Special Guest post by Alan Zaugg

Well here we are again. Approaching another NBA Draft. But this time the Jazz received a little gift from the basketball gods; the third pick! Who do the Jazz pick? I’m sure we all remember the last time the Jazz drafted a third pick. But this year is not like that year. Deron Williams was the third pick in what ended up being a talented draft, especially at the point guard position.

This is a shallow draft at best. Not as much star power as there has been in years past.

Still there is the cream of the crop and in a shallow draft it pays to have the pick the Jazz now sit with. So let’s take a glance.

The Jazz do have a few great options to consider. Players that should have an impact at the NBA level.

The consensus is that Kyrie Irving will go number one overall. Beyond that, well we won’t know until draft night who falls where. Which is why I’m willing to look at all options that could be available for the Jazz at the third pick. Or at least the good ones.

Here are my top picks for the Jazz according to need.

Derrick Williams:

Williams addresses the need at the wing position. Draft Express: "For his height, Derrick Williams might be one of the best shooters at his position, shooting 56.8% from the three point line on 74 attempts. He is also top six nationally in the two advanced shooting metrics, posting an eFG% of 65.0% (6th nationally) and a TS% of 69.0% (4th nationally)."

He is very quick and good off the dribble. Things that the Jazz need desperately at the wing position. Williams is a stud. He is extremely athletic. There are concerns with his defensive rebounding but still he is an impact player on a team.

Brandon Knight:

His game is very similar to current Jazz man Devin Harris. He can get into the paint and uses his body well around the basket. He can shoot off the dribble, especially the floaters and can finish at the rim. He’s not a great shooter but what he has is height. At 19 he has a very high ceiling. I like his upside a lot.

The one thing I like about Knight is his leadership skills. On a very young Kentucky team that lost 5 players to the 2010 NBA Draft, Knight stepped up and helped lead his team deep into the NCAA Tournament. He made game winning drives and shots, and was an emotional, strong court leader.

And If his predecessors are any indication he is the product of a system that has produced three top tier guards in the last three drafts: John Wall, Tyreke Evans, and Derrick Rose. All three were products of John Calipari’s systems at Memphis and Kentucky. Could be coincidence but something to consider.

Kemba Walker:

Do we really need to say too much? If you watched any part of March Madness you should know this guy is incredible. He had a strong Big East Tournament and then went on to lead his team to a championship. There’s no doubt he can shoot, pass, make his teammates better, come off cuts and screens, even defend well.

Again from Draft Express: "It's simply impossible for defenders to stay in front of him – both in transition and in the half-court."

The only concern I see for him is his size: 6’ 180. But with quickness like he has the size issue could prove to be a non-factor. The other question mark is that of whether he has reached his potential, or ceiling yet in regards to his abilities. But he is still a very solid pick.

Enes Kanter:

Here is perhaps one of the great potentials of the draft. Is he bust or star. He has an NBA-ready body. He moves well in the paint and rebounds the ball well. He has a nice jump shot but is slow on the release. He is not extremely quick. I did say he moves well in the paint, that doesn’t mean he is quick though.

There are concerns he hasn’t played against real competitive talent yet. He has the potential, but can he live up to it? That remains to be seen.

Do you take a risk on Kanter as a high pick? Well that remains to be seen. Someone will, that’s for sure.

___

As far as the 12th pick, well there are multiple options that can be very productive in a Jazz uniform.

My top picks are as follows.

Klay Thompson:

I didnt even know about this guy til Clint Peterson (@Clintonite33 on Twitter) advised me to give a look see. Wow! If the Jazz can draft this guy at 12, he would be a great fit for the Jazz system.

He shoots the ball extremely well. He reminds me of two former, familiar faces: Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver. He shoots well off ball screens and elbow jumpers. But the one thing he has to add is his ability to take shots off the dribble, not just catch and shoot situations.

From Draft Express: “His shooting will provide immediate value to the team that drafts him, and with time, he could become a very dangerous all-around scoring threat at the next level.”

He fills a huge need for the Jazz offensively at the wing position.

Alec Burks:

He is quick, athletic and an excellent scorer. He can create his own shot on offense. Very quick on the offensive end. He is good with both hands. DE: "Capable of driving in either direction, Burks is a smooth yet explosive slasher with an outstanding second gear."

He also is an exceptional passer. DE: “Burks is a fairly unselfish player who is more than capable of making the extra pass...he's a nice weapon to have in a half-court offense thanks to his solid court vision and good basketball IQ."

He has some concerns in isolation defense and his jump shot. But overall would be a good option for the Jazz’s second pick.

Chris Singleton:

Singleton is the defensive specialist. He is long, athletic and quick on the defensive end. He is great one-on-one and as a weak side help defender.

DE: "With his terrific size, length, lateral quickness and intensity, Singleton puts tremendous pressure on the ball and is an absolute menace in passing lanes...and is the type of player who would have no problem guarding multiple positions at the NBA level..."

On the offensive end he can post up really well. However there isn’t much to his offensive game. He shoots a hook out of the post really well, but does not shoot jump shots particularly well shooting at a 39% clip last year in college. He can find a way to get to the basket but that’s where his offense really stops. He doesn’t have much beyond that.

He addresses a huge need at the wing on defense. An area the Jazz were not very good at.

Jimmer Fredette:

Yes I’m bringing him into the discussion. He is a scorer. And a very good one. I’ve followed his career closely. He can score off the dribble. He shoots well from anywhere on the floor. So scoring is no problem.

What is a problem for Jimmer is his defense. Not whether he can play it, but whether at 6’ 1” (not very quick either) he can guard the bigger, faster guards in the league.

But still he is the best scorer in the draft. He could most likely will be gone before 12 anyway. Draft Express has him going at 7 to Sacramento. And that would be a good fit for him. That said, if he were available at 12, he would deserve a definite look. Only if the Jazz don’t already draft a Point Guard at number three.

For more information or breakdown on these and other players I suggest a visit to www.draftexpress.com or follow them on Twitter: @Draftexpress.

Whomever the Jazz take in the draft this year one thing is for certain: The future is bright and Jazz fans should enjoy the ride.

_____

You can follow Alan on Twitter at @JediZaugg

Chad Ford breaks down all sixty picks, but these are the two he has for the Utah Jazz. 

 



Chad Ford covers the NBA and NBA Draft for ESPN Insider. He is also a frequent contributor to ESPN the Magazine and makes weekly appearances on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS.

Without the article it may be hard to understand all of this, but you should get the picture. He goes on to say that this does not judge stuff such as character, conditioning and other non statistical stuff. 





This was acutally a top 60 board but the screen shot was only big enough to take 40. 

Hope you all had a good father's day. Estimated 100 million cards were given yesterday, I got one that said "badby," two of my five sons are learning to write and they get the b's and d's mixed up sometimes. Great day. 

Here we go, the Jazz links.  

Here is your Green Room list for Thursday night, if you haven't seen it already. 

Kyrie Irving (Duke), Derrick Williams (Arizona), Brandon Knight (Kentucky), Kemba Walker (UConn), Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State), Chris Singleton (Florida State) Klay Thompson (Washington State), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Alec Burks (Colorado) as well as twins Marcus and Markieff Morris (Kansas).

Three international players -- Enes Kanter (Turkey), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania) and Jan Vesely (Czech Republic) -- made the cut.  Byiombo is not on the list. 

Could the Utah Jazz take a defensive guy like Singleton? Jody Genessey---  I think defense is a state of mind and pride issue. I don't think one single player will change that state of mind,  I think it will help. I think one guy (Matthews two years ago) can cover up a lot of other guys' mistakes. The way that the NBA rules (and the way calls go now) are set up to create more points and less stoppages. In the end talent and offense will always win. Look at the finals the Heat had the most talented players, but the Mavericks had the best offense.  Here is his post work out interview. 

Jazz shopping Jefferson? Gather Sports  I don't think that I ever expected big Al to go 23 and 11 with the Jazz. I am fine with him going 18 and 9 every night. He played well for us and lost the coach that he came to play for, and the point guard that was going to make him and All-star. Corbin has said that Jefferson has worked very hard this off-season. I like Al and think we should keep him as our veteran for all of the young guys we will have after this draft.  

If the Jazz draft Jimmer fishbowl becomes a factor Luhm 

Jazz Fanatical ties up some odds and ends of the Jazz draft workouts @Monilogue

Six players work out for the Jazz- BTS 

Jimmer playing the waiting game. Daily Universe (BYU)  

My longtime Deron Williams nightmare may come true. Laker Nation  Only difference is that I thought the Lakers would be stealing him away from the Utah Jazz not the New Jersey Nets. 

What will the Jazz do? Dana Greene. 

Beyond the Top Three From @dianaallen of Jazzbots. 

Happy Father's Day Everyone. 

More on the Flash not coming back Jody Genessy. 

Jazz still undecided. Jody Genessy  I think this is a smoke screen. Interesting that KOC said that everyone lies in June. His approach is just "no comment." I can't remember a draft that was more analyzed and scrutinized by Jazz fans. It has been to follow all of the differing opinions and mock drafts. We have four days till the silence is broken. 

Bettor.com adds there thoughts on the Jazz' draft.

Sunday Syncopation by @allthatamar via SLCDUNK  

Will the Jazz blow their big chance in the NBA draft? Gordon Monson 
For Jazz fans I think the Jazz can't draft perfectly to appease everyone. I know that winning will make Jazz fans happy. I also know that putting together a team that works their asses off and loses will make the Jazz fans happy(2004). I think true and realistic fans are fine with losses, as long as they see improvement and the team is giving all they have. 

Fix the NBA with a Lockout? Brian T Smith 
I really can't explain how the lockout will damage the common fan, I can say I know that it will crush the hardcore fans. If you are reading this, than you are probably a hardcore fan. The thought of no Jazz basketball for possibly a year just makes you sick. It makes me sick. 


Thurdsay Night's Draft Party- A bunch of guys from the podcast will be in the ESA and we want to here what your thoughts are on the Draft. I will be recording the whole thing on a flip cam and we want to get some interviews for the website. I will post more on this later, but if you are coming find us and tell us your thoughts. 



 

Well after a 3 year run in Utah County the Utah Flash are going lights out. They are being sold or least Andersen is selling his shares. Here is the link to the entire story via Daily Herald. 

Who is going to lead the league in rebounds and blocks next year? A possible Jazz man check the confidence out here.  

Jazz in the middle of the Draft Frenzy. Jody Genessy  

Jazz draft workout schedule for Sunday... DN  



Downtime Activities Here is a list of all of the Utah Jazz Players' Websites. 

Ronnie Price- ronnieprice.net this site is not loading may be down. 

Paul Millsap- http://pmillsap.com/

Devin Harris- http://devin34harris.com/

Mehmet Okur - http://www.memo13.com/index.asp

Al Jefferson- http://www.aljefferson25.com/ 





 

Official Jazz Draft Party information has been released. Here it is. 

Slcdunk.com on Bismack Biyombo via Chad Ford Espn insider. Interesting thing about Biyombo is there are lots of questions surrounding his age. He did not do well on the eye test (from and earlier podcast with ford). Having said that, Oden and James did not do so well either. He is listed at 18, but could be as old as 25 from what Ford stated. Either way he is an NBA ready guy now as far as his physical abilities. 

The top ten comebacks in NBA History from Bleacher Report (videos for all of them).  The writer must be a Jazz fan, and between the age of 22-25 because all of these games are in the past 4 years. There have been plenty of amazing comebacks over the past 25 years that are better than some of these.  However, the Jazz have three games on this list. 

@Monilogue drops The Down Beat today as well. Couple thoughts on this, The Jazz need to go outside of the organization to get a big man coach. If we don't have any recent big men that are good, why would we hire any of them to be a coach. I don't have a short list of names, but preferably our big man coach would have couple of rings, and some all-stars under his belt. We need a coach on the team that can say,"Yeah this is what I did to win a championship." I know these guys wouldn't come here, but some one in the mold of Hakeem, Robinson, Horace Grant, Kareem, a big name guy that is looking to get into coaching that can help Favors/Millsap/Jefferson/Draft Pick. 

In case you missed yesterday's Mock Draft--- @clintonite33 killed it. Yes, I know that I am linking to our own site. It was that good. 
 
Jimmer work out, I imagine there will be a collective cougargasm today as local reporters will be allowed in. Will try and post everything I can tomorrowon this.  

Jody Genessey on the Walker Jimmer workout.- DNEWS

Do the Jazz take a chance on Fredette? SLCTRIB

CBSPORTS breakdown of Jimmer to Utah or Phoenix

Jimmer breaks down his own three point shot. 

The Hoops Report has us taken either Knight or Kanter...very good write up here by @TheHoopsReport.


 

We have a special treat for you, Jazz fans. A guest post from an anonymous source. After months, and in some cases years, of close examination of the prospects available in this year's NBA Draft he's drawn up a mock for us, one that pertains to the most likely picks hanging around for Kevin O'Connor and the Jazz's consideration in 2011. So, without further ado...

Some say he can braid basketball twine with chop sticks. Others say he lives in James Harden's beard.

All we know is, he's called The Scout.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
The no-brainer pick. Point guard is actually Cleveland's strongest
position right now, but you never draft for need when you win 20 games
the season before and Irving is the best prospect in the draft.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams
Williams may not be the best fit in the world considering that the
Wolves desperately need defense and players who aren't power forwards,
but Williams is the best player available. The Wolves will likely
trade him for a veteran wing or center like Andrew Bogut, Andre
Iguodala, or Kevin Martin. If they can't trade him, Williams should
still be an upgrade over Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph.
Williams isn't a stud prospect or a prospect who would go top 5 or
maybe even top 10 in a good draft, but he is the most talented player
available and has a good chance to become a David West or Paul Millsap
level player.

3. Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter
Tough spot for the Jazz. Scouts are majorly divided on who the third
best player in the draft is and draft sites such as Draftexpress and
ESPN have said that there is no major difference between the third and
tenth pick in this draft. Kanter and Jonas Valanciunas seem to have
most often been proclaimed as the third best player in the draft, but
Brandon Knight, Jan Vesely, and Kemba Walker are all in major
contention for the pick. I lean towards Kanter here because he seems
to have the most trade value. There is potential that the Wolves would
trade down for Kanter and that the Wizards would trade up for Kanter
and the Jazz could potentially acquire a solid young PG in the league
with Kanter and perhaps one of their other picks. There's also a
chance that they outright take him to have him play for the team since
he is highly rated in some circles. Kanter isn't much of a defensive
presence at all and has major question marks about his postup game and
pick-and-roll scoring, but he is a good pick-and-pop player and
rebounder and has drawn comparisons to Carlos Boozer.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonas Valanciunas
The Cavaliers seem to like both Valanciunas and Kanter according to
Yahoo and others and with Kanter off the board, this is a very easy
pick. Valanciunas lead Euroleague in rebounding rate last season
(22.7%, better than Dwight's rebounding rate last season when he
grabbed 14 boards a game) and is a terrific pick-and-roll scorer and
defender with great touch. By all reports, Valanciunas has excellent
intangibles and his strength concerns from earlier in the year aren't
a major concern now as he is putting on an exceptional amount of
muscle in a short period of time and will be a very well built center
in just a few years.

5. Toronto Raptors: Brandon Knight
While there are a lot of differing reports on whether the Raptors
would go with Kanter, Valanciunas, Vesely, Kawhi Leonard, Bismack
Biyombo, or Kemba if all were on the board, the Raptors love for
Knight seems to be consistent. Jerryd Bayless played fairly well for
the Raptors at the end of the year, but he has mostly been a
disappointment and his strong play can't be counted on moving forward
for the Raptors.

6. Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely
Much has been made over Vesely's abysmal free throw shooting (47%,
would have been close to the worst in the NBA for rotation players
last season) and defensive rebounding (8.2%, would have again been
close to the worst in the NBA for rotation players) and really his
complete lack of skill despite being 21 years old, but Vesely's
ridiculous physical tools make him near impossible to pass up at this
point in this draft. Those issues may prevent him from being a starter
in the NBA and he will likely have to make the move to PF since he
lacks the lateral quickness to defend wings, but his physical tools
and nonstop motor should allow him to become a quality pick-and-roll
stopper and scorer and being really good at either one of those two
things can make you an all-pro (See Amar'e and Tyson Chandler). The
Wizards could also use Vesely, along with the 18th and 34th picks
which they have, to trade with the Jazz to get Kanter. Ryen A.
Russillo (@ryenarussillo on Twitter) has said that the Wizards love
Vesely as well.

7. Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker
Whether Kemba or Jimmer would go here at 7 has come into debate
recently after good workouts from Jimmer and fairly poor workouts from
Kemba, but I lean towards Kemba since I just think he's the better
prospect and will prove it when they play each other. The Kings love
tough players who are ready to play right away and they don't care
much about upside so Kemba and Jimmer are obviously great fits for
that drafting style.

8. Detroit Pistons: Alec Burks
Draftexpress and ESPN have frequently mocked Biyombo here, but I feel
that after Biyombo got eaten alive in workouts against the chair, he's
going to slip. Alec Burks is a talented scorer and while not a good
fit, the Pistons just need talent.

9. Charolette Bobcats: James Fredette
The Bobcats need everything. Statistically, their best player last
season was Tyrus Thomas. Going by how their fans viewed the team,
their best player might have been Kwame Brown. Think about that.
Jimmer is an okay pick who will make short-term money for Jordan which
Jordan has shown to be the only thing he really cares about in owning
the Bobcats after sending Tyson Chandler to the Mavericks for Matt
Caroll.

10. Milwauke Bucks: Donatas Motiejunas
In the last four drafts, the Bucks have gone with Yi, Joe Alexander,
Brandon Jennings, and Larry Sanders. All four had upside and were
incredibly risky. I think that drafting strategy will continue.
Stories about Donatas' attitude and hatred of defense and rebounding
make him likely to be leaving the league in a few years, but super
skilled low post scorers who are athletic and seven feet tall aren't
very common in the NBA.

11. Golden State Warriors: Kawhi Leonard
Mark Jackson wants defense in the franchise and Kawhi could bring it.
Not a fan of his offensive game (Too inefficient at everything,
doesn't have a niche to turn to in the NBA on offense), but he could
be a solid defender and energy player off the bench for Golden State.

12. Utah Jazz: Chris Singleton
If the Jazz leave the draft without getting Knight, Kemba, or Jimmer,
the team could view that as a failure or their want of one of those
three could be completely wrong since the media has no clue what the
Jazz will do with their incredible secrecy. Singleton has a chance to
be the worst wing scorer in the NBA next season. A player who makes
every fast break into a magical adventure and who will be constantly
blowing layups next season, there will be YouTube videos of
Singleton's futility on the offense end. However, Singleton is a high
level defender who has shown the ability to make spotup threes.
Singleton has the potential to be a starting SF in the NBA and that's
good value at this point in the draft. The Jazz are in desperate need
of wings and defense. The Jazz could go in an opposite direction with
Jordan Hamilton to improve their shooting and scoring from the wing
but continuing their defensive woes.

13. Phoenix Suns: Tristain Thompson
Thompson is a solid PF who defends, rebounds, and occasionally scores
on pick-and-roll. A starter in the NBA? Probably not, but a good
backup who will fit the Suns well.

14. Houston Rockets: Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo is a nice value here and the Rockets don't draft on need.


Looking at various other scenarios, it seems to me that the top 6 will
be Irving, Williams, Valanciunas, Kanter, Knight, and Vesely with
Irving and Williams going 1 and 2 and the other four going in some
other order 3 through 6 unless Valanciunas' contract becomes an issue
(Unlikely because, despite him having a long contract with no buyout,
his team in Lithuania is desperate for cash and will allow him be
bought out by his NBA team most likely). If the Jazz take Vesely at 3,
Val likely still goes 4, Knight goes 5, Kanter goes 6 and the 7-14
order is unaffected. If the Jazz go with Knight, Val likely still goes
4, the Raptors take Vesely, and the Wizards go with Kanter. One
interesting scenario however would be if the Jazz went with Vesely at
3 and then the Cavs went with Kanter at 4, Knight goes 5, and here
potentially the Wizards could take Kawhi Leonard 6th. This could drop
Valanciunas to the Bobcats and could allow the Jazz to draft Kemba or
Jimmer at 12.

Congrats to the Mavs- No link necessary you should know where to find information on the NBA Champion. I am happy for Dirk, Kidd, and pissed off that Deshaun Stevenson has more rings that Stockton and Malone....combined. 

NBADraft.bet has us getting Kyrie Irving- do they know something we don't know. The answer is probably yes, they do know something we don't know. However, I don't think this happens. 

Good article by Jason Flemming (@jfleminghoops) about the Jazz finding their identity before the draft. 

Sunday Syncopation via @slcdunk by @allthatamar  I like that he points out that they Jazz close out on some players and not others. It is frustrating to watch the game and know who the three point shooters are. I know that they (the Jazz players) do as well, and they still don't close out on the one/two players that can rip us from deep. 

Slcdunk gives a breakdown of what all of the Jazz players are doing this summer. 

Since 1988 only four NBA Final's series have gone seven 10', 05', 88', 84'. So if you were a gambler you would have picked this series in six. 

EuroCamp link who is playing and the schedule. More on this from NBA.com 

Suck it Jalen Rose... you just got moted by @Monilogue. 

David Aldridge has Fredette and Walker moving up. Mock Draft 

I don't mind moving to six if we get the guy that we want (a guard) from what it sounds like. 

Utah Jazz | Brandon Knight | G | Kentucky

A pick made with much trepidation. The whole civilized world has Utah going for a guard here, and the Jazz, supposedly, is in love with Knight. I am not sure of this for three reasons: 1) Utah has no idea what it's going to do yet. The Jazz has four major workouts with Draft prospects between now and the 23rd, including Wednesday's guard matchup with Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette, which Knight -- at least for now -- is not going to attend; 2) Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz GM, wouldn't tell anybody what he's really thinking at this point even if he's made up his mind, and 3) I know how much O'Connor values size and toughness, and it's hard to see him passing up all of the quality bigs that are available. It also wouldn't surprise if Utah moves back if it really wants a guard; perhaps to six, where it could still take Knight or Walker and get an extra first-round pick out of the deal (Washington would package 6 and 18 to move up).