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Jazz Castoffs
Posted by: Jazzaholic on August 6th, 2012
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.It’s always interesting what happens to Jazz players when they move to another team. It used to be, under Jerry, the Jazz system made the player better, and when he moved on, his play was not nearly as impressive.
A couple of years ago, the Bulls went on a spending spree and signed Korver, Brewer and Boozer. Korver and Brewer are gone and Boozer is #1 on the Bulls amnesty list each summer.
So, I asked the Bull’s HoopsWorld’s writer what he thought.
Jazzaholic:
It looks like the Jazz castoffs didn’t work out for the Bulls. Was it because the Bulls just overpaid and made the production/$ a bad ratio?
Joel Brigham:
“I have a hard time saying Ronnie Brewer didn’t work out for the Bulls, because he really was excellent, especially considering the fact that he never really was given a set role like almost everyone else on that roster. He wavered between starter and Bench Mobber so often that it had to be hard to find a rhythm sometimes, no matter what he said about doing whatever Thibs asked him. I loved Brewer’s production, though, and thought he earned his paycheck.
Korver was pretty disappointing, though he did have his moments. Just not $5 million a season’s worth of moments, I guess. Boozer… Do we really need to talk about Boozer? Along those lines I’ll just say, “Thank God the Bulls still have their amnesty provision.”
Remember when the Jazz were in a luxury tax crunch and Ronnie Brewer and his agent were thinking around $8m/year and Kevin traded him?
Remember when Kyle Korver became a free agent, the Bulls pounced, and the Jazz didn’t even make an offer, because of the luxury tax concerns?
Remember when The Businessman was going to opt out and “get a raise”, but nobody offered? Then, the next year he got a max deal from the Bulls?
At the time, there was a lot of weeping and wailing, but it turns out Kevin made the right decisions.
Looking at those 3 players current market value, their pay back then, and with the Bulls, was way more than their productivity justified.
Also, look at the years each wanted. It would have tied up the Jazz for years down the road.
Look at them now. After the trade for DWil, the Jazz have maximum flexibility next year. They have options on the core 4. With the exception of Marvin’s player option, and Pogo’s low salary, everyone else has an expiring contract!
Expiring contracts have lots of advantages.
1. They have high trade value at the Feb trade deadline and just before the draft.
2. Even if they become unrestricted free agents, the Jazz can top any offer or do a sign and trade to a team below the luxury tax apron, because they hold their Bird Rights.
True, they are free to go to another team, and some teams are still overpaying players, but the market is changing and flexibility will be the key for the future.
Kevin has done a remarkable job of juggling the salaries and contracts to get to this position and should be congratulated!
Jazzaholic
Replies: 13
Views: 1567
13 Responses
good post. KOC can be underrated by us Jazz fans sometimes.
I agree, O’Connor is an excellent GM. He has his weaknesses (wasting money on old, washed up players is a big one – see Bell, Raja; Tinsley, Jamaal; Watson, Earl; Howard, Josh … all four could have been replaced at lower cost and higher production by d-leaguers or min-contract guys, like Sundiata Gaines who we let go for instance). However, his strengths are really magnified sometimes. He’s very steadfast and won’t bow to pressure to overpay players, instead locking up our core pieces at the right price and looking to strike the trade and free agent markets only when supply/demand is in his favor instead of against him.
I liked Yadda too.
Except for Toxic Raja’s $3.5m/yr, all the rest were in the $1-2m range, which is close to the minimum. So, no other big blunders with big contracts. Everyone expected more out of Toxic Raja. Any of them could be waived and their salary wouldn’t make a big dent, NBA wise, in the Jazz’ plans.
Younger players with high potential and big, tall guys are always in demand. I’m sure they’re high on KOC’s watch list, but they’re hard to get.
Watson gives you just what you expect. Tinsley and Howard did better than expected.
It’s frustrating not to be a fly on the wall of KOC’s office, but he’s tight lipped and there’s never much said until it’s done. So, we peons have no way of knowing who he was negotiating with or how close he came to a certain player/trade.
SAS’s RC Buford is another GM, who quietly improves his team, especially with foreign talent.
Lastly, you have to fill the roster to 13, and find players who fit in, have some talent left and provide some leadership, on the cheap. Kevin has done a great job with that.
Jazzaholic
I think however much we might like or dislike a player we must remember each move is part of a longer term plan.
I like Al Jefferson for what he can individually bring to the team however I feel strongly he is not the long term answer to the center position for the Jazz as he is not a player who involves his teammates on any great level. To me he was a steady stopgap to fill in Boozer’s loss and the acquisition of Favors and the drafting of Kanter, decisions within a year of Jefferson’s arrival reflect this.
As much as I liked Dwill I doubt the Jazz could have afforded to offer him $98million over 5 years and still have enough funds to build a team around him. And without such guarantees I doubt he would have stayed anyway. Thus the decision was made to move him on before the circus of will-he-won’t-he-sign came to town.
I feel at $2million Josh was a risk worth taking considering his previous experience. A 3 year contract for a journeyman like Raja in hindset looks ridiculous now but at that time the Jazz probably didn’t see themselves losing their star player or head coach for a couple of years at least and probably it looked like a good idea to have a role player tied down for a few years and use the time in future summers to work on other area of the squad.
The GM has full knowledge of all the contracts, budgets and direction of where the team intends to go which we as fans can only guess at. We may see a couple of areas that need improved on from season to season whereas the team may have plans to move 6, 7 or 8 players over 3 or 4 seasons as a means to gradually improve the whole team over a period of time. It then becomes a case of opportunities and priorities.
Adrian Wojnarowski: “Utah general manager Kevin O’Connor is moving into top executive position with Jazz and running search to hire a GM. OKC executive Troy Weaver was No. 1 target for Jazz GM job, but decided to staying w/ Thunder, sources tell Y! He had worked under O’Connor. Cleveland assistant GM David Griffin talked to Jazz for GM job, but is no longer under consideration, sources tell Y! San Antonio Spurs executive Dennis Lindsey is a strong candidate for the Utah Jazz GM job, league sources tell Y! Sports”.
Brian T. Smith: “League source said O’Connor’s move makes perfect sense. Can still guide organization but no longer will have to deal with day-to-day grind.”
Brian T. Smith: “Jazz source said there’s been “talk in the organization” Kevin O’Connor plans to turn the GM title over, but nothing has been made official.”
Brian T. Smith: “Source confirms @Adrian Wojnarowski report longtime #UtahJazz GM Kevin O’Connor plans to step down as GM and become top executive.”
Brian T. Smith: Blog: “UtahJazz’s Kevin O’Connor reportedly giving up GM title; staying with organization as top executive” http://goo.gl/z4w5W
David Locke: “Surprise surpise Kevin has no comment. Randy Rigby also has no comment at this time.”
David Locke: “I am currently at an event with Randy Rigby, Kevin OC and Greg Miller will see if I can get a comment on @wojyahoonba report.”
Korver is the type of player you find on a championship contender. With the Deron trade, we were no longer that, and it was wise to let him go. It was just plain old common sense to let Boozer leave, and Brewer was basically a salary dump.
All this of course was because of the contract given to AK, but that’s another story.
I agree on all three accounts, and I think KOC has done much better in finding more well-rounded players in Mo and Marvin Williams and Randy Foye. Half the game is defense, and Korver didn’t have a lick, and Boozer was ‘El Matador’, waving his cape as people drove the lane. Brewer was good, but had no jumpshot, which we saw exploited when we played the Lakeshow. So in the end, I approve of those moves from the Jazz side.
@Jazzaholic
I think this is referred to as irony. We all compliment him and he steps down. Glad he will still be with the team though.
Boozer was an expert at playing that “saloon door” style of defense. You know who started out defending his man like that in the NBA? Gordon Hayward. He’s certainly better now (though far from being an elite defender), but it took him a long while to get up to NBA reaction speed.
He’ll still be with the team, just a step higher, which is great. We get some new input and viewpoint.
“no comment”
http://1280thezone.com/index.php/audio/listen/dj_pk_jazz_gm_kevin_oconnnor
I thought Korver really put out the effort on defense. His height is an advantage, but his quickness just isn’t there. He was never really given a green light, which is the key to his productivity. At Atlanta, he might be able to really light things up. Better person than a player.
Toro, Toro…Boozer had style
Jazzahlic
Fisher was the reason we did so well that year. I know jazz fans hate fisher but, he brought veteran leadership to a young team. He showed the young jazz team at the time how to play like champions and, thats what it takes an older player who has been there before. Korver helped but the main reason we did so weel back then was because of fishers leadership
Fish’s stats were poor, but he did have a few notable minutes. His leadership was very good.
He was never a true point guard, which is the basis for the Jazz offense, and off guard was not his position. He did better with the triangle, which doesn’t need a point guard.
His contract was MORE toxic than Toxic Raja’s! So, it was win-win when he went through his exotic prevarication to let Larry get out of his contract to go to the HATED Lakers, which he had prearranged through Kobe. “Cancer”, which had been fully treated and in remission, which continues to this day, was the excuse to move to the Lakers, “to be closer to her treatment”, which was in NYC.
DWil gobbled up all the PG minutes and there was no place for Fish. Good deal for Fish to move to LA. Good deal for the Jazz to dump his untradable contract. Win-Win. It was just the lies he told and how he manipulated the system, which causes the boos, when he plays in ESA.
Leadership was better than his play/fit with the Jazz.
His claim to sainthood, despite the facts, was his major drawback.
He did a pretty good job with the Thunder, but it looks like he’s close to being put out to pasture.
Jazzaholic
Talking about Jazz castoffs:
Saturday, July 28
• Orlando named Jacque Vaughn coach.
If he didn’t get that through THE coach, I don’t know what.
I was disappointed with Korver leaving – he was just a good fit for Utah (and with Utah girls, I guess
).
Boozer wasn’t that bad, until you got into playoffs and teams with really well-sized inside players. But he certainly had his drawbacks.
When I out myself as a Utah Jazz players people over here in Germany (those that have any idea what the NBA is) say “what?”. They usually only know the big star teams.
Looking at the work KOC is doing I am really proud to be a Jazz fan. Intelligence and foresight in putting together a competitive team with less than ideal circumstances is what I really appreciate, along with the late Mr. Millers values. If the team I am rooting for shows all the effort it can, I am going to stay a fan, even if they lose (but more often they will not).
Writing that I am watching DWill against Australia – what a boring affair this All-Star Team vs. Australia is
. I’d rather watch the Jazz 
.