Rank the Jazz players for this season

[zman1527]

Yes, that's my point. Pippin wouldn't have won without another star beside him and Jordan wouldn't have won on his own. And you are correct, Pippin was a special player.

Hayward is already all-star caliber and Favors might get there. Gobert will be a DPOY candidate. Hood and/or Burks could turn out to be all-star quality. They won't all make it because this is Utah and the all-star game is all about popularity. But Utah - IF Lindsey can wrangle a PG (or Exum develops upon his return) - could have all-star quality players at all 5 positions. That's a model that could compete against the "Big-3" teams.

Agreed completely that we can compete. The thread is about ranking the players. To me, Gobert is still the only likely to be good enough to turn the team into a real contender for the title. Of course the other guys are good and necessary pieces, but take Rudy off the team and I doubt we get to a WCF ever. With him I think we contend at some point for a ring.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

I think that those three are about as good as they are going to get. Hay and Favs ranked in the 30s by ESPN, I can see them making it into the 20s but not higher. Burks not sure but not likely to get that high even. Gobert can make it into the top 10 just on defense and dunks.

What's the basis for your opinion that they are done improving? I think it's more likely that they're not done because so far I've seen them improve every year, and this year I've already seen indications that they worked hard over the summer and will come back better than they left last year.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Agreed completely that we can compete. The thread is about ranking the players. To me, Gobert is still the only likely to be good enough to turn the team into a real contender for the title. Of course the other guys are good and necessary pieces, but take Rudy off the team and I doubt we get to a WCF ever. With him I think we contend at some point for a ring.

Keep Rudy and delete Hayward and we don't get there - unless Hood becomes a 20 pt/per scorer. Rudy is great defensively, but he's still a liability on offense. Put Favors in the middle with an all-star stretch-4 and the team could contend. No ONE player is irreplaceable. Obviously, Utah will be much better IF Gobert can develop some semblance of an offensive game. Without one, he's not going to "carry" Utah to the Finals.

 

[zman1527]

What's the basis for your opinion that they are done improving? I think it's more likely that they're not done because so far I've seen them improve every year, and this year I've already seen indications that they worked hard over the summer and will come back better than they left last year.

By the time players enter their 5th year, they are pretty much at their peak. We expect a bit of improvement but nothing major.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

By the time players enter their 5th year, they are pretty much at their peak. We expect a bit of improvement but nothing major.

I have a feeling it would be more accurate to say that players generally reach their peak around age 27 (which will be Burks and Hayward's 7th year, and Favors 8th) than to predict it in their 5th year. Either way, I hope these guys prove you wrong, and I assume that you do too.

 

[gregbroncs]

Agreed completely that we can compete. The thread is about ranking the players. To me, Gobert is still the only likely to be good enough to turn the team into a real contender for the title. Of course the other guys are good and necessary pieces, but take Rudy off the team and I doubt we get to a WCF ever. With him I think we contend at some point for a ring.

Take Hayward or Favors off the team this year and they win 25 games at most. So what is the point of saying if you take Rudy off the team we don't make the WCF's ever. That would be true with all 3 unless you replace them with a equally talented player.

 

[David Hume]

1. Gobert 2. Favors 3. Hayward 4. Hood 5. Burks 6. Burke 7. Booker 8. Lyles 9. Ingles 10. Neto 11. Millsap 12. Pleiss 13. Cotton 14. Cooley 15. Withey. Long-time lurker posting. I enjoy reading your posts, I hope to participate more in the future.

I have a very simple game for everyone to play: We rank the Jazz top 15 players in terms of how we think they'll impact the team for the whole season. Then we can look back on this thread at the end of the season and see which poster was closest. I'll start.

1. Gordon Hayward
2. Derrick Favors
3. Alec Burks
4. Rudy Gobert
5. Rodney Hood
6. Trey Burke
7. Trevor Booker
8. Trey Lyles
9. Bryce Cotton
10. Elijah Millsap
11. Jack Cooley
12. Joe Ingles
13. Raul Neto
14. Tibor Pleiss
15. Jeff Withey

Notes: Exum was excluded because I think they say he's out the whole season. Even though Rudy Gobert is my favorite player on the Jazz I think that Hayward, Favors, Burks should all be even better this season. Gobert is so important to the Jazz defensively and also getting offensive boards but I still don't see him becoming a scoring threat for another year or two. Finally, I think Trey Lyles has a chance to finish even higher than Burke and Booker but I am trying not to set unrealistic expectations.

I know Hood was hurt a lot early last year and that's why he didn't really come on until the end of the season but I think Lyles may be similar but hopefully without the injuries. I can see him starting slow trying to figure it all out then being really good by February and March --- Just in time for the playoff push!

 

[Stifle Tower]

By the time players enter their 5th year, they are pretty much at their peak. We expect a bit of improvement but nothing major.

I'd generally agree. However, the old rule of thumb used to be that it would take 3-5 years for a big to develop. And that was when players were playing 4 years of college basketball. Took Malone several seasons to develop an outside shot.

I'll take incremental improvement from Hayward and Favors. And I'd be happy with the outside shooting Burks showed us last season. I think his inside game will return now that he's no longer in pain. Hood is set to break out. It's just year #3 for Rudy so hopefully he can add at least one reliable shot in the next couple of seasons.