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si article "Can Millsap play SF?"

I'm going to pretend someone's dumb *** didn't just start spraying everywhere and try to make a point.

1) Matt Harpring came into the NBA a PF. And until his legs crumbled, he was quite a good SF.
2) Paul Millsap has succeeded at everything he's put his mind to. If you've doubted his ability to grow as a player, you've been proven wrong (I am among them).
3) Millsap's rebounding has already taken a dump because he was forced to play so much away from the rim last year anyway.
4) Harpring maintained pretty good rebounding rates even as a 3. And getting rebounding out of your perimeter players is what tips rebounding to an advantage. I'm not a Harpring lover, but it seems apparent that the Jazz went from a fantastic rebounding team to a good rebounding team when he left. And in the following year the Jazz became a simply bad rebounding team.

I don't know if Millsap can be a full-time 3, but I'm going to withhold judgment until I see what he can do if he has time to prepare for the transition. I get the sneaking suspicion that he's already been doing some work (I'd guess he's trying to maintain his strength as much as he can while working on his agility and learning how to guard on the perimeter).
 
NUMBERICA said:
I'm going to pretend someone's dumb *** didn't just start spraying everywhere and try to make a point.

1) Matt Harpring came into the NBA a PF. And until his legs crumbled, he was quite a good SF.
2) Paul Millsap has succeeded at everything he's put his mind to. If you've doubted his ability to grow as a player, you've been proven wrong (I am among them).
3) Millsap's rebounding has already taken a dump because he was forced to play so much away from the rim last year anyway.
4) Harpring maintained pretty good rebounding rates even as a 3. And getting rebounding out of your perimeter players is what tips rebounding to an advantage. I'm not a Harpring lover, but it seems apparent that the Jazz went from a fantastic rebounding team to a good rebounding team when he left. And in the following year the Jazz became a simply bad rebounding team.

I don't know if Millsap can be a full-time 3, but I'm going to withhold judgment until I see what he can do if he has time to prepare for the transition. I get the sneaking suspicion that he's already been doing some work (I'd guess he's trying to maintain his strength as much as he can while working on his agility and learning how to guard on the perimeter).
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Just because Harpring adjusted to his new role doesnt mean every other player will do it damn it! What gave you the clue that Millsap is going to be a good SF i am really curious. Or is it one of your illusions about AK that you would prefer anyone else to play at 3 rather than seeing him in our team again?

I never doubted his ability to grow and he did grow by margin since he was first drafted. Dont manipulate my words Mr.smartpants, there is a difference between growing as a player and adjusting to a different position. Millsap has been a very very productive PF for all those years and i dont know why you people try to create him a space at 3?

It is very simple, we can get a decent player at SF and give away one player if we have dozens of PFs. But its very nonsense to force some guy to play at 3 which is pretty clear his productivity will not come anything close to as he was at 4.
 
Millsap could probably average 10mpg at SF. Most of those would come in games where the matchups were favorable for him though.

I just don't see him starting and getting 35minutes at SF. Does anyone?

Like most of you I don't see a trade in our future this year. Better to wait it out a year when our vets are also expiring contracts.

Here is what my crystal ball shows.
Jazz sign Watson 1 year, vet min. About a mil.
Jazz sign Battier, 3 year 16 mil. Team option or buyout on year #3.

Harris (35), Watson (13) - Really need to showcase Harris a bit.
Miles (30), Hayward (18), Bell (zero) - Bell will get garbage minutes if at all. Miles is slimming down to play SG.
Hayward (15), Battier (25), Millsap (8) - Why not AK? He's probably going to need a contract that goes beyond 2 years, and that's going to be a dealbreaker for a backup SF. Battier can bring defense, shooting and most importantly a veteran leader to the team rather like Fisher did in his short time here.
Favors (28), Millsap (20), Evans (zero) - Evans will be hoping someone get injured to see any significant time.
Jefferson (33), Okur (10), Kanter (5) - Just sucks that Kanter can't get more minutes, but, if Okur is healthy Okur is gonna play. If he's not healthy Kanter could see 15mpg.

Notes: If we can't get Battier I look to a lesser role player to come in like a Rasual Butler or Azubuike. Anyone that'll come in and do a job and not need to be on the books past 2 years. Also, I think Okur is trade bait. One scenario I see for him in my crystal ball is sending him to NJ for Morrow and change. (but, that's very, very murky in the heart of my crystal ball)
 
jazzfan1971 said:
Millsap could probably average 10mpg at SF. Most of those would come in games where the matchups were favorable for him though.

I just don't see him starting and getting 35minutes at SF. Does anyone?

Like most of you I don't see a trade in our future this year. Better to wait it out a year when our vets are also expiring contracts.

Here is what my crystal ball shows.
Jazz sign Watson 1 year, vet min. About a mil.
Jazz sign Battier, 3 year 16 mil. Team option or buyout on year #3.

Harris (35), Watson (13) - Really need to showcase Harris a bit.
Miles (30), Hayward (18), Bell (zero) - Bell will get garbage minutes if at all. Miles is slimming down to play SG.
Hayward (15), Battier (25), Millsap (8) - Why not AK? He's probably going to need a contract that goes beyond 2 years, and that's going to be a dealbreaker for a backup SF. Battier can bring defense, shooting and most importantly a veteran leader to the team rather like Fisher did in his short time here.
Favors (28), Millsap (20), Evans (zero) - Evans will be hoping someone get injured to see any significant time.
Jefferson (33), Okur (10), Kanter (5) - Just sucks that Kanter can't get more minutes, but, if Okur is healthy Okur is gonna play. If he's not healthy Kanter could see 15mpg.

Notes: If we can't get Battier I look to a lesser role player to come in like a Rasual Butler or Azubuike. Anyone that'll come in and do a job and not need to be on the books past 2 years. Also, I think Okur is trade bait. One scenario I see for him in my crystal ball is sending him to NJ for Morrow and change. (but, that's very, very murky in the heart of my crystal ball)
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Well at least a rather logical idea. There can be shifts in game between players and positions but it is a very nonsense thing to force some player to play(take major mins) in a position he wont be productive at all.
 
I think Burks yet to prove anything, but he doesn't seem to have good defense, i would prefer to see both Hayward and Burks at 2. If AK will leave the team , we should for sure get a SF. And Miles can back him up , Hayward can be the third option and fill the space up if any of them are injured. But i wouldn't consider playing Millsap as 3 at all.
 
BabyPeterzz said:
I also agree that there is no rush to make this decision, but it will have to be made eventually.

What if Kanter performs well, Favors comes in looking like Dwight, Millsap makes his yearly improvements as always, and Al makes stides in help defense, passing out of the post, and PnR? Memo's a moot point, his injury history makes him practically untradable and or at best the least valuable of our bigs.

What do you do? Who do you move?

I think it comes down to Millsap and Al. If Al improves his 3 gaping holes, then you keep him and trade Sap. Otherwise he's gone. His holes are big enough to hurt the team more than he helps. Personally, I don't see him addressing all 3 holes, if he does then goodbye Sap. But I don't see it happening.
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I don't see a problem for another couple of years. Kanter is EXTREMELY raw and Favors is no all-star. There are also injuries to consider; rarely do players go a full 82 games. Millsap and Big Al have been pretty durable (except for Al's knee injury). Still, you can probably count on Jefferson, Favors and Millsap missing about 5 games each. The LAST thing we want is to trade a big and then have to sign a guy like Elson or Collins as an injury replacement and for that player to get major minutes.

I see Jefferson getting 35 mins and Kanter averaging around 15. Enes showed some promise in Eurobasket, but he has a long ways to go and will undoubtedly get into foul trouble as a rookie. At PF, assume Favors gets 25+. That means Millsap, when everyone is healthy, will need to split his minutes at PF and SF. Paul will start at PF and can then slide over to SF as the backup 3 behind Hayward. Again, that's when everyone is healthy and no one is in foul trouble. When you factor in injuries, there may be games when Kanter plays 10 and other games when he plays 25+.

I think it likely the Jazz try to trade the expiring contracts of Okur and/or CJ at the deadline to pick up a veteran wing. There's no need to rush to any decisions on the bigs unless/until Favors and Kanter show they're ready to be quality starters and play 30+ mins.
 
GlassEater said:
I don't see a problem for another couple of years. Kanter is EXTREMELY raw and Favors is no all-star. There are also injuries to consider; rarely do players go a full 82 games. Millsap and Big Al have been pretty durable (except for Al's knee injury). Still, you can probably count on Jefferson, Favors and Millsap missing about 5 games each. The LAST thing we want is to trade a big and then have to sign a guy like Elson or Collins as an injury replacement and for that player to get major minutes.

I see Jefferson getting 35 mins and Kanter averaging around 15. Enes showed some promise in Eurobasket, but he has a long ways to go and will undoubtedly get into foul trouble as a rookie. At PF, assume Favors gets 25+. That means Millsap, when everyone is healthy, will need to split his minutes at PF and SF. Paul will start at PF and can then slide over to SF as the backup 3 behind Hayward. Again, that's when everyone is healthy and no one is in foul trouble. When you factor in injuries, there may be games when Kanter plays 10 and other games when he plays 25+.

I think it likely the Jazz try to trade the expiring contracts of Okur and/or CJ at the deadline to pick up a veteran wing. There's no need to rush to any decisions on the bigs unless/until Favors and Kanter show they're ready to be quality starters and play 30+ mins.
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You dont see the big picture here, if we will set this team around young core of favors kanter and hayward they should start right away, this rustyness will not be gone if they dont find playing time. We arent gonna be contender with this team anyway and it will not give us any good to make playoffs and be eliminated in the first round. Instead we can give young players playing down and see them improve. In the worst case it will speed up the improvement process of Kanter and Favors.
Memo and Millsap, even Evans is enough to back these guys up. We could get rid of AJ and get some good asset in return like a decent SF or something. I dont dislike AJ but i dont see any reason to keep him with his loaded contract if he isnt in our future plans
 
With Favors, Kanter and Memo on board, I really hope Al doesn't get 35 minutes per game. 32 would be about right IMO (unless he's playing like he did to start last year...then he shouldn't crack 30).
 
GVC said:
With Favors, Kanter and Memo on board, I really hope Al doesn't get 35 minutes per game. 32 would be about right IMO (unless he's playing like he did to start last year...then he shouldn't crack 30).
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I am always skeptical about Al that he cant be the main player in a contender. For me he is the franchise player of small caliber teams and somehow i feel like he will never fulfill his potential, he will always stay like the player who is very talented but lacks basketball iq.
 
I could see a Jefferson/Favors front court on a contender. They would have to be surround by talented perimeter players but Favors has size to guard both positions. Though Kanter is a superior athlete to Jefferson and likely will eventually be a better defender.
 
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