Utah Jazz: Re-Selecting the Last 15 NBA Drafts

2008: Jazz select Kosta Koufos (23), Ante Tomic (44), and Tadija Dragicevic (53)

If the Jazz were going for improving the level of difficulty of pronouncing the names on their roster, then they hit the jackpot in the 2008 NBA Draft. If they were actually trying to improve at basketball, then they fell a little short to say the least.

The selection of Kosta Koufos wasn’t met with much fanfare or excitement and for good reason. Koufos, while better than some recently mentioned Jazz picks as a player that is still in the league, was overwhelmingly a disappointment.

He played just two years in Utah, averaging 4.7 points as a rookie and just 1.5 in year two, and has never averaged more than eight points per game for his career.

Remember how I said that some Jazz draft picks would likely haunt you in your sleep? This could very well be one of them, because the worst part about the Koufos pick–aside from him not panning out–is that there were multiple top-tier and upper mid-tier players available, including three drafted immediately after him.

Namely Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum and George Hill. Also, later in the draft at number 35, the Los Angeles Clippers picked up DeAndre Jordan.

While none of these four players have ever made the All-Star team, all of them are solid players who have played key roles on playoff teams. Each displays unique skill sets that could have been useful for the Jazz (especially when compared to what Koufos brought to the table).

Ultimately, Ibaka is the top player that the Jazz should have taken at 23. His size, versatility and most notably shot blocking ability (he averages 2.5 blocks per game for his career) set him apart as what could have been an elite selection for Utah.

In regards to Ante Tomic and Tadija Dragicevic, the fact that neither player logged a single game in an NBA uniform is pretty good evidence that the Jazz could have done better.

From 2004 to 2007, teams seemed to have success picking right after the Jazz on many occasions and that continued in both the first and second round of ’08 as the player selected immediately after Tomic was Goran Dragic.

As a member of the Phoenix Suns, Dragic won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award during the 2013-14 season where he posted averages of 20.3 points and 5.9 assists, while shooting 40.8 percent from deep and 50.1 percent from the field–a very impressive figure for a guard.

Dragic is one of the best guards in the league to not have an All-Star appearance and would have been a solid addition over Tomic.

While none of the players on the board after Dragicevic were very prominent, there were a handful of undrafted players who have cashed in somewhat successful NBA careers, one of these being Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov had a solid year last season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and has proven he can make an impact in the league, at least more of an impact than the Jazz’s Dragicevic ever did.

Who they should have taken: Serge Ibaka (27), Goran Dragic (45), Timofey Mozgov (Undrafted)

Next: 2009