Off-Season Game Plan: Jazz
5/14/2006 12:51:25 AM
A relatively strong finish to the season, keyed by a big frontline, gives the Jazz a strong foundation, but now the challenge is for this team to make the move from adequate to consistent playoff team.
That frontline, with Mehmet Okur at center along with Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko at forward is as good as just about any group in the league.
What's more important for the Jazz, to take the next step towards being a playoff team, is upgrading the backcourt and improving the second unit.
At the point, Deron Williams had an inconsistent start to his rookie season, but finished strong (13.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, while shooting better than 47% from the field, in March and April), giving plenty of hope for next season.
It's the spot next to Williams that is the biggest concern for the Jazz. Matt Harpring, who plays some two guard (as well as small forward), is an unrestricted free agent and Gordan Giricek is coming off an Achilles injury that prevented him from playing after January. Even when healthy, Giricek is a rather one-dimensional shooter who didn't shoot very well from long range last year (30.5%).
"Matt's our top priority, period," Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor told the Salt Lake Tribune at season's end, but the best solution for both the Jazz and Harpring could be to have Harpring playing a sixth man role, where his versatility and ability to score would be beneficial to the second string.
That still leaves a hole that must be addressed and the Jazz probably have to look to the free agent or trade market because it's unreasonable to expect the 14th pick in the draft to handle a starting job.
While the natural pick at 14 might be a shooter, like Duke's J.J. Redick if he's still available, the Jazz also could look for an athletic big man to come off the bench behind Okur and Boozer -- neither of whom is much of a shot blocker.
If the Jazz decide to make a big trade in the off-season, Boozer might be the one on the move as it is conceivable that the Jazz could get two capable starters in exchange for his hefty contract, though coming off a season in which he only played 33 games, Boozer's value is at a low point.
Thus, the most likely course of action for the Jazz would seem to be to bring in a couple of inexpensive free agents for depth, hopefully land a rotation player in the draft and expect that a healthy Carlos Boozer along with another year of development from Williams will be enough for the Jazz to get out of the lottery and into the playoffs.
GM/COACH
Kevin O'Connor/Jerry Sloan
CENTERS
Returning: Mehmet Okur, Robert Whaley
Free Agents: Jarron Collins (UFA), Greg Ostertag (UFA)
FORWARDS
Returning: Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Kris Humphries
Free Agents: Matt Harpring (UFA)
GUARDS
Returning: Deron Williams, Gordan Giricek, Keith McLeod (TO), Devin Brown (TO), CJ Miles
Free Agents: Milt Palacio (UFA)
DRAFT
14th - Patrick O'Bryant, Shelden Williams, Hilton Armstrong, J.J. Redick, Mardy Collins, Maurice Ager
44th
45th
49th
FREE AGENCY
Payroll: $44M
TRADE MARKET
Boozer (four years, $47M), Giricek (two years, $8M), Humphries (one year, $1.7M)
