[OhCanada-Participant]

PG-Watson
SG-Hayward
SF-Millsap
PF-Favors
C-Jefferson

That was the lineup Utah closed with while defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 86-85 in LA. Hayward played with tremendous grit penetrating through the lane, and facilitating offense for his teammates. He finished with 22-points, 6-rebounds, 5-assists, 2-steals, 1-block, and outwoked Kobe Bryant down the stretch in typical Butler fashion. Kobe had a horrible night, but some credit needs to go to Gordan here, he would nver back down and really showed me great offense.

Favors played good, he is long, has great feel for te game within this offense, he is active, pretty good touch, and a great base to bcome a good plyer in this league.

Millsap played at the SF position and really didnt give too much up. He has improved his ball handling abillity and quickness to the point where he can play the wing, if he could just improve his range he could play there fulltime.

Jefferson is starting to become alot less of a black hole n this offense and is passing fairly well. I think as time goes on he will learn to have a mindset of less of a jacker and more team oriented.

 

In all I like the direction this team is going, but I dont know if they actually go out and select 2 players in this draft as appose to making trades with the 2nd pick. Millsap, Harris, Kirelenko, and Miles should be trade bait, Kemba, Jimmer, and Brandon should be on their big board along with Vesely (who I think would be a great runnig mate with Hayward), Valanciunas, and Leonard.

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

 I have had my rap with Hayward all season long and I thought the Jazz should have picked Paul George instead, but last night Hayward showed me something. I was impressed by him. He had a bad start to the year and that probably shaped my opinion of him alot. But once he got some confidence in his game he was rising above the opposition. Amazing what a little bit of confidence can do to your game. 

I still have my doubts about him but he was not a bad pick for the Jazz. Good fit and tougher then I thought. To me he’s still a bench player. But probably a 6th or 7th man. This game should help him a lot to learn and grow. Maybe he’ll start full time the second half of next year, but will have to see who the Jazz pick in the upcoming draft and how the drafts picks do. (I want Vesely and Burks. Vesely I think will start, and Hayward will be a very good backup. Because of Burks shooting, he might come off the bench his rookie year)

Kudos to Hayward, Keep it up and keep proving the opposition wrong.

[Anton123Participant]

 I can’t see Milsap as a fulltime SF, he might be able to defend against Artest, but any quicker SF will destroy him. 

I think they should choose between Millsap and Favors and trade one of them for a SF (maybe Jeff Green). Then draft a big man (Kanter, Valanciunas, Markieff Morris) that will come off the bench.

Then they will have something like this:

PG Harris (Watson, Price)

SG Miles (Bell)

SF *Green or someone else (Hayward)

PF Favors/Millsap (Morris/Kanter…)

C Jefferson (Okur)

This team is not great but OK and is pretty young. 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

think they should choose between Millsap and Favors and trade one of them for a SF (maybe Jeff Green). Then draft a big man (Kanter, Valanciunas, Markieff Morris) that will come off the bench.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I think Green would replace Kirilenko well, although Davis seems content wih Davis at that PF spot going forwad. Maybe a 3 way trade of some sort?

[Anton123Participant]

If Boston doesn’t want a trade antoher good possibility I think would be Wilson Chandler – the Nuggets need a PF and they seem to be happy with Gallo at the 3.

Both Green and Chandler are restricted free agents though so it’s impossible to simulate a trade with the trade machine

[The lake show2]

Why start Favors again?..he isnt even half the player Milsap is. I’m wondering when people will stop being blinded by height and athletic ability and start looking more at skill. If Favors was destined to be so good then the Nets would have never traded him

[butidonthavemoney]

Favors has actually been a great defensive player. Way better than any other Utah big (meaning Jefferson, Millsap, Memo, etc…). His offensive game hasn’t been too bad, although I can say that I want to choke him to death after he missed like six of his eight free throws.

There is no doubt that Millsap is a better offensive player. He can put it on the floor, pass the ball, shoot with range and he has a variety of effective back-to-the-basket moves. However, his defense and rebounding have severely fallen off since he became a starter. Maybe it’s just him playing with Jefferson, but either way, I’d like to see him start coming off the bench again.

To everybody else that thinks Utah should get rid of Kirilenko — I considered looking up Utah’s record without him or pulling up his +/- stats, but instead I’ll just make a hand-related gesture that you probably can’t see. Enjoy!

[the27guyParticipant]

I like Millsap at the 3, but only if he continues to improve his Jumpshot. He always leads the team in deflections, showing his quickness.

 

Agree with Swanson, Favors has been stellar defensively. The Nets were going to trade him as soon as they drafted him, that doesn’t prove anything. He needs to develp an offensive game though.

 

When you put Favors, Al, and Millsap in the front court you have a serious size advantage over nearly every team in the league but you have zero shooting, that’s why if Hayward plays the 2, the team has to have a better shooter than Harris at the point to space the floor for the bigs. Jimmer? Kemba? Whichever is there at 12 really has a chance to play a big role for Utah next year.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Gordon Hayward has shown me that he can play in this league but he is still a role player to me.  Many role players have had better games than this.  I will amend some of the statement I said and was wrong about.  I still think he was taken too high though.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Money Kirelinko is only getting older, he is constantly injured, and Utah has to figure something out to find a brighter future within that position. I am fully aware he makes this Jazz team go, but maybe they need to find a new way to "go" instead of relying on one of the most injuryprone players in the league. Just how I feel about the subject, Ak is a great player but Utah is getting vastly younger.

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