After the game-winning layup, I thought "****!"
Exum, Hood, Burke and Gobert's improvement along with Burks getting healthy.
This team will shock people next year I think.
No doubt. Imagine how good they could become as:
1. Dante improves
2. Burks returns and improves
3. Gobert and Favors improve
4. Hood gets his feet under him and improves
5. Millsap improves
6. Burke improves
7. We get a shooter
I have absolutely no doubt this team could win a championship in 3-5 years if things go well.
Agree with all those and 2 to 7 you can count on, they are all young and will improve to some degree. Number 1 is the key, as Dante has to improve a LOT to contribute enough to claim a trophy. I think he will, but how soon?
b_line
Well-Known Member
He never grew a pencil line mustache and talked like a frog doe...
How exactly does one talk like a frog?
b_line
Well-Known Member
Ask tyrone
jope
Well-Known Member
Re: #5
Millsap will be 28 at the beginning of next season. Highly unlikely that he improves, at all.
Yeah, missed that one. He needs to watch an endless loop of Bruce Bowen tapes and then practice 1,000 corner 3s a day. 95% of his shots should be corner 3s, the other 5% layups. There is a chance, but yeah at his age it is less likely.
Experience counts for a lot. And Millsap has very little NBA experience. I think you play to the level of those around you in many respects. He is built like a brick and probably has a few years till he reaches his peak physically. I don't think he'll improve like the youngsters, but as he becomes more comfortable he'll continue to improve.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Millsap?
I'm hoping he and Jingles barely see the court next season. They need to be like Jeremy Evans: deep subs.
If #4 and #7 happen, then there won't be enough minutes for Elijah and Joe. Wings will be Hayward, Burks, Hood and the shooter. Assume Hayward gets 35 mins and Burks gets 30. That leaves only 31 minutes to divide between everyone else at the 2/3. I guess if the shooter was a combo guard and Utah traded Trey, that would free up wing minutes. Or if Utah gets a stretch-4 and Booker returns to his role as the 4th big that gives us some outside offense at the 4.
IMO, though, it really comes down to PG. If Utah wants to win NOW, Dante either needs to develop a 3PT shot and be willing to drive occasionally, or he needs to sit down and only play 10 mins/per. Jazz HAVE to upgrade that position. And I think that also means moving Kobe Burke. Just can't have a guy averaging < 40% taking 17 shots/per game. AND often taking shots when a better scorer is standing there open.
But they are not winning now, unless they can reel in a harden or lillard or durant. Not gonna happen. Next year they compete and get to the PO, year after they are competitive in the PO, then we can think about the finals the next year, and that is a very very rosy scenario. So, we have time for Dante, but we do not get there without him turning into some sort of stud and I think he can.
Agree about Joe and Sap, hope we have no need for them next year. It is amazing how well we play with those guys getting big minutes. A stretch 4 sounds very interesting to go with Rudy, favs, and book.
Does Ray Allen have a son? LOL. I hear that Lebron's get is getting scholarship offers and he is about 3 years old.
b_line
Well-Known Member
We have plenty of time for dante to develop. Gobert is still on the way up, as is Favors and Hayward. I bet we will see Dante approaching what he is going to be at the end of the 2016/17 season, which is perfect. If we are getting to the second round of the playoffs and have a chance for conf finals at that point, that is even ahead of schedule.
Locke keeps talking about how he thinks the Jazz are going to have a tough time getting from their 45 wins next season to 55 wins after that. I actually think they will be closer to 50 wins next season, and are going to have a tough time becoming the top tier 60 win team that competes for titles.
Locke keeps talking about how he thinks the Jazz are going to have a tough time getting from their 45 wins next season to 55 wins after that. I actually think they will be closer to 50 wins next season, and are going to have a tough time becoming the top tier 60 win team that competes for titles.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
If we are to retain Hayward in 2 years when he can opt out, I think we need to start competing NOW. That's not to say I think we can/will win a championship. Gobert is just a pup. Favors can still get better, etc. But even to make the playoffs, the Jazz have to get a LOT better. And that means letting Exum develop as a backup and in practice, just like Stockton did. We need our Ricky Green, who was a damn good PG (former all-star) to guide the team until Dante grows a pair and is ready to use them. And heaven forbid if that NEVER happens. There is STILL a HIGH bust potential with Dante. Or he becomes a guy like Marvin Williams: a player with marvelous athletic skills and a pretty good defender, but never a stud. Was always a very good teammate, never caused problems, but just never had that killer attitude/hunger to get to the next level. Right now - and I hope I'm wrong - I see that trajectory for Dante.
My ONE hope is that Favors showed the same passivity when he came over in the trade. That first year he was very soft-spoken, kept to himself. We had some of the same concerns. And probably still did to a certain extent until Rudy took charge. Now the two play tough. Favors still isn't demonstrative with his reactions (like Rudy and Trevor) but he is tough on the court. Maybe Dante can be the same type of player. Reaching for straws here...
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jope
Well-Known Member
I think he has potential to improve in his role, but not really as a player.
I agree that a win now mentality might be overrated. We are better off to focus on world domination in 2-3 years and get the pieces in place for that. Let's face it, Rudy will be much better in two years. So will Dante. In the meantime we need to build a culture of toughness, togetherness and sacrifice. I see a guy like Sap as integral to that process. I loved DMC for the same reason. Lucky for us Rudy brings that toughness. I think of past champions and there were always one or two players that might not look great on paper, but helped determine the winning character of the team.
I think this is super realistic.