Utah Jazz: Guards Need Not Apply
Ahhhh, can you smell that? It's draft time, where all the stinkers are covered by roses, and sold by sports agents as fresh-cut long stems to unsuspecting and overly amorous NBA fans.
The best part of this year's draft will come in a year or two, when we find out which billion-dollar franchise has beenย decimated by an "all in" bet this year on a 2010 America's Most Wanted candidate.
Utah has a good team, especially offensively. But let's be honestโthey needed fortunate matchups the last two seasons to get past the first round of the playoffs.
This year, Utah beat Houston without Yao Mingโand then were beaten by Gasol and the Lakers. Utah would of lost to any other "big-man team" in the West, which is all of them. Utah is overloaded with guards and forwards, andย underwhelmingly soft at the center position.
Utah Jazzย draft choices and trades generally reflect that of their walking butcher-shop of an owner, Larry Millerโvery conservative and old school.ย Jazzย managementย will always pass on hype and talent in favor of work ethic and levelheadedness.
Scott Layden used to get the credit for this contrarian genius that has served them so well over the years. So much so, the Knicks hired himย a few years ago to be their President of Basketball Operations. Now he is back and on the bench next to coach Sloan where he should be.
Coach Sloan has the final word and the most influence over these decisions of any NBA Coach ever. The picks generally reflect his choices alsoโand if they don't, they don't play.
The mock draft scenarios onlineย haveย the Jazzย looking at power forwards like Jason Thompson, but they already have Boozer andย Milsap. Utah will draft a center. Otherwise Mehmet Okur, Jaron Collins, and D-League Eastern Bloc rookieย Kyrylo Fesenko will have to defend Stoudemire, Shaq, Gasol, Thomas, Camby, etc.
This year it really doesn't matter. Rookies rarely play for Jerry (e.g. Morris Almond). The big money should go on a defensive center like Roy Hibbert, who they worked out twice, or JaVale McGee from Nevada, who gets better TV exposure in Utah than the rest of the U.S.
Best-case scenario is thatย another seven footerย can competentlyย rotate out with Mehmet Okur for defensive purposes. Both of these players will be available at No. 23.
Who Utah really wants is Robin Lopezโbut they won't get him. If there is hidden value available, they will draft and trade to get interior defense.
