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Zach Lowe tells Utah (and a couple other teams) what to do in free agency

cowhide said:
I see the play vets crowd is back. The grass is not always greener on the other side. After one year with a new exciting developmental coach, Jazz fans are ready to trade anyone and bring in overpaid vets to play over our young guys. I'll remember this when we can't sign Exum, Gobert or Hood. Bringing in Middleton on a Max contract when you already have Burks, Hood, Exum and Hayward isn't very smart. How much better is Middleton than those guys? If you bring in Middleton then you have got to trade someone.

I just think you have to be careful. Spending money just because you have it doesn't mean you have to spend it. If you are going to spend it then spend it on a player who is obviously better than the players you have. Now if the Jazz could get Butler or Leonard then I say go for it. I am not as big as a fan as others are when it comes to Middleton. Granted I haven't watched him too often either.
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Middleton is basically the same age as Burks (Middleton is a month younger) and has 1 year less experience in the NBA.

Middleton is a better shooter and a better defender than Burks.

I dont think you have to trade any of the wings.

Bring in Middleton, cut Booker.

Play Hayward/Middleton spot minutes at the 4.

Play Burks spot minutes at PG.

That should give our wings enough minutes to go around. Basically allowing us to play an oversized back-court version of small ball.
 
teh argument for trying Tobias Harris is intriguing because physically he is suited to be a small ball PF.
 
Cy said:
Middleton is basically the same age as Burks (Middleton is a month younger) and has 1 year less experience in the NBA.

Middleton is a better shooter and a better defender than Burks.

I dont think you have to trade any of the wings.

Bring in Middleton, cut Booker.

Play Hayward/Middleton spot minutes at the 4.

Play Burks spot minutes at PG.

That should give our wings enough minutes to go around. Basically allowing us to play an oversized back-court version of small ball.
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We have Gobert and Favors. Playing "small ball" means taking them off the court. Screw that. And screw Middleton as well. Let the Bucks max him. He couldn't carry Gordon Heyward's jock.
 
framer said:
We have Gobert and Favors. Playing "small ball" means taking them off the court. Screw that. And screw Middleton as well. Let the Bucks max him. He couldn't carry Gordon Heyward's jock.
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No. It doesn't. They have. To rest on the bench at some point.
 
Cappy_Smurf said:
Spot on IMO. Does anyone think GS shouldn't have traded for Iggy because they already had Barnes and shouldn't risk hurting his feelings? Stack the deck and make these guys earn their playing time.
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I honestly can't think of a single NBA player who accepted his role and then was able to thrive in a raised role like Iggy did. He's the exception to the rule-- not the rule itself.
 
Cy said:
I feel like it's pretty risky for the Jazz to rest on their laurels and not go out and try to sign a talented player.

Yes, I love Quinn's confidence in his ability to maximize and teach talent, but we really don't know how good guys like Hood and Burks can become. We don't know their ceilings, so why not go out and add another piece to compete with those guys as insurance?

Worst case: You offend someone. They quit trying and feel "cheated". You trade them for assets if they don't prevail over other players who are trying and succeeding over them. We don't have any players on our roster who have untradeable contracts. If Burks becomes disillusioned with his playing time, he is one a tradeable contract and other teams would give up assets for him.

Best case: The players compete and raise each other's levels. You play the guys who deserve minutes and the locker-room is strong enough to not turn on each other. Both Burks and the new wing (Middleton/Green/Whoever) are all doing great? Plays Burks at backup PG. Start a new trend of not needing a backup PG. Will it work? Who knows. I'd rather try that than not sign anyone and just roll with Burke, who may still be the same player (again, who knows so why not sign talent as insurance?).
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Worst-case scenario: you stunt the development of a player (perhaps multiple players) who could have been better for this team in the long-run, make him disenfranchised with this team, and watch him average 20ppg after we trade him to a successful team elsewhere while we deal with his mediocre replacement.
 
Stats say Middleton is a good defender but the eye test says otherwise to me. He has struggled a lot statistically on defense until this year. I think he is smart and plays within the system but gets taken off the dribble at will by decent players.

He looks like he has the lowest vertical of any player.

Kidd benched him for poor defense.

He fell down twice playing the Jazz trying to stay in front of Jazz players.

He does shoot really well, that seems to be it for him. I want no part of a max deal for what I think is just a good shooter and below average everywhere else. Burks and Hood could both be better next season. Even Ingles could be better than him next season especially if you factor in his leadership.

Also he shot pretty poorly in his only postseason performance against the Bulls this year. Maybe he is not a good shooter when pressured.
 
Cy said:
Middleton is basically the same age as Burks (Middleton is a month younger) and has 1 year less experience in the NBA.

Middleton is a better shooter and a better defender than Burks.

I dont think you have to trade any of the wings.

Bring in Middleton, cut Booker.

Play Hayward/Middleton spot minutes at the 4.

Play Burks spot minutes at PG.

That should give our wings enough minutes to go around. Basically allowing us to play an oversized back-court version of small ball.
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This has been the best proposition thus far. Booker gives so much to this team in terms of character-- but he is most cuttable talent-wise now that we have Lyles.

If we cut the dude, and let Middleton split the minutes between 3 & 4 then I'm fine with offering him a poison pill contract. I genuinely feel like we'll be trading the dude at some point though, if Lyles come on strong. I'd make an offer, but not a preposterous one. I suppose the same could apply to Tobias, even though I feel Tobias wouldn't want a bench role.
 
Broncster said:
Stats say Middleton is a good defender but the eye test says otherwise to me. He has struggled a lot statistically on defense until this year. I think he is smart and plays within the system but gets taken off the dribble at will by decent players.

He looks like he has the lowest vertical of any player.

Kidd benched him for poor defense.

He fell down twice playing the Jazz trying to stay in front of Jazz players.

He does shoot really well, that seems to be it for him. I want no part of a max deal for what I think is just a good shooter and below average everywhere else. Burks and Hood could both be better next season. Even Ingles could be better than him next season especially if you factor in his leadership.

Also he shot pretty poorly in his only postseason performance against the Bulls this year. Maybe he is not a good shooter when pressured.
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Ppl are thinking of maxing him?!?!


Damn. Not sure how I feel about that. Maybe a 2yr max at most.
 
dalamon said:
This has been the best proposition thus far. Booker gives so much to this team in terms of character-- but he is most cuttable talent-wise now that we have Lyles.

If we cut the dude, and let Middleton split the minutes between 3 & 4 then I'm fine with offering him a poison pill contract. I genuinely feel like we'll be trading the dude at some point though, if Lyles come on strong. I'd make an offer, but not a preposterous one. I suppose the same could apply to Tobias, even though I feel Tobias wouldn't want a bench role.
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The best proposition you've heard involves acquiring a player that isn't leaving his current team? ok
 
Also, to the morons that think I stand where I do because of Burke being on this team:


I would make the exact same arguments if Burke was traded tonight, and we were trying to find minutes for Hanlan and Cotton.

This is about playing Alec Burks at the 1 for 70% of his minutes.
 
NAOS said:
The best proposition you've heard involves acquiring a player that isn't leaving his current team? ok
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What did he have a private convo with u that indicated this?

I know he's not a #bulldog but cmon bruagh
 
dalamon said:
Ppl are thinking of maxing him?!?!


Damn. Not sure how I feel about that. Maybe a 2yr max at most.
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I am sure people want him for a reasonable contract number but he is going to get offered a good deal. Too many teams with money and the cap jumping up is making teams willing to throw money around. If he does not take a huge contract it is getting matched. There is a good chance it gets matched no matter what.

I would rather see Jazz go after someone better and maybe get lucky. Chances with all these RFA is not good for the Jazz to get one. Better off trying for a trade to get a good player or standing pat imo. I am pretty happy with Hayward, Hood, Burks and Ingles as our 4 man rotation with Milsap coming in when really needed or injuries/foul trouble hits. Exum can play some minutes at the 2 if needed as well.
 
White Chocolate said:
2 year 24 mil is something I would, but the Bucks would match as soon as they heard that offer.
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Well that's the offer I'd make, and I'm not gonna wring my arm with a 4yr max or something just to pry him away from them-- I'm sure there's other bench shooters that can be had before they emerge next season, as they do every year.
 
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