What's new
By:
Filters

Better than last year's team?

Doc Cherno

Doc Cherno

Well-Known Member
I know I'm going to screw this up by forgetting someone, but after the signing of Thompson I had to wonder how we fare compared to last year's team. We've got A LOT of new faces comingin this year, which may take some time to gel, but at this early point I've got to give major points to KOC.

09/10 10/11
Williams/Price/Gaines Williams/Watson/Price ***
Wesley/CJ/Jeffers Bell/CJ/Thompson **
AK/Korver * AK/Haywood/Evans
Boozer/Millsap * Big Al/Millsap
Memo/Fes Elson/Fes/Memo **

I've starred (***) which team was better, in my estimation, at any position. I'll give the slight edge to Boozer at this point, but I feel very optimistic Big Al could meet or exceed that level of play (especially on defense which couldn't get much worse). I also think at this point Korver is better than Haywood or Evans, but I see much more upside. At point guard we've made, for us, a major improvement with the signing of Watson, and the two guard is also improved (though I liked Wesley a lot, Bell is better at this point and I don't care what Thompson does he's got to be an upgrade over Jeffers). The 5 is more of a question mark at this point: Memo is injured and Fes isn't signed (though maybe he is and I just lost sight of it in all the Fes threads). Given there wasn't much change and only addition, plus the fact that Big Al can more easily slide to the 5 than could Boozer, I think this year's team is also better at there. Did we get better than other teams? I don't know, but I feel good that we got better than our team last year. And if Haywood, Evans, and Thompson (or any combo therein) can show some serious chops, we'll be really good.


Your thoughts and eviscerations?
 
With all these new pieces I think you need to see them play 10 games together to make a judgment.

I think Talent for Talent yes.
 
There is really no way to tell at this point.

If Memo comes back OK and Bell has a career year and Hayward makes all rookie first team, I still doubt this team will win 45 games if D-Will and Jefferson can't get on the same page.

Even if they do get on the same page, I'm fully preparing myself for a slow start. Jazz started off shaky 3 out of the last 4 years with essentially the same core players. And given the tough schedule in November I think the "lots of new faces" excuse will be thrown around daily once the new season starts.

If Jefferson can be a 20/10 guy in this offense, I expect 53-55 wins even with the slow start. Which I guess would make them better than last year's team.
 
Talent for talent I think this is a better team for sure.

As far as our team meshing, I think it is something that will take time but I'm sure it will happen. Especially with the strength of our opening schedule, it wouldn't really surprise me if we started 5-5 or worse.

What I'm hoping is that this team gets it together well enough to consistently destroy the bottom feeders. Something our team last year seriously struggled with.
 
I see this team as having some very good strengths, but is overall a little more vulnerable than last season. We could be one injury to Al away from being a late lottery team.
 
If Al stays healthy I don't see any way he doesn't put up 20/10, unless Millsap takes up more of an offensive role.

I think anything you get from Memo is a bonus. I don't think he will do much.
 
Memo's situation saddens me. I don't think he's a top 5 center, by any means, but I have to say I thought he's been slowly developing a nice game. And there were certainly lots of games when he was on with his 3s that he brought an interesting dynamic to Sloan's rotation. I also thought the guy was not afraid to get out there and bust his butt the last two years. I think that, plus some really poor advice from Gary Briggs (or whoever), did him in. I hope he'll come back strong, but his kind of injury for a big man can create daunting psychological issues as well.
 
candrew said:
There is really no way to tell at this point.

If Memo comes back OK and Bell has a career year and Hayward makes all rookie first team, I still doubt this team will win 45 games if D-Will and Jefferson can't get on the same page.

Even if they do get on the same page, I'm fully preparing myself for a slow start. Jazz started off shaky 3 out of the last 4 years with essentially the same core players. And given the tough schedule in November I think the "lots of new faces" excuse will be thrown around daily once the new season starts.

If Jefferson can be a 20/10 guy in this offense, I expect 53-55 wins even with the slow start. Which I guess would make them better than last year's team.
Click to expand...

I agree with your ideas except for the very end. If AJ can be a 20-10 guy, isn't that really no different than Booze, so why would you expect a jump to 53-55 wins even with a slow start? In other words, what, in your opinion, about this team is better than the one we had last year to expect a better record?
 
KrazeeEyezKilla said:
I agree with your ideas except for the very end. If AJ can be a 20-10 guy, isn't that really no different than Booze, so why would you expect a jump to 53-55 wins even with a slow start? In other words, what, in your opinion, about this team is better than the one we had last year to expect a better record?
Click to expand...

I think one big thing could be that Jefferson now finally on a winning team will be motiviated to play good defense. Considering Booze's bad defense and AJ able to score as much as Booze this could certainly be a +4 difference in scoring. Also there will hopefully be the Fes monster who will have a huge year :)
 
I think this team has the POTENTIAL to be better than last year's team, perhaps even MUCH better. But there are so many uncertainties, that the team also has the potential to be worse, in my opinion. I'm taking a "stay hopeful, but wait & see" attitude.
 
colton said:
I think this team has the POTENTIAL to be better than last year's team, perhaps even MUCH better. But there are so many uncertainties, that the team also has the potential to be worse, in my opinion. I'm taking a "stay hopeful, but wait & see" attitude.
Click to expand...
That's about where I'm at. I feel like they have improved a few weak points, but I haven't seen proof yet. For example, I think Deron/Watson/Price is better than Deron/Price/Gaines, but what if Watson comes in and goes all Hart/Knight? I also think that the Jefferson/Memo/Fesenko?/Elson is more solid than Memo/Fesenko/Koufos, but there are question marks there as well (how quicklly and effectively does Memo come back, does Fes end up here).

If all goes well, I think the better backup PG play, AK at PF (some) and better C rotation helps the Jazz improve over last year. But that's an if.
 
The key is that AJ and Millsap are on the court together, something that Boozer and Millsap could never do since they are pretty similar players. The even better news is that Millsap is the better of the two (vs Boozer). 58 wins.
 
Yes we will. The west has lost Amare and probably Carmella any day now, leaving Phoenix and Denver in rebuilding mode. Then we have SA and Dallas slightly declining due to aging superstars. Portland and LA more or less stayed the same. Thunder of course is the main problem hopefully we'll have a healthy AK to slow down Durant.
 
....I don't think all the new faces will have that big of a negative impact on the Jazz. We've improved defensively with the subtractions of Boozer and Memo....and we've improved offensively, if for no other reason than we have "smarter" ball players who I feel confident will pick up the Jazz system pretty quick! We still have a very good core of carry over players with Deron, Miles, Klinko.....and our subs have been with us awhile, too. This Jazz team will win 50+ games just by throwing the ball out on the court.....and staying healthy!
 
carolinajazz said:
....I don't think all the new faces will have that big of a negative impact on the Jazz. We've improved defensively with the subtractions of Boozer and Memo....and we've improved offensively, if for no other reason than we have "smarter" ball players who I feel confident will pick up the Jazz system pretty quick! We still have a very good core of carry over players with Deron, Miles, Klinko.....and our subs have been with us awhile, too. This Jazz team will win 50+ games just by throwing the ball out on the court.....and staying healthy!
Click to expand...

Know something we dont know about Memo. Hopefully he will be back for over half the season. A healthy Memo still could play a big part in a championship run especially against the Lakers where we will need all the size we can get.
 
Jazz4ever said:
Portland and LA more or less stayed the same. .
Click to expand...


LA didnt quite stay the same. They have bolstered their bench by adding Blake, Barnes and Ratliff to play alongside Odom and Brown. That was their only weakness last year and they fixed it.
------------------

With the Jazz, you have to give it about a month or two before judging them. They have added some new
faces but there also a lot of question marks. How fast Deron and Al mesh together will determine how slow of astart we have. Miles, Millsap and AK all have a big part to play to keep this team afloat early in the season.
 
Talent-wise, we look much better. If everything falls this weeekend as forecast, we'd look like this:

PG Williams, Watson, Price
SG Bell, Ross (from NJ for AK), Thompson
SF Miles, Hayward, Evans
PF Millsap, Jefferson, Diaw (from Char for AK)
C Jefferson, Elson, Okur, Fesenko

IMO, that's much better than last season's team:

PG Williams, Price, Gaines
SG Matthews, Korver, Jeffers
SF Miles, Kirilenko
PF Boozer, Millsap
C Okur, Fesenko, Koufas
 
One guy who should be pulling for this Carmelo trade to happen is Fesenko. If AK goes, that means the Jazz would be in a better position to pay more $$$ for Fes. I actually hope Houston makes him an offer just to get him his new contract over and done with.
On Okur, at his age, coming back full strength will be a challenge. He wasn't any great leaper to start with... And that looming scenario of a hobbling Memo will obviously up Fes's value to the Jazz...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top