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Fes!
Posted by: Jazzaholic on July 29th, 2010
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.
Caja Laboral, the Spanish League team, who lost Splitter to the Spurs, had an article, http://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/v/20100727/deportes/baskonia/pivot-fesenko-agenda-caja-20100727.html, where they are looking at making and offer to Fes.
Fes is only 23 years old and has been with the Jazz for 3 years. At 7′1″, 300 pounds he is one of the few big men, who are actually “big.” For teams with a Dwight, Shaq, Bynum or Yao, he could be essential.
Despite David Locke’s constant diatribe against Fes, Fes shows one of the best +/-’s on the Jazz. He can alter games, without putting up big numbers. His maturity is getting better and his free throws must improve, yet he has nice mechanics at the line. Most of his problems come a lack of playing time and confidence.
I’ve always been one, who wants to see him get a real chance to see what he can do.
He is a restricted free agent with $1,087,500 qualifying offer already on the table.
He is next on the agenda for the Jazz. They can match another teams offer, but there have been no NBA rumors floating around, just this one from Spain. If he were to go to Spain, the Jazz would retain his rights.
The Jazz need length. Fes is the best option out there.
Sign him!
Jazzaholic
Replies: 27
Views: 862
27 Responses
I also think Fes just needs more playing time. I would like to see the Jazz bring in a past all-star center to coach Fes (just like Patrick Ewing and Dwight Howard).
Earl Barron is a name that has been floating around the blogs as a center the Jazz could sign. What are you thoughts about him Jazzaholic?
let him go he does nothing for the team! go after barron now
Jazzaholic, I’m with you all the way. Look, Fes doesn’t offer a whole lot, but he has made contributions. Currently we are very thin when it comes to big bodies. We lost two big men (Boozer and Koufos) and picked up one (Jefferson), so I think we need to keep Fesenko and possibly add this Barron guy to the roster as well. If Okur isn’t ready when the season starts, we’ll only have 3 guys who can play the 4-5 (Kirilenko, Millsap, and Jefferson–and of course Jefferson is the ONLY one of those three who can play center). Fesenko has to be in that mix along with another big body because Okur is a question mark…even if he makes it back for the start of the season, we don’t really know what we’re going to get from him.
James I agree with u on if we re-sign fes also get another big. If we don’t re-sign fes can’t we get one big and one SG?
Or just get two bigs?
Fes is a monster at 7′1 300 pounds. even if he’s our third string center i’d sign him for that alone. bring him in to hack the lakers front line, howard, bosh, ect..
he’s only 23. give him a lil time to develop. it’s not like his contract is gonna cost the jazz a ton. i think it’s kinda crzy everyone is going bananas over earl barron for his 11 pts 11 rebound average or w/e it was.. it was 7 games for the knicks. he’s got career stats of 5pts and 4 rebounds.. although i wouldnt mind him in a jazz uniform given enough minutes he’d do ok. but i’d still like to see fes get more action this upcoming season.
Ya fes is big maybe I just didn’t like kofus and fes both on the team. so maybe fes by himself will do better I hope so cause we need people his size to compete with L.A
I just don’t like what Fes brings and feel like we lose a good deal of toughness, confidence, and intelligence when he’s on the floor. I would love to see us pick up Earl Barron. He’s just about as tall, but is more agile, a better rebounder, has a nice midrange jumper aside from his inside game, and is a much better scorer and rebounder.
@Austin…I hear where you’re coming from in terms of wanting another SG as well…it’d be nice to have an insurance policy because Bell is no spring chicken while Hayward has no experience. I’m assuming Miles will get a bunch of minutes at the 3 because as long as Okur’s future is uncertain, Kirilenko gets some time at the 4 with Jefferson almost exclusively at the 5…long and inarticulate way of me saying that, yes, we are also thin at the 2 and it’d be nice to pick up a SG. I know Jeffers’ name gets thrown around, and you gotta root for the kid, but he’s clinging to a roster spot. I’d rather have a more established player adding some depth at that position. But then, we have no money to spend.
Good news is that we have the core guys in place and should be competitive, making for a fun season.
@ James did u hear about trading the MLE and milsap for gortat and bass? Yes losing paul would suck. but that don’t sound to bad to me just wondering what u think
@Austin…is that a real rumor? My gut reaction is to dislike it. I mean, statistically you could probably add Gortat and Bass together and get Millsap’s numbers, maybe even exceed them (f you looked at it on a per minute basis), but I feel like Paul Millsap has become a heart and soul guy on this team, and I think you lose a lot more than you can measure in statistics if you trade him. Especially for those two.
Where’d you hear it?
Somone posted it two days ago. so it’s not a rumor just a thought a fan had. But will u go read on hoopshype.com then read abou fes and tell me what u think what will happen with him?
Sign Shaq to teach Fes.
@James / @Austin – Bass and Gortat would be good backups indeed, Jefferson is man enough to start at the PF, then you can have Memo start when he is ready, till then, Gortat and Jefferson starting would be a nice way to kick it off.
Bass is Millsapian enough to really flourish off the bench, his minutes would be pretty high I’d imagine because J-Slo will love his playing style and hustle.
I think for fans its tough in this day and age because we get emotionally attached to players more than teams (ya?), or at least, we feel like we know a player personally because they play for the Utah Jazz whereas we don’t really – meaning – I’m sure that we’d come to love Gortat and Bass just fine if that were to happen. (even if we would be sad at the loss of Millsap)
Earl Barron has been floating around for a few years. Undrafted, but had a little success at NY at the end of the year. 7′ but not a shotblocker. Probably better then kosta, but siminar. Perhaps at a vet. minimum? I would still sign Fes, add Barron, or similar,if you like. They have room for both.
Gortat is going to be too expensive to trade for and Orlando needs his production behind Dwight, so he’s probably not going anywhere.
Goin’ Bass fishin’? Wouldn’t you much rather have Milli?
Shaq wants too much, has too much ego and would disrupt the team chemistry.
The Jazz only have 9 signed players. If they sign Fes, they could still use a PG, SG and a big. If Barron comes in at the vet. min., with a nonguaranteed 2nd year, it would be a reasonable addition.
Jazzaholic
I was just thinking (a bad thing, I know) but with the Lockout looking like a “lock”, the Jazz could offer players a 3rd, nonguaranteed year, or a two year guaranteed contract, and still only end up paying for the one year.
2011-12, during the lockout, no salaries are paid, but contracts continue.
Jazzahlic
I love Fes (http://www.utahjazz360.com/dignan/the-if-on-fesenkos-shoulders/) I think he could really have a 10 & 10 year… I would do the Gortat/Bass for trade exception and Milsap in my sleep! I LOVE Milsap, but Gortat is a starter on 25 other NBA teams. If Gortat were in Utah, Memo would never start again.
Well, first off, the Jazz have 12 players under contract if you count the two rookies Hayward and Evans. In case I counted wrong here are the players under contract: Williams, Price, Gaines, Bell, Jeffers, Miles, Kirilenko, Millsap, Jefferson, Okur. That’s 10. Add Hayward and Evans and we have 12 players right now. Not 9. In case there is confusion, yes, Gaines and Jeffers are under contract for next season.
Now there are so many fans that still salivate over Fes being 7′1″ and 300 pounds. However, I don’t care if you are 9 feet and 1,000 pounds, if you can’t play basketball I don’t want you on my team. Fes isn’t a monster. He’s a blob. He doesn’t do anything. If Spain has really offered him a contract or are thinking of it, let him go play with Spain. We’d still own his rights if he played over there that way if he stepped up his game we can bring him back. Some Jazz fans still cling on to the idea that the only thing holding him back is the lack of minutes, so there we go. He plays in Spain, he gets his minutes.
Now as for the argument that he is a must re-sign because we have no depth, well that is a little flawed. There are still several free agent centers that I would prefer over Fes. There are even several big guys from our summer league team that I like better than Fes. Even if Fes does go to Spain, I promise that the Jazz won’t go into the season with only Jefferson, Millsap, and AK as our big men. They’ll get someone else.
And I do think that Millsap and our MLE for Gortat and Bass would be a stupid trade. I do think it would be possible with Millsap’s big contract along with the MLE, but I would rather keep Millsap and I think Orlando would rather keep Gortat and Bass.
@Adam, Spreading the Fes is a blob all over the 360! Love it! Hilarious!
Oh, I say that every time someone gets excited about Fes. It’s been an annoyingly popular subject on this site the past month, not just the last day or so.
Adam: Evans, Jeffers and Gains don’t have guaranteed contracts and could be cut at any time, if someone better comes along. So, let’s say 9 guaranteed contracts/players, if that makes you feel better.
It sounds like you’re in the David Locke camp, and you may be right, but who knows until he gets some regular PT?
Kind of reminds me of Mark Eaton and the venom which was spewed by fans.
If the Jazz can get him, without overpaying him, why not?
How does he keep getting some of the best +/-’s while he’s on the floor?
I remember him doing a nice job on Yao, which is no easy task.
He doesn’t give you a great stat line, but he does alter games.
He’s had almost no playing time and a lot of prejudice, because of his youthful exuberance, but put him in the rotation and build his confidence, we might be surprised (or disappointed), but at a low salary, why not?
Jazzaholic
Yeah, I guess you can put me in the David Locke camp. In the playoffs, not only did Fes get playing time, but he was able to start. Some like what they saw. I was in the minority and thought he played bad in the playoffs even when he did start. Sure, let’s give him a chance. I won’t object to it. I hear the “Give him playing time and he will become an all star” chant all the time. I know that’s not what you said, but I’m just generalizing. He will get plenty of playing time if you put him in Spain. But I guess it’s NBA playing time you’re thinking of. I’ll be honest, Mark Eaton was before my time. I was 4 when he retired (I know, call me a young person if you want). But looking at his stat line, Fes and Eaton are a horrible comparison. Eaton was pretty much starting right from the get go and dominated with block shots and rebounds his whole career, start to finish. Fes has been in the league 3 years now, going into his fourth and has done jack squat. If he was as good as people think he is, Jerry would’ve been playing him more by now. Don’t say he hasn’t got his chance yet. He’s had plenty of opportunities where he could’ve stepped in. Jerry hasn’t given him playing time because he doesn’t know how to play basketball. Jerry sees him in practice every single day. HE’S HAD THREE FULL FLIPPIN YEARS TO PROVE HIMSELF TO SLOAN AND HE’S PRETTY MUCH JUST SAT ON HIS BUTT AND DONE NOTHING!!!!! Don’t give me the “he just needs to be given playing time” speech. Sure, let’s bring him back. Use him as Jefferson’s backup while Okur is hurt. Let him prove me right and quiet all the fans that think Fes is the missing link we’ve been looking for all along. If he does do well, well then good. I’ll be happy and I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong. Win win situation for me.
I sure don’t have all the answers, but big men are hard to find.
I can’t see him commanding a large salary and worth the gamble.
I was impressed with his performance against Denver. Nene really struggled when Fes was in.
The Jazz have plenty of offense. Fes doesn’t need an impressive stat line to alter shots and take up space. Defense wins games. Any offense you get from Fes is a bonus.
Jazzaholic
I think Fes is a good cheap option for basically your 5th big (assuming AK continues to play some 4)Sure there are better options but they are also more expensive. I say sign him for 3 more years with a team option the third year. It gives the Jazz a chance to work with him for two more years and if he continues his antics then you cut your losses and get rid of him. He has potential to be a good defender in this league! That should be enough to keep him around for the minimum.
Alex Barron: Defense: Doesn’t have the strength to maintain position on the block, and lacks the lateral quickness necessary to step out and defend players that like to face up in the post. Usually asked to defend the center position, but struggles as a weak-side defender. Has a hard time containing bigger, strong post players. Doesn’t show good discipline when contesting shots. Will reach over the top and get called for a lot of fouls. Decent rebounder, but nothing to write home about. Not a defensive playmaker.
From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Earl-Barron-5188/#ixzz0vLskDwOR
http://www.draftexpress.com
Oops I mean Earl Barron
Fes for 2 years + a team option 3rd year would be optimal.
Year one they pay, year two, lockout, they don’t pay, year three, Jazz option. Kinda’ like 3 for the price of one!
Fes is big and solid. Remember how Nene would back down Booz to make a 2 footer each time? Fes stopped that nonsense and Nene had to mostly shoot outside with poor success. A prime reason Utah won the series!
Downside, he plays a year (everyone sits the next year) and the team option on the 3rd year is a great trading chip.
Upside, he plays like Joel Przybilla for about $6m/year less.
Jazzaholic