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A Peek Inside Utah’s Lucky Night With Kevin O’Connor
Posted by: James Seaman on May 17th, 2011
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.EnergySolutions Arena felt eerily empty on Tuesday night as I walked through the tunnels toward the Hot Rod Hundley Media Center for the draft lottery. I hadn’t set foot in here since the season ended. Even absent a game in the arena, tonight represented, potentially, the hinge upon which the Jazz’s foreseeable future could swing open or shut.
Drafts usually draw sizeable crowds, but the lottery? This felt strange not only because you never want to be in the lottery, but also because it involves no strategy from the organization. You’re rooting for ping pong balls. It’s like the time I got evacuated from New Orleans for Hurricane Gustav, wound up in Dallas at my cousin’s house, and watched on TV as the industrial canal’s flood barrier held against the storm—I rooted for a cement wall. When you cheer a team’s performance on the court, even as you have no control or influence over what they do, at least they’re human. But cement walls and ping pong balls? Weird.
In the bowels of ESA, local media and Jazz staff watched on an enormous screen as Heather Cox introduced the various team representatives seated together in Seacaucus, New Jersey. Kevin Johnson drew plenty of attention, Dan Gilbert’s son got lots of love, and Greg Monroe looked really tall. Then there was our guy, Kevin O’Connor. He just looked there.
Come on KOC, bring us some luck!
The room grew silent with the unveiling of each pick. When Sacramento came up 7th and Washington 6th, several people in the back broke into hoots and squeals upon realizing that we’d busted into the top three.
“Stay calm, Kevin!” someone yelled at the screen. “Stay calm!”
Now you hope, perhaps against hope, that you somehow wind up with the top pick. The suspense ended quickly after the commercial break, the Jazz landing at #3. Still, that sounds a lot better than #6. Kevin O’Connor agreed as he phoned in for a conference call minutes after the lottery.
After a game, you can ask players and coaches about their performance or decisions made at key junctures. But what do you ask after the organization gets lucky with a bunch of ping pong balls? How do you feel?
KOC’s voice came into the room from 2,500 miles away: “I was hoping we’d move up to one. You get greedy.”
I think we all hoped that.
“Now you move up there and you say, oh God, maybe we can get number one,” Utah’s GM continued before quickly expressing his satisfaction with the third pick. “This gives us a better opportunity to get a terrific player.”
O’Connor then offered perspective, verbalizing the sense of accountability that has kept the Jazz organization successful: “We still have to make the right choice, and we still have to coach ‘em up.”
Any hint as to who that “right choice” might be?
“I have no comment about any players in the draft.”
KOC did get a little more candid in comparing this year to 2005, Utah’s last trip to the lottery.
“Yeah, the last time I didn’t sleep. The last time we went from [pick] four to six.”
KOC admitted that Utah viewed 2005 as a four-player draft. Picking 6th, Utah had to move up, and they did in order to draft Deron Williams. Does Enes Kanter make this a three-player draft? Or is it just two, with Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams? Or does Utah’s need for a floor general make Duke’s point guard the only true prize? And could we wrestle that pick away from Cleveland? KOC, of course, wasn’t going there.
“We’ll listen and explore all the options. But hopefully you guys won’t know anything about it until we do,” O’Connor said of his preference for keeping potential moves close to the vest.
“We already know,” the Deseret News’ Jody Genessy joked into the phone. Kevin just chuckled at that one.
Though not willing to discuss anyone in the draft, KOC did mention the lucky cuff links, saying his wife would take credit there. O’Connor also addressed the Deron Williams trade that brought this pick to Utah.
“You have to protect the organization long term,” he said in reference to executing that shocking move. “Now it’s incumbent on us to make the best pick.”
So the Jazz will draft third next month. It’s a strange number, that 3. The Jazz used it to pick Deron Williams, then traded that former #3 for last year’s third pick, Derrick Favors. Additionally, they got New Jersey’s pick for 2011, which has now become selection #3. But whoever the Jazz choose, he’ll be more than just the third pick. He’ll be, along with Favors, the figure by which the Deron Williams trade is forever measured. The epitaph on that blockbuster deal won’t be written for years to come, but the Jazz got a lucky break tonight suggesting the story could ultimately play out in our favor.
Replies: 25
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25 Responses
Let the roumors begin..
Great post! Now I don’t feel bad I couldn’t go because it was like I was there. But I agree with KOC…now we need to make the right pick(s) and coach and develop them. Wahoo lucky three for the Jazz!
Thanks for this post.
What a great surprise! 3 and 12! We moved up on both picks.
Wow… now who do we pick?
Justin,
We didn’t move up on that 12th pick.
I was way excited when I realized we got into the top three. Finally, something went our way regarding the draft lottery! Besides Williams and Irving (most likely anyway), we can choose anybody we want!
KOC won the salty stinkface award for the top 3 anyways. What a grumpy looking dude.
-Trent
Thanks for the clarification. I thought we were supposed to land the 14th slot, so when I saw 12th, I thought we moved up.
Either way, the 3rd pick is amazing.
Kemba Walker please
So yeah, James….totally a non-text. Thanks for that buddy.
@Gerald…sorry man, my hands were full of nacho chips.
I haven’t heard from you in a while. Who you liking in this draft? I read on somebody’s mock where Kanter goes 2nd and we pick up Derrick Williams at #3. Yes, please!
Very nice inside view James, thanks. While I was very excited watching this, there was a little bit of sadness and melancholy in me that I was rooting for a ping pong ball instead of a living, breathing Utah Jazz basketball team still playing. I just wonder how fans of teams like the Clippers and Minnesota deal with being in the lottery almost evey year.
Derrick Williams and Jimmer. We need to trade Minnesota something for their 2nd pick so we can get Williams. Those two guys plus Favors and Hayward will be the future of the Jazz.
The Jazz should trade the third pick now because they probably won’t resign when they become a free agent.
I don’t see a trade up by KOC and the front office unless they are absolutely sold on one player. Otherwise, they’re sticking around in the three spot. I think it is more likely the Jazz trade down then trade up in this year’s draft considering the lack of top quality prospects, thus preventing themselves from “reaching” for one.
we need a center and point guard. too many 2 through 4s on the team.we get a 1 and 5 and we are set!
So a few options! best Big and Jimmer or another guard at 12. or … we try for the morris brothers from Kansas…? maybe? they’ll push each other.
kid from Texas isnt bad.
we do love foreigners but hope we dont screw this up!
and The MAILMAN needs to become the conditioning coach or the BIG’s coach
i think thats all
I dont think we need a center, I dont think we need a big man at all. Honestly if Derrick Williams falls to #3 then of course you have to take him but we have Evans,Millsap, Favors, and Jefferson who can all play and are big (not weight wise obviously) but you can mix and match at the 4 and 5 and all of them can play.
Im done seeing Fesenko and Okur on the roster though, Okur is always injured and is too soft, he plays that European style. We dont need a soft big man, we need a bruiser who will put his hard hat on every night down there. Which gives us an Ex-All Star to trade and Fesenko shows flashes but isn’t consistent.
I think we need definitely need to look at 2-Guards or Point Guards, Jimmer is nice, but I definitely dont think he is the best option. I would say Kemba Walker or Kyle Irving (if he drops) let the hating begin from Jimmer Nation.
The Jazz always do better in the 2nd round draft picks then 1st round, will be interesting what they do with only 2 first rounds this year.
Oh yeah and before I forget….GO JAZZ.
Ok, here’s the thing, the first 3-4 picks are a throw up, any of them could go first. I think the Cavs would be smart to take Irving, because of his athleticism and leadership. The TWolves could take either Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, or possibly Knight. Most people wouls say that Willisms is the 2nd best, so take him, but the TWolves already have Kevin Love, so the need of another PF is not really needed. Flynn has not been a great success for the TWolves, so they might opt to take Knight instead, but I really think that they will take Kanter. He is a big center with athleticism and will improve their front court a ton. If this is the case, the Jazz need to take Williams. If he is gone, take either Kanter, Knight, or Kemba Walker. For the 12th pick, the Jazz HAVE to take Jimmer. Some might say he will not be good in the NBA and we do not need him, but think of how many seats he will fill in the ESA and how many jerseys will be sold. He is a great shooter and passer and it might be a good idea to play him as SG since Bell is getting older and isn’t contributing. The Jazz need to take our homeboy from BYU or their will be some riots and chaos. Our best senario picks would be #3 Derrick Williams and #12 JIMMER FREDETTE!!!
Derrick Williams would be a small forward in the NBA, he does not quite have the height to be a power forward (he’s 6′8″) and the days of having super athletic power forwards in the Kevin Garnett are done for the most part (aside from Amar’e and Chris Bosh). Small forwards are back in business when it comes to being the most athletic players on the court.
We all need to hope and pray that Minnesota takes Kanter at #2 or that they are willing to trade #2 for our #3 and a player. I mean if we can get Williams at #3 or at #2 and trade miles or bell or even fez, that would be a great deal. We definitely don’t need any more bigs and lets PLEASE stay away from foreign players. Williams would be a great athletic SF. and then we could use our #12 pick to get Alec Burks or Jimmer. Williams and Jimmer is my best hope. At worst we need to get Knight and Burks though. Williams or Knight at #3 and Jimmer or Burks at #12.
Jimmer plays no defense. If you want a player that can sell jerseys and tickets great, you actually want to win? He should not be either of the Jazz picks unless he can prove he plays defense.
Look at all the great teams that make consistent runs through the playoffs, they do it on defense not on shooting or selling tickets.
Paul Millsap is 6′8 and plays PF, so Williams can do it as well. Besides at the SF we have AK (if he stays) Miles and Hayward both fit in as a SF as well (they can play the 2-3) We need GUARDS people, not forwards or centers.
Here’s what you do you pick up Enes Kanter with your first pick, yes another European player who just might be a good center (think Dirk) with either Fes or Okur as a backup. Then Jefferson and Favors play the power forward position (they’re natural positions) with Millsap as a small forward and sub power forward. After that you have Hayward as the other small forward, which is what he should really be, not a true shooting guard. Add C.J. and Raja as your shooting guards or trade Raja for a better shooting guard. Then keep Devin Haris, who is actually really good, especially when he figures out the offense. With price as his backup. Then grab Jimmer with your second pick who will come off the bench and hit free throws better than raja and three’s as well when you need some points. Believe it or not but sometimes you do need to take a half court shot to end a game and who better than the Jimmer to take it. Plus if he doesn’t pan out then we can stop hearing about how great he is. Then pick up Jackson Emery to come of the bench as a non-drafted free agent to tighten up your defense when you need it. Evans, Elson, Watson Cya. And you might get something good for Evans, like a future draft pick since we seem to like those so much. Have to say Watson actually played really well and Raja’s not bad but he needs to come of the bench somewhere else. Also C.J. better get consistent or get out also. Great guy but we need great basketball players especially at the shooting guard position. I’d trade C.J. and Evans for Mathews right now. Think I’m Crazy:)
please take brandon knight or kemba walker at 3rd pick then alec burks or jimmer at 12th….dont need kanters already have stable front court..we need a point and a slasher/scorer
or if williams possibly slips to 3rd take him at 3 and alec burks or jimmer at 12
milsap favors and jefferson can hold their own and dominate the post NO more big men we dont need them
i think knight is the best pick at number 3, he was top 3 out of high school, great player. walker is too small, great player just too small. if jimmer is still around at 12 take him but i think indiana is going to take utah’s golden boy just as we did to them last year with hayward.
Corey, you have to remember that D-Will never really played D-fense either, Yet he was one of the best players on the Jazz.