Utah Jazz
2014-15 Record: 38-44 (13th, West)
Draft Picks: 12 (First Round), 42 (Second Round) 54 (Second Round – from Cleveland)
Team Strengths:
The second half of the 2014-15 NBA season saw the Jazz experience a French Revolution of sorts, as “The Stifle Tower,” Rudy Gobert, developed into the league’s most feared shot blocker. The second-year big man led the league in field goal percentage allowed at the rim and block percentage, finishing second in defensive box plus-minus, and fifth in defensive rating. Despite starting just 37 games this past season, Gobert was a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, and is a great fit next to Derrick Favors in the frontcourt, making the Jazz one of the best shot blocking teams in the league, as well as a quickly improving team on the boards.
Team Weaknesses:As much as the Jazz have hit on their wing players, I must mention that those same players are relatively one dimensional. Moreover, they’ve used two top-ten picks on point guards in the last two drafts, and neither player seems to be the answer. Quin Snyder’s floor generals combined to run the slowest-paced offense in the league; dish out the second-lowest amount of assists; and commit the fourth-most turnovers in the NBA.
In his first two seasons in the league, Trey Burke shot just 37 percent from the field and 32-percent from three, and let’s not even get into his defense. Burke’s general inefficiency cost him his starting point guard job, as rookie Dante Exum was handed the keys in mid-January. I don’t want to be too condescending here, but the Jazz’s second half resurgence and Exum seeing more playing time seem to be purely coincidental, as the Aussie posted a line of 5.1 points and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 33 percent from the field, and posting offensive and defensive ratings of 86 and 107 – yuck – as a starter.
Nonetheless, Exum was a net positive for the Jazz this past season, and as a 19-year old, it’s too early to tell whether or not he can be their point guard of the future. It certainly isn’t going to be Burke.
Of all teams to miss the playoffs, the Utah Jazz showed the most promise during the 2014-’15 season, specifically after trading big man Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Jazz posted a 19-10 record after their franchise-changing trade deadline blockbuster, benefiting from more Gobert and swapping Exum into the starting lineup for the disappointing Burke.While I wouldn’t necessarily hail Exum as the Jazz’s franchise point guard, I think he winds up being safe for next season. This year’s top point guard prospects should all be off the board well before Utah’s pick. With that said, here are a few players Utah should be targeting at 12:
Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
I see a lot of “highlight video Dante Exum” in Payne, mainly in the way Payne is able to attack defenses and either finish or find the open man. I think Payne is an immediate upgrade over Utah’s current point guard situation, as he’s most definitely a better three-point shooter. He should be able to speed up the tempo, and has better court vision than any Utah point guard since Deron Williams.
As I mentioned in the Oklahoma City Thunder Draft Profile, I’m slightly worried about Payne’s pedigree, as the league isn’t exactly filled with Ohio Valley Conference players (we see you Kenneth Faried, Isaiah Canaan, and I guess Lester Hudson), but at 6-foot-2, Payne is big enough, smart enough, and skilled enough to be a lottery pick in just a couple of days. For a team with solid depth at the wing and the future frontcourt already in place, it looks like this up-and-coming team could have an opportunity to land its future facilitator.
Stanley Johnson, SG/SF, Arizona
Not many years will you find a player with top-five talent and upside (maybe even top three in that category) on the board near the end of the lottery. Johnson’s going to make whoever lands him very happy, as he can already defend at an NBA level, is built like prime Ron Artest, and is developing skills on the offensive end to earn him two-way status.
Although he’ll come into the league with a reputation for being a defensive standout, Johnson plays with equal intensity on both ends of the floor. He relies on speed, strength and length to give the opposition fits. He uses these attributes on the glass, but most notably, he’s intimidating as hell on the defensive end, where he terrorizes the passing lanes, has the length and quickness to close out on wings, and is strong enough to guard bigger players.
As little as his offense gets spoken about, he still managed to average 13.8 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from three in his one season at Arizona. A player who probably won’t have a ton of plays run for him, Johnson has a deadly first step, and as a 6-foot-7 wing with a 6-foot-11 wingspan (and again, a 245-pound body of rocks, bricks, and other indestructible resources), he’s comfortable playing in the post and finishing with contact.
If Johnson’s on the board, he’ll more than likely be the best talent available, and for a team that needs to get Hayward help on both sides of the ball, he should be their pick.
Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
As much as Favors has progressed, and the Jazz have in return invested in him as their power forward of the future, Utah could use some depth at the four, and possessing a 6-foot-10, 240-pound body, with experience playing small forward in college, Lyles looks like he’ll be be able to play the position in both big and small lineups.
The former Kentucky big won’t blow anyone away with foot speed, or jump over his defenders to dunk in their face, but he’s a capable ball-handler who moves really well with and without the ball. He is also able to score both with his back to the basket and facing up. After shooting 74 percent at the free throw line in his freshman season, Lyles becomes more attractive as an offensive big man. Drawing contact is another strength of his game, and we’ve seen enough touch to have faith that Lyles could one day develop a more consistent outside shot, which would perfectly complement his relentlessness on the glass.
Unfortunately, Lyles doesn’t really solve Utah’s defensive woes, but he has the skills to one day be a special offensive big, and for a team that mainly used Trevor Booker and Jeremy Evans off the bench in the frontcourt – neither of whom have guaranteed deals for next season – this team could use a game-ready big.
Reach Pick:
Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
Even if Payne’s off the board, there are probably better point guard prospects in this draft than Jones, but don’t rule out the Duke connection between Snyder and Coach K. Jones is a master at pushing the tempo, has played on the brightest stages since he was 16, and probably has the highest basketball IQ of any prospect at his position. Again, I don’t think Jones will be the pick, but he could be the perfect player to make life easier for the budding Hayward, and as one of the better pick and roll point guards in the draft, both Gobert and Favors would surely benefit playing with a general like him.
