Championship Rings in Salt Lake City
Upon further ponderings and evaluations of the Deron Williams trade, I have come up with this rational for why was, in fact, a necessary trade. Or, at least, as a fan proudly blinded by his team pride, a justification for my team as why the trade was necessary. Let's look at it this way: the core of the Jazz from earlier this season was not going to win a championship, now or later. We could not chalk it up to youth because other than Hayward and Evans, our team is pretty old, or at least in their prime. Essentially, as time progressed, we were not going to get any better. Even after making some moves, such as getting Bell back or acquiring Al Jefferson, our team stayed more or less the same in terms of competitiveness. It also was apparent that we were not one good player away from championship; we were at least two good players away from even contention.
I can only imagine that the management saw this too. We were far too mediocre. We were a team destined to be in the playoffs year in and year out, exiting the playoffs after the first round, second at best. We would get drafts and trades just enough to stay in the same spot because we would not get high draft picks and Utah never was a free agent destination. Simply put, Deron Williams is not good enough to win a championship with the (good) role players that surrounded him. More than that, we were not going to acquire the pieces necessary to win a championship in the foreseeable future. As such, the management decided to try to put us in a position to win a championship the only way we really can: the draft.
The only way the Jazz will ever win a championship is through savvy drafting. We are giving ourselves the opportunity to acquire three star players. One we have is Derrick Favors. He certainly has the potential to become a dominant inside player and work well within the Sloan system (which we still run, the flex offense.) With New Jersey's pick, we will have the opportunity to acquire a top five talent this year, hopefully addressing the need at either shooting guard or center (I love you Mehmot, but we need a true center.) We will have in addition our own two picks as well. Next year, we have Golden State's top seven protected pick which will likely yield a ninth or tenth pick. With these picks and hopefully some small trades on the side, within five years, we will be the Western powerhouse that dominated the late nineties. The management saw an opportunity to put us into that position and took it.
Who do I think we should draft? First of all, if Jimmer Fredette slips to the Jazz's pick (meaning, not our New Jersey pick, but the Jazz's own pick) I think we should jump on him. We need someone that can shoot the lights out, even if he might be a defensive liability. He has extreme potential. It remains to be seen if he is a Stephen Curry or if he is an Adam Morrison in the NBA. If not Fredette, then I think Kawhi Leonard out of SDSU would be a solid pickup.
After that? Assuming our pick lands at five, I would draft Perry Jones, Kyrie Jones, or Harrison Barnes. If we somehow land in the top three via lottery, I would think the Jazz would have to jump on Perry Jones. From what I have seen of him (which is little) this kid is the next Kevin Garnett. He can dominate the paint like few can. If we land at pick two or three and Perry Jones is gone, I would go with Kyrie Jones on talent alone. The Duke point guard, beside Perry Jones, is the most talented player in the draft and has the potential to become a star point guard. I know we are kind of stacked there right now, but at the very least he would be an extremely tradeable asset. And finally, if we don't win the lottery, I think we should go with Harrison Barnes out of North Carolina. He has drawn many comparisons to Kobe Bryant, but has been disappointing in his college play. He is a project, for sure, but he would be an upgrade at the two for us.
We have the potential to build a young core that when it matures, could lead us to a championship. I think the Jazz management is doing everything they can to make us championship contenders and I think this could work out for us. Just think of a core of players five years down the road of Jimmer Fredette, Gordon Hayward, CJ Miles, Derrick Favors, and Perry Jones. That alone could be a championship starting five. Here's hoping.