Game Thread Nov 02, 2025 04:00PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Charlotte Hornets

[HadAnEffectHere]

Exactly how does that happen? How do the Jazz become okay (some might say: mid) from this starting point? By getting guys like Collins, Sexton, Olynyk etc.?

And if the Jazz not only do not get a top3 pick, but don't get the franchise-altering player with said pick, the whole "multi-year contender or nothing" was just ********, right?

I mean, it would be giving up and saying it was a mistake and trying to just contend for the play-in forever afterwards, yes.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Exactly how does that happen? How do the Jazz become okay (some might say: mid) from this starting point? By getting guys like Collins, Sexton, Olynyk etc.?

And if the Jazz not only do not get a top3 pick, but don't get the franchise-altering player with said pick, the whole "multi-year contender or nothing" was just ********, right?

The young players get better but the ones that are duds are moved or completely out of the rotation. Sign or trade for one starter level player. Maybe replace the Love, Anderson, Svi spots for a vet who is decent.

Lauri, Walk, Key with one or two of the young players that get better... plus a vet signing (45M in cap space) or two. Being mid may look like 30-35 wins. With health I think we aren't that far away.

To your second point. It would be pretty disappointing. I don't know that there is a big franchise changing talent in the 2027 draft but we have 3 picks in the draft and if we are 9th/10th in odds then maybe we get lucky.

I could see us trading Lauri and sucking in 2027 still too... I just think its less likely. This thing has not gone how they wanted. In part due to some mistakes by the Jazz and in part because of bad luck. In the NBA you are one lucky or unlucky event away from changing your fortunes.

 

[HadAnEffectHere]

The young players get better but the ones that are duds are moved or completely out of the rotation. Sign or trade for one starter level player. Maybe replace the Love, Anderson, Svi spots for a vet who is decent.

Lauri, Walk, Key with one or two of the young players that get better... plus a vet signing (45M in cap space) or two. Being mid may look like 30-35 wins. With health I think we aren't that far away.

To your second point. It would be pretty disappointing. I don't know that there is a big franchise changing talent in the 2027 draft but we have 3 picks in the draft and if we are 9th/10th in odds then maybe we get lucky.

I could see us trading Lauri and sucking in 2027 still too... I just think its less likely. This thing has not gone how they wanted. In part due to some mistakes by the Jazz and in part because of bad luck. In the NBA you are one lucky or unlucky event away from changing your fortunes.

I think they just have to tank forever until they get a superstar, there's no other outs that allow Danny Ainge to keep his reputation. There's no path to being a 2nd round+ contender without tanking forever.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I think they just have to tank forever until they get a superstar, there's no other outs that allow Danny Ainge to keep his reputation.

If its about DA's rep then I think its more likely a trade for a "star" that happens and not a perpetual tank. Zion, Ja, KAT, Garland, LaMelo short cut type of move. Try to recreate the KG/Pierce/Allen.

For this year... I think they will hear offers on Lauri but if the tank is secure (it is especially if this Walker thing ends up being an extended absence) then the hurry to move Lauri is just not there. On draft night maybe a team sends a pick in the 5-10 range that makes it interesting. I just think we will take our 40% chance at a top 3 pick and then see what we want to do from there.

Going through the scenario analysis where some say "what if we don't get a star in the draft or a high pick" is tough to come up with any good passable outcome because it removes the high upside. Its like saying "what does OKC do if SGA gets hurt"... they lose.

I think the two biggest whiffs we've had are not tanking hard enough in the Wemby draft and taking Williams over Buzelis. Other than that they have really been given a super ****** hand. We need to get some luck but I doubt they wait for lotto luck beyond this year.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Lauri is getting force fed to a comical degree and we have three other PFs on the roster he's blocking any possible development for (Filipowski, Hendricks, Ace),

You could just as well say that Lauri's insane gravity right now should make things a lot easier for those guys. I mean nobody's paying any attention to them while we have one dude scoring 50% of the team's points.

you don't pick Ace over Tre and Fears if you plan to keep Lauri.

But but but I thought Ace was the "clear" BPA at #5, and a rebuilding team like the Jazz simply has to take the BPA? At least that's what we heard from all the people who defended the pick.

 

[Tanktastic]

Lauri, Walk, Key with one or two of the young players that get better... plus a vet signing (45M in cap space) or two. Being mid may look like 30-35 wins. With health I think we aren't that far away.

That's just... isn't that... that's where the franchise was at the start of 22/23. Except they had a ton of draft picks in their arsenal.

In part due to some mistakes by the Jazz and in part because of bad luck. In the NBA you are one lucky or unlucky event away from changing your fortunes.

Other than that they have really been given a super ****** hand. We need to get some luck but I doubt they wait for lotto luck beyond this year.

I don't get how the Jazz have had bad luck, not to mention it being super ******.

Their picks have pretty much landed where they are most probable to end up. That's not bad luck.

The T-Henny injury was freakish and bad luck, but everyone else meaningful has pretty much been mainly healthy. I'd say that's pretty good luck.

Markkanen suddenly becoming an extremely valuable star player from being a throwaway in the trade is massively good luck.

 

[KqWIN]

Just based on what this regime has done, I kinda prefer trying to be lucky than good. The west is a gauntlet, and I don't have faith in our FO to navigate those waters without getting lucky first. Even a two year tank is a pretty quick turnaround. It just feels like a 4 year tank because of the half and half years. The reality is that every plan is overwhelmingly likely to fail. But I think building up from here without a tank takes much more mastery and I don't think we have that in the FO.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

That's just... isn't that... that's where the franchise was at the start of 22/23. Except they had a ton of draft picks in their arsenal.

That team was mid. It was on the back of vets that likely wouldn't be here long term. You asked how we get to mid... I answered. It would be a different type of mid with hopefully some big upside if one or two guys hit or take a leap. It would hopefully be building somewhere.

I don't get how the Jazz have had bad luck, not to mention it being super ******.

Their picks have pretty much landed where they are most probable to end up. That's not bad luck.

The T-Henny injury was freakish and bad luck, but everyone else meaningful has pretty much been mainly healthy. I'd say that's pretty good luck.

Markkanen suddenly becoming an extremely valuable star player from being a throwaway in the trade is massively good luck.

Its been ******. Slid back twice and haven't jumped up. Landing where you are most probable or in a probable range to land multiple times is not good luck. Taylor snapping his leg is bad luck.

They did get some good luck with Lauri BUT it also helped them be better than they should be in the Wemby draft. So it cut both ways. They didn't capitalize on that luck (one way or another) because of their desire for flexibility. Which I am fine with folks being upset with and I have said before they have a problem with commitment.

The absence of good luck that Dallas/Houston/San Antonio has received may not be characterized as bad luck if you want. The plan always relied on having good luck, which can come in many ways... and that has not happened. If you prefer to say they haven't had any luck... that's fine. They just can't wait forever imo.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Just based on what this regime has done, I kinda prefer trying to be lucky than good. The west is a gauntlet, and I don't have faith in our FO to navigate those waters without getting lucky first. Even a two year tank is a pretty quick turnaround. It just feels like a 4 year tank because of the half and half years. The reality is that every plan is overwhelmingly likely to fail. But I think building up from here without a tank takes much more mastery and I don't think we have that in the FO.

My guess is that if we don't land luck in 2026 that 2027 looks more like the half years. IDK... just based on how they have had diamond hands with Lauri thus far I am not sure they would be looking to move him while the base is getting restless and the fruits of the tank look rough thus far.

I think they are more likely to make a "go for the play in" trade than a Lauri trade. Will maybe view their other picks they own from 27-29 and the prospects they have as the way to get lucky in the draft.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

That team was mid. It was on the back of vets

Lauri 25
Sexton 24
Kessler 21
Vanderbilt 23
Agbaji 22
THT 22
NAW 24
Beasley 26

Ladies and gentlemen, your grizzled Utah Jazz 22/23 "vets". Practically running on fumes.

Yes, we had some important older players too. All winning teams have them. Saying that team had no future anyway is some high grade copium.

 

[KqWIN]

Desperate arguments don’t make for good arguments. They make you look like an idiot.

 

[HadAnEffectHere]

Yes, there was a real opportunity to build on that roster to create a perennial 48-52 win team that never would have contended, but would have made the playoffs every year and occasionally made the second round. Markkanen, NAW, Kessler, Sexton, and a ton of picks+vets could have been made into a solid though non-threatening team.

That future is past, the only way out is through, we have to just tank forever until we get a superstar.