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Game Thread Oct 02, 2022 04:00PM MT: Jazz at Raptors (Preseason)

Added to Calendar: 10-02-22

It absolutely will be what makes or breaks a player making this team. I would expect over the next few games that we end up seeing completely different rotations to hopefully give guys a real opportunity to get comfortable for an extended stretch of minutes. At least that is what a good coach would do.
Will Hardy is a rookie too. An extreme coaching rookie becuase of his age and lack of experience. He's coaching himself right now. He just wants to get his **** implemented probably and isnt interested in making pre-season games a battle for the back end of the roster.
 
IDK why everyone is so down on THT when I think he might have been the only guard on the team to successfully turn the corner and finish at the rim on a drive.
Because I've spent some time recently watching him in games from last year. I was pretty hopeful that he'd be a pleasant surprise. He seemed noticeably heavier, slower, and had less lift today.
 
They did indeed look good. And unlike us, they knew how they wanted/needed to play. Eventually made a big difference.
Scary thing is there are about a handful of teams that are better than the Raptors in the EC alone. Raps roster is full of 6'-8" switchable players but they are lacking in the center position and don't have enough playmakers either. Barnes and Van Vleet try but neither is a pure PG. Regardless they are a bad matchup for this current Jazz squad. Hopefully DA will draft 1-2 big wings to eventually compete with these types of teams.
 
One big takeaway is that we should probably just go ahead and plan on keeping Conley for the entire year. There really isn't any young player who can use those starting pg minutes.

There's Nickeil, but boy are teams going to go way under screens.
 
They arent a top 6 team in the East...

(no order)
Boston
Brooklyn
Philly
Miami
Milwaukee
Cleveland

They are in the "battling to get out of the play in" tier w/ Atlanta and Chicago
Way way too early to make that claim. They are every bit as talented as any team in the east.
 
We’ll see if there are changes next game, but the only thing that really mattered tonight is that we got to see the pecking order.

I was surprised to see Beasley start over Sexton. Not because Sexton is better necessarily (he might not be), but it’s a semi bold decision from Hardy.

Looks like NAW came out ahead in the “crappy guard” battle ahead of THT, Ochai, Butler etc. Good for him. I hope THT gets on a diet real soon. He was extra chonky tonight.
 
I'm not really into writing anyone off, but if Hardy proves to have a tendency to want to be at least average sized (esp. not go simultaneously with two small guards), maybe both Butler and Lee will get cut? Conley and Sexton are plenty in the small-guard category. I don't mind if everyone else is at least 6-4.
 
We’ll see if there are changes next game, but the only thing that really mattered tonight is that we got to see the pecking order.

I was surprised to see Beasley start over Sexton. Not because Sexton is better necessarily (he might not be), but it’s a semi bold decision from Hardy.

Looks like NAW came out ahead in the “crappy guard” battle ahead of THT, Ochai, Butler etc. Good for him. I hope THT gets on a diet real soon. He was extra chonky tonight.

I think it's way too soon to be lumping Ochai with NAW, THT and Butler as a "crappy guard". The kid has a lot of potential.
 
Sexton was 3 of 4 from 3 and 1 of 5 from 2. He looked mostly like he had absolutely no chance tonight when he drove inside.

I'm attributing it partly to rust, partly to the Raptors' length, but if he doesn't regain his driving mojo it could be a long season for him.
 
Sexton was 3 of 4 from 3 and 1 of 5 from 2. He looked mostly like he had absolutely no chance tonight when he drove inside.

I'm attributing it partly to rust, partly to the Raptors' length, but if he doesn't regain his driving mojo it could be a long season for him.
I remember one play in the first half where he turned the corner and ended up getting fouled. Ofc he ended up missing both FT's. He showed his burst on that play though.

Actually not too worried about his scoring although making 3 of 4 from the 3 pt line is nice. It's all about the playmaking with him if he's ever to become a real impact player in this league. If they are going to throw him out there with JC and Gay it's probably going to be a lost season in terms of developing his playmaking skills although I'm going to assume the vets get moved at some point between now and the deadline. If Jazz are going to try and develop these kids they need to put them in positions to succeed.
 
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A tale of two halves. Preseason, all new players in camp for a week so it doesn’t mean a hill of beans really. My concerns have more to do with the rotations, the personnel and the general lack of discipline and cohesion in the second half.

Concerning rotations, this depth chart seems to have more to do with the status quo than an actual fresh assessment. Will we have to watch two grand standers in Clarkson and Gay play big back-up minutes all year, or is Hardy only giving them enough rope so they can hang themselves? No trade will ever materialize for a 36 year old that doesn’t want to share the rock folks.

Personnel: disappointed in both Olynyk and Fontechio. No doubt we would have been ten times better with Bogey. Did Ainge really think that 27 year old Fontechio was the European sleeper that could provide everything Bogey did at a fraction of the cost? And then that 31 year old Kelly O would do more to help this team than Bogey could have? Wow!

Cohesion, discipline: nonexistent particularly in the second half but particularly evident with the iso play of Gay and Clarkson. Aren’t these guys supposed to be playing the role of mentors after all? And why does Hardy not offer some swift remediation for this insolence. (Don’t tell me you didn’t see Gay dribble down and just jack a three like he’s Curry or play Dr J on a dunk attempt in traffic or Clarkson’s Meadow Lark Lemon spot light impersonations.)
 
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