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Analyzing Mock Draft Results For The Utah Jazz

By Spencer

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Mar 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker (15) controls the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) during the first half in the finals of the west regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

With less than two weeks to the 2015 NBA Draft, mock drafts are popping up on just about every major sports site around. So, let’s look at who everyone is projecting the Utah Jazz will land in their mock drafts.

ESPN’s Mock Drafts

Chad Ford Mock Draft 6.0: Myles Turner, PF, Texas – Chad Ford tends to be one of the draft analysts who is most in-tune with what teams are doing. In this scenario he has Myles Turner falling to the Jazz. Turner has the skills to be a top five guy in this draft. However, he is very raw.

The Utah Jazz would be a wonderful landing spot for Turner. He would have to opportunity to develop off the bench behind Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. Turner would be a good fit with the current front court of the Jazz as he has the ability to stretch the floor and protect the hoop. This would be a great pick and could easily be a steal at the 12th pick.

Jeff Goodman Mock Draft 5.0: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona – We have written about Stanley Johnson here at The J Notes. Johnson is a strong forward with potential to be a lock-down defender. He can shoot the ball well and is a good rebounder for his size. Stanley is very competitive and could bring some fire to the team.

You could play Johnson with any of the Jazz wings in Hayward, Burks, and Hood. He would be able to focus on defense and not worry about creating shots on offense. Having Johnson as your fourth wing to play solid defense for 15-20 minutes per night would be fantastic and allow the other wings on the team to do what they do best. Get buckets.

DraftExpress’ Mock Draft

Mock Draft Updated June 10th: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona – Johnson was just discussed in the previous mock draft we covered. A month ago it would have been crazy to speculate that Johnson could be there for the Jazz. However, because of the apparent depth of the draft, it is no longer crazy.

Along with ESPN, DraftExpress is an industry leader in draft coverage. If both sites project there to be a chance that Johnson is there at 12, it is likely true. If Stanley is there when the Jazz are on the clock, he will be the best player available and they must pick him.

Sports Illustrated’s Mock Draft

Chris Mannix Mock Draft 3.0: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky – This would be a wonderful scenario for the Utah Jazz.  The only way this is even remotely possible is if Mudiay falls to the Kings at six. Otherwise, the Kings will likely select Willie. This is the most unrealistic scenario we have looked at yet, but it would be fantastic.

Cauley-Stein has true “DPOY” potential. At seven-foot-one, Willie has fantastic length and is able to block tons of shots. Cauley-Stein is very intriguing because he has the mobility to switch on every single pick-and-roll. He does not have much of an offensive game at this point, but has showed signs of an improved jumper.

The Jazz would be ecstatic to lock Willie in as the backup center. You could play him with Favors and Booker, and Willie would be a wonderful defensive presence when Gobert is on the bench. It would not be crazy to presume that the Jazz would have the best defensive rotation of big men in the NBA with Favors, Gobert and Cauley-Stein.

CBS’s Mock Draft

Sam Vecenie Mock Draft Updated June 9th: Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas – People either love Kelly Oubre or they hate him.  Personally, I do not like Oubre. I’m not sold on his shot or defense. Oubre has a very good, NBA-ready body though. Pair his body with his athleticism and it is easy to see why teams are intrigued.

Kelly was also a fairly good rebounder for his position. However, he really needs to work on his handle if he wants to succeed in the NBA.  I do not see Oubre as a great fit with the Jazz. He only averaged one assist for every 26.25 minutes he was on the court. As mentioned before his shooting is a question mark. He shot 35.8 percent from three with his funky shooting form. However he only made 34 threes on the year, so there is the question of a small sample size.

If Oubre were drafted by the Jazz he would likely be riding the pine behind Hayward, Burks, Hood and probably Ingles for the next couple years.

Gary Parrish Mock Draft Updated June 8th: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky – Booker is an interesting pick here for the Jazz. There are rumors that the Hornets or Pistons will take him to add shooting, but if he fell to the Jazz they would take a hard look at Devin. As a smart, lights out shooter, Booker would fit with the Jazz.

He is not an elite athlete, but played good defense because of his basketball knowledge. Booker is not much of a ball handler, but was not a terrible passer. Again, the appeal for the Jazz would be his shooting.  Booker shot 41.1 percent from three and 82.8 percent from the free throw line in his freshman year.

Zach Harper Mock Draft Updated June 8th: Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA – Looney is the only player that we have seen so far on this list that has worked out with the Jazz as of today. Looney is an intriguing prospect. Kevon has a crazy range of where he could be drafted. He could go mid-lottery, or mid-twenties.

Looney is a long forward who teams hope can play both the SF and PF positions. He is a very good rebound and is incredibly versatile. He has a good handle, decent shot and can distribute well for a big man. Looney would likely play few minutes in his first year, behind Trevor Booker.

NBADraft.net Mock Draft

NBADraft.net Mock Draft: Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin – Sam Dekker is a prospect that is not often linked to the Utah Jazz, without much of a reason for it. He is a good player that could fit this team. He is very athletic and a wonderful ball handler for his size. He is strong and brings toughness to the game.

At six-foot-nine and 220 pounds some scouts believe that he could also play the four in the NBA. Dekker would be able to run circles around most power forwards with his handle. However, he likely is a SF in the NBA and his lack of shooting makes him easy to defend as a SF. Dekker’s shot has been very inconsistent. He may be able to develop a three-point shot in the NBA, but it is more likely that he will shoot around 33 percent from three.

The team that picks him likely believes that he is diverse enough to thrive without a shot. Sam could fit with the Jazz even though he is not a lights out shooter because of his versatility. There is a chance that Dekker could be very similar to Hayward. It’s not a big chance, but there is a chance.

Fox Sports’ Mock Draft

Reid Forgrave Mock Draft 2.0: Myles Turner, PF, Center – We talked about Turner and his fit with the Jazz above. One Interesting thing that Reid mentioned is that he thinks that Turner could be Chris Bosh-esque. If that is true, he is easily a steal at 12 and would be a fantastic fit for the Utah Jazz. Some fans may be upset if they pick a big man with out loaded front court, but in their current situation the Jazz should take the best player available. If Turner is there, he is likely the best player available.

Yahoo!’s Mock Draft

Yahoo Mock Draft 3.0: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona – This is the third time that Johnson has shown up for the Utah Jazz. As mentioned before, this would be a fantastic pick. Yahoo comments “The Jazz have built one of the most talented young rosters in the NBA, with an exciting blend of length and athleticism. One thing they don’t have is a physically gifted wing who can defend 2s, 3s and 4s, while also being capable of hitting outside shots.”

WalterFootball’s Mock Draft

WalterFootball’s Mock Draft Updated June 10th: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin – Kaminsky is a popular pick among Jazz fans, especially among those who think Turner and Johnson will be gone at 12. We wrote about the history of the 12th pick, and showed that on average the 12th pick is the 7th best player on any given team.  So if you are realistic about the pick and shoot for a good role player, Kaminsky is your guy.

His floor is fairly high, though his ceiling is low. Frank is the best shooting big in the draft. That skill alone would make him valuable to the Utah Jazz. He is a very versatile player. Lacking athleticism and length causes people to be concerned about his defensive abilities in the NBA. However, his offensive potential outweighs that weakness.

Summary

Shockingly enough, Stanley Johnson is the player mocked to the Jazz more than any other right now. Myles Turner is a close second. If these mock drafts are correct, the Utah Jazz will be getting a great player when they are on the clock at 12.

Next: The Pros and Cons of Paul Millsap's Return

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