The beginning of what looks to be the fastest offseason in NBA history is almost here for the Utah Jazz.
The draft is a little less than two weeks away. Free agency will soon follow. The start of training camp is almost upon us. And then, a start to another season.
By now, the Jazz are deep into their draft preparation as they are readying a big board for their No. 23 pick of the first round. They are weighing the pros and cons of different prospects.
We are doing the same. Last month, we put together a study on three players the Jazz could be in play for with their pick. Now, we study three more.
Tyler Bey, Colorado
The Jazz need a few things this offseason. They need to get bigger and longer at the wing spots. They need to get better defensively. They need to get more athletic.
Bey becomes intriguing for the Jazz, potentially, at No. 23. He’s 6-foot-7. He’s got a 7-foot-1 wingspan. But, the athleticism is striking. And the defense is striking. Athletically, Bey tested almost off the charts at the NBA combine. These were his numbers: His vertical is 43 inches. His no-step vertical is 37 inches. He has terrific lateral quickness. When you combine that with his physical measurables, especially the wingspan, you’ve got an almost elite athlete.
More than that, Bey is a terrific defender, and precisely the kind of defender the Jazz need. He’s among the best wing defenders in the draft. He uses great anticipation to slide his feet and stay in front of ballhandlers. He uses his long arms to slide into passing lanes. His feet and lateral movement allow him to be switchable on the perimeter and beyond.
Bey is good enough as a defender that he might be able to get onto the floor as a rookie. And the fact that he’s so versatile as a defender makes him a potentially valuable commodity when it comes draft time. His defensive tools go beyond the physical as well. He anticipates a play ahead, which leads to steals and runouts in transition. And his quickness and athletic ability allow him to be a surprisingly good rim protector for a wing.
He’s not all that different than another Colorado alum, Andre Roberson. In fact, he’s more athletic than Roberson at the same stage. Now, Roberson became one of the top five defenders in the league before he encountered the injury bug. He was so good defensively that he warranted a big-money contract while having very little game offensively. It remains to be seen if Bey can develop into that level of defender. But the upside is there, and that ability could resonate with the Jazz on draft night.
As good as he is defensively, Bey has quite a ways to go offensively. He does have attributes. His athleticism allows him to be very good in transition. He sees open spaces and cuts well to the basketball. He’s a reliable shooter out to about 15 feet. He’s a terrific finisher on the interior and is capable of finishing above the rim.
But, the Jazz offense is predicated on spacing, and Bey doesn’t offer that spacing. At least not right away. He was a 30 percent 3-point shooter at Colorado. Much like Roberson when he was a Buffalo, Bey played primarily power forward and on the interior and wasn’t asked to take a lot of threes.
Bey also isn’t great at creating with the ball in his hands. But, that is a lot less of an issue for the Jazz, and this is where fit comes in. With Mike Conley, with Donovan Mitchell, with Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic, Bey wouldn’t need to or be asked to create his own offense. He just needs to be a finisher, and he’s a terrific finisher. But, his jumper has to evolve to the point where it doesn’t sacrifice spacing. That’s where the improvement needs to happen.
Even so, Bey’s measurables and defense are both so good that he represents significant value potentially at No. 23.
Robert Woodard, Mississippi State
Woodard is different from Bey but fits the same mold as an athletic wing with superior length. He’s 6-foot-7 with a seven-foot wingspan. He’s young in his basketball career but 21 years old at the same time. Once upon a time, the Utah Jazz drafted a former Mississippi State Bulldog at No. 23 who fit the mold of a big wing and Rodney Hood has gone on to a productive career. (Yes, Hood finished his collegiate career at Duke … work with me here.)
In terms of upside, Woodard has plenty of it. He has a lot of natural talent, but he’s still a bit raw and in need of development. But the tools are there. He’s got a nice jumper from deep and a nice high release. He’s a very good athlete in traffic and bold enough to finish through and over people above the rim. He’s good in transition on both ends of the ball. He finishes well offensively, and defensively he’s a chase-down block threat.
Offensively, Woodyard has catch-and-shoot upside. He moves well without the basketball, which makes him a potentially nice fit for the Jazz. He’s competent off the dribble, but not a threat to be a primary playmaker. But, as is the case with Bey, the Jazz don’t need a primary playmaker. They have more than enough of those guys. He projects as a guy who can score without needing the basketball. What Woodyard does well, it fits with what the Jazz need.
Woodyard will have some challenges defensively, although he’s not a bum on that end. He’s going to have to prove that he can guard quicker players. His shot can be inconsistent at times. As was mentioned, he’s not great at creating his own shot, but he wouldn’t have to on this roster. He needs physical strength, but physical maturation will almost assuredly come.
As is the case with many players, how will he develop once he gets to the league? If he does at an accelerated pace, he has a chance to be a steal, because he has physical tools aplenty.
Jalen Smith, Maryland
The Jazz have Rudy Gobert in his prime at the center spot. Why would they spend a first-round pick on a true center like Smith?
Well, for a couple of reasons.
First, Smith has rotational upside right away. Second, Smith’s strengths very much complement Gobert’s strengths. So much so that you may actually in some situations be able to play the two together. Third, the Jazz lost a lot of basketball games in the minutes that Gobert was on the bench. Smith could alleviate some of those issues, even as a rookie.
Smith is a nice blend offensively as a center. He can really shoot, which would make him the first true center of the Quin Snyder era capable of consistently stretching to 3-point range. Smith is also an excellent pick-and-roll player. This is vital for the Jazz, because so much of what they do revolves around their center spot being able to set screens and become a roll threat. Smith is a true roll threat. He’s got terrific touch around the hoop. He can finish above the rim. He’s a good rebounder on both ends and he puts his long arms to good use.
Defensively, he’s not as polished. He’s a good rim protector, however, and that helps. He has great hands which will help him on both ends. His big question is can he hold up defensively against pick and rolls. And, if the Jazz want to play him and Gobert together against a team with a bigger lineup, can Smith hold up at the power forward spot.
The Jazz are still happy with the upside of Tony Bradley, their backup big man. But, they also aren’t hesitant to create competition there, whether it be from drafting someone like Smith, or using free agency money to bring in another big.
The beginning of what looks to be the fastest offseason in NBA history is almost here for the Utah Jazz.
The draft is a little less than two weeks away. Free agency will soon follow. The start of training camp is almost upon us. And then, a start to another season.
By now, the Jazz are deep into their draft preparation as they are readying a big board for their No. 23 pick of the first round. They are weighing the pros and cons of different prospects.
We are doing the same. Last month, we put together a study on three players the Jazz could be in play for with their pick. Now, we study three more.
Tyler Bey, Colorado
The Jazz need a few things this offseason. They need to get bigger and longer at the wing spots. They need to get better defensively. They need to get more athletic.
Bey becomes intriguing for the Jazz, potentially, at No. 23. He’s 6-foot-7. He’s got a 7-foot-1 wingspan. But, the athleticism is striking. And the defense is striking. Athletically, Bey tested almost off the charts at the NBA combine. These were his numbers: His vertical is 43 inches. His no-step vertical is 37 inches. He has terrific lateral quickness. When you combine that with his physical measurables, especially the wingspan, you’ve got an almost elite athlete.
More than that, Bey is a terrific defender, and precisely the kind of defender the Jazz need. He’s among the best wing defenders in the draft. He uses great anticipation to slide his feet and stay in front of ballhandlers. He uses his long arms to slide into passing lanes. His feet and lateral movement allow him to be switchable on the perimeter and beyond.
Bey is good enough as a defender that he might be able to get onto the floor as a rookie. And the fact that he’s so versatile as a defender makes him a potentially valuable commodity when it comes draft time. His defensive tools go beyond the physical as well. He anticipates a play ahead, which leads to steals and runouts in transition. And his quickness and athletic ability allow him to be a surprisingly good rim protector for a wing.
He’s not all that different than another Colorado alum, Andre Roberson. In fact, he’s more athletic than Roberson at the same stage. Now, Roberson became one of the top five defenders in the league before he encountered the injury bug. He was so good defensively that he warranted a big-money contract while having very little game offensively. It remains to be seen if Bey can develop into that level of defender. But the upside is there, and that ability could resonate with the Jazz on draft night.
As good as he is defensively, Bey has quite a ways to go offensively. He does have attributes. His athleticism allows him to be very good in transition. He sees open spaces and cuts well to the basketball. He’s a reliable shooter out to about 15 feet. He’s a terrific finisher on the interior and is capable of finishing above the rim.
But, the Jazz offense is predicated on spacing, and Bey doesn’t offer that spacing. At least not right away. He was a 30 percent 3-point shooter at Colorado. Much like Roberson when he was a Buffalo, Bey played primarily power forward and on the interior and wasn’t asked to take a lot of threes.
Bey also isn’t great at creating with the ball in his hands. But, that is a lot less of an issue for the Jazz, and this is where fit comes in. With Mike Conley, with Donovan Mitchell, with Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic, Bey wouldn’t need to or be asked to create his own offense. He just needs to be a finisher, and he’s a terrific finisher. But, his jumper has to evolve to the point where it doesn’t sacrifice spacing. That’s where the improvement needs to happen.
Even so, Bey’s measurables and defense are both so good that he represents significant value potentially at No. 23.
Robert Woodard, Mississippi State
Woodard is different from Bey but fits the same mold as an athletic wing with superior length. He’s 6-foot-7 with a seven-foot wingspan. He’s young in his basketball career but 21 years old at the same time. Once upon a time, the Utah Jazz drafted a former Mississippi State Bulldog at No. 23 who fit the mold of a big wing and Rodney Hood has gone on to a productive career. (Yes, Hood finished his collegiate career at Duke … work with me here.)
In terms of upside, Woodard has plenty of it. He has a lot of natural talent, but he’s still a bit raw and in need of development. But the tools are there. He’s got a nice jumper from deep and a nice high release. He’s a very good athlete in traffic and bold enough to finish through and over people above the rim. He’s good in transition on both ends of the ball. He finishes well offensively, and defensively he’s a chase-down block threat.
Offensively, Woodyard has catch-and-shoot upside. He moves well without the basketball, which makes him a potentially nice fit for the Jazz. He’s competent off the dribble, but not a threat to be a primary playmaker. But, as is the case with Bey, the Jazz don’t need a primary playmaker. They have more than enough of those guys. He projects as a guy who can score without needing the basketball. What Woodyard does well, it fits with what the Jazz need.
Woodyard will have some challenges defensively, although he’s not a bum on that end. He’s going to have to prove that he can guard quicker players. His shot can be inconsistent at times. As was mentioned, he’s not great at creating his own shot, but he wouldn’t have to on this roster. He needs physical strength, but physical maturation will almost assuredly come.
As is the case with many players, how will he develop once he gets to the league? If he does at an accelerated pace, he has a chance to be a steal, because he has physical tools aplenty.
Jalen Smith, Maryland
The Jazz have Rudy Gobert in his prime at the center spot. Why would they spend a first-round pick on a true center like Smith?
Well, for a couple of reasons.
First, Smith has rotational upside right away. Second, Smith’s strengths very much complement Gobert’s strengths. So much so that you may actually in some situations be able to play the two together. Third, the Jazz lost a lot of basketball games in the minutes that Gobert was on the bench. Smith could alleviate some of those issues, even as a rookie.
Smith is a nice blend offensively as a center. He can really shoot, which would make him the first true center of the Quin Snyder era capable of consistently stretching to 3-point range. Smith is also an excellent pick-and-roll player. This is vital for the Jazz, because so much of what they do revolves around their center spot being able to set screens and become a roll threat. Smith is a true roll threat. He’s got terrific touch around the hoop. He can finish above the rim. He’s a good rebounder on both ends and he puts his long arms to good use.
Defensively, he’s not as polished. He’s a good rim protector, however, and that helps. He has great hands which will help him on both ends. His big question is can he hold up defensively against pick and rolls. And, if the Jazz want to play him and Gobert together against a team with a bigger lineup, can Smith hold up at the power forward spot.
The Jazz are still happy with the upside of Tony Bradley, their backup big man. But, they also aren’t hesitant to create competition there, whether it be from drafting someone like Smith, or using free agency money to bring in another big.
