Game Thread Aug 07, 2020: Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Oni and Brantley looked playable on the wing. Tucker is too unpredictable. He's mostly a hustle player right now.

Morgan is small at the 5 and underskilled at the 4. He's a situational backup big.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

So Oni and Brantley earned their way into some reserve minutes then you think?

It depends... they might still suck in practice and that is what matters per @Saint Cy of JFC

All kidding aside... if coach doesn't put Brantley and Oni in for Niang and Mudiay in a game we are trying to win I will flip out. Niang has lost his shooting mojo which means he is now an extreme liability out there. Even if Brantley doesn't hit shots he does everything else better than Niang. JC gonna shoot the ball in the second unit anyway so put some dudes on the court that will do other stuff.

 

[Hekate]

It depends... they might still suck in practice and that is what matters per @Saint Cy of JFC

All kidding aside... if coach doesn't put Brantley and Oni in for Niang and Mudiay in a game we are trying to win I will flip out. Niang has lost his shooting mojo which means he is now an extreme liability out there. Even if Brantley doesn't hit shots he does everything else better than Niang. JC gonna shoot the ball in the second unit anyway so put some dudes on the court that will do other stuff.

Slumps happen, Niang is going to get out of his. His shooting is just too much value. That said I am all for reduced minutes.

Mudiay, on the other hand, should not even be on the bench.

 

[Troat Guru]

Tucker is too unpredictable

Agreed. It seems to me that often he has too much desire to play and prove something special...don't know if I have explained well how I want to mean

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

If the Jazz can get up to #19 in the draft order, then a player like Maxey, Hampton, Lewis or Pokusevski is going to be there for them.

 

[Bawse Dawg]

Pretty crazy if it continues to be Niang over Brantley. Seems unjustifiable. Oni over Mudiay too.

We have plenty of dudes who want to take shots. Those two guys can really change the defensive identity of our terrible second units.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Agreed. It seems to me that often he has too much desire to play and prove something special...don't know if I have explained well how I want to mean

Tucker should play for a team like Houston where he just sits on the wing and waits for Harden or Westbrook to kick him the ball. Then he either shoots or attacks the rim. He's not yet a guy who makes complex decisions with the ball.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Pretty crazy if it continues to be Niang over Brantley. Seems unjustifiable. Oni over Mudiay too.

We have plenty of dudes who want to take shots. Those two guys can really change the defensive identity of our terrible second units.

Niang is a high-gravity shooter, but there might be line-ups where Brantley's length and athleticism on defense are more important than Niang's shooting.

For example, can Brantley slow down Michael Porter Jr. or keep Jerami Grant off the boards. That's where Niang could struggle.

 

[NAOS]

Agreed. It seems to me that often he has too much desire to play and prove something special...don't know if I have explained well how I want to mean

I have zero trust in his shot right now, or in any probable future.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Slumps happen, Niang is going to get out of his. His shooting is just too much value. That said I am all for reduced minutes.

Mudiay, on the other hand, should not even be on the bench.

I have a theory on Niang... I think his numbers are somewhat padded by garbage time shooting. Can't tell you how many games he goes 2/3 on threes after the game is in hand.

Don't have access to the numbers, but he shoots 35.5% from three in the first half. Overall he is down to 39%. He has to be a 40% 3 point shooter on volume to justify his existence. I love the guy but he's killing us and we don't have time for him to break out of his slump.

 

[Jazzmix]

Good.

Oni and Brantley looked playable on the wing. Tucker is too unpredictable. He's mostly a hustle player right now.

Morgan is small at the 5 and underskilled at the 4. He's a situational backup big.

Very fair assesment.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Niang is a high-gravity shooter, but there might be line-ups with Brantley's length and athleticism on defense are more important than Niang's shooting.

He's not high gravity though... he's not like Duncan Robinson where you have to stay close or he can take a step one way or another and get his shot off in an instance. He isn't shooting from way behind the line like Bertans.

He's a fine and willing 3 point shooter... lately he's forced a couple he shouldn't. He's had a game or two where his shooting really gave us something we needed in a win (I can only remember the Orlando game).

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I want to see what Brantley looks like guarding Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap and Michael Porter Jr.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Niang is 31.5% from 3 since the all star break. That doesn't include todays game. He's 3/23 since the restart.

He's been hot garbage and that hurts me to say. He's been given a leash that is way too long already. Its produce or sit time.

 

[Hekate]

I have a theory on Niang... I think his numbers are somewhat padded by garbage time shooting. Can't tell you how many games he goes 2/3 on threes after the game is in hand.

Don't have access to the numbers, but he shoots 35.5% from three in the first half. Overall he is down to 39%. He has to be a 40% 3 point shooter on volume to justify his existence. I love the guy but he's killing us and we don't have time for him to break out of his slump.

That seems far-fetched.

It's not a perfect stat but with 3 minutes left in 4th quarter, he shoots %37. That's the lowest percentage of all except 2nd quarter where he shot 3 3pters.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

@Saint Cy of JFC LMAO

I won lmao. Thank god Oni didnt hit that BS like he did in the OKC game.

 

[Hekate]

@Handlogten's Heros

another stat.

In 4th quarters with margin of 10 points, Niang shoots %43. Significantly worse than his 1st and 3rd quarters.

10 points margin with 3 minutes left on the 4 quarter, Niang just shoots %35.

 

[NAOS]

@Handlogten's Heros

another stat.

In 4th quarters with margin of 10 points, Niang shoots %43. Significantly worse than his 1st and 3rd quarters.

He’s definitely earned a spot on the bench. The real question is merely whether Q has faith in anybody else. With Morgan getting dinged up, the only other guy would be Brantley.... and even in today’s scenario, he seemed pretty far down Q’s depth chart. It sucks.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

@Handlogten's Heros

another stat.

In 4th quarters with margin of 10 points, Niang shoots %43. Significantly worse than his 1st and 3rd quarters.

That is kind of exactly what I'm saying. 1st and 3rd quarters the game is still competitive and still up for grabs... then he bangs a few in garbage time when it doesn't matter.

He shoots 35% against western conference teams and 44% against the eastern conference (when we are beating up on losers like Washington and NY). If he is closer to 35% than 40%+ that is meaningful.

 

[Bawse Dawg]

I won lmao. Thank god Oni didnt hit that BS like he did in the OKC game.

Oh yea, just remembered you got the half point. Congrats. And our boys had a moment or two out there, good stuff.