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Jazz Notes: Perimeter Needs, Donovan’s Long-Term Outlook

January 8th, 2019 at 6:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Jazz had a disappointing start to the season, but there’s a belief in the league that the team will ascend up the Western Conference standings and land a solid seed in the postseason. However, Utah may be one piece away from competing with the top of the conference.

“The one thing about the Jazz is that they’re short an athlete,” an anonymous Eastern Conference scout tells Marc Stein of the New York Times (via his latest newsletter). “They’ve been exposed a little bit there. They’re short a disrupter on the perimeter — someone who gets that deflection, gets that extra ball, creates some easy baskets for them. They’ve been exposed a little bit by athletic teams.”

The team will be without a few contributors over the next few weeks. Ricky Rubio will miss approximately two weeks as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Thabo Sefolosha is expected to miss several games with a hamstring injury of his own and Dante Exum will be out a few weeks with a sprained ankle.

Here’s more from Utah:

  • Donovan Mitchell hasn’t been able to duplicate the success he found during his rookie campaign and it might be because the league has figured him out, as one scout tells Stein (same piece). “He’s not the new kid on the block anymore, so teams are able to guard him a little better,” the scout said. “He’s in a good situation where they have complete trust in him. They’ve given him the keys to the city. And if he has a bad game, they’re going to go to him again the next time. The Jazz are lucky to have him, but he’s lucky to be there, too.”
  • Mitchell will have to work on his game to become a more complete player, the same aforementioned scout tells Stein. “He isn’t a pure shooter like Damian Lillard…And he’s not as crafty in his game like C.J. McCollum,” the scout said. “Donovan is trying to develop that — those Tony Parker floaters, those McCollum shots. I think it’ll happen. The real chapter will be written on him next season. Last year he was the savior. This year it’s, ‘What happened?’ Next year will be the stock market correction of where he really is — and I would guess it’s going to be somewhere in the middle. He’s a good player, but he’s got some work to do.”
  • The Jazz have just 16 road games left while every other Western Conference team has at least 20 remaining, Brad Rock of the Deseret News writes. Still, Rock cautions that this team may not kick it up a notch in the second half of the season as it did last year. The 2018/19 version of coach Quin Synder’s squad has yet to win more than three straight games.
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Jazz Point Guards Rubio, Exum To Miss Time

January 8th, 2019 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

3:19pm: Today’s MRIs for Rubio and Sefolosha came back clean, sources tell Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Rubio is still expected to miss about two weeks, while Sefolosha will likely be sidelined for 10-12 days.

9:17am: The injury bug is hitting the Jazz, with league sources telling Tony Jones of The Athletic that backup point guard Dante Exum is expected to miss “a few weeks” after badly spraining his left ankle on Saturday.

After straining a hamstring in that same game, Thabo Sefolosha is scheduled for a Tuesday morning MRI, according to Jones, who reports that there’s “some optimism within the organization” that Sefolosha could return to the rotation within a few weeks.

On top of those two injuries, starting point guard Ricky Rubio suffered a strained hamstring of his own on Monday night and will also have an MRI today, Jones notes. The Jazz are hoping Rubio’s injury isn’t serious, but it appears they’ll enter Wednesday’s game against Orlando with Raul Neto as their only healthy point guard. While Neto’s role will increase substantially, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles also figure to take on more of ball-handling and play-making responsibilities in that game, Jones writes.

At 20-21, Utah is outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference at the season’s halfway mark. The Jazz can’t afford to slip any further back in the standings, so it will be interesting to see if they turn to the trade market for possible point guard help if Rubio has to miss more than just a game or two, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports.

Signing a player to a 10-day contract would also be an option for the Jazz, though they don’t have an open roster spot to accommodate a new addition. The club also has until January 15 to replace one of its two-way players, if it so chooses.

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Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Northwest Division

January 4th, 2019 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Northwest Division:

Raul Neto, Jazz, 26, PG (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $4.4MM deal in 2018
Neto’s $2.15MM salary for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster after July 6. Even though it’s not much money, Neto has given the Jazz little reason to keep him around. He’s not in the rotation with Dante Exum backing up Ricky Rubio. Except for a blowout win over the Knicks in which he played 20 minutes, Neto has either been benched or seen fewer than four minutes over the past 10 games. With Rubio headed to unrestricted free agency, it’s conceivable Utah could exercise that option as insurance. The Brazilian native is more likely to continue his career elsewhere, probably overseas.

Trey Lyles, Nuggets, 23, PF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $10.4MM deal in 2015
Lyles has received rotation minutes but his offensive numbers have declined. He’s shooting just 41.1% from the field and 24.1% beyond the arc, compared to a 49.1/38.1 slash line last season. He was mired in a terrible slump last month, making just 32.3% (18.6% from distance) of his field goal attempts. Lyles will be a restricted free agent if the Nuggets extend a $4.63MM qualifying option. That may depend on some other factors. They hold a $30MM team option on Paul Millsap‘s contract. It’s also predicated on whether they believe Michael Porter Jr. will contribute significantly next season.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Thunder, 23, SG (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $4.26MM deal in 2016
Luwawu-Cabarrot, a 2016 first-round pick by the Sixers in 2016, got some opportunities in his first two seasons with Philadelphia. His court time has diminished considerably in Oklahoma City. After playing in 69 games (19 starts) in his rookie year and 52 last season, Luwawu-Cabarrot has languished at the end of OKC’s bench despite Andre Roberson‘s injury issues. He’s played just 12 minutes since November 28. The Thunder didn’t pick up Luwawu-Cabarrot’s option during the offseason, so he’ll be unrestricted in July. It will be interesting to see if any team believes he has untapped potential or whether he’ll have to seek overseas opportunities.

Taj Gibson, Timberwolves, 33, PF (Up) — Signed to a two-year, $28MM deal in 2017
Gibson has become a more efficient offensive player in recent years while providing his usual toughness in the paint as well as rebounding. Gibson remains one of the top offensive rebounders in the league (2.7 per game) and has kept a positive attitude despite the addition of Dario Saric, which has cut into his minutes. If Tom Thibodeau remains in charge, the Timberwolves will likely try to re-sign him. Otherwise, Gibson will find work as a 25-30 minute option at power forward for a suitor looking for an upgrade at that position.

Nik Stauskas, Trail Blazers, 25, SG (Down)– Signed to a one-year, $1.6MM deal in 2018
Stauskas is playing for his fourth organization in five seasons. He will be on the move again if his shooting doesn’t perk up. After a strong start, Stauskas has gone into an offensive funk. He made just 24.3% of his 3-point attempts in December and went scoreless in a nine-minute stint against Sacramento in his first 2019 appearance. Stauskas reached double figures in five of his first eight games with the franchise but has hit that mark just twice since that point. With first-rounder Anfernee Simons showing no signs of taking Stauskas’ rotation spot, the Blazers may try to acquire a wing player before the trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Kyle Korver Impacting Jazz Offense In First Month With Team

January 1st, 2019 at 10:55am CST by JD Shaw
  • Kyle Korver has positively impacted the Jazz one month after being traded to the team, Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News writes.  Utah holds a 7-1 record in games when Korver makes two or more 3-pointers and a 1-6 record when he makes one or less. “Since I have come on, it is a lot of me just trying to find my spot and be comfortable with how we try to play,” Korver said on Saturday, according to McDonald. The Jazz own a 18-19 record on the season.
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Jazz Recall Tony Bradley From Salt Lake City

December 29th, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Jazz tweeted that they have recalled Tony Bradley from the Salt Lake City Stars. Bradley has made several trips back and forth to the G League, but has yet to play in an NBA game this season.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/28/18

December 28th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Kings assigned big man Harry Giles to the Stockton Kings, according to a team press release. Giles has appeared in 22 games for Sacramento in his rookie season, posting 5.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 10.1 MPG, but has only played six games this month.
  • The Jazz assigned center Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s PR department tweets. The Stars face the Austin Spurs on Friday. Bradley is averaging 14.6 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 14 G League contests this season.
  • The Hornets recalled forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte Graham from the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. Bacon had 19 points and nine rebounds in the Swarm’s win over the Maine Red Claws on Thursday. He has appeared in 17 games with Charlotte, averaging 5.5 PPG in 12.3 MPG. Graham totaled 30 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Swarm on Thursday. He’s appeared in 13 Hornets games.
  • The Heat assigned shooting guard Dion Waiters to Sioux Falls, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Waiters is expected to practice twice with the G League team and rejoin the Heat on Sunday, Chiang adds. Waiters hasn’t played this season after undergoing ankle surgery last winter.
  • The Bucks assigned rookie guard Donte DiVincenzo to the Wisconsin Herd, according to a team press release. DiVincenzo, the 17th pick of the draft has appeared in 22 games with the Bucks, averaging 5.0 PPG in 16.1 MPG.
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Jazz Racking Up More Assists

December 26th, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by marksuleymanov
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Western Notes: Favors, Cousins, Donovan, Lakers

December 20th, 2018 at 7:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Jazz forward Derrick Favors has seen his name surface in several trade rumors over the years, but the 27-year-old remains the longest-tenured player on the active roster. The latest rumor of Utah expressing interest in Bulls forward Jabari Parker once again brought forward the idea of trading Favors, who is taking everything with a grain of salt.

“I was telling one of the coaches, I could go back years and years ago and I can name each guy I was supposed to get traded for,” Favors said before the Jazz-Rockets game on Monday, according to Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. “Every year, I can just name them so I have fun with it, I enjoy it.

“Definitely use it as motivation. But I have fun with it most of the time because most of the time I look forward to it, like ‘Who am I going to get traded for this year? Who they want me to get traded for? Where the rumors at?’ so I enjoy it.”

Favors’ awkward fit alongside Rudy Gobert could once again force the team to explore trading him, with the Georgia Tech product averaging 11.1 points and seven rebounds per game this season. He’s started in 26 of 31 games so far and signed a two-year, $40MM deal to stay with the club this past free agency.

There’s more from the Western Conference tonight:

  • Warriors coach Steve Kerr has stressed patience on DeMarcus Cousins‘ eventual return, Mark Medina of The Mercury News writes. Cousins suffered a torn Achilles this past January and remains several games away from returning. “We’re not right there. It’s still going to be some time,” Kerr said. “We’re going to be patient and continue to give DeMarcus the space he needs to prepare. When the time is right, we’ll have some things planned for him.”
  • Brett Dawson of The Athletic breaks down the Thunder‘s decision to pick up coach Billy Donovan‘s option for next season, detailing why the front office is happy with the direction Donovan is guiding the team. Oklahoma City holds the league’s fourth-best record at 20-10, including a stellar 12-3 home record, and has played with great enthusiasm and effort so far this season.
  • Rajon Rondo (hand) and Brandon Ingram (ankle) participated in full practice Thursday as they continue to work toward returning, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. The two players were assigned to the South Bay Lakers, G League team of the Lakers, this past week to help expedite their recoveries and allow them to practice further.
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Allen And Bradley Assigned To Stars

December 19th, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by clarkcrum
  • The Jazz have assigned rookie guard Grayson Allen and big man Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate, per a press release from the team. Allen has averaged 16.8 PPG in four G League contests this season, while Bradley has posted 14.8 PPG in 12 contests with the Stars.
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