2021 training camp/pre-season!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/469010/jazz-tr...personalities/

One of the more impressive stats for the Jazz heading into the season is that 349 of the team’s 360 starts from last year are back on the roster this season. Only Georges Niang who started 10 games and Ersan Ilyasova who started one game aren’t on this year’s Jazz roster.

Ersan could help them. Too bad about COTY

Snyder has overseen a dramatic improvement of the team since he took over in 2014, growing the team’s win percentages from .463 to a league-best .722 last year. Now, the coach acknowledges, comes the different part of improving where there’s less obvious room for growth.

thanks Rudy!

The guard said he’s also closing in on his degree, working to keep a promise he made to his mother before declaring early for the NBA Draft.

don't even remember that he came out early

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468991/22-jazz...g-for-minutes/

However, despite those nine players eating up the majority of the minutes, the Jazz had just 22 regular-season games last year when only nine players stepped on the floor. Meanwhile, there were 50 outings when at least 10 players saw the court due to foul trouble, injuries, or late-game minutes in blowout situations.

be more G league minutes for guys this year thankfully

With Ilyasova, Morgan, Brantley, and Thomas all gone from the roster, those previously mentioned names, plus second-year wing Elijah Hughes and two-way guard Justin James should all be options for minutes deep on the Jazz bench.

Hughes isn't an option!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/mediadaybestlines2021/

General manager Justin Zanik: “Some people would say we’ve tried to improve around the fringes. Well, the reason you try to improve around the fringes is because the core is really good… so taking that and trying to add a little more versality (and) depth.”

or you change the coach and your weak links like Clarkson and Hughes

But perhaps just as interestingly, he spent a bit more time than most of his peers looking back at the Clippers series. That’s probably because he bore an unfair (to these eyes) share of the blame among analysts who somehow failed to see what REALLY derailed the Jazz defense. Short version: Gobert’s defense was mostly stout, even when he was asked to show his versatility and guard in space; the house of cards tumbled because nobody else could stay in front of the ball.

nice that someone else was paying attention

One place he did take some responsbility: he said he’s got to be able to punish switching defenses better on the other end — “and not just rebounding.”

his teammates have to give him a chance to do that as we saw in the olympics

Donovan Mitchell: “I think there’s another level I can get to. Obviously being able to be more efficient… It’s turnovers, it’s defense, when I’m on the floor, you know, your presence is felt. Being able to be a leader on the floor (and) picking it up defensively as well.”

pass to the open man?

After a playoff collapse that came down mostly to defensive failings, this is an encouraging talking point. Too many Clipper ball handlers just got right around their defenders in isolation and completely destroyed the integrity of Utah’s defensive game plans. As a result, they had to beg Gobert to scramble, which opened him up to another offseason chorus of criticisms. But the problem at its core was about defense at the point of attack, and the Jazz can’t clean that up without a bit more pride and focus from everyone — even O’Neale, their best perimter defender.

O'Neale is fine. Needs to play on the wing not the 4

Enough people offered unsolicited praise of Butler on Monday that it’s starting to seem like he really could play a role in year one. The nine man rotation appears pretty set as of now, and Butler seems to get that, telling reporters that he wants to be ready “when guys need rest.” But one thing we’ll have to see unfold in camp is the pecking order in terms of who that 10th guy is who will fill in whenever a guard or wing has to miss time. Last year, that role belonged to Miye Oni, but it’s up to Butler (or even Elijah Hughes) to see if he can play his way into some of those emergency minutes, at minimum.

was Oni unless more than one guy was out then it was Forrest for whatever reason! Hughes sucks!

Meanwhile, Paschall appears to be the main candidate for the equivalent rotation spot up front: the guy who will find himself playing whenever one of Utah’s centers or forwards has to sit. The other option is Udoka Azubuike, but an ankle injury really kept “Dok” from developing much last season. On the other hand, Paschall has played 2,300 NBA minutes, and he scored more points than any other Warrior in 2019-20.

you forgot bff

Again, I don’t think most people realize just how hurt Bogey was for much of last season. The Croatian forward had some options in terms of how he could manage his rehabilition after wrist surgery, and it sure seems like the path he took led to some lingering issues. He still managed to match his career 3pt% even with a bum wrist, but his percentages in close dropped significantly. If he can truly return to his level of shooting from his first Jazz season (41.4%) and also get back to creating efficienty in certain other contexts, the Jazz will have another weapon they can use to combat different defensive looks.

needs to move to Clarkson's role

Ahh, there’s no better sign that Jazz basketball is almost back in our lives than hearing the ever-vibing Clarkson ooze coolness all over the room.

[Xiao Yao You]

Gabrielle Union admits dropping up to $20,000 on strip club trips with Dwyane Wade
– via Paolo Songco @ Clutch Points

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https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/29/uta...neups-2021-22/

The Utah Jazz made significant strides towards improving on their vastly deficient positional versatility this offseason with the additions of Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall. Each man profiles as the type of small-ball center the Jazzmen were missing against the Los Angeles Clippers in last season’s Western Conference semifinals.

tired of hearing iut. They weren't missing it. COTY chose to get the Wizard fired instead of winning

Instead, expect Head Coach Quin Snyder to run five-out, small ball lineups when appropriate and necessary. Versatility is the name of the game in the modern NBA, particularly in the all-important postseason. The balance that Snyder must strike for the Utah Jazz this season is to maximize Gobert’s effectiveness wherever possible while maintaining a willingness to remove him from games when necessary.

I don't expect it. Same coach

Rudy Gobert’s presence is not the only situational decision facing Snyder. In an increasingly positionless league, the Utah Jazz sport one of the more positionless teams. Players like Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson are all capable of playing in at least 2 or more spots on the floor.

Bojan and Clarkson play one position

The presence of a lineup featuring Rudy Gay in the middle so early in this list may infer to readers that there still exist several Gobert anchored lineups that project as better options for regular usage for the Utah Jazz.

doubt there's any lineup without Gobert that are better than any lineup with him

After all, if the opposing team isn’t running a three-point threat at the 5 spot, we’re likely to continue seeing Rudy Gobert in the lineup.

nothing is likely with COTY

Meanwhile, this offense projects to hum. The collective shooting, dribble penetration and playmaking chops of Conley Jr., Mitchell and Clarkson should be an overwhelming force for any defense looking to mitigate its effectiveness. Each of the 3 Utah Jazz ball-handlers will also have peak optionality in pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop sets between their two front court mates in O’Neale and Gobert.

the problem you have is two gunners who don't play D or pass the ball

Another note on that embarrassment of riches the Utah Jazz will enjoy in terms of positional versatility: our last lineup saw Royce O’Neale at the 4, and here, we’re plugging him into the 2 spot.

he's the 4 with probably anyone they play him with. Ingles isn't a PF

On the other hand, this lineup features plenty of ball-handling, passing and shot-creating between Mitchell, Bogdanovic and Ingles. It may be the case that swapping O’Neale’s catch-and-shoot dominant style for Conley’s playmaking simply creates better floor balance.

The best lineups are going to have Gobert, O'Neale, Conley and probably Ingles

At least, that’s the conclusion we’re forced to draw if we put any stock in CleaningtheGlass’s data from last season. As effective as the former lineup was in 2020-21, this group was devastating. They ranked in the 96th percentile in differential-per-100 possessions with an otherworldly 30.4 differential.

without the best player in franchise history?

There may be compelling normative explanations for this lineups’ empirical effectiveness relative to the last group. First of all, Donovan Mitchell is simply not a point guard. He is absolutely capable of running point for stretches, but he’s a scoring-minded guard (and for good reason: he’s the best scorer on the Utah Jazz by a long shot).

and he doesn't play D while 4 of these guys do

None of which is to say that Conley Jr. is a better basketball player than Mitchell. Simply put, he isn’t. Mitchell’s preternatural scoring ability separates him from both Conley Jr. and, in fact, every other member of the Utah Jazz.

Conley was better. There's a reason they kept winning without Mitchell and Conley though and it's not COTY

That’s still a decent performance, particularly for the Utah Jazz grouping that probably faced the stiffest competition. However, it seems likely that Ingles’ vastly superior playmaking and defense plus narrowly superior floor spacing outweighed the pure scoring ability that Bogey brings to the table last season.

Ingles is the better player by far

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/29/uta...tball-big-man/

Of course, one nugget potentially working in Marques Bolden’s favor is that Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is also a Dukie.

scary

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/shes-drop...010112254.html

>Roll, who is also a freshman nursing student gaining clinical experience at a local hospital, said her vaccination status in the face of New York's mandate has also impacted her education. Roll said her dean at Mohawk Valley Community College informed her that if she remained unvaccinated, she would not be able to proceed with her nursing clinicals at a hospital that is adhering to the state mandate, effectively disqualifying her from the program.

losing your job and getting kicked out of school to own the libs!

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Bojan Bogdanovic (shoulder) and Rudy Gay (foot) we’re not cleared for contact during this Jazz training camp.

– via Twitter tribjazz




Eric Walden: Bojan Bogdanovic has minor shoulder soreness and has been a limited participant. Could play if it was the regular season. Rudy Gay had minor surgery on his left heel at the end of the last season and will miss the preseason. He is expected back early in the season.

– via Twitter tribjazz

Looks like BFF will be playing early

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50253161...season-surgery

Gay is expected to be a major part of the rotation this season. His ability to guard on the perimeter and serve as a small-ball center should allow Snyder to use him in a number of different ways and lineups. With him set to miss time that could open up more time for Eric Paschall, Miye Oni or, if the Jazz want to get creative, rookie guard Jared Butler.

got to be bff you'd think. Bojan and Ingles aren't 4's as much as people want to say they are. Guess it could be the Duke guy knowing COTY

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https://www.ksl.com/article/50252925...sports-network

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https://kslsports.com/469154/20-jazz...game-schedule/

An additional advantage for the Jazz is only having to play the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers just three times each rather than four, both of whom are expected to compete for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Clipps might be a lottery team!

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https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/29/22...n-nba-playoffs

It’s difficult to properly evaluate a team like the Jazz when they haven’t been able to compete in a postseason at full health. No one knows how deep a run the Jazz might have made if the full squad had been able to play together the last two postseasons. For all we know, things might have ended the same way.

pretty sure they would have reached the next round if they'd had a coach that would've made adjutments

When asked about the possibility of resting players more and opening up the rotation, Snyder pointed out that the Jazz did rest Conley in back-to-backs last season, the Jazz are not alone in using a nine-man rotation, the Jazz rarely held game-day shootarounds, and that the health and performance staff are experts in their fields with the best interest of the players in mind at all times.

too bad they didn't listen to the experts in their fields and listened to Mitchell and his posse instead

“If I’m playing Jordan Clarkson 18 minutes instead of 24, then we’re not using Jordan Clarkson, in my opinion, the right way,” Snyder said. “Same thing with Joe. You can shave Joe’s minutes from 32 to 26, but at some point, those guys are really good.”

Clarkson sucks

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https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/30/uta...hot-ideal-fit/

To have any shot at landing a permanent spot on the roster via a guaranteed contract, though, the 24-year-old Fitts must first prove more valuable than the other three guys currently vying for a place with the 2021-22 Jazz bunch. They are Marques Bolden, Derrick Alston Jr., and MaCio Teague.

not really. Just needs to go to the Stars and who he has game

After all, Utah appears to have only one opening available at the moment for the opening day roster.

so they? Doubt they fill it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/30/uta...ut-candidates/

As currently constructed, the Jazz may be left wanting for a fourth rotational guard. Rookie Jared Butler enters the 2021-22 season with plenty of promise, but leaning on rookies is typically not a recipe for success for a team vying for the NBA championship. Furthermore, Butler is a point guard: the Jazz could benefit tremendously from rostering a player with McLemore’s floor-spacing experience and mindset.

Butler is a combo guard I think

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: The Utah Jazz have waived Justin James. They now have a two way spot open

– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba

that was quick? They already like someone else in camp better? He get an offer overseas? Sign another exhibit 10?