So it's old news. Sue me.
I (mostly) like the pick. A seven footer with skills is always nice. He was expected to go much higher, so either we got a steal, or other teams know something we don't. He's done ok in summer league so far, but nothing spectacular. I don't like that he's "a seven footer who can shoot from outside." We've already got one of those, and I'd just as soon have a seven footer who plays like a seven footer. Regardless, I get the sense that if I want to watch him this season I'll have to head to Orem for a Flash game.
So who could the Jazz have had instead? There was a power forward who fell out of the lottery, but I don't think much of him. I really liked two guys, but neither really filled a need for the Jazz. They were Mario Chalmers and Chris Douglass-Roberts. Chalmers is a point guard who was drafted by Miami in the second round. I think he'll be a great pro, and would have made a perfect backup to Deron Williams. But again, not really a need right now. Douglass-Roberts was drafted by New Jersey in the second round. He's listed as a shooting guard, but I had him pegged as a small forward. I watched him a bit in the NCAA tourney and liked him a ton; I see him as an upgrade over AK. However, if his espn bio is accurate, he's probably a little small for a forward position, and frankly the Jazz have a ton of shooting guards to sort through right now.
So the Jazz did pretty well. I don't think anyone drafted after Koufos will have a better career than he will.
As for the second round of picks, the Jazz had two: Ante Tomic and Tadija Dragicevic.
Tomic is 7'2", espn loved the pick, but he'll be overseas for a while. Whatever.
Dragicevic? He's a small forward of whom Chad Ford had this to say, "I've never seen this guy." Nuff said.
BYU alum Trent Plaisted went in the second round as well, to the Detroit Pistons. We'll see if he sticks or if he's off to Europe. Utah State grad Jaycee Carroll wasn't drafted at all, which is a shame. He's on New Jersey's summer league team, but will probably have to go to Europe. The kid can shoot, and during the college season I had hoped the Jazz would spend a late second round pick on him. Oh well.
1 comment:
Nice post--I pretty much agree with you. I was OK with their strategy. Draft 3 big guys (4 if you count Fesenko in the 2nd round last year) with low draft picks and then cross your fingers hoping that you've got something. Big guy is the biggest need we could maybe possibly solve through the draft (Kirilenko's salary and Boozer's D and at least questionable big-game menatality are bigger, messier issues.) and there weren't a lot of options. I don't think any big guy taken after Beasley was a sure thing.
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