2017 Playoff bound!!!

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...-sandwich.html

[QUOTE]Like most other NBA arenas, the Clippers provided white shirts on every seat for the fans. The shirts read

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2017/4/25/154...rd-joe-johnson

[QUOTE]George Hill | Gordon Hayward | Joe Johnson | Derrick Favors | Rudy Gobert

This line-up has NEVER played together on the court this season. Not in the playoffs, nor in the regular season. This was my desire for the Jazz starting line-up this year if everyone was healthy. (I found it unfair to not start Johnson after all he had accomplished.) Sure, we don

[Xiao Yao You]

http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/26...is-postseason/

Given the recent impressive play of Utah Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood, one has to wonder, has he taken the next step in the development of his game?

He's hit some big shots but missed a ton! He had taken a small step early in the year before he had the fl and lost weight. Hasn't been the same since

Hood is definitely a pivotal player for the future of the Utah Jazz.

Depends on what happens in the off-season. If they don't sign other guys he may get an extension. If they do he's probably gone

He has improved defensively and is now growing into an NBA player that can be relied upon. Having a tough wing defender that can knock down the three ball and drive the lane like Hood is something that the Utah Jazz have to love.

They sure would. None of that sounds like Hood though!

[El Kabong]

Too bad. He's a huge part of this.

Still very much Patty Mills-centric over here unfortunately.

There was this recently, which was focused on what the Aussies will get paid next year since all of Ingles, Baynes, Mills and Bogut will be FA's

http://www.foxsports.com.au/basketba...e02e6c369196e5

“Joe (Ingles) has a very big range,” one Western Conference executive said. “$US5-to-10 million a year, I’d say.

“If he continues to play this way in the playoffs, he’ll get over 10.”

Ingles, who will turn 30 in October, is coming off a career-best regular season — averaging 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, as well as shooting 44.1 percent from beyond the arc — and has carried that form over to his first NBA post-season.

Entering Game 5 of the Utah Jazz’s first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Adelaide-native is averaging 8.5 points per game, and has just come off a career-high 11-assist performance.

“I really think Joe deserves to get paid,” one NBA scout said. “He could make a really interesting sixth man. Not sure he’s a starter, but he’s shown he’s such a reliable shooter.”

When it comes to what team Ingles may sign with, this executive believes it’ll all come down to the Jazz’s desire to retain George Hill, along with the amount they’re willing to pay the point guard. Ingles’ restricted free agent status will also come into play, with the team likely to hold a certain amount of leverage over the small forward.

“He should (earn eight figures),” the executive said. “The only reason it’d be less than that is if he doesn’t play the restricted game right.”

The increased salary cap has seen the earnings of NBA players rise immensely, and Ingles will likely be among the next beneficiaries of that. The NBA scout we spoke with put it bluntly: “If Moe Harkless can make over $US10 million, then Ingles is deserving of that.”

Wonder if we'd be willing to move Favors on for nothing if it helps us keep Ingles? He's a bit of an odd man out at this stage and will be in the final year of his deal paying him $12 million in 2018.

[Xiao Yao You]

thanks for the article and feedback

Mills was one of the guys mentioned in an article I posted a while about possible replacements for Hill and it made a great case for him. With Parker on the downside of his career you'd think the Spurs will want to keep him around though

Ingles numbers don't jump out at you but every team in the league would love him on their team. Not really a 6th man but he could certainly start on the right club as a 3 and D and playmaker at 4 positions! Restricted free agency will either help him or hurt him. Some team will offer him a lot early on when the Jazz are still dealing with Hayward and Hill or will stay away thinking the Jazz are going to match. At this point I think he might be ahead of Hill for the Jazz depending on how much they think Hill's toe is affecting his play. They might even see him as their pg possibly

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=44016468&nid...arting-lineups

They're also 3-8 in Game 6s, so that's a very lackluster record. One very notable exception, though: in 2015, the Clippers won Game 6 and Game 7 of the series against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to advance in the first round.

Didn't see that one but the Jazz look like the better team and should win this. Paul is a great player though so who knows.

Meanwhile, the Jazz are 5-0 in series when they're up 3-2, according to 1280's Spence Checketts.

Who cares? With the Clippers a lot of that is with the current guys.

the Jazz will be giving out T-shirts to every fan in attendance. Preliminary word is that they hope to vary the designs on these shirts if the Jazz are able to continue in the playoffs.

I was a little disappointed they didn't. My friend and Way of Wade(I assume?) will have 3 of the same shirt and towel.

You could also start Jamal Crawford, but man, that makes their bench completely punchless, and gives the Jazz someone to switch on with their best attackers on the floor.

Unless Rivers can put up 10-15 like he was during the season. Felton has played well too.

the Clippers were extremely aggressive early in doubling ballhandlers. That meant the Jazz just swung the ball around to the open man. This time, the Jazz usually missed, but that won't always be the case.

if they move the ball they usually win

For two stretches last night that totaled just under four minutes, the Jazz played without a point guard, preferring to play four of their versatile wing players together.

The Jazz finished those minutes with a plus-minus of zero, so we can't really conclude that it was a massive success or anything. But it is an interesting look for the Jazz, and solves a problem of putting an inexperienced player on the floor who might be a liability at one end.

"It's always a little bit nerve-wracking for me to do it, but our guys have confidence in it, so usually I just go with it," Snyder said.

And when I asked Joe Ingles about it, he didn't even know that the no-PG minutes happened, even though he was usually the guy bringing the ball up the floor. So it's safe to say it's a look that the Jazz are comfortable with.

Everyone on the team can handle it except the centers. I think Neto needs to play though.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5221656...zz-have-slowed

Utah has dictated the pace, and the tempo of the series. Instead of the open-court style the Clippers prefer, much of the series has been played in the halfcourt. Instead of lobs, there have been rebounds. Instead of excitement, there have been groans through the Staples Center.

Clippers dominated them at the Jazz pace during the season though

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5220478...-6-will-be-the

By winning Game 5 on the road in a best-of-seven series that stood 2-2, these guys already have done something that the Jazz of John Stockton/Karl Malone and Deron Williams/Carlos Boozer never did in other eras.

wow!

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nb...to-hit-market/

Joe Ingles, Jazz (restricted): Keeping Ingles won't be the Jazz's top priority (more on that soon), but he has evolved into a vital part of the team. Few players combine his size, shooting, passing and defensive versatility, making him one of the league's most underrated role players before the playoffs started. After all the damage he has done to the Clippers, it's unlikely Utah will be able to re-sign the 29-year-old on the cheap.

Don't think he would have been cheap before the playoffs but his price keeps going up. He's played great against GS this year too so hopefully a lot more to come for him!

They are also as vulnerable as any team going into the offseason with their No. 1 option and their starting point guard hitting free agency. Giving Hayward a maximum contract is a no-brainer, but HIll's situation is murkier. After trading a lottery pick for Hill and then seeing him fit as well as they hoped, watching him walk would be almost as awful as losing Hayward.

Stating shooting guard too not to mention Diaw's team option at starting PF. How much of a max for Hayward is the question that no one else if asking though. Hill comes down to his toe and how much it is affecting his play now. I'm thinking he might be sorry he didn't take the money from the Jazz when he had the chance. He's hardly looking like a max player right now and might get quite a bit less than the 17 million he could have gotten a couple of months ago. Ingles may get more

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...irections.html

The situation underscores a growing suspicion the Jazz and Clippers are going opposite directions at high speed. Los Angeles is on the verge of a bust-up that is almost sure to happen if it fails. Several players are free agents this summer, including Griffin and Paul. Rivers is both coach and president of the Clippers, so the obvious question is whether he should fire himself. Conversely, the Jazz have thrived in the playoffs, ignoring a three-game absence by Rudy Gobert and a one-game absence by Gordon Hayward. Every time the Jazz lose a star, they win.

Jazz could be in the same position. Jazz with Gobert and pieces. Clippers with DeAndre and pieces.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat/...rnier-downbeat

I'm more excited about Joe Johnson.I think his experience and being a former go-to-player will be so beneficial to the Jazz

I always liked Joe but Hill was the guy to be excited about. Too bad about his toe

Evan Fournier ✔ @EvanFourmizz
Best feeling in the world. #WestRimTrail #Utah
9:41 AM - 26 Apr 2017

Orlando will certainly be looking to shake things up. Maybe they can get Rudy's buddy here? Not sure if he plays enough D or not

moni @monilogue
Did y'all catch Quin giving CP3 the death glare after he & Hayward fought for the ball? Jerry-like and I love it.
7:17 AM - 26 Apr 2017

He is bigger than Chris and looks like a serial killer

David Locke‏ @Lockedonsports 16h16 hours ago
Jazz will play basketball on Sunday at 1:30 mtn on ABC-TV and local radio. Opponent yet to be determined

Not much prep for GS

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nb...ked-perfectly/

Despite ample preseason hype, the 2015-16 version of the team finished 40-42, thanks largely to a series of significant injuries and a lot of losses in close games.

The main reason is because the front office was basically still tanking despit the great finish the year before. No excuse for not having a vet pg at the very least last year. We saw what a 3rd stringer in Mack did once he joined

Boris Diaw was basically a gift from the Spurs, who needed to clear cap space to sign Pau Gasol.

A gift that has been wildly inconsistent and cost them a pick and the 1st or 2nd best guy on their summer league roster depending on how you feel about Lyles selfish play.

In other words, he's a perfect Jazzman.

at the end of the bench sure!

On Tuesday Snyder recalled meeting with him in free agency and selling him on taking on a different kind of role. He had played a bit of power forward with the Miami Heat last season, and Utah wanted him to sort of do a lot more of it. Johnson knew his minutes would decline significantly, and he also knew he could help the Jazz handle high-pressure situations.
"He knew that we had wings and understood that his role would be -- I think he'd started every game since like 2003, I think that's right," Snyder said correctly. "That's a long run, and we talked about it. I was like, 'Are you sure?'"

He's been great at the 4. Wildly inconsistent like Diaw at the 3. His starting days are over. He's best off the bench though with the rest they get in the playoffs he's been able to handle big minutes. Would love to know how much of it was about the 22 million though and if anyone else was offeing close to that!

they won 51 games anyway. Part of that was because of major improvement from Gobert and Gordon Hayward, who made his first All-Star appearance, but a lot of it was simply because there were more rotation-caliber players on the bench.

The main reason was Rudy

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/research-stat...jamal-crawford

[QUOTE]For the season the Clippers played at a 96.1 possession game. The Jazz were slower at 91.6. In order to minimize the potential damage done in transition Quin Snyder dialled the throttle back in the regular season. In their head to head games (again, the 3-1 season series that was taken by LAC) the pace was only 90.0 possessions. Now in the playoffs it

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/research-stat...hnson-nba-math

[QUOTE]Raul Neto and Jeff Withey are good at both, above the line here, but not really, really good at any thing. They are net positives on both ends of the court and don

[Xiao Yao You]

http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/27...l-play-sunday/

[QUOTE] there