2009
The 2008-09 Jazz season was riddled with injury. The Jazz had a combined 148 games missed due to injury this season. Even with all the injuries that hit the team, the Jazz managed to finish with a 48-34 record, finish third in the Northwest Division, and make the playoffs. However, the Jazz ended up falling in the first round to the same opponent that knocked them out the year before, the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, the Jazz landed with the 20th pick in the draft.
The Jazz went with Eric Maynor out of VCU. Maynor, I liked at the time, I liked while he was with the Jazz, was mad when he got traded, and I still like Maynor and wish the Jazz would bring him back. Maynor has bounced around the league a little bit, but has been good. As I said, I really like Maynor, but here is a list of some of the guys the Jazz passed on to get him.
21. Darren Collison
26. Taj Gibson
27. Future Jazz player, DeMarre Carroll
41. Patrick Beverley
2010
The Jazz stayed healthy during the 2009-10 NBA season, and improved their win-loss record from the year before to 53-29. This year, the Jazz made it past the first round after beating the Denver Nuggets in a four game sweep. However, once in the conference semifinals, for the third straight year, the Jazz were ousted by the Lakers, this time in five games. The Jazz had five guys averaging double figures for the season with Williams, Boozer, Okur, Kirilenko, and Millsap, but there was another guy that played a big role on this team that was kind of a nobody before the season.
The Jazz signed undrafted rookie Wesley Matthews out of the University of Marquette prior to the season. Matthews played in all 82 games for the Jazz that season, including playing in the starting lineup 48 times. Matthews great rookie season earned him looks from around the league, and was offered a contract from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz chose to not match the offer Portland gave Matthews and he left Utah and is currently still there having great seasons.
Heading into the NBA draft, the Jazz landing with the ninth overall pick. The Jazz got there thanks to a trade that involved sending Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets to the New York Knicks. With that ninth pick, the Jazz selected Gordon Hayward from Butler University. Hayward has spent the last four seasons with the Jazz and is currently headed towards the off season as a restricted free agent. Last season, Hayward averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. Hayward joins “Pistol” Pete Marovich as the only Jazz players to ever average over 16, 5, & 5 in an entire season, and joined LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Michael Carter-Williams as the only players to do that this season.
Hayward is an interesting subject because, the majority of Jazz fans love him and hope the Jazz match any offer that he receives this off season to bring him back. There are a few however that would rather move on from him and let him walk. Hayward has been great for the Jazz, but a lot of fans can’t help but compare him to the guy that was drafted one spot after him in the draft, Paul George. In Indiana, George has turned into an All-Star and led the Pacers to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Currently in the playoffs, the Pacers are in the conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards.
The 2010 draft ended up netting the Jazz a second round pick as well, and ended up becoming best friends with Hayward. The Jazz grabbed Jeremy Evans with the 55th pick out of Western Kentucky. Jeremy improved in bunches this last season. When he first came into the league, nobody really knew who he was. He could jump out of the gym, but didn’t have much of a jump shot. This season, Jeremy developed that jump shot and worked his way into the rotation. Jeremy is turning into a solid pick up for being drafted towards the end of the second round.