The Jazz still need a #1

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Jan 27, 2023
7:13:57am

RockyBalboa All-American

The Jazz still need a #1

Maurkanen has been a revelation, but the Jazz still need a #1. Lauri would be a great #2 on a Contender tho.

Tony Jones had a really good article on The Athletic about just this topic. While I don't always agree with Tony, I thought that article was well articulated and thought out with solid points.

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RockyBalboa

Previous username: MesaCougar
Bio page: RockyBalboa
Joined: Apr 24, 2002
Last login: May 2, 2024
Total posts: 48,274 (1,431 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

Imo, this is a core w the potential to title-contend in the next 5 years:

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:08am

THT is not even a rotation player on a championship team

Jay Kay

1/27/23 1:15am

I'm not sold on tht at all. He can kind of playmake, but his outside shooting

Waluigi

1/27/23 1:16am

If he were 25 years old I'd be inclined to agree w ya.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:19am

THT? Who are you talking about?

Waluigi

1/27/23 1:19am

Talen Horton-Tucker.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:22am

I know he's only 22, but this is his fourth year and he's shown minimal

Waluigi

1/27/23 1:23am

He clearly left college too early for his own good.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:31am

How is Tucker a mismatch player? A 6'4" shooting guard who can't shoot. I don't get it.

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 3:28am

I think you're joking about John and Karl, but I agree about THT. All he has are

Waluigi

1/27/23 3:30am

Yeah, you did answer your own question. In addition:

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:45am

The old wingspan mismatch. It is the reason guys like Mo Bamba, Bismack Biyombo, Reggie Jackson and Dallas Lauderdale

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 4:05am

Okay. And what about the other things? In a single player?

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 4:10am

I certainly wouldn't want him in the Nuggets rotation.

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 4:13am

I did at least address that in my OP.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 4:18am

There’s maybe a world where he turns into a Marcus Smart lite

PHXSUNS31

1/27/23 9:54am

Guys who can't shoot can't stay on the court. Team building isn't about having two guys that can play defense and two

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 10:28am

If they can’t shoot they better either be an elite finisher or on ball creator

PHXSUNS31

1/27/23 11:54am

Exactly my point. But the OP wants to build around Vando, Kessler and THT. 3 guys that can't shoot. That might have

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 1:12pm

Yep, I agree with you. Jazz fans just need to look back on Rudy/Favors/Rubio

PHXSUNS31

1/27/23 1:33pm

"Build around" not in the sense of a starting core

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:41pm

"THT can clearly shoot"??? Ummmmm....ok. The stats don't back up your claim.

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 1:45pm

If the strength of his game were primarily shooting I'd be inclined to agree.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:46pm

Not following your logic, please explain. He can clearly shoot because his game isn't primarily shooting?

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 1:53pm

The form, skill & release is all there. He's a very dynamic shooter, in fact.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 2:27pm

I'm not sure dynamic means what you think it does. But we will agree to disagree. One day he might be as good

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 2:41pm

Luckily for him, he's more valuable on offense as a non-scorer than Russell.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 2:53pm

Hmmm, not sure there are many in the NBA who believe that. I mean the Jazz acquired him and another guy with a song.

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 3:04pm

I think any team in need of a facilitator over a scorer — most certainly would.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:17pm

Well the evidence says quite the contrary. First the stats show Westbrook with 7.5 assists per game. THT has

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 3:26pm

By assist percentage, THT and NAW are about the same as creators

krindorr

1/27/23 3:33pm

Westbrook is primarily a drive-n-dump assists guy. Those stats are inflated.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:34pm

RE: Imo, this is a core w the potential to title-contend in the next 5 years:

ManicBlue

1/27/23 1:18am

If naw keeps shooting well, I think he has a shot. Maybe he can expand his

Waluigi

1/27/23 1:22am

When the Jazz first got NAW and at the start of this season, I thought he had no chance to stick in the league, but

ManicBlue

1/27/23 1:51am

NAW is an interesting prospect too, I agree.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 1:45am

As a Nugget's fan, I hope that is the group they try and contend with for the next 5 years.

kimdaddy35

1/27/23 2:53am

That's why I called it a "core" — to build on. The Jazz

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:06am

A contender's core usually has an established star, Lauri, and another star in

Waluigi

1/27/23 3:32am

Do you think McHale & Bird "occupied the same area" any worse

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:43am

Put a lid on the excitement. Larry bird is a top 10 talent of all time with

Waluigi

1/27/23 3:52am

Put a lid on your own omniscient comparison-parsing.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 3:55am

You have the first two correct, the others not so much.

cougar95

1/27/23 5:51am

What

JoeExotic

1/27/23 6:07am

I can't believe I read through that.

Northwest Cougar

1/27/23 6:19am

I see a lot of people thinking Lauri Markannen is a 3 - he most definitely is not

krindorr

1/27/23 6:29am

I think Lauri could certainly play a 3 if he's matched w the right

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 7:13am

Agreed, there's certain lineups where he can kind of work as a 3, but it's certainly not his best spot

krindorr

1/27/23 7:29am

The Jazz still need a #1

RockyBalboa

1/27/23 7:13am

We certainly need another star-level player.

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 7:28am

THT is a role player, nothing more. Jazz def need another bonafide star

RockyBalboa

1/27/23 7:36am

At 22 — you're sure of that, huh?

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 7:41am

In his first 4 years, he's shown an inability to create, distribute or shoot

krindorr

1/27/23 7:48am

Yeah, my least favorite thing is when he barrels in toward the basket with

Northwest Cougar

1/27/23 9:15am

Yes.

RockyBalboa

1/27/23 7:51am

Lol, no. Markkanen is a number one guy. He just needs more touches. His true

CougarTailDevourer

1/27/23 7:52am

He's a great #1 on a fringe playoff team.

JoeExotic

1/27/23 7:59am

Markannen is not Durant (or even close) despite one stat being similar

krindorr

1/27/23 8:28am

Durrant has all the talent, but only won by going to Golden State.

porcupinetree

1/27/23 10:25am

...so it's hard to win even with a freakishly talented clear #1 guy? Agreed

krindorr

1/27/23 10:32am

Durrant has the talent, but lacks the winning mentality. Mentally weak.

porcupinetree

1/27/23 12:10pm

Scoot would be huge. A Scoot/Markkanen duo is something to build on.

PHXSUNS31

1/27/23 9:58am

To contend for a title you usually need 3 stars - and one has to be a superstar. We’ve got 1.

dryflyelk

1/27/23 7:27am

I didn't mean to suggest our core of best players is set. As I explained

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 7:32am

I feel like you could say this about every team; if they add a few stars, they could be title contenders

krindorr

1/27/23 7:45am

For sure. I'm speaking Jazz-centrically. Some of my wording is misleading

SinkingQuffa

1/27/23 7:52am

Is this a joke? The only thing missing is championship level first and second

GeorgeAlbertsgoatie

1/27/23 8:22am

Yeah right

TNT

1/27/23 8:55am

If only TNT had chosen one letter differently. His boardname is one letter

Northwest Cougar

1/27/23 9:18am

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