High Ceiling vs High Floor NBA Draft Prospects: Who would you take? + Jazz Free Agency Targets.

Speaker 30s - 20s

It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Which players are high ceiling guys and which guys are high floor guys who the jazz could take within the top 10.

Speaker 220.06s - 32.5s

Let's explore that next on Locked on Jazz ORG. You are Locked-on Jazz, your daily podcast on the Utah Jazz ORG.

Speaker 132.84s - 41.3s

Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome into LockDod Jazz ORG.

Speaker 241.42s - 772.24s

I'm Leif Tulene PERSON. I'm excited to be back with you guys again this week. And I'm filling in for David Locke PERSON, as you guys know. I'm a lifelong jazz fan who's a credentialed NBA ORG draft analyst, attendee to the 2023 NBA Combine, soon to be the attendee of the 2024 NBA ORG draft combine,as well as a attendee of the lottery. And hopefully I can bring some good luck for our Utah Jazz ORG to move up in the draft. I also worked as a broadcast assistant and statistician the past three years for the Jazz ORG, so I'm familiar with the organization. The lover of statistics can give you some geeky numbers, not quite as many as you're used to with David Locke PERSON at the helm,but also I'll give you a unique perspective as someone who has watched tons and tons of college basketball, so I'll be able to give you expert analysis on what these players are good at coming into the NBA ORG. All right. Well, thank you guys for making Lockdown Jazz ORG. Your first and only listen or first listen to the day and hopefully listen to others.And remember, Locked on Jazz ORG is free and available on all platforms, including YouTube at Lockedon Jazz, where the best way to help us grow is comment anything below. And today's question is, do you want to draft, do you want to draft a player with a high ceiling or a high floor? Obviously, the middle ground is probably the safest answer, but I want you to pick and give me your rationale.And I've been reading all the comments. I haven't responded to too many, but I've been reading them. And I intend to kind of engage more and more if there's well thought out answers here. All right. Today's show is brought to you by Monopoly Go PRODUCT. Go ahead and download it on the App Store ORG or on Google Playand play against your friends and decimate them as best you can just like you would and old-fashioned Monopoly PRODUCT, but it's more convenient. It's on your phone. You can play with them anytime. All right, in the first segment, we'll label players with a high ceiling saying why they are higher potential guys and maybe lower floor players.In the second segment, I'll find top 10 players who I think have very high floors, but maybe not quite as high of a ceiling. And I'll give a pitch for the jazz to take them. In the third segment, I will look at who is available in free agency for the Utah Jazz ORG to take a look at and potentially explore taking those guys because I think there's a compelling pitch for a few guys and they may not be the names you're necessarily thinking of. All right. Let's dive right in. Okay, first things first. I want to get this this off my chest. I don't think every player is clearly high ceiling or clearly high floor and some can overlap in theessence of like a Venn diagram. So I will try to verbally draw that out for you guys among popular prospects that the jazz should select. This is not me saying this guy is all the way, potential, no floor. So I just want to make that clear. So let's define high ceiling.The high ceiling prospects in this class or in general are the ones I feel have a swing skill. And should they sure that up, that skill and the quote unquote hit on that skill. Like, for instance, Nicola Toppich PERSON is one I'll talk about. If he hits on shooting, I think he makes himself a different prospect than someone who's got more refined skill sets that are less well refined. Like, I mean, they have more refined skills sets that are, that are, have less to refine is what I meant to say.So if someone, quote unquote unquote hits on their swing skill, you're getting a steel and value. And that's someone who is a higher potential than another player that you think is more surefire, steady pick regardless of landing spot. Those are the guys that are steadier that you probably think are a higher floor. The potential is the ceiling.So that's not to say landing spot doesn't matter for guys. I need to be a high floor, but I think the ceiling, the high ceiling guys have more volatility and thus landing spot and development matters more. So here's an example I think that illustrates this. I think Jonathan Cumminga, who went to the Warriors at number seven, I think he was a high ceiling guy with unique traits. And his teammate Moses Moody PERSON was a little bit lower. I believe Moses Moody went14th. And he would have been good many places. And he was a high floor guy who actually, I think, has had his career slowly, have a little slower of an ascension because he's been buried behind perennial All-Star guards for much of it. Obviously, they're not the same as they once were, but they've still been there along with an All-Star and Andrew Wiggins. Another guy that was in that draft was maybe Franz Wagner PERSON. I thought his high floor whose ceiling is higher than I thought and many others thought as well. But I think he was going to be a good player.I just didn't know how much of his seal, how high his ceiling was, whereas Cominga had no doubt. If he fixed some things, he would be a very impactful player. And right now, Wagner is probably better than Cumminga PERSON, but I still, I still am pretty confident with that evaluation I have. So who are the high ceiling guys I see in this draft? Let's start off with Rob Dillingham. Dillingham PERSON is a guy that I think should be good regardless.But as I said, he's the guy in this class, I think, has the most potential to be an all-star. And that is as good of a player as I see in this class as all-star players. Yeah, all-star players are good, but I don't see any perennial all-stars. They're not one and the same. Like an all-star player and a perennial all-star are very different.So if you're measuring by all-stars, you should measure by the quantity of all-stars per player. And obviously, the 2013 draft would be an exception because Janus and Gobert PERSON have a lot of them, and then Oladipa PERSON has one. But I do think that you have to look at how many, uh, multi-time all-stars you get out of a draft. And that tells you how great that draft is or how bad that draft is.Um, and so I think by nature of this draft, that's a comparatively high ceiling that Dillingham PERSON, I think can be an all-star fairly early in his career. I don't think it's unlikely he's good at just, just anywhere, but I think his ceiling would be reached by landing in a pick and roll heavy system where he can use the NBA spacing and his array of shot making skills, his ability to create shots for himself and others by attacking and creating off of drop coverage where NBA ORG plays tons of drop,and he'll be able to punish it with off-the-bounce shooting. He's got the creativity to get others involved and in different ways. He can do live dribble passing. He can shoot floaters. I see him as a 22-and-7 type of guy, and does that archetype win? Not always because his offense over defense, and 22-and-7's good, but is it otherworldly?No. I've said, Trey Young PERSON, a little bit of a water down skill set, Trey Young, but a little more twitchy, Darius Garland PERSON, or his comms. And I would say those guys aren't necessarily winners. So maybe not the perennial all-star, but both of those guys have been all stars early in their careers, and that's high ceiling.So he'd be my first guy. The next guy that I think is the most polarizing in this draft, according to the draft community, he's got them all over the place, is Ron Holland PERSON. Holland is third of my current big board based off my preferred methodology, my preferred philosophy of top guys. And top guys, in my opinion, should have the best chance, the most chance to reachstardom. But in this class where you're drafting pieces to help a team forward rather than the dude to build around, I may tinker with my board and kind of change my philosophy for this year, but I'm not decided on that. But anyway, on to Ron Hall. He has glaring deficiencies as a shooter. And statistically, we could, he would be eliminated by locked, uh, locked, um, analytics, his analytically derived, uh, situation of can he play or not because his bad shootingwasn't good enough to qualify as someone who would have been a positive NBA ORG player per six years of data that's been pretty accurate that Locke PERSON's been tracking, as he told you guys a few episodes ago. So if you haven't listened that, make sure to go listen to it. But I think I can see him as RJ Barrett. And coming out, RJ Barrett has a similar weakness, not a very good shooter, but he found a way to the rim. And people saw star potential coming out of for Barrett because he found ways to impact the game,get to the rim, and impact the game on offense and defense, attack and transition, and have the ball in his hands and be successful. The reason Hollins floor is lower to me than some other people is if he can't shoot, he's a six-foot-six-wing. So not as big as some others in this class, sapping up some of the defensive impact, despite his motor being relentless. And then if that's the case and it really doesn't hit it all, he's a little bit more Josh Okie PERSON than a star. And that's a star on ball, because I think his best assets are his ability to attack the rim.And he figured out how to score in the G League ORG. So I'm not going to say he's got an ineptitude offensively, but I don't think he'd be very good off of the ball unless he's able to improve his shooting, and he can attack closeouts by being more of the shooter, meaning he'd get and garner more respect. I have a little more faith that he impacts offense than Joshua Kogi PERSON. That's just an extreme example.But you guys get my point. The last top end pick with a high ceiling of my mind would be Nicola Toppich PERSON. Topich PERSON, I think, is if his shot comes around, maybe the best player in his class, based on his unique style of play, level of success in a pro league, size, and ability to process. That's all pretty rare.Topich is 6 foot 6, 18 years old, 89th percentile in the pick and roll and scores well around the rim without being relying on athleticism, has deceptive burst and just needs to be able to punish players for going under screen. So I think he can bend the defenses unlike many in this class with his playmaking upside and his versatility given to him by his height and gile around the rim and his incredible processing speed and decision making on pick and roll. So when he gets down towards the rim, he whips, passes, drop off, and he always makes the rightdecision. And I think that's really, really impressive. And it's more rare than you guys would think. So, yeah, Pete PERSON, I'm trying to think of a comparison for you guys. I'm not always a comparison guy, but I'm trying to give you floors and ceilings. People will say Luca, because he's from Slovenia GPE.They're from the same country. But I'd actually say another one is his other countryman is Goran Drogic PERSON, who was a near all-star caliber player, but he's four inches taller than Drogic PERSON. So maybe Drogic or like a souped up Josh Giddy if he hits would be the upside. Or if he doesn't hit, I think that's something you could ask him to be. And Giddy looks like he's kind of falling out of favor in Oklahoma City GPE.He's obviously a starter on a really good team, but I think he's kind of the odd man out there and the building blocks of the franchise. The floor is lower for him than some others if he doesn't shoot well and does not command the respect to the defense. And thus his best attributes get slightly mitigated by the lack of the threat of the shot. And his playmaking becomes less pivotal for the offense and less of a threat for the defense if he can'tshoot and makes you defend him further away from the hoop. So those are the guys that I think are the most high potential guys, high ceiling, and kind of have lower floors, though I don't think their floors are through the rock bottom. I think the lowest floor of those guys is probably Holland GPE and the highest ceiling. I don't know, but I think Dillingham PERSON's the best of those guys because he mixes and matches. Like the middle ground is what you really want to be.But what I'm asking you guys to do is not be ambivalent. You guys have a decision, which do you want? Do you want a guy who can have the high ceiling at the top, even though this class may be devoid of stars, or do you want someone with a high floor that can help you build? I think I know what you guys are going to take, but I'm not going to give away my answer. Well, coming up next, we'll discuss the players that have high floors near the top of the draft.But first, let's get straight to the point, though. You want to grow your portfolio and to deal with the rising cost of inflation, to pay off your debt, your mortgage, pretty much anything standing in the way of you and financial freedom, right? With Yahoo Finance ORG, you can get access to the news, data and tools that you need in order to reach that financial freedom. For more than 25 years, Yahoo Finance ORG has been the brand behind every single great investor.Whether you're a seasoned investor or you're looking for that extra guidance, Yahoo Finance ORG gives you all the tools and data you need in one place. They're the number one finance destination, producing a holistic look at the financial news cycle, including breaking news, original editorial perspectives,analyst ratings, independent research, customizable charts, and so much more. Securely link your brokerage accounts for a unified view of your health, including 401 ORGK and other investments. A comprehensive perspective is what sets apart, great investors, and now it's how Yahoo Finance ensures you to have the insight to look at your wealth in its entirety.With a community of over 90 million users each month, their real strength is helping you on your way to financial success. For a comprehensive financial news and analysis, visit the brand behind every great investor, Yahoofinance.com, the number one every great investor, Yahoofinance.com. The number one financial destination, Yahoofinance.com. That's Yahoofinance.com.

Speaker 3776.86s - 840.28s

This is Jake from Lockdown. Lockdown has teamed up with State Farm to spotlight some of the greatest supporting players in NBA ORG history. You know Michael Jordan won six NBA titles and Kobe won five titles with Phil PERSON Jackson running the triangle offense, but did you know that Phil didn't invent that offense? There's one man behind the scenes that helped Michael Kobe and Phil win 11 championships in a supporting role. His name was Tex PERSON Winter. As a Navy veteran serving in the Second World War, Tex returned to college at USC, where his coach Sam Barry PERSON taught him the triangle offense. As a coach, he worked his way through the ranks in college starting at Kansas State and as assistant to Hall of Famer Jack Gardner PERSON. Tex would later become the head coach at Kansas State and wrote a book about the triangle offense. As a coach, he worked his way through the ranks in college starting at Kansas State and as assistant to Hall of Famer Jack Gardner.Tex would later become the head coach at Kansas State ORG and wrote a book about the triangle offense. In 1985, Tex joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant and helped teach second year guard Michael Jordan PERSON how to run his triangle offense. Three years later, Phil Jackson PERSON became the head coach and the rest is history. Even legendary coach Phil Jackson needed someone like Tex Winter PERSON to support his team success. Sometimes, you and I need that kind of support too. Think of State Farm ORG like a pivotal team player. When you need help protecting the things that matter most, remember the jingle and just say, like a good neighbor, State Farm ORG is there. Well, welcome back to Lockdown

Speaker 2840.28s - 1101.16s

Jazz. Are you guys watching Fox Sports or ESPN on your TV all day long? Have to turn down the volume with all that shouting. Make the switch to Lockton Sports Today ORG. A free 24-7 sports streaming channel program for you every day to bring you in the biggest stories without all that screaming. Locked-on sports today brings you can't-miss analysis. YouTube can't-miss analysis opinions and streaming 24-7 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV PRODUCT channels app. Part of the Locked-onPodcast Network, your team, every day. So let's get to the nitty-gritty of which players have high floors and maybe better this year, better to draft this year to do the safety in selecting them and why that is. The first one to me is Alex Sar PERSON. You got to start at the top here. Alex Sarr PERSON is the type of guy that doesn't get you fired for drafting.Saar likely goes number one. So I guess that's not that safe of a pick because it'll be scrutinized nonetheless if he doesn't scream star. But he reminds me of Evan Mobley PERSON, who's just unbelievably solid. Mobley PERSON is a really good pro, but likely has a hard time becoming an All-Star. That said, the same could be said for Chet Holmgren PERSON, though, in my opinion, he's a lot better than Saar, and even better than Mowley, and all three, no hindsight bias here.I thought it was Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley, Alex Sar PERSON, in that order coming out of the draft. But as it is, Mobley's a 16 and 8 player, 16 points and eight rebounds, that is, three years in, and he's been really consistent at that level. And I think he may be hindered statistically by having another big playing next to him in Jared Allen PERSON. I think Mobley PERSON could have better stats, but his impact would be similar. And that's a really good value.Beyond that, you're not drafting Sarr to be your dude, much like Mobley PERSON isn't. And even though Chet PERSON, I was firmly in the camp of Palo Bancaro over Chet because I thought he could be the top guy offensively. And Chet PERSON can't. Chet is far higher of a ceiling than Sarr or Mowgli PERSON because he's so skilled on offense. But back to Sarr PERSON. I think, actually one more point about Chet PERSON.Just I really like Chet PERSON. I think Chet PERSON's selling is that of like a KG, a stud on all around and someone who's really good on offense, but isn't a top score on a team, but he's maybe your best player in the long term. Unfortunately for that, his case of that, Shea Gill just Alexander's pretty darn good, but that makes him more of a winner, and so he'll take that any day.Saar, I see more of the ilk of Mobley PERSON, who is a very solid foundational piece, but not someone who has the capacity to elevate your franchise and elevate your franchise from the rubble if you're continuing this housing analogy. The next player I see as a certainly high floor over high ceiling player would be Zachary Resoucher PERSON. Resoucher PERSON has a slight chance of hitting it big by just being an exceptional shooter. If he's that exceptional of a shooter, weighing at 6 foot 9, 200 pounds,and the best player of this archetype that I can think of, which I think is an overly generous comp based out and what they were both coming out would be Michael Porter Jr. Obviously Michael Porter Jr. PERSON dealt with some injuries. And he's nowhere near being an all-star yet, though, despite being an excellent, and I mean truly excellent role player.So that's why I think he's a high floor as opposed to a high-sealing guy, because if the best player of that archetype isn't an all-star, then you probably won't be an all-star. That said, he's gotten some light love at the top of the draft and maybe, and maybe I'm not right about that. But Porter PERSON is a monster shooter.And for those wondering, he was in a really good draft as it's turned out and it was presumed to be. And he had a real case to go number one if his back was healthy and not terribly injured, and was a better athlete at the same stage as Zachary Resachet PERSON prior to injury. Resachet PERSON, however, figures to be a really good player because he can really shoot it, shooting as well as 48% for a good portion of the season.It tailed off towards the end in pro ball, but that happens to younger players. He's fluid, though, not explosive on the ball, and he seems to be a heady player. He's a safer bet than most in what's kind of a mysterious draft to be a solid role player because he's molded perfectly for what's coveted in today's NBA ORG. As I'm talking about this, he reminds me some of Cam Johnson PERSON. Like, as I've spoken about this, he's like, okay, who's a player that's a little worse than Michael Porter, Jr. PERSON,but plays similarly isn't a great athlete. Okay, Cam Johnson PERSON's that type of guy. Well, Tam Johnson's making $24 million in his second contract. That's maximizing a role and getting paid to get better. You're getting paid to get better at shooting and playing defense and maybe being a secondary tertiary facilitator if you really hit big.

Speaker 01101.16s - 1112.12s

So that's maximizing a role and getting paid to get better. Another notch up. And a few years ago, that's getting paid like a star.

Speaker 21112.2s - 1405.36s

But instead you're getting paid like a star in your role if you hit like Cam Johnson PERSON. That's what I see for Zachary Resoucher PERSON. I think Cam Johnson having 13 points a game, 39 from three, is probably what you can see from Resuchet PERSON by the end to his rookie contract should he hit. I don't see star potential. That's a high floor and the ceiling's not enormous. But if he hits his ceiling, he's probably a touch better than that. So pretty darn good. Two more guys I see fitting in firmly as high floor guys are SEC standouts. That's Dalton Connect and Reed Shepard. Let's start with Connect. Connect is 23 years old.So his appeal is the immediacy in which his shooting and scoring prowess could be impactful on an NBA ORG court. Connect PERSON, to me, figures to be an advanced skill set marksman who adds a scoring punch as the fifth starter spot rather than a guy who gets the ball in his hands immediately. I think he has the athleticism to punish closeouts and the shooting chops and passing instincts to have offensive sets made for him.And he's an offensively gifted player. He's kind of a supplementary weapon. Not the guy, but someone you have as a real threat to score on your team. And he knows how to play well enough to be solid from the outset. Those are you saying, oh, wait a minute, he's the best score in college basketball. Like, why won't he have an impact right away?Like an enormous one. Like, why isn't his ceiling high? Well, I don't think he's Brandon Miller PERSON. Despite similar averages in the same conference, Miller PERSON can be your offense. And he was a freshman doing it at Alabama for the best team in the country. I know they didn't win the championship, but for the regular season,they were the best team in the country, Alabama was. Connect PERSON was, for better or worse, was a late bloomer and thrived as an older player in college basketball. So don't expect his numbers enrolled be the same at the NBA ORG level, but do expect productivity right off the outset. Like I think he's a candidate to be kind of like Jaime Hawkes Jr. PERSON One of those veteran players that has success right at the jump if he goes to the right place. And like I said, fit matters a lot, especially for the high ceiling guys, but it matters too for the high floor guys because they can do it right off the outset.Now, the final guys, Reed Shepard PERSON, who I see as having a lower ceiling, but a high floor. And I may be on the minority on this. Like, Shepard PERSON can really shoot it. No if, if, hands, or butts. He has the intangibles. But if you're drafting pieces and not dudes in this class, so I just remember that. You're drafting pieces, not dudes in this class, so I just remember that. You're drafting pieces, not dudes.So when I say he reminds me a little of Peyton Pritchard PERSON, even though I have Shepard ranked 11th, don't say that's like that's a failure of this class just because Pritchard PERSON's a bench player. Granted, he's a bench player on the best team in the NBA ORG right now. But Pritchard PERSON is not an insult of a comparison to me because he's a really good shooter. He plays his role well. Reed Shepard shot 50% from three, and that to me immediately translates.He shot 53% actually. And that translates. But the leap of faith that I think has to happen and makes me a little bit worried. It tempers my expectations is to say that he's immediately an impact guy. And the reason I say that is because he would be an impact guy as a point guard. And that's a position that he hasn't played.So that temper's my expectations. And I think being a point guard is the only way he reaches his potential and reaches any sort of stealing. But I think the shooting gives him an elevated floor and a ceiling is too reliant on conjecture. And what I mean by that is it's uncertain. It's uncertain that he'll be a good point guard. You're taking so much of a leap of faith on his ceiling being hinged to his pointguard success. And yes, I know a lot of NBA ORG draft is projection, but you haven't seen him play point guard. And you'll be like, oh, well, Dillingham PERSON was there. And O'Leaf, you have him number two. But most people have Shepard ahead of Dillingham PERSON.And that's without having seen him play point guard. And he's also small, and I think his defense is a little bit overrated based off the numerical statistics, because I don't think he'll play the same defensive role that he played at Kentucky ORG. Well, those are my guys, but I think he is a high floor guy.Well, those are the guys that we're guessing the roles in the NBA ORG. So let's close out and talk about guys who have established NBA roles the Jazz could look at and look into his free agent targets in 2024. But first, a word from Monopoly Go PRODUCT. All right, game off. We got to pause here to talk more about Monopoly Go PRODUCT. I know what you're saying.Flag on the play. You already talked about that. But there's just so much good stuff in this game. In Monopoly Go PRODUCT, you can team up with your friends for time tournaments where you can work together, build up each other's board. The more you win together and the more awesome prizes you unlock. And there's so much to get. Unique stickers you can trade to completealbums for big prizes, cool new playing pieces to travel the boards with, hilarious emojis for taunting friends when you smash their buildings or heist their vaults. Plus, Monopoly Go PRODUCT feels new and exciting every day with constantly changing tournaments and challenges. A ton include their own unique mini games like Digging for Treasure WORK_OF_ART or a robot Pachinko machine. And there's always new timed events that help you in big, like massive multipliers foreverything you win or rent frenzies. There's always something fun to discover in Monopoly Go PRODUCT. So get off the bench and go download it for free at Google Play ORG or on the App Star. Game on.

Speaker 31406.36s - 1465s

Hi, I'm Jake from Locked On ORG. There's a lot to say when buying a new home or car, but really the first words you want to say are, like a good neighbor, state farm is there. And trust me, as someone named Jake PERSON, that is a fact. That's the phrase that will help you feel good knowing that you have people who could help you find the right coverage for the things you want to protect. Insurance doesn't need to be complicated with a State Farm ORG agent. With so many coverage options, it feels good knowing you can find what fits you because your situation is unique. And State Farm ORG is there to help you feel supported with the coverageyou need for your car, your home, and even boats, motorcycles, RVs, and other things that matter to you. And when you need ways to get help, don't yell or be angry because State Farm ORG gives you options there too. In person or on the phone with your local agent or on StateFarm ORG.com or their award-winning app, StateFarm lets you do things your way. So when you need help protecting the things that matter most, remember to say, like a good neighbor, State Farm ORG is there. Welcome back in.

Speaker 21465.06s - 2069.44s

Let's talk free agency and who is available. And not only who's available, but actually logical or feasible for the jazz to go after and improve this team. Because I know I'm going to get people saying, well, why aren't you on these guys? So I'll dispel those notions right off the top. First things first, I would love LeBron James or Paul George PERSON. But let's be realistic.I don't think those guys are coming to Utah GPE. I don't think the jazz make a play for the top free agents of the class because as we discussed in the prior episodes, we need to be strategic about how, about who and how we build around our team. Like, you have Lowry Mark PERSON and he figures the piece of the future, the rest. Uncertain, but you've got to be strategic about how to build that.So I don't think we, I don't think we're going to make too big of a splash in terms of the big, big names. So neither of those first guys, LeBron or Paul George PERSON, fit the timeline, nor do Clay Thompson PERSON,nor does Demar de Rosen because they're all on the tail side of their career, even James Hardin PERSON. And I can't see us having a team that can win, and that seems like a shortcut, not to mention I don't think they'd be interested in going to teams that don't think they can win right away.So the first two names people will know that aren't those guys, but are still at the top, would be like Pascal Seacom PERSON. Seacom PERSON is an unrestricted free agent who has bird rights and is currently, according to my notice, paid about $34 million per year. And I could envision the Jasmine get play pairing two players around 30th best in the world, Lowry Marketer and Pascal Seacom PERSON, to build to build around and play together.And I can talk myself into it, partially. It's, I don't know, but here's why. I can talk myself into it because not,but I'm not all the way there because he would stun some internal growth with Taylor Hendricks PERSON. And in particular, I think he moves the jazz up to seventh or eighth in the west, and but not really in a great spot to truly contend. And the jazz probably don't want to be bad next year, quite frankly, because they'll probably be able to keep a top eight pick,assuming the jazz don't get horribly unlucky this year and fall out of the top 10 with under a 1% chance of that happening. And then they would convey early. But if the jazz need to be in the top eight in order to not convey next year to the Oklahoma City Thunder ORG, and that becomes of the most important because that's where I think the jazz are most likely to get a star. So I'm a little bit out on the Siakum PERSON train, though I could talk myself into it somewhat. The next one that is an unrestricted free agent whose name has admittedly soured is Tobias Harris PERSON. Now, do I think there is something that can be said that he's uniquely criticizedand he's criticized harshly because he was paid over Jimmy Butler PERSON, which was a mistake. It was, but it doesn't mean the player is terrible. And he could be a good reclamation project in the sense that, okay, his name is devalued, so you can pay him a little bit, and he's a good player. But he's 32 years old next season, and he's a good player, but nowhere near what he is paid now and would be paid substantially less.But once again, I think he would take minutes of growth away from the jazz's youthful pieces, which I perceive to be vital. And I think it's vital to internally develop Hendricks and Kessler, along with George, and whatever rookies, the jazz draft this year, to be better suited for the Jazz ORG when they hopefully draft the guy to build around in the 2024, 2025 draft, if not the 2024 one. Plus, as the assets become more near and you see what players are available,I think trades will happen more later with the Jazz ORG's assets. Now, here are the first two guys I have legitimate interest in. The first one being unlikely, but worth a shot and I'll explain the rationale. And the nuance as to why I see it being a different and a fitting better, despite feeling the same minutes as Siakam or Harris PERSON. And that's O.G. Ananobe PERSON, who I'll admit, I've long hoped would be a jazz man. I once said, I don't know if it wason a podcast or just with friends or on Twitter, but I wanted, if we had OGO and Anobie PERSON in 2020 and 2021, the jazz would have won a title. That's been my joke with my friends, but I wanted, if we had OGO and Anobie in 2020 and 2021, the Jazz ORG would have won a title. That's been my joke with my friends, but I meant it. So I'll admit he's long been on my wish list. He's 26 right now and a premier defender in the NBA ORG and a solid offensive option in the NBA.Now, the Knicks ORG, the Jazz would, I would not mind trying to make the Knicks overpay for him and match the offer sheet. That's what I would do, because the Jazz ORG have the money to spend and he could be an actor, an all-NBA defensive player and actually become a tertiary option or a secondary option offensively for the Jazz to grow. And then also, I think as he grows, as the jazz grow, he could be a vet leader to some of these wings. And I don't think Harris or Seacum PERSON fit that role as much because I think they want to win now,as does O.G. and Nobie PERSON, and O'G. and O'G. PERSON and O'G. and O'G. and O'G. and O'G. and O'G. and O'G. would have had those elevated roles. I think the other pitch would be that the jazz could find their on-ball leader, and it would not be a slight to Ananobe who would grow with the Jazz ORG, with Ananoi, with Markin PERSON and not redundant skill sets, both big guys,and now the Jazz ORG find their on-ball leader, and I think that team has a couple players that are 26 through 30 in that core stretch of four years on the rookie contract of the potential stud. And he's also a big, you know, big wing. And those guys are extremely useful, extremely valuable right now.And he's better than Harris PERSON right now. And he's younger and cheaper than Seacom PERSON. The next guy was his former teammate in Toronto ORG. And that's Gary Trent Jr. Who, as of now, is being overpaid. But he's 25 years old, getting about 17 million per year. But I think he could be paid similarly to that to have a slightly different role as a three or a two and compliment Keante PERSON in the back court.And he'd just be a three, excuse me, he'd be a three in D two guard. And he can play the three in some lineup should the jazz draft a guard. So he doesn't necessarily hinder Keante or Senzabal's growth or Hendricks's growth, but he could be slotted in different positions. I think he would actually really compliment Keante PERSON nice in the backwork because he's a very good defensive player, knocks down three, despite his poor shooting performance this pastseason relative to previous seasons he's had. And I think he's a player that you could have for a few years, and he'd be a good player to have as a piece. He's not a guy that you're going to, like, say, wow, this is the player that we need to change the course of our franchise. No, but like you look at Cantavius called Welpope PERSON,when he was at the Lakers with it, he was with the Nuggets ORG. Those guys had stars, obviously, but he's a perfect role player. And I think Gary Trent PERSON could have developed into that type of player in the later stages of his career. And he's pretty young right now. So that's worth a shot for me. And that would be, that would sharpen the youngsters that he plays next to, gives them competition.And he could be a fifth starter, maybe even a fourth starter. And if you're really good, maybe a sixth man. And that's not a sexy free agency target, but I think it's one that's useful. And the last guy I have long thought highly of is number four pick a few years ago, Patrick Williams PERSON. And that's just based on the flashes. I liked him out of Florida State ORG.But he's got more and more flashes that you see as a young, useful player. And he's skillful. He's hardworking by all accounts. You just can't catch a break with the injury bug. That's where the reservations would come from. And he could a lot of players that are young and hardworking,struggle in one environment and really excel in another. Like Lowry Margaret and struggled in Chicago, had a poor numerical season in Cleveland ORG, despite playing a different role, come to Utah GPE, and then he's an all-star.I'm not saying that's obviously going to happen. Like, I'm not saying this is plainly, clearly going to happen whatsoever, but it could. And he's one of those guys that has that upside to make that possible. Williams PERSON, you may have to pay handsomely for us. He's a restricted free agent, but he's worth a shot.And then on the safe side, I wouldn't mind trying to get a veteran player that I think for Williams PERSON, what you would try to do is you'd say, okay, we're going to overpay slightly for him, make the Bulls match us. And then you'd probably go for Trent PERSON. And you'd say, okay, we're going to overpay slightly for him, make the bulls match us. And then you'd probably go for Trent. And you'd say, well, you know what? We're getting a number four player who's a little disgruntle. We'll give him a new future.And maybe that we treat him as our kind of our lottery pick. And you pay him a little extra, but the just has have room to do so. Like, I think they're going to shed some salary. Tht is not returning. And you pay him 15, 16, mil. And now you're only playing a better player thanTHT ORG was, $4 million more than THT had. And so really, it's only a $4 million difference. I don't think that quite does the job, but I would ask. I would ask, O.G. and Obie first, probably going to get declined. I would ask Patrick Williams, but I would really make a push for Gary Trent PERSON. And then the last kind of player or archetype I would try is I try to get a vet who couldwho is more of the grooming side of their career, meaning that they don't want all these minutes. They don't want the money as much. They maybe have played on contenders, but now don't figure to play on contenders like Nick Batum PERSON. So maybe you ask Nick Batum to groom Taylor Hendricks PERSON, cultivate that ball of clay and mold him into becoming a really useful player for the years to come when the jazz are ready to contend. Those are my targets? Let me know what you guys think. Are there guys I'm missing?Are there guys that you think I got right, but I don't have the money evaluation right? Let me know. So that'll do it for me. And thanks for making Lockdown Jazz your first listen and listen to to Lockdown NBA ORG for great playoff coverage. And I also implore you guys to check this out. Lockton has launched their first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube ORG. And now it's also available on Amazon Fire TV PRODUCT in the free Fire TV channels app.Locked on Sports Today is here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with local experts of Lockdown. Plus are national shows covering every league. Find Locked on Sports Today now available on the free Fire TV PRODUCT channels out. So thank you guys again for listening. It's always a pleasure of chatting with you guys. I can't wait to talk to you from the Combine.And I'll be giving you updates on the players who look good, the players who don't look so good, and everything all are jazz-related, of course, covering the ping pong balls, the way they bounce and praying the jazz, end up doing well when the ping pong balls eventually settle. But thank you guys for listening. I'll be back again with you tomorrow with more off-season jazz talk. And as always, go jazz.Hey, Prime members, you can listen to this locked on podcast ad free on Amazon Music ORG.

Speaker 12069.98s - 2072.28s

Download the Amazon Music app today.

Speaker 02073.64s - 2098.72s

It's winner take all time in the NBA and NHL ORG and fan duels giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 to bet on spreads, money lines, player props, and more. Visit fandul.com slash locked on and make every playoff shot count. VanDuel, America's number one sports book.