Drafting outside of the top 5 would be a disaster. I'm including Johnson, but it may be more like top 4.
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Definitely way better as a ball-handler, but can a ball-handler like this exist in teh NBA with his extreme turnover issues? I give guards the benefit of the doubt, but I have serious translations concerns with how he plays, but I also have him in my lottery.
If the Jazz have a multiple big bodies out on the floor, they can crowd the floor defensively and effectively shut down passing and driving lanes just with size. There's a compounding effect when a team puts a lot of length on the floor, even if those guys just basically hold their positions. This is how the Jazz were still fairly effective with Olynyk. The problem will be if Wolf gets dragged into having to guard the ball in isolation. Talented scorers like Luka, Shai, Kyrie, Tatum, etc. might exploit Wolf and force him off the court.
There's a trend now where teams are trying to put out lineups with "no weaknesses." A talented scorer who can't defend, or a talented defender who can't shoot, tend to get their minutes limited to playing against matchups that aren't good enough to exploit them.
If the Jazz get Johnson, then they'll have elite shooting around the perimeter with Brice and Lauri. That's something they can build on, but they won't have that elite difference maker. So they'll just have to shrug and try again next year.
Handlogten's Heros
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I like him. He also passes the cool name test. With the Cleveland pick that’d be a great bet.
I've been keeping an eye on SDSU for him and Gwath. He's an interesting prospect for the Cavs pick. Gwath is probably 2 years away from being a legit prospect, but he's extremely interesting if he develops
I think Edgecombe is mostly a defensive disruptor, and he should be good one. He's athletic enough that he can gamble and recover in many cases. He can affect plays from behind. He's also going to be a force flying to the rim off of cuts. But that said, I don't see him commanding a high number of shot attempts on a good team, or running sets when there are better creators and decision-makers on the floor.
Even though his build is quite different, I think he can be a valuable player in the role of a Lu Dort. And he probably will blow past some defenders in a few iso situations. The main question will be -- how many positions can he guard? Can he guard 1 - 3 like Alex Caruso and Dort can? I'm starting to believe that he'll make enough shots to be a starter.
Even though his build is quite different, I think he can be a valuable player in the role of a Lu Dort. And he probably will blow past some defenders in a few iso situations. The main question will be -- how many positions can he guard? Can he guard 1 - 3 like Alex Caruso and Dort can? I'm starting to believe that he'll make enough shots to be a starter.
Are we sure VJ can even guard? He seems to be more a stocks guy than a true lockdown defender.
I think he'll play at the 4 and add value as a shooter and passer. I don't think teams are going to ask him to handle all that much. Derik Queen has some of the same appeals.
He may need to settle in and focus on it. It might take some coaching, but he's got the attributes to do it. Dort was basically the main guy on this college team, then needed to adapt his role for the NBA.
Dort also had about 30-40 lbs on him.
fishonjazz
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Someone posted the jazz upcoming schedule and made me feel much much better. We might go on a 20 game losing streak or something
Tremendous Upside
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Young D-Wade with slightly less scoring and more defense.
The more I've watched Johnson, the less I like him. Just does not get nearly enough separation for me to be comfortable. Totally agree that missing the top 4 would suck.
He's a big guard. Doesnt need to get a lot of separation.
Young DWade had a handle and point-guard skills. Also a player could have "slightly less scoring" than DWade and still average 25 ppg.
I'm thinking that VJ could be a somewhat longer, supercharged version of Terry Rozier.
He's not going to be your on-ball creator. He's going to play off the ball and move around the perimeter like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Khris Middleton. Then he's going to be able to score some in isolation. He's not going to be the primary option. Realistically, he's a better movement shooter than Brice Sensabaugh. However, if the Jazz really believe in Sensabaugh and don't care about movement shooting so much, then maybe Tre becomes less of a priority.
If the Jazz end up drafting 5 or 6, they may end up taking Johnson although he's not a perfect pick for us. Maybe they consider trading back a couple spots and taking someone like Fears. Hard to say. This draft is really nice if you're in the top 4.
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Was also incredibly strong
True.
Who passes that test better than Danny Wolf?