Of course they looked like the best team in the NBA when they beat us a few nights ago but based on their play since the ASG that performance wasn't too deviant. Quin Snyder knows how to coach. Seems to be in the Budenholzer/Poppovich mold where the offense is based on passing and movement. Rudy Gobert looks like a perennial DPOY contender and still has massive potential. Favors is looking to be an above average solid starting PF worth his money. Together they can lock down the paint for years to come. Hayward is a 2nd, 3rd option on a championship team IMO, but still he is worth his money, does a little bit of everything. Their key might lie in the ability of Dante Exum to develop into a good PG. All in all, I see them building a perennial 50 win team, similar to the Deron-Okur-Boozer days, but they may always fall short in the Playoffs to a team with truly elite players.
The top West teams (and NOLA) are actually pretty young, so they have a lot of teams to play through. As you say, they need an elite players All these teams have young elite players and playoffs under their belts (except NOLA) OKC GSW HOU POR LAC NOP
Gobert/Favors alone makes them an elite defensive team. I don't think Gordon Hayward is all that great, personally, but definitely a starter. They're going to be very good sooner or later, depending on Exum's development and if they can nail another draft pick or two.
Pretty much agree with your analysis. They don't have an elite talent at any of their starting 5 but I like their overall talent/youth. It feels like Favors has been around for a while but he's only 23. If Exum or whoever they pick this year ends up being a stud they are in a great position for the next decade. They need better shooting from the perimeter though. I haven't had the chance to see them play much this year. What does Exum look like?
Small sample size post All-Star but wow! Could 10 more minutes per game with Gobert and getting rid of Kanter really make such a big difference? 9-2 wins over POR,SAS,DEN,MIL,MEM,PHI,BRK,NYK,HOU loses to LAL,BOS Pre All-Star Game DefRtg 106.1 rank #27 (53 games) Post All-Star Game DefRtg 90.6 rank #1 (11 games) Season DefRtg rank # 16
Very bright future. Front line will be a huge force if they can keep them together. They knew what they were doing when they gave up Kanter...Gobert will dominate. If they can hit it, on a perimeter top player, the Jazz will be a force in coming years, as bad as I hate to see it.
It depends. When considering how bright a team's future is, you also have to consider their rivals. You look at teams with young talent and it is still the west. Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Westbrook, James Harden. These teams still have the potential to build around young future or current MVP candidates. I would also look at the east with Orlando and the Bucks. Those two teams have some bright young talent. The fact that the Bucks traded away Knight shows that they are still looking to add more young talent without throwing all of their money towards above average talent (Knight). So, yes, Favors, Exum (who I think will eventually bloom into a VERY nice player), Rudy, Haywood all make that team a young team with a lot of potential,... they still are under all of those teams mentioned above, IMO. The fact that they will still get a pretty good draft pick this year helps their case.
Future is very bright. Better hope they don't hit the lottery jackpot in a couple months. If they do, they could turn into a juggernaut. And they're already primed for a big run up the ladder in 2015. Hate on them all you want. Utah is a great basketball organization.
jazz need a real pg to get hayward/favors shots - veteran pg destination. tony parker? dennis lindsey connection?
They got off to a 6-19 start. Since then they have gone 22-17 in the stacked west. Gobert looks like he's gonna be an interior anchor for years to come, and the more I see of Hayward, the more I'm convinced he can be the 2nd best player on a championship level team. Favors is also coming into his own. The big problem for them is getting that lead dog. They have a lot of good young players and draft picks to trade, but getting a star to come to Utah is a tough ask in this era of superfriends. Overll this team has an extremely good core at the moment... and don't think that doesn't piss me off.
Utah is the type of team who may actually be served better in trading away a top level pick for an borderline all-star veteran. They've got too many young players on their team at the moment. They won't be able to get playing time in situation, like this.
