Checkpoint

We're halfway through the Rocky Mountain Revue. As expected, some things become apparent, while some things will remain a question for years to come. Here are some thoughts and analysis on what I've seen from the first 3 days of the Revue.

Utah Jazz:

- Morris Almond - Mo has come to Summer League in shape and with something to prove. Mo has shown an improved effort on the Defensive end of the floor, with a better attitude toward team-offense. Mo has shot the ball well, and scored within the offensive scheme. Most of his points have been somewhat quiet, but consistent. One thing Almond really has going for him is his ability to create shots for himself. The Jazz have a HUGE need for another player who can create for himself when the situation requires. Too often last season, players on the Jazz would give the ball to Deron at midcourt with 10 seconds on the shotclock, and simply expect him to do the rest. DWill is unquestionably worthy of the respect, but a second creator would really add a new dimension to an already stellar Jazz offense. The best teams always have a second creator from the perimeter (Spurs = Parker and Ginobli, Celtics = Pierce and Allen, Lakers = Bryant and Odom). With CJ Miles likely headed toward Oklahoma City, Almond may emerge as a role player this season.

- Kyrylo Fesenko - The new look is very symbolic of the sort of off season Big Fes has demonstrated through the first half of the Revue. Fes is still big as ever, but he has looked completely out of control for every minute he has been on the floor. Offensively he rarely is in the right spot. His low-post offensive game has shown even less creativity than Trent Plaisted (one dribble baseline, turn back to middle, jump hook). The one thing Fes has always had going for him is his ability to block shots and rebound. Unfortunately for jazz fans, neither of these skills looks to have developed much since his first showing in the Revue. Fes has struggled to remain on the floor for any stretches longer than a few minutes. Usually his playing stretches end with the coaches yanking him out in frustration, and sending him to the bench with some colorful words. Unless big Fes improves drastically for the second half of the Revue, he could be in real trouble. Unfortunately, I have seen enough of Fes to make me believe he will never be a real NBA player. I wouldn't be surprised if Fes was left off of this season's roster. The truth about Fes is that he has been outplayed by Koufos, Fuller, and Lyde. The higher likelihood is that the Jazz let him go after next season (when his rookie contract ends). As for this season, hope he enjoys Orem.

- Kosta Koufos - The thing that has initially stood out to me with Kosta is his footwork and work ethic. Koufos seems to have a very good basketball IQ as he plays, while demonstrating good focus and drive. Before anyone chooses to dismiss Koufos as a prospect, it should be noted that he has played the majority of his minutes in the Revue at PF. This seems like a big complement, as Jazz coaches trust him to learn two positions right off the bat. The few instances when Koufos has played at Center he has looked much more comfortable and confident. Offensively, Koufos has shown an excellent first step, with good agility to maneuver his way around the paint. Thus far he hasn't shown the explosiveness and strength necessary to finish around the rim. Kosta can get to the rim, but he's got to learn how to finish better. Koufos' passing ability has also been better than I expected. Defensively Koufos has been OK. It's obvious from the beginning that he won't be the "defensive stopper" the Jazz have been looking for, but he has provided good help defense, and good rebounding ability. Once again, Kosta must get stronger as he was overpowered on multiple occasions near the rim. I'd like to see Kosta matched up more against the opposing center on defense. Thus far, Kosta has spent most of his time on the perimeter chasing smaller Power Forwards. Koufos has shown me enough to expect him as a future rotational player, who will stick in the NBA.

-Britton Johnson - Britton has really played well so far in the Revue. Those who have seen Britton at the Revue the past few years, know that Britton can score in a variety of ways. What I've seen from Britton this year has really impressed me. He's been an excellent defender, a good rebounder, and extremely sound in the fundamentals. Johnson's focus has clearly been on doing the little things necessary to win, which I'm sure the Jazz coaching staff has noticed. It will be interesting to see if he gets an invite to the Jazz camp. With few roster spots available, he is a long shot to make the team. But his skills are definately at a high enough level to make me believe he can play in the NBA once again.

- Kevin Kruger - Kruger has emerged as the best PG on the Jazz roster. Kevin has the immediate advantage of having played for the Flash last season (and this season also), which has allowed him to be more familiar with the offensive philosophy. Kruger has shown better quickness than I anticipated, and a very very good basketball IQ. He has run the team very efficiently, and shot the ball very well when the opportunity was available. It is unknown whether or not Kruger's sprained ankle will allow him to play anymore in the Revue, but he has done enough to earn him an invite to Jazz camp. Jazz coaches (Sloan and Johnson) made a specific point to praise Kruger each time he came out of the game. Kruger may not make the Jazz roster (though I far prefer him to Hart), but I wouldn't be surprised if he got a couple of 10-day contracts this season to come up from the Flash.

- Tyrone Brazelton - Brazelton is a young player that has shown flashes of quality skills. He has shot the ball pretty well, and shown good quickness. The transition at PG from College to the Utah Jazz is extremely difficult, and Brazelton looks to be struggling with this at times. He has enough upside, I'm sure the Jazz will take a long look at whether or not they want to invite him to camp. His progress in practices from the beginning of Summer League to the end of the Revue will be his key point. I expect Brazelton to play in the D-League this year before taking another shot at the NBA next year.

- Yaroslav Korolev - The young Russian has been very streaky. He's still only 20 years old, despite being a lottery pick a couple of years ago. His shot is very good, and he has good length and some athleticism. It's apparent the Jazz are trying to see if he can become a rounded player, and not just a shooter. Because of his youth, he may get a good hard look with the departure of Miles. I expect Korolev to return overseas and have a long, quality career there.


Other Teams:

- George Hill (San Antonio) - Hill has grown quite a bit during his Summer League experience. From Vegas to Utah, he seems to be getting better each outing. Hill is a load on both ends of the court, and I still expect him to battle with former Jazz-man Jacque Vaughn for the backup PG position behind Tony Parker.

- Gerald Green (Dallas) - The veterans in Summer League are so much more comfortable and advanced in the small areas, that they excel in the Summer League. Green has improved his outside shooting each year in the NBA, and will need to continue to work on all aspects of his game to become a rotation player for the Mavs. Green's athleticism is unmatched in this, or any Summer League. It will be interesting to see how Green fits in to Dallas' long-term plans.

- Acie Law IV (Atlanta) - Another veteran who looks to dominate the younger opposition. Law has shown excellent shooting ability and court awareness. The question on Law out of college was whether he could ever transition into a true NBA Point Guard. From what I've seen, he's already there. I expect Law to backup Mike Bibby in Atlanta this year, and replace him when Bibby retires.

- Brook Lopez (New Jersey) - When I walked into the gym and saw Lopez going through warmups, I was immediately taken back by how huge he is. The first thing I thought of was how I may be wrong about my predictions of Lopez being a bust in the NBA. Five minutes into the game, I fell back into my previous predictions. Lopez came out of the gate with a commitment to help defense. That lasted about 1 quarter before Warriors were getting layup after layup as Lopez was late to help. Lopez had finished the game with 3 blocked shots, all of which can be contributed to his massive frame overmatching his smaller summer league competition (the warriors had not centers on their roster). Lopez left his feet WAY too much, and was killed on defense as a result. I never saw Lopez go after a rebound like he really wanted it. At Lopez's size, he should be able to average 5+ boards his rookie season in NJ, but he never gets good rebounding position because he leaves his feet at every shot, and never goes after the boards with a purpose. Offensively Brook got good position on the low-block, but never was able to do much with it. In Lopez's defense, the Warriors were doubling the low post every time the ball went in to any player, not just Lopez. Lopez saw the floor well, but struggled to execute the passes. After a while, Brook got frustrated and went outside to shoot more. Lopez did flash well from off the ball, and demonstrated good IQ on offense. At times Lopez showed clumsy hands. Lopez had a couple of easy baskets when the Nets were already down by 20 in the fourth quarter which made his stats look better than they actually were. Did I mention Lopez was horrendous in transition?

- Sean Williams (New Jersey) - The one year veteran showed exactly what he is advertised as; an athletic defensive big man. While Williams showed very little on offense, he played with awesome energy throughout, and played excellent defense both inside and on the perimeter. The referees didn't help Williams out much, but he definitely outplayed his teammate Lopez.

- Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey) - CDR is not a real "smooth" basketball player. He lacks a fluidity which makes it hard for him to get in rhythm. The Nets were often slowing the game down early to help Lopez get comfortable, but once Lopez went out of the game, CDR led the attack as the Nets pushed the ball hard. Twice the Nets cut the lead down to 5 after both times being extended near 20. CDR ran the floor extremely well, and finished with strength and precision. It will be interesting to see what CDR can do with Devin Harris in the backcourt running the show.

- Jaycee Carroll (New Jersey) - Jaycee is a local kid, but the player I saw for the Nets was not the same player I saw at Utah State. At USU, Carroll ran all day, coming off screens and hitting jumpers. For the Nets, Carroll ran the point much of the night, and played fairly well. Jaycee didn't look real comfortable, but his focus was to distribute and run the team. I'm not sure Jaycee has what it takes to be a PG in the NBA, but he's real close. Carroll can definately shoot the ball, and if he were in the right situation with a bigger PG who can defend a SG, or with SGs and SFs who can help relieve pressure, Jaycee may make an NBA roster. Jaycee is a great kid, and he played more than the veteran Marcus Williams.

- Marcus Williams (New Jersey) - Williams should have been the best PG in the Revue. The effort level and focus Williams showed kept him from achieving that success. Most of the time, Marcus looked like he didn't want to be playing, and his play suffered as a result. Williams looked for his own shot all night, and his team struggled as a result. In stretches, Williams was the best player on the floor. In other stretches, Williams was very mediocre.

- Anthony Randolph (Golden State) - I expected Anthony Randolph to play more like Stromile Swift than he actually does. Randolph was excellent in transition and showed a wide variety of offensive skills I didn't know he had. There is no question Randolph has superior athletic skills, but he doesn't like to spend much time in the painted area. Randolph looked most comfortable on the perimeter with his face to the basket. Randolph showed excellent ball-handling ability, and a good first step. Too often Randolph committed to the rim far too early and left his team in transition trying to prevent an easy basket. Defensively Randolph wanted no part of the game.

The D-League Ambassadors - I think it's safe to say most fans didn't want to watch the Ambassadors play. About 4 minutes into the game, the crowd was in full support of the Ambassadors. They played very hard, with great athleticism, and great energy. As a result, they stayed right in the game. Glen McGowan, Josh Gross and crew played high above the rim, and quickly became fan favorites.

I.R. Iran - The Iranian national team had a strong following of fans all week. The fans appreciated their team, and the team rewarded the fans with whistle to whistle hustle. Mohammad Nikkhah Ba stood out as the teams best perimeter player. Hamed Afagh outplayed Kyrylo Fesenko for every minute he was on the court. Hiram Fuller and Kevin Lyde played with extra energy to outplay Afagh. Unfortunately the Iranian big man went down with a hip/back injury and never did return to the game. Jaber Rouzbahini has been the most promoted of any Iranian player, but did not play all week due to illness. I really wanted to see the 7'5 big man play.



It's been an interesting week at the Rocky Mountain Revue. The play has thus far been somewhat disappointing. With Kruger and Johnson likely missing tonight's game against New Jersey, it will be a real good chance to see where Fesenko, Lopez, Koufos stand in comparison to each other. Also, Marcus Williams, Jaycee Carroll and Chris Douglas-Roberts will be fun to watch against the Jazz backcourt.

Go Jazz!

Note: With about 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Jazz/Iran game, Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor received a phone call to which he promptly responded "I'll call you back from a secure room". After a couple of minutes, O'Connor returned with a private message for Coaches Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson which brought all of their heads together for a private whisper. After the short huddle, the coaches gave their consent to something, and O'Connor grabbed his director of scouting, and they both pulled multiple binders from their briefcases which they took to a private room for a phone call. Neither returned for the rest of the game. I'm sure these exchanges occur multiple times every day, but it was fun to watch from a few rows away.

Draft Time!

There's no sense in beating around the bush with introductions, let's get right to the Jazz offseason!

The Draft:

It is obvious the Jazz entered this year's draft with a plan. With a roster full of young talent (13 players under contract for next season, throw in CJ Miles and you've got 14) and 3 picks in this year's draft (#23, #44 and #53), there simply isn't much wiggle room for the Jazz to take risks with. The NBA requires all teams to trim their rosters to a 15 players by the start of the season. If there are additional players under contract, then a financial agreement must be made between players and teams. Here are my thoughts on what the draft had to offer us fans.

1. The demand for backup help may be at an all time high. It was interesting for me to watch the draft unfold. Early on, young guards went shooting off the board. I was never too sold on this year's crop of combo guards. Players like Jarryd Bayless and Eric Gordon remind me of Rashad McCants out of college. McCants was a spectacular player who seemed to make every big shot for unquestionably the most talented college team in America (UNC). At 6'4 he was considered a combo guard who could get his shot off against anyone. Well, as the years unfold, we now see him as a solid spot up shooter who is too undersized to ever be anything better than a rotational player on a poor team. On many playoff teams he may never leave the bench. Gordon and Bayless are cut from this same mold, and I expect similar struggles from them at the next level.

2. The Jazz were clearly targeting a big at #23. With a guaranteed contract at stake, you can bet your money the Jazz explored all options of moving the pick. With many combo guards going early in the draft, once the double digit picks rolled around, big men started going quick. It could reasonably be argued that this year's draft was much deeper in terms of big men than guards, yet guards stole the attention early on. The big men that went before the Jazz pick in the draft were as follows (in order of pick):

Michael Beasley (PF) - Beasley will be an instant star in the NBA, and you can punch his ticket to the All-Star game in 2010. Expect immediate impact, and instant scoring to what has been a terrible front court in Miami.
Kevin Love (PF/C) - Love is intriguing yet worrisome as an NBA prospect. You have to love his skills offensively, and he is a very good defender. His slower feet and frame does not create an intimidating presence around the hoop on either end, but his basketball IQ is through the roof and I expect him to make up for deficiencies and contribute immediately in Minnesota as an upgrade offensively over Craig Smith, and an upgrade defensively over Al Harrington.
Brook Lopez (C) - I really don't like Brook Lopez as a prospect. Sure he has some talent offensively, but I still wouldn't put him in the same category offensively as a Marreese Speights or JJ Hickson who both went significantly lower than Lopez. He will be a below average defender at the next level and will be a terrible rebounder. I challenge anyone to find a championship team in the past 20 years that have not been able to rebound the basketball. In his first Summer League game he played 20 minutes, scored 10 points on 50% shooting and had zero rebounds.
Jason Thompson (PF) - Thompson is an intriguing prospect because he has the potential to be a steal. The Kings wanted to go big, and Thompson is a gamble who could pay off. Unfortunately for the Kings, gambling will bite you in the end, and I expect Thompson to be struggling to find a role on an NBA team throughout his career.
Anthony Randolph (PF) - Randolph may arguably have the most upside of any big man in the draft. Don Nelson has never been an easy coach to play for as a young NBA player, and I don't expect him to change for Randolph. He'll play minimally in his first couple of years and develop into a player similar to Hakim Warrick or Stromile Swift.
Robin Lopez (C) - The less heralded second Lopez twin. A good comparison for Robin Lopez might be Jarron Collins, while his brother might be a Jason Collins. Both 7'0 twins, both Stanford grads, etc. In Jarron's defense, he has made a comfortable living as a career 12th man. He's valuable as a 3rd center who can defend some and rebound, but never effective enough to warrant anything more.
Marreese Speights (PF) - Speights is the type of player that could find a role as instant offense off the bench. In order to make it in the NBA as a role player, you have to have either one very advanced skill, or you must have a high level of all skills. Speights will find his way into the rotation as a Malik Rose type player that can keep the offense moving while the big scorers take a rest. If the Sixers land Brand, it would be an ideal situation for Speights to come off the bench to relieve Brand. He's got the skills to develop offensively, he just needs the right situation.
Roy Hibbert (C) - Hibbert is about as NBA ready as any big in the draft. At 7'2, with a good basketball IQ, a good motor, and good skills he will find his place instantly in an NBA rotation. While he will never be an NBA all-star, he will contribute for many years. Too many teams get caught up on how high a player's ceiling is. At pick #17, Hibbert's a guy who can contribute right away, improve your team, and perhaps serve as an asset to land you an all-star in the future. I expect Hibbert to stay a few years in Toronto, then get packaged in a deal that will bring Chris Bosh a more explosive sidekick.
JaVale McGee (C) - Where to start? McGee comes from good Pedigree and measures well physically. That's about all the positives I want to give McGee. McGee never dominated in college in a very poor conference with no bigs to go against. His motor is terrible and he never appears to have the desire to get better or the desire to learn. McGee will finish his rookie contract and continue his career over seas.
JJ Hickson (PF) - Hickson is a legitimate scorer on the low block. He's athletic, with a nice shooting touch, and a good body that can handle contact. He's not as big as Speights, but may find a similar role in the NBA. The key with Hickson will be finding a situation where he can flourish. Cleveland may not be the best fit, but I think he'll play enough to get himself a second contract in the league. Once he gets a second contract, he may find a role of 15-20 minutes a night.
Alexis Ajinca (C) - Ajinca is a player that really catches your eye when you see him. He's long, athletic, and possesses good basketball skills that are manifest in drills. He's never played against high level competition, so teams saw him as a high risk-high reward type of player. That much is true. I don't see how a guy that averaged nearly 5 & 3 in a bad league got drafted in the first round. If Ajinca was in college in the US right now, he would have averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds in the WAC. Yet he earned a first round draft pick. At least he can stay overseas if he chooses, but I never see him touching an NBA court.
Ryan Anderson (PF) - The best case scenario for Anderson would be a borderline rotation player. Maybe New Jersey sees more than I do, but I'm sure glad he wasn't on the board when the Jazz picked. I know the Jazz were working hard to bring him in for a workout, but never could make it happen. Thank goodness he wasn't on the board when we picked.

This brings us to the Jazz picks.

Kosta Koufos (C) Fr, Ohio State - We knew the Jazz were looking to go big, so it was no surprise here. The only surprise was that Koufos was still on the board. Don't be fooled by the European name, Koufos is American and plays that way. He is a legitimate prospect, with great size/length, and excellent skills. He played only 1 year of college basketball before going to the draft, and is one of the youngest players in the draft. In terms of ceilings, Koufos exceeds all the bigs listed above except Beasley, Love and perhaps Randolph. He is much closer to being NBA-ready than Randolph however. Don't expect too much from Koufos early in his career. The Jazz have a solid rotation in their front court with a 3-man wheel of Millsap, Okur and Boozer. There aren't many minutes available after them (barring injury or foul trouble). Koufos will struggle in his rookie season to pass Collins for the backup center position, simply because the Jazz will look to develop him through practice and the D-League where he can keep his confidence high, while playing major minutes. I expect Koufos to be a borderline NBA starter, who will be a career rotational player. A good comparison would be somewhere between Nenad Krstic, Big Z Illgauskas (in terms of skills) and Chris Kaman (rebounding and a banger).

Ante Tomic (C) Croatia - With the Jazz opting not to trade their first round pick, that puts the roster at 15 players. It would be highly unlikely any second round draft pick would make the team this year unless there were trades made to free up roster space. The Jazz knew this and had a plan which they followed perfectly. Tomic is a young big man that can stay overseas and develop. In terms of skills, he is ready right now to play in the NBA, and pick up some minutes against certain opponents. However, he only weighs 225 lbs. Until he develops a body, he will get killed in the NBA. Offensively he is spectacular with the ball in his hands. He runs the floor well and plays team basketball. We have all heard the stories about him developing as a guard before growing to 7'1. He does however lack the explosion necessary to be a factor inside. Defensively he will be overpowered and will never be a good shot blocker off of the floor. His length will help him as he develops however. My expectation for Tomic is to be a 10-12th man in the NBA, who will play against certain teams and sit against others.

Tadija Dragicevic (SF) Serbia - This is the mystery man. All we know about Tadija is that he is considered a prospect with good upside, he won the MVP of his league he plays in now, and he will stay overseas for a couple more years. Considering what the Jazz roster may look like in 2 years (no AK, no Harpring), he may have a chance to fill a role at some point with the Jazz.

3. My final thought on the draft was interesting redirected to last year's draft when the Jazz selected Kyrylo Fesenko. We all heard the excitement from the Jazz and how this kid may have been a lottery pick this year had he waited and got more publicity. We saw flashes of Big Fess this season that have generated similar excitement in many Jazz fans (myself included). Prior to the draft, the question was "will the player the Jazz draft be better able to help the Jazz in the coming years that Fesenko?" In the case of Hibbert or Koufus, yes they will. Any of the others I would have said no. We as fans have never been led to believe anything different from Jazz brass regarding Fesenko. So why did the Jazz draft 2 YOUNG centers, both the same age as Fesenko, that are considered prospects?

Sure, there is the argument that the Jazz went after the "best player available", which may be true. But we knew all along that the Jazz were looking big from the beginning. The Jazz now have the rights to 3 project centers, all the same age.

I guess the Jazz are not as high on Fesenko as we all thought. Perhaps his immature nature has rubbed coaches the wrong way? Perhaps Jazz brass do not believe that Fesenko has the motor to develop into a great player? Whichever the case may be, we can no longer assume the Jazz are confident Fesenko will be a contributor any time in the near or distant future.