He doesn't hate the team, he just hates going from southern weather to Minnesota weather. I would too.

7. Brandon Jennings- In case the Warriors aren't able to bring back Baron Davis, they will need to find a back court mate with newly extended Monta Ellis. Jennings hasn't looked great in Italy and will need some time to adjust to American culture, but he has slightly ridiculous upside.

8. Jordan Hill- I think New York is too well managed to stick to a supposed promise that they made to Stephen Curry. I think there is a good chance that the Knicks lose David Lee and Hill will be a cheap replacement to Lee's energy. If the Knicks retain Lee and let Nate Robinson go, then I think Curry is the more likely pick.

9. Tyreke Evans- Evans will add some much needed athleticism to the Raptor backcourt and will be just one of the offseason moves that the Raptors make in hopes of appeasing franchise guy Chris Bosh.

10. Jonny Flynn- Right now the Bucks are flirting with the luxury tax and are going to try to shed contracts in order to re-sign Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions. But as a back up plan, the Bucks draft Jonny Flynn in hopes of replacing Sessions. They need a point guard and they know that he is used to cold weather and smaller towns.

11. James Johnson- The Nets will be tempted to draft Curry in hopes of luring Lebron James to New Jersey in two years, but even if they aren't as dissatisfied with Yi Jianlian as reported, they need a big guy who can play along Brook Lopez. Johnson is the best bigman available at this point and adds some versatility to the Nets' lineups.

12. Stephen Curry- The Bobcats have been notorious for drafting hometown talents in hopes of selling tickets and they will have two such options available to them in Gerald Henderson and Curry. But Curry will win out, because the 250 fans in Charlotte will love him and loved Dell Curry when he was there.

13. Ty Lawson- The Pacers have a plethora of talented wing players and drafted a center last year. So with the possible departure of Jarrett Jack the Pacers will find his replacement by drafting National champion Ty Lawson.

14. Earl Clark- The Suns will draft Clark hoping that he is the second coming of Shawn Marion. Clark has an "odd game" as he himself described and the Suns thrive on getting athletic tweeners and letting them outathleticize everyone. Or at least that used to be the game plan. If Clark pans out and Stoudemire comes back healthy, then the Suns can consider moving Shaq to a contender for some pieces, or else just letting him expire.

15. Detroit Pistons- Gerald Henderson- The Pistons draft a Dukie in Henderson in order to pair him up with another new Dukie in Carlos Boozer.

16. Chicago Bulls- Austin Daye- If the Bulls are serious about shopping Tyrus Thomas this offseason for an upgrade at power forward, then they will want to add a wing or an athletic big man who can run with Rose. Daye would be one of the most talented players available and could share some time with Luol Deng.

17. Philadelphia 76ers- Eric Maynor- The Sixers are probably going to lose Andre Miller to free agency and they will need to draft a replacement. Maynor is going to establish himself as the best all around point guard not from Spain and will be a great pickup for the Sixers.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves- BJ Mullens- With three picks in the first round, the Wolves will have options, but I think they will take the risk with Mullens and hope that a serviceable point guard falls to them 10 picks later.

19. Atlanta Hawks-Darren Collison- The Hawks take Collison, in hopes of reconciling the past when they passed up on taking Chris Paul or Deron Williams. The Hawks then trade Marvin Williams and Acie Law, hoping that no one notices that they have officially given up on what they passed up the two point guards for. Everbody notices.

20. Utah Jazz- Dejaun Blair- The Jazz will go best player available at this spot and according to this draft, Blair would be that player. If Blair is gone at this point, the Jazz would draft the best available point guard, probably, Patrick Mills or Nick Calathes.

21. New Orleans Hornets- Terrence Williams- The Hornets need size, but they will take the best player available in Williams and hope he can replace Peja Stojakovic down the road.

22. Dallas Mavericks- DeJuan Summers- Its hard to see really glaring needs that the Mavs can fill at this pick, so they will draft Summers and look to shop Josh Howard in private.

23. Sacramento Kings- Sam Young- The Kings have plenty of shooters on the wing, but they don't have a strong wing player who can get to the rim. They take Young to fill that need.

24. Portland Trailblazers- Chase Budinger- There won't be a point guard or a center who will upgrade this team, so they will take a flier on Budinger, who is talented and has a pretty jumper, but has questioned toughness.

25. OKC Thunder- Gani Lawal- The Thunder will continue to stockpile young talent by drafting 19 year old Lawal.

26. Chicago Bulls- Toney Douglas- Drafting Douglas will give the Bulls a backup plan in case they can't re-sign Ben Gordon, the Bulls' top offseason priority. Douglas will also allow the Bulls to include Kirk Hinrich in any trade to upgrade the power forward position.

27. Memphis Grizzlies- Wayne Ellington- The Grizzlies will draft Ellington to give both OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay some backup minutes. Ellington has a winning pedigree and a sweet jumper and can play behind or along OJ Mayo.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves- Nick Calathes- The Wolves will take the best point guard available because they still aren't sure about Telfair or Foye.

29. LA Lakers- Damion James- The Lakers are probably going to lose either Lamar Odom or Trevor Ariza to free agency and while James isn't the player that either one of those guys is, he is strong, versatile and a tough defender.

30 Cleveland Cavaliers- Marcus Thornton- The Cavs love surrounding James with athletic scorers and three point shooters and Thornton has the offensive ability to step in possibly replace Wally Szczerbiak next season.

So there you have it. This is proof that you can make a mock draft without sticking Tyler hansbrough with the Utah Jazz.

If you don't like this draft or certain spots, then please comment. You can even insult me.

Mocking the Draft NBA GM style

clarkpojo — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:21:38 -0000

What happens when you have some of the most inept GMs in the league picking near the top of the draft? This happens: or should I say, this is what will happen?

1. In a surprisingly smart move, the Clippers trade the first pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2nd pick and Rudy Gay. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace then gets mixed up and drafts Taylor Griffin out of Oklahoma, the older brother of consensus number one Blake Griffin. When informed of his mistake, Wallace tries to save face with this statement: "Well in our organization we value the younger brother usually. They are just as talented, have less issues and are often a better value."

2. The Clippers wisely draft Ricky Rubio and as rumored, trade Baron Davis back to Golden State for Corey Maggette, welcoming him back with "It was all part of the plan" banners. The Clippers then call Philadelphia and offer Zach Randolph for Elton Brand, call Denver and offer Marcus Camby for some cap space back and offer Ricky Davis to every team in the NBA. When that doesn't work, the team puts up fake plaques in their arena reading "Ricky Davis- all time Clipper leader in triple doubles" and they hang a giant-sized jersey of Davis' in hopes that he believes he has retired breaking several Clipper records on the way.

3. The Thunder continue building their juggernaut in the Dust Bowl by drafting Blake Griffin, and become the most talented young team in the league barely surpassing the Portland Trailblazers.

4. The Kings draft Hasheem Thabeet and the Kings are still unable to find a coach to fit the team perfectly. Eventually the Kings take a chance and give Patrick Ewing the head coach job in hopes that he can develop Thabeet, Hawes, and Thompson. Ewing shows up to the first practice and dramatically dunks over some of the Kings guards and hands out "Patrick Chewing" versions of Snickers bars. "Energy bars are my number one secret, gentlemen. And over the next season I will let you in on my other 7 secrets."

5. The Wizards draft James Harden out of Arizona State. When Gilbert Arenas finds this out, he loudly declares, "how dare the Wizards draft my replacement? Don't they know I am the shooting guard on this team?" Gilbert then spends the majority of the offseason trying to convince the NBA to let him change his jersey number to -100.

6. The Timberwolves are still without a GM at the time of the draft, so Glen Taylor takes it upon himself to step in and draft for the team. Taylor takes Darius Heyward-Bey, the wide receiver out of Maryland, because Taylor heard that Heyward-Bey "is the fastest player in the draft."

7. Don Nelson and Larry Riley get into an argument in the greenroom over who's in charge of drafting for the team. Ironically they both want to draft Brandon Jennings, but Nelson wants him because he hasn't been corrupted by college coaches and Riley wants Jennings because he is a guard from Italy and the last guard from Italy was Kobe Bryant. They continue to argue over the reason for drafting Jennings and their time runs out, forfeiting their pick.

8. The Knicks had Stephen Curry in their sights, but they can't pass on the freakish athletic ability of DeMar DeRozan. For team unity, Danilo Galinari starts to write his name as DaNilo GaLinari and newly signed David Lee, changes his to DaVid LeE.

9. The Raptors shore up their backcourt by drafting Tyreke Evans out of Memphis, who immediately asks, "What language do they speak in Toronto?"

10. The Bucks draft point guard Jonny Flynn out of Syracuse to replace Ramon Sessions and also because they know he is used to cold weather. When Flynn is asked what he knows about new head coach Scott Skiles, Flynn says, "I know he doesn't allow headbands." Flynn then begins to cry.

11. The Nets draft Stephen Curry for his deadly shooting abilities and because they heard that he is good friends with Lebron James and they want to lure him to the Nets. In the second round, the Nets attempt to draft Lebron James' girlfriend as a "role player."

12. The Bobcats draft homestate hero James Johnson from Wake Forest to give them some depth in the frontcourt. TNT cameras show Brandon Jennings sitting nervously in the green room. He appears to be nervous because he has fallen further down the draft board than was expected. But on closer inspection he is nervous because he doesn't know which girl Bachelor Jason Meznick is going to propose to. Jennings is watching every American TV show he has missed while in Italy in order to become reacquainted with American culture.

13. The Pacers are thrilled to have Brandon Jennings fall to them and they draft him. The Pacers then shop Jamal Tinsley around the league but find few takers. They do, however, get into talks with the LA Clippers looking at a deal sending Tinsley to the Clippers for newly unretired guard RIcky Davis.

14. The Suns draft talented Earl Clark out of Louisville and then trade him to the Blazers for $3 million.

15. Detroit Pistons- The Pistons draft Duke alum Gerald Henderson and pair him up with Duke alum free agent Carlos Boozer.

16. Chicago Bulls- Dejaun Blair

17. Philadelphia 76ers- Jrue Holiday

18. Minnesota Timberwolves- Owner Glen Taylor trades several future draft picks in order to move up and take Mark Sanchez out of USC, because now he needs someone to throw passes to Heyward-Bey.

19. Atlanta Hawks- The Hawks take point guard Eric Maynor, in hopes of reconciling the past when they passed up on taking Chris Paul or Deron Williams. The Hawks then trade Marvin Williams and Acie Law, hoping that no one notices that they have officially given up on what they passed up the two point guards for. Everbody notices.

20. Utah Jazz- The Jazz draft Tyler Hansbrough because he is white, big and plays from whistle to whistle, passing up the chance to draft about 25 more talented players who are a better fit. Several Jazz fans throw up in their mouths and after training camp Hansbrough and Matt Harpring get matching "dawgs 4 life" tattoos on their ankles. They are inseparable the rest of the season.

21. New Orleans Hornets- Austin Daye

22. Dallas Mavericks- Ty Lawson

23. Sacramento Kings- Jeff Teague

24. Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers draft Chase Budinger in hopes of shoring up the small forward position. They also sign Andre Miller to be the starting point guard and Blazer fans start buying tickets for the NBA finals. The Blazers lose in the second round, disappointing their fans, but showing progress.

25. OKC Thunder- Terrence Williams

26. Chicago Bulls- Toney Douglas

27. Memphis Grizzlies- GM Chris Wallace tries to draft Blake Griffin, but when he is told that he has already been drafted, he takes "the player I meant to take all along with the number one pick" Gani Lawai.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves- Owner Glen Taylor then drafts Andre Smith out of Alabama in order to protect his new point guard Mark Sanchez.

29. LA Lakers- After losing in the NBA finals for the second straight year, the lakers voluntarily give up their draft pick, because they don't think they need to draft anyone. "We have all the people we need to win it all here," says Kobe Bryant. "When Bynum comes back next season healthy, we will be unstoppable. Drafting someone would be like telling the rest of the league that we have weaknesses we need to address. We have no weaknesses."

30 Cleveland Cavaliers- Darren Collison.

So there you have it. If you are a betting man, you can take these picks to the bank.

Andrei Kirilenko- Untradeable?

clarkpojo — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:27:08 -0000

If you read almost any article or chat transcript about the Utah Jazz, you would get the feeling that Carlos Boozer is the biggest offseason question that the Jazz have to answer. But if you ask me, and no one did, I would say that is only a question that Boozer can answer, because I believe the Jazz have already made up their mind when it comes to the question or "Boozer or Millsap?" If Boozer opts out, I think his time with the Jazz is over. That is just my opinion. But why would I write a post about other people's opinions? That is for later in this post.

Projected results of Andrei Kirilenko's offseason workouts.

I think the biggest question for the Jazz is "what is Andrei Kirilenko's value to this team?" The latest reports are that the Jazz have asked AK to put on some pounds for next season. Jump to conclusionists would say that this is proof that the Jazz are planning on having Andrei Kirilenko around for next year or that this proves that they aren't keeping Boozer around and plan to let AK play more power forward. I tend to think that asking AK to get stronger is just the right move, regardless of what you plan to do with him. i think the Jazz are probably counting on him being on the team next, since he's under contract, but will always "look to make the team better" to quote Kevin O'Connors standard answer.

But instead of coming right out and saying what I think the Jazz should do with Andrei 2010, (which I think should be his new nickname), I would like to convince the 50% or so of Jazz fans that think AK is UNTRADEABLE, end of story.

Check these sister sites of the SBN:

Over at Golden state of Mind, Warrior fans are debating the idea of a deal involving AK for Corey Maggette and pieces-

And it's almost unanimous in favor of the trade.

Or check out Sactown Royalty. They aren't as lopsided one way or the other, but many of them would be glad to give us a crappy contract in Beno Udrih and early cap relief in an expiring contract (Kenny Thomas).

Now I know that fans aren't general managers and thank goodness. Only the Knicks would improve, if that were the case. But I just wanted to prove that at least fans of other teams see a lot of value in Andrei 2010.

To sum things up, I think the Jazz might be in a win-win situation when it comes to AK. I think that he is going to have a good year this next season. I think if Boozer leaves, that he will be able to be more productive getting extended minutes at the 4. But with that said, if the right deal is available, then I would be happy for the Jazz to pull the trigger.

I don't like the idea of trading AK just for cap room, so I don't think the Kings have much to offer us. And I don't like the AK for Maggette and Crawford deal, because Crawford's deal lasts two more years if he exercises it, so the Jazz would be taking back more money this year and for the year after that. But if the Jazz could get at least one productive player back and some financial flexibility this year and/or the year after, then I say yes to the deal.

Maggette and Crawford for AK and Harpring- YES!

Maggette, Bellenelli and Brandan Wright for AK- An even bigger YES!!

Maggette and Turiaf for AK- I would wet my pants!!! Seriously, I would even post pictures.

It will be interesting to see if the rumors die away or heat up and even more fun if a trade actually goes down. Just one of the reasons that this might be the most fun offseason the Jazz have had in some time.

Offseason suggestions- Free agent edition

clarkpojo — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:54:30 -0000

Do you even know who this is? I am hoping that the Jazz do.

Hello, and welcome to an all new episode of Offseason Moves. In this episode we will be exploring every possible free agent available this offseason and decide if he could possibly factor into the Jazz's offseason plans moving forward. For today's purposes, we will work under the assumption that the Jazz can sign one (1) free agent to part or all of the mid-level exception (up to $5 million/year), and sign any other free agents to the minimum salary. The team's economic circumstances will obviously limit the realistic possibilities of obtaining many free agents. By my count there could be up to 100 unrestricted free agents, not including free agents of the Jazz, and a handful of restricted free agents that the Jazz could take a peek at. So we have a lot of work ahead.

THE HOT CHICK IN HIGH SCHOOL- Players that will either not opt out of their bloated final year, or will be too expensive to sign in free agency (14)

Kwame Brown Kobe Bryant Jamal Crawford Eddie Curry Marquis Daniels Devean George Eddie House Zydrunas Ilgauskas Jerome James Lamar Odom Jermaine O'neal Quentin Richardson Hedo Turkoglu Anderson Varejao

THE PRIMA DONNAS- Players that either wouldn't play backup or stoop low enough to play for the Jazz or else the Jazz just don't want them (11)

Ron Artest Matt Barnes Mike Bibby Drew Gooden Ricky Davis Al Harrington Allen Iverson Jason Kidd Stephon Marbury Andre Miller Shawn Marion

PISTACHIO JELLO SALADS- It doesn't matter how many get togethers you take them to or teams you put them on...they just aren't ever good. (12)

Maceo Baston Jason Collins Stephen Graham Gerald Green Jason Hart Mike James Raef Lafrentz Shavlik Randolph Kareem Rush Robert Swift Stromile Swift Jake Voskuhl

THE FOGEYS AND THE JARRON COLLINSES- Either good players who are just too old to contribute, or else players that just don't make the team better(44).

Malik Allen Maurice Ager Mark Blount Keith Bogans Calvin Booth Ryan Bowen Devin Brown Rodney Carney Anthony Carter Brian Cook Jarron Collins Juan Dixon Francisco Elson Melvin Ely Adonal Foyle Trenton Hassell Luther Head Juwan Howard Lindsey Hunter Steven Hunter Royal Ivey Bobby Jackson Anthony Johnson Dahntay Jones Damon Jones Jamal Magloire Sean Marks Desmond Mason Chris Mihm Mikki Moore Rasho Nesterovic Kevin Ollie Malik Rose Michael Ruffin Cedric Simmons james Singleton Brian Skinner Etan Thomas Ime Udoka Jacque Vaughn Mike Wilks Shelden WIlliams Damien Wilkins Lorenzen Wright Jarvis Hayes James Singleton Joe Smith Fred Jones

3CPOs- PLAYERS WHO SPEAK MORE THAN 5 LANGUAGES BUT HAVE A BLOWN OUT KNEE (1)

Dikembe Mutombo

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Now that we have limited our list of free agents to about 20 players or so, we need a way of deciding who is a better fit with Utah. The way I see it, the Jazz have certain needs that can be addressed through free agency. Besides fulfilling a minimum number of players on the roster, the Jazz need veteran presence on the team, a shot blocker or interior defender, a backup power forward, a player who can create his own shot or shoot the 3, and a backup point guard. The Jazz can't or probably won't fill every need through free agency, but there are some players that would work. I have developed a point system of 5 important categories ranked one to five for a total of up to 25 points. The categories are:

Veteran presence- players will get low marks for being young or having character issues, average for just playing about 6 years, and high marks for having a history of being a team leader.

Team need- the agents will be judged on whether they fill one of the team's needs and how much they fill that need

Affordability- The Jazz can't afford anyone who will command more than $5 million/year in free agency. Players that will play for a minimum salary will receive high marks.

Their attitude or how they would fit in with the Jazz system- This is pretty self explanatory. Ballhogs and Kirk Snyder need not apply.

Overall skill at their position- This has to be a category, because anyone can fill a need and be a good guy, but if they aren't good enough to get on the court, they might not be worth the trouble.

The players will be ranked a 1-no thanks 2-poor 3-average 4-good or a 5-excellent. If a player scores a one in any category, they are disqualified. Those are big red flags. So let's break each player down starting with the guards.

Travis Diener- Vet- 2 Need-4 Affordability- 5 Attitude-4 Skill-3 Total Score: 18

Diener is just an average backup pg, but he can shoot the ball (40% from threes last season) and knows how to run a team. He has only been in the league 3 years, but he is worth a look this offseason. His expiring contract is only $1.7 million, so he may be playing for the minimum if he makes a team next year.

Ronald "Flip" Murray- Vet-3 Need-4 Affordability- 3 Attitude-3 Skill-4 Total: 17

The Jazz could really use a fearless scorer off the bench like Murray. He averaged 12 points a game this season in only 24 minutes a game. But even if he was willing to play for cheap, it's hard to imagine that he wouldn't find other teams that would want him, that he would want more.

Ben Gordon- Vet- 3 Need-5 Affordability-1 Attitude- 3 Skill-5 Total: Disqualified

I hate to break it to you, but if the Jazz acquire Ben Gordon this offseason, it won't be through free agency. His asking price will be too high. Unless he has this deep, burning desire to play for the Jazz, he won't sign here.

Von Wafer- Vet-2 Need-4 Affordability- 3 Attitude-3 Skill-4 Total: 16

Von Wafer is athletic, can shoot the ball, and will probably be affordable. But it will be hard ot pry him from Houston, and he is a bit of a chucker and maybe to streaky for the Jazz system.

Quentin Ross- Vet-2 Need-4 Affordability- 5 Attitude-4 Skill-4 Total: 19

I am a huge Quentin Ross fan. He is a very underrated lock down defender, who has never caused any trouble playing for only dysfunctional teams his entire career. He also shot 39% from the 3 last season. He played for the minimum this year and would do it again. And we could never have too many defenders in my opinion.

Anthony Parker- Vet-2.5 Need- 4 Affordability- 2 Attitude- 4 Skill-4 Total: 16.5

I like Parker. We would only have a shot at him, if Toronto didn't really want him back, or else he really wanted out of Toronto. He will probably have to play for about $2-3 million/ year, which is affordable since he averaged 11 points and 3.5 assists off 40% shooting from the 3.

Grant Hill- Vet- 5 Need-4 Affordability- 4.5 Attitude- 5 Skill-3 Total: 21.5

In some ways Grant Hill is the perfect fit for the Jazz. He is the good character, veteran guy that they need, he could probably get some quality time at the wing positions for the Jazz, and he will want to play for a tilte contending or at least very competitive team. He played for the veteran minimum last season and if he wants to play next season, he would probably do it again. Put him on the list of people the Jazz should actively pursue.

Michael Finley- Vet-5 Need-4 Affordability-4 Attitude-4 Skill-3 Total: 20

I consider Finley to be just a step lower than Hill as a fit with the Jazz, but he would certainly be worth a look. He isn't as good of an all-around player as Hill, even this late in their careers, but he shot over 40% from the 3 last season. We could use some killer shooting. But is it a foregone conclusion that SA wants him back?

Wally Szczerbiak- Vet-4 Need-4 Affordablilty- 2 Attitude-4 Skill-3.5 Total: 17.5

The determining factor here is how cheap a contract Wally would be willing to play for and if he would even be interested in the Jazz. But he makes this list because he is a veteran, shot 41% from the 3 last season and 40% for his entire career. That is good three point shooting.

Trevor Ariza- Vet- 2 Need-4.5 Affordability-1 Attitude-4 Skill-4.5 Total: DQ

While Ariza is an intriguing prospect, the Lakers are going to want to keep him and if they can't they are going to drive up his price tag from sort of affordable to "no way in H" zone.

Brandon Bass- Vet- 2 Need- 4 Affordability-5 Attitude-3 Skill-4 Total: 18

I really like Brandon Bass. I think he could be a really fantastic backup power forward for us. He is similar to Millsap in his size and effort, but he isn't getting the same hype as Millsap or David Lee. It isn't inconceivable that he will play for less than $2 million this next season, but getting in a bidding war with Dallas might be like entering a land war in Asia.

Antonio McDyess- Vet-5 Need-4 Affordability-2 Attitude-4 Skill-4 Total: 19

Like so many free agents, it is hard to know if he has any interest in the Jazz or if he would be willing to play for part of the mid-level exception. But he would be a great veteran and the guy can still play some ball, grabbing a high rate of rebounds last season at the 4 and 5 spot.

Rasheed Wallace- Vet- 4 Need-5 Affordability- 1 Attitude-3 Skill-4 Total: DQ

I put Sheed on the list as a long shot and fun possibility to consider, but word is that he will retire if he doesn't get an $8 million offer next season, so... yeah.

Zaza Pachulia- Vet-2.5 Need- 3.5 Affordability-2.5 Attitude-4 Skill-3.5 Total: 16

He would be a younger and more skilled version of Jarron Collins. He is slighty more athletic, more energetic and a much better finisher at the rim than Collins. But he may command closer to a full mid-level exception this offseason for a team needing bigs.

Chris Andersen- Vet-3 Need-5 Affordability-4.5 Attitude-4 Skill-5 Total: 21.5

I lobbied for the Jazz to sign Andersen last season, despite his off court issues and I hate to brag, but I was really right. He is just the thing the Jazz need. He rebounds, hustles and tries to block everything within a 15 foot radius. And it isn't only the shots he blocks, but teams just attack the basket less when he is in. And he doesn't demand the ball on offense. And having drug issues and character issues are not the same thing. He has been a saint this season and is a fan favorite. I wouldn't hesitate in offering this guy up to 4 or 5 million dollars a year if we can afford him. I think part of the mid-level exception might be enough to get him, because if Denver wants to avoid the tax, then they will have to decide between Andersen and JR Smith. I can't tell you how much I believe this guy would change our team for the better. Let me put it this way: if Andersen is playing for the Jazz and not the Nuggets this last season, the Jazz are hoisting the Division Banner, regardless of their injuries.

Theo Ratliff- Vet- 4 Need-4 Affordability-5 Attitude-3 Skill-2 Total: 18

I think Ratliff would have been a good idea about two seasons ago, but he is probably too old and isn't really contributing with a less talented 76er team.

Donyell Marshall- Vet-4 Need-3 Affordability-5 Attitude-4 Skill-3 Total: 19

Hey, don't laugh. There would be a lot of worse options. I don't think he is a difference maker, but I wouldn't mind him returning to Utah for the veteran minimum as a 12th or 13th man. He could be our sleepy Sam Perkins.

Chris Wilcox- Vet- 3 Need-4 Affordability-5 Attitude-3 Skill-4 Total: 19

I really like the idea of Wilcox as a backup power forward. He has a large skill set; talent has never been an issue. If anyone could get anything out of him, it might be Sloan. He played for $1.7 million this season, so there is a chance he would play for the minimum. If that was the case, he would be a bargain to take a flyer on him.

So here are some of the top point getters

Chris Andersen- 21.5

Grant Hill- 21.5

Michael Finley-20

Quentin Ross-19

Antonio McDyess- 19

Chris Wilcox-19

Donyell Marshall-19

Travis Diener-18

Restricted Free Agents of Note:

Hakim Warrick

Steve Novak

Bobby Brown

Bottom Line: I think that a back up point guard would be better supplied by the draft this year, but there are some players on this list that could really help the team. My perfect offseason scenario would be this:

Jazz sign Chris Andersen for $3-5 million a year.

Jazz convince Grant Hill to sign for the veteran minimum.

Jazz sign Quentin Ross and Chris Wilcox to the league minimum.

The Jazz would be able to do this and stay under the tax if they let Boozer walk, sign Millsap to something under 8 million a year and cut salary by either trading Matt Harpring or Mehmet Okur in a salary dump, or by trading AK and Matt Harpring while bringing only $18 million in salaries back.

Then I would imagine our lineup looking like this:

Deron, Brewer, Grant Hill, Paul Millsap, and Okur/Koufos/Andersen

with Ross, Miles, WIlcox/AK, and Koufos/Andersen off the bench.