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D-Will Interview, quote about recruiting players to SLC

urujazz

urujazz

Well-Known Member
Ok, I've just found this interesting article on Deron. I think it wasn't posted yet.

The most important quote (Jazz related) is this:

Williams doesn't like to complain about the pitfalls of playing in a small market. He uses every opportunity to laud Salt Lake City. But it's no coincidence that his star power there never quite matched his talent.

During his 5½ seasons in Utah, Williams led the Jazz to four playoff appearances and a Western Conference final. Locals embraced him as a hero, the next John Stockton, even though he was snubbed by All-Star selectors until his fifth season. But his toughest challenge was attracting free agents to the Mormon capital. Carlos Boozer left for Chicago last summer and was replaced by Al Jefferson, leaving Williams without a proven standout to share the load.

"That was the hardest thing for me," he says of playing recruiter for the Jazz. "I tried every summer. I played with the best guys year after year and guys that were becoming free agents and asked if they wanted to come play with me and they're like, 'In Utah?'"

"I tried to tell people it's a great city. If you want to go out and party every night, it's not where you want to be. It's a clean city. There's a lot to do for families. The fans are great. Great foods. Great restaurants. The only thing it didn't have is partying."
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There's also mention about his role in the departure of Jerry, and his trade to the Nets.

The thing that most worries me is: If Deron being an AllStar and also one of the 3 best PG in the league, couldn't help the FO to attract free agents to Utah, who can do it?

So, the only ways to get great players is via the Draft, or overpaying for them? I don't like it. :(
 
gotta love the NBA, all the best players are flocking on the same team leaving small markets like us with nothing! NBA needs to learn a few things from the NFL, this is stupid. It sucks that our jazz suck because no one wants to play for us! we got a bunch of nubs, to come and play here they become good and leave to bigger markets! while the craps stay behind. We find the gold nuggs threw the dirt basically! We suck now more then the clippers and the kings and every other crap team!! how about they just make the NBA into the teams that everyone wants to play for and cut the rest!? So i dont have to go threw the pain of watching the jazz lose year after year! I dont think we will ever get great like the old jazz team those day are over! might as well cut our loses and sell the team to Seattle!?!
 
it started to be really boring to see 2-3 star players in one team, and miami players are crying that everyone is happy when miami loses, of course they are, your team messed up the balance of the league, and now melo, amare, billups in the same team. I hope nba management finds a solution to this,like putting a maximum salary cap restriction or something like that

And being a small market team, we always suffered from this problem, and even the referees make more favorable decisions for other teams against utah, i think our only hope is this years draft. We need to get lucky and win the lottery.So we can build around irving. Otherwise we will always be the same,a decent playoff team or even worse, because before we had jerry sloan,he was at least some kinda symbol which may attract players to play for him, but now we dont. I hope we will find a way, but all hopes are being dimmed day by day
 
Obviously there is truth to DWill's comments, and your analysis. It's probably why the Jazz had Favors #1 on their draft board. A very quiet, laid back kid who wouldn't mind playing in SLC. It's also why KOC likely has the euro centers and Fredette very high on his board.
 
i really doubt utah is going to draft jimmer fredette he is ok at best...ball handling skills is avg at best. if utah were smart and really needs a gd point guard i take brandon knight from kentucky as far for a salt lake city not being a party town...if that was case how come los angeles clippers has not won,golden state warriors last time they won was back in 1975 35 yrs ago... during rick berry was playing,atlanta hawks has not won these city are party towns, if that was case these team would been winning....as long you have a owner who is willing to put a winning product it don't matter were they play at...even milwaukee is like 2 or so drive to chicago they haven't won anything since the 70's when they traded there top center to the los angeles lakers...
 
Jazz4ever said:
Obviously there is truth to DWill's comments, and your analysis. It's probably why the Jazz had Favors #1 on their draft board. A very quiet, laid back kid who wouldn't mind playing in SLC. It's also why KOC likely has the euro centers and Fredette very high on his board.
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True. This is definitely a factor in Jazz personnel decisions. Seriously, the Jazz front office should help open a couple New York-style night clubs for its players and face the music. Get a designer hotel or something with a lounge. There's plenty of empty space downtown. They could call it "The Franchise" and make it exclusive. Let the players' friends stay there for free or cheap. Think out of the box people!
 
Pretty fair comments from DWill. Nothing I didn't already know, but for a guy who speaks honestly it was nice to hear him not bad mouth the city.
 
Lance-A-Million said:
Can all you Jazz fans who want the Jazz to move and "won't care" because you're "not from Utah" seriously please stfu, thanks
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The only place I'd like to see the Jazz move, if they did, is Seattle, as I want to move there and it would be awesome to actually live in the place my favorite NBA team is.

Then again, if they changed the names and uniforms it wouldn't be the same. And frankly, I don't want to see them move. I always thought SLC got a bad rap. It's a nice little city, and the atmosphere at ESA is about as good as it gets in the NBA (at least when the Jazz are worth a damn).
 
This is another reason why we need to go after Barnes. The guy's character, and personality seem to be similar to Favors.

A core of Hayward - Barnes - Big Al - Favors sounds great, and seems to work with players living in Utah.
 
With where there were relative to cap space, and spending luxury tax some of those years, I want to know who he was recruiting?
 
Can I get a translator, Amen.



This is what happens in star-centric games. MLB and NFL minimize it somewhat b/c the amount of players and teamwork required. You're not getting this in a game where one guy can skew the outcome so disproportionally. I don't see the point bitching and moaning forever about something that is not going to change.

And I'm not directing this at the OP. Thanks for the find Uruguay.
 
a) we heard the quote from DWill a month ago & I always wondered which FAs he was referring to because we never had the cap to sign any "star-caliber" player.
b) when i think of major markets, I think of (past decade) LAL (Kobe/Shaq) but LAC blows, CHI (Jordan/Pippen), NY (never won & bombed once Ewing declined), & BOS (never won w/ Pierce but acquired Allen w/ their 5th pick, where only then KG agreed to a trade).
c) the trend of previous 20 NBA Champs are Jordan (6), Kobe (5), Shaq (4), Duncan (4), Hakeem (2), DWade (1-Shaq), DET (1-DEFENSE), BOS (1-DEFENSE)
d) my championship synopsis: drafted superstars & defense wins!! also, awesome PGs are not needed (Fisher, Kerr, Paxon, BJ, Harper, AJohnson, Parker, Cassell, KSmith, JWill) to win a championship (even our beloved Stock couldnt beat out MJ/Pippen).
e) Our rosters w/ DWill were flawed every year (no big defender & scoring/defending wing). I believe KOC acquired that big defender, a PG to can lead a team, & drafted a headsy baller in Hayward.

2011-12 players under contract
PG) Harris
SG) CJ / Bell
SF) Millsap / Hayward
PF) Favors / Evans
C) Al / Memo
.... and we got 2 lottery picks this year & maybe 2 next (unfortunate, if we miss the playoffs)
 
I was wondering the same thing. Who the hell was he recruiting? We had no cap room. Thanks deron for not disparaging the city, but you are a damn liar.
 
Nate505 said:
Pretty fair comments from DWill. Nothing I didn't already know, but for a guy who speaks honestly it was nice to hear him not bad mouth the city.
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He was always pro-SLC. Since day one. And since he found jesus last year or the year before, even more so. Like many beat writers wrote, he was committed to SLC.

Nate505 said:
The only place I'd like to see the Jazz move, if they did, is Seattle, as I want to move there and it would be awesome to actually live in the place my favorite NBA team is.
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Here, here.

BOX said:
I was wondering the same thing. Who the hell was he recruiting? We had no cap room. Thanks deron for not disparaging the city, but you are a damn liar.
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Really dude? Are you really saying that Deron is lying here?
 
BOX said:
I was wondering the same thing. Who the hell was he recruiting? We had no cap room. Thanks deron for not disparaging the city, but you are a damn liar.
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Well DWill was here for more than just last year. In fact several years.


If you were young and (most likely black) had a ton of money would you want to live in Utah?

The winters suck (cold & smoggy)
Taxes are really high
Not much of a night life to speak of
Mostly white population & majority Mormon

Williams had a helluva tough sale.
 
I'm not disagreeing with the fact that Utah is a tough sell, but when did the jazz have money to even make a run at a quality free agent a possibility? Just sayin.
 
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