Welcome to the The J Notes Mailbag: Edition No. 4. My coffee mug is filled to the brim, my mind is racing and my fingers are properly stretched and ready to fire. Have a question you’ve been itching to get off your mind? Hit me up on Twitter.
Today, we’ll be covering the Utah Jazz’s second unit, players’ favorite off-court spots, ranking the Jazz Bear and more.
And we’re off. Holy smokes, this is quite the list. I’ll pace myself.
1) Utah Jazz players are just like you and me —minus the near superhuman athleticism and million-dollar bank accounts. They like to have fun and have the means to do so. You can find some of them hanging at the Huka Bar in Murray or at the Hotel or whatever other club is “lit” these days. I don’t know, I rarely go out, because I’m 30, with a family and I hate hangovers and lines. I’d also check the airport; this bunch seems like they enjoy traveling.
As far as restaurants, I know a few Jazz players who have a soft spot for the culinary delights of The Olive Garden. I ran into Rudy Gobert at Spitz downtown a few weeks ago—side note: he looks noticeably bigger. Also, Spencer’s and Fleming’s are hot spots for ballers, you know, because money. And Chick-Fil-A, definitely Chick-Fil-A.
3) Draft Express does a fantastic job. Also, locally, Jazz play-by-play announcer, David Locke, spent a boat load of time this summer breaking down draft picks. Look up his “Locked on Jazz” Tipoff and podcast. And, as always, you can read Purple & Blues, for articles like this.
4) I think Trey Lyles is going to be fantastic. Especially after seeing him play in Summer League. He’s a legit power forward with a unique set of skills. He can set up and run an offense, score both in the paint and on the perimeter, play solid defense and seems to have a very high basketball IQ.
I think his ceiling is an All-Star. At the very least, he’ll be a solid contributor for years to come.
Don’t believe me? Read this.
You can most likely find Gordon Hayward at his home with his lovely wife and newborn baby. At night, after a long day of training and changing diapers, he’s probably pwning n00bs on his X-Box.
If he’s not there, he’s definitely at The Olive Garden. (Ed. Note: Or Subway. Eat fresh.)
@Johnny_UT What is the second team lineup going to be. Can they score? Who?
— O'teach John (@Oteachjohn) August 25, 2015
If I was Quin Snyder, my second team lineup would go as follows:
PG: Bryce Cotton: He showed some nice things last season and in Summer League. He’s got some grit and tenacity and has shown that he can score. This is subject to change, however, depending on how well Raul Neto can adjust to the NBA game. Neto is 6-foot-4 and has a more ideal body for the NBA game.
SG: Alec Burks: Make Burks the 6th Man. Have him be the go-to guy/playmaker on this second unit. He averaged 14 ppg in the 27 games he played last season. Now that he’s healthy, I think that number can improve.
SF: Joe Ingles: aka Joey Buckets. We know what we’re going to get with Joe. He’s smart and plays conservatively. If he can continue to shoot well from the perimeter, like he did at the end of last season, that’ll help tremendously.
PF: Trevor Booker/Trey Lyles: Much like Ingles, you know what you’re getting from Booker. He’s going to play all-out, all the time. Hopefully he can become more consistent from deep while improving his midrange game.
Trey is going to see minutes right off the bat, and those minutes will increase as he improves and gets more comfortable with the NBA game. Ultimately, this will be Lyles’ position.
C: Tibor Pleiss: Pleiss is the wild card. I haven’t seen much of him, but his scouting report says that he’s a gifted offensive player. Here’s hoping that report comes to fruition, because this unit needs it.
MVP: Gordon Hayward. Derrick Favors isn’t far behind and it would ‘t surprise me if he ended up taking this.
Scoring Leader: Gordon Hayward.
Most Improved: Rodney Hood. If he can stay healthy, I expect Rodney to make a big leap this year. Though, I honestly hope it’s Trey Burke. It’s now or never for him and with Dante Exum out, he has a golden opportunity to step up.
Three-pointers made: Rodney Hood.
@Johnny_UT @PurpleandBlues1 Is Jeff Withey just Greg Ostertag reincarnated, coming back to take the Jazz back to the finals?
— Allen (@AllenSchow) August 27, 2015
I really hope not. I’ve already expressed my disdain for ‘Tag in detail. Though, if the Jazz can ride Withey’s wings to another NBA Finals, I’m all for it.
Also, Jeff Withey has some actual muscle definition and doesn’t have a tattoo of Fred Flinstone committing a turnover. I already like him more.
@Johnny_UT @PurpleandBlues1 who are the greatest dunkers in Jazz history?
— Lucas Falk (@Lucaswfalk) August 27, 2015
5) David Benoit
4) Blue Edwards
3) Karl Malone
2) Darrell Griffith. The guy’s nickname was “Dr Dunkenstein.”
1) Jeremy Evans. The Human Pogo Stick. *mic drop*
I covered this in the last edition of the mailbag, but it bears repeating.
"Losing Dante Exum for what looks like the entire upcoming season is definitely a blow the Jazz are going to have to take on the chin. Though, even with his improvements, Dante wasn’t going to be an enormous difference maker. He’s still young, inexperienced and searching to find himself and his place in the NBA. The team will miss his defense, but they can make up for it in other ways.As I’ve already mentioned, the Jazz still have their core intact and have added a few new weapons to their arsenal. They’ll still be able to play suffocating defense—especially in the paint.They’ll also have another year of playing with each other under their belts. Moreover,getting Alec Burks back will help a ton. I think he’ll take away a lot of pressure from the remaining point guards with his scoring, ball-handling and playmaking ability.The Jazz ended last season at 38-44. Add another season of growth and chemistry while capitalizing on last season’s post All-Star break successes, I think they can win another eight games next year. So there it is, my official Utah Jazz prediction: 46-36."
In regards to their floor, the Jazz could be bitten by the injury bug again, crashing and burning back to the bottom tier of the Western Conference. I’m also worried about the point guard situation, but I think they’re going to be fine. Even If this team underachieves, I think they can still win 39-40 games.
@Johnny_UT I'm curious to see how things play out at the 2. How do you see the minutes playing out and who's a better fit with the starters?
— COLE (@Evilcolenevil) August 27, 2015
I’m curious to see how this plays out, too.
I think the second unit really needs scoring and the Jazz will have a healthy Alec Burks ready for the season opener. Couple that with Rodney Hood’s play after the All-Star break and his ability to gel with the starting unit and I would keep things the way they were. Chemistry is a fragile thing and it’s not something you want to mess with when it’s going your way.
Therefore, if I were Quin Snyder I would start Hood and allow Burks to be the focal point of the second unit. Depending on which player has the matchup advantage or is playing well, I’d divvy up the minutes accordingly.
That’s the beauty of having two super-talented dudes who play the same position on the same team. It’s going to a night-by-night thing.
Hey @Johnny_UT question for the mailbag. Jazz Bear, overrated, underrated or properly rated? Also does he not have a real name?
— Zach Miller (@zachattack24) August 27, 2015
I’m going underrated. In a single game last season, I saw Bear—that’s his official name. Original, I know—ride out on a Harley to rile up the crowd before tipoff, maneuver a mountain bike down an aisle in the lower bowl of the ESA, cover an opposing fan in silly string, put on a trampoline dunk exhibition and scale the hoop only to go through it by way of the splits.
The Bear is like a single mother–he does it all.
Just typing that list out made me want to reach for a Gatorade. That’s an incredible mix of energy, talent, flexibility, athleticism and guts.
Bear definitely does not get the credit he deserves.