The J-Notes
Fansided

Utah Jazz: Re-Selecting the Last 15 NBA Drafts

By Jared Woodcox

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rodney Hood (Duke) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rodney Hood (Duke) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 17
Next
Dec 22, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince (21) guards Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the game at FedExForum. Utah Jazz beat Memphis Grizzlies 97 -91.Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince (21) guards Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the game at FedExForum. Utah Jazz beat Memphis Grizzlies 97 -91.Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

2002: Jazz select Ryan Humphrey (19) and Jamal Sampson (47) but trade both players’ rights to Orlando Magic for Curtis Borchardt (18)

The 2002 NBA Draft saw Yao Ming arrive in the league as the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets. Beyond him though, this draft was relatively weak.

While a weak draft might be a letdown for fans overall, at least a weak draft makes a bad draft decision not hurt as much for Jazz fans! Like Lopez, the former Stanford center Curtis Borchardt only logged two disappointing NBA seasons with the Jazz, but there weren’t a whole lot of better options to choose from with the 18th or 19th picks.

However, the Jazz may have benefited from snatching up small forward Tayshaun Prince who was selected 23rd. Though never a top player, Prince served as a formidable role player for the Detroit Pistons for over a decade, including on the 2004 NBA Championship team.

The Jazz also could have pursued Carlos Boozer who was taken 35th or Luis Scola who was taken 56th.

While Boozer obviously joined the Jazz starting in the 2004-05 season, and neither one of these two players was especially spectacular (I told you 2002 was a weak draft), both Boozer and Scola put up solid numbers in the early part of their careers and either would have been a better option than Curtis Borchardt.

In 2007-08, Boozer’s best season with the Jazz (and not surprisingly the one where he only missed one regular season game), the power forward out of Duke put up 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

In Scola’s best season in Houston, the forward from Argentina put up 18.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Both of these sets of stats eclipse Borchardt’s two-year career averages of 3.1 points and 3.3 rebounds.

As far as who the Jazz should have selected, however, while Boozer and Scola may have gone on to be better players, Prince proved to be a consummate pro, and the kind of solid role player that every championship-caliber team needs.

Because of his potential fit with the Jazz, his solid defense and incredible durability, he’s the one that the Jazz should’ve taken after trading for the 18th pick.

Who they should have taken: Tayshaun Prince (23)

Next: 2003