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The Future is Bright for the Jazz…according to ESPN
Posted by: David J. Smith on February 8th, 2012
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.Most fans (beyond the lukewarm ones) can see that the future is extremely bright for the Utah Jazz. ESPN agrees. Chad Ford and John Hollinger are, again, two or my favorite analysts/writers/reporters/basketball gurus. Both are very unbiased, use statistics to back their assertions, and know the NBA. Ford is a NBA Draft expert and Hollinger is one who makes statistics cool (which they are).
Ford and Hollinger regularly (three times a year or so) create their Future Power Rankings. In said rankings, the Utah Jazz moved from #14 (way back in March 2011) to #7. Here’s their explanation about how it all works:
The Future Power Rankings are ESPN Insider’s projection of the on-court success expected for each team in the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
Consider this a convenient way to see the direction in which your favorite team is headed.
Each of the NBA’s 30 teams received an overall Future Power Rating of 0 to 1,200, based on how well we expect each team to perform in the three seasons after this season.
To determine the Future Power Rating, we rated each team in five categories.
As you can see, we determined that the most important category is a team’s current roster and the future potential of those players — that category accounts for 40 percent of each team’s overall Future Power Rating.
At the same time, we looked at many other factors, such as management, ownership, coaching, a team’s spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise and what kind of draft picks we expected the team to have in the future.
One change for this edition: Now that so many big names have landed in more permanent places, we have increased the value of the Players category. This also rewards teams like Oklahoma City, Memphis and Philadelphia that have successfully built their rosters already with young talent. Of course, we still recognize that teams like Dallas, Houston and New Jersey (future: Brooklyn) have the money and the motivation to spend, and can make a lot of noise in the coming years — and we still reward teams for strong management, salary cap space and so on.
Here is their criteria:
HOW FUTURE POWER RATING IS DETERMINED
| PLAYERS (0 to 600 points): Current players and their potential for the future, factoring in expected departures | ||||||||||
| MANAGEMENT (0 to 200 points): Quality and stability of front office, ownership, coaching | ||||||||||
| MONEY (0 to 200 points): Projected salary-cap situation; ability and willingness to exceed cap and pay luxury tax | ||||||||||
| MARKET (0 to 100 points): Appeal to future acquisitions based on team quality, franchise reputation, city’s desirability as a destination, market size, taxes, business and entertainment opportunities, arena quality, fans | ||||||||||
| DRAFT (0 to 100 points): Future draft picks; draft positioning
Here was their top 10: 1- Oklahoma City 2- Miami HEAT 3- Chicago Bulls 4- Los Angeles Clippers 5- Indiana Pacers 6- Dallas Mavericks 7- Utah Jazz 8- Denver Nuggets 9- San Antonio Spurs 10- Houston Rockets And here is what they said about the Jazz: 7. Utah Jazz | Future Power Rating: 723
The Jazz took a major hit in our rankings last March thanks to the loss of All-Star point guard Deron Williams and coach Jerry Sloan. But after a really solid offseason and an excellent start to the season, our optimism over the Jazz is swelling. Perhaps the most underrated GM in the league, Kevin O’Connor has done the most with a very tough situation in a less than desirable market and built a strong foundation for the Jazz going forward. He’s continued to be proactive in rebuilding this roster in a way that keeps the team winning while adding young players for the future. The Jazz not only have solid veterans, including Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, at virtually every position, but they also have intriguing young players being groomed at every spot except point guard. Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks have enormous potential. The fact that the team is winning while developing them makes us only more encouraged about their long-term future. O’Connor has also been a master at acquiring lottery picks, and the Jazz are poised to grab another one from the Warriors as long as it’s not in the top seven. They do owe the Wolves a pick, however, but only if they make the playoffs. In addition, the team is poised to have some money to work with in the summer of 2013 when Jefferson, Millsap and Raja Bell all come off the books. And with Tyrone Corbin showing he can have the Jazz playing above expectations, perhaps the drop-off from Jerry Sloan might not be as bad as we once feared. The Jazz are still a few years and a piece or two away from being serious contenders, but all signs are pointing in the right direction. (Previous rank: 14) So, there you have it. I think they are spot on in their analyses. We have solid players that can help us win now, while integrating our younger talent. They have a lot of faith in our coaching, as well as in team management. There are a lot of positives, with the upcoming Draft, free agency, and flexibility going forward. Any thoughts? |
Replies: 15
Views: 1818
15 Responses
My first thought was that the Jazz need a young, promising PG to groom lol. Where we can find that, I’m not sure.
Totally agree.
One thing that makes me nervous is that Millsap, Jefferson, and Bell are all off the books in a season and a half. I’d be OK seeing Bell leave. But I’d like the Jazz to be aggressive now get an extension out soon to Millsap and Jefferson. Even though we have two great players developing underneath them, they are the only two solid, consistent contributors to our team right now, and I’d like to see at least one of them play for the Jazz for a while.
I agree with Brandon. Millsap I would like to keep. The added salary we will have could really help in resigning the youth along with this year’s draft could give us a young super talented team. We need a good PG, SF, and a knock-down shooter. With two people you could get this or maybe three.
Yes is bright. work !@#$% it
A point guard that can lead, while also grow up with this team would be ideal. The upcoming draft is low on top tier point guard prospects from what I hear, so a trade might be the best route.
The Jazz have options and I think KOC has earned some trust from the fan base.
I would love it if the bigs decided to stay here for their careers and watch the younger bigs develope and kind of swap roles as the years go on.
The Bigs would be a great thing for them to keep the only down fall of that being it does not give favors-Kanter enough time in games to grow.. the future is bright with —–Burks (Pick 12 2011 Draft) Hayward (Pick 9 2010 Draft) Favors (Pick 3 2010 Draft) Kanter (Pick 3 2011 Draft) they do need a young point guard to grow with the team. Harris does not cut it, Watson plays great but he is getting old they need a young point gard to bring the boost like watson does
now as David was saying the draft is low on top tier point guards but the best point guard the jazz ever drafted was not even a top 15 pick in the draft John Stockton was drafted Number 16 so there is chances that they can get someone that it right in the same area it wont be a Stockton but people drafted lower play with a chip on their shoulder and come out shooting to be better.
Definitely happy with the position the Jazz are in, for now. He’s right on the fact that the front office has done great at accumulating the lottery picks, and that Ty is doing a great job as a head coach. I really like how adaptable the guy is with this team. Very impressive.
Still, gotta figure out a way to balance keeping Al and Paul. I think Raja is probably gone due to his age, unless he can accept some super reasonable deal. Also have to make sure the youngsters are progressing properly. Hayward and Favors are coming along pretty well (especially Gordon), but things have to be kept up.
Good point Eric, Stockton, Rondo, Tony Parker were all non-lottery pick point guards. (Where was Nash drafted?) PG is one position we can get someone great but not as high.
We won’t be getting a 16th pick. We get the Warrior’s pick, providing it is lower the than 7th. The Warriors are probably going to fall between the 6th and 10th. Then we will get our own pick provided that it is 14th or higher. If we get those two picks there are some interesting possibilities although a true PG won’t really be the best of the athletes in that range. I agree that a young PG, mentored by Watson is where we want to go.
Nash was drafted 15th in the first round #Robert now if the jazz get the 14 or higher pick they could trade that one for a couple lower picks that would put them around the 20th pick this draft is heavy on big men which the jazz don’t need so moving lower to where the point guards are at would benefit them greatly
The Jazz are heading in the right direction after things went the way they did the last portion of last season.
The $10.8m TPE could be a place another team dumps a contract, and gives draft picks, to save money or free up a roster spot.
Most players can get a better contract, even with the same team, by opting out, rather than extending.
An expiring Millsap or Big Al contract, will be extremely attractive in the trade market Feb 2013.
GSW are currently sitting at #8, ideal for the Jazz.
With the tough schedule continuing, it’s more likely that the Jazz go for the ping-pong balls, than the playoffs. Thus, keeping their pick from the Wolves this year.
Jazzaholic
[...] two people who are on record saying that they see O’Connor’s vision and they like it: John Hollinger and Chad Ford. It’s cute that you have 1,300 Twitter followers, but you don’t know the NBA as well as [...]