Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
With the draft just a day away, I was looking at all the trade rumors and seeing the resources that the "big market" teams have at their disposal. It made me wonder what "small market" teams, like the Jazz, can do to help even things up.
It's been pretty well established that the Jazz have to build through the draft. Veteran free agents don't typically want to come to Utah unless the Jazz overpay for their services. So, how can the Jazz take that next step toward becoming a true contender, when the deck is stacked against them?
I have a lot of ideas on things the Jazz can do to get an edge over other NBA teams. Some are pretty simple (like investing a lot in international scouting - which the Jazz have done under DL's watch), while some ideas are significantly more complex and unorthodox.
Mark Cuban talked about the NBA getting involved in AAU and player development with grade school kids as a way to identify the best players and help them avoid the pitfalls that can occur when young, talented athletes are exploited. I actually don't hate that idea. Similar to the Sports institute that Dante Exum attended in Australia, I'd love to see the NBA affiliate and support private schools for athletes that focus on getting the best players academically ready for college, while also giving them the best training, coaching and competition that money can buy.
That's the kind of "outside the box" idea that I'm looking for. . . just more Jazz specific instead of general NBA. So, what are some ways that the Jazz can find an edge?
It's been pretty well established that the Jazz have to build through the draft. Veteran free agents don't typically want to come to Utah unless the Jazz overpay for their services. So, how can the Jazz take that next step toward becoming a true contender, when the deck is stacked against them?
I have a lot of ideas on things the Jazz can do to get an edge over other NBA teams. Some are pretty simple (like investing a lot in international scouting - which the Jazz have done under DL's watch), while some ideas are significantly more complex and unorthodox.
Mark Cuban talked about the NBA getting involved in AAU and player development with grade school kids as a way to identify the best players and help them avoid the pitfalls that can occur when young, talented athletes are exploited. I actually don't hate that idea. Similar to the Sports institute that Dante Exum attended in Australia, I'd love to see the NBA affiliate and support private schools for athletes that focus on getting the best players academically ready for college, while also giving them the best training, coaching and competition that money can buy.
That's the kind of "outside the box" idea that I'm looking for. . . just more Jazz specific instead of general NBA. So, what are some ways that the Jazz can find an edge?