Hot Takes or Toast: Austin Ainge says the Utah Jazz most likely will keep this month’s draft pick…
Question of the morning. Austin H says the Jazz most likely will keep this month’s draft picks. What were you for, Eric? It’d be a miracle if they could trade their five for anything meaningful. Nobody like Giannis or KD wants to play in Utah for a team with no wants to play in Utah for a team with no direction. They have to hope to get lucky with number five. Lots of great players drafted a five or later. They got to get lucky. Yeah, I don’t think they get lucky though. I I disagree on the luck category. I think a lot of work the luck category. I think a lot of work goes into it. You have to reduce luck as goes into it. You have to reduce luck as much as possible through preparation. And I think that’s extremely important because if it’s luck, then I can do it. You can do it. You’re not just rolling the dice, right? You got to go to that gym in the middle of nowhere in to that gym in the middle of nowhere in Europe and find that player or figure out or figure out sitting at the combine that this player while talented doesn’t have the drive to get a lot better. And all these 19 and 20 year lot better. And all these 19 and 20 year olds, they got to get a lot better. Yeah. I I think that high in the draft, Yeah. I I think that high in the draft, it’s not some discovering Yeah. to some gym in Siberia. I think that’s that’s that’s how you find your later pick. Yeah. and guys that can develop. You know, that’s the thing that you go with Jokic. Well, he was a second round pick. So, I think at the fifth spot, this person, this young man is well known throughout basketball circles. And Austin has researched that of infinite amount of times. And then, you know, you don’t really know until you’re on the clock because you can’t guarantee what Charlotte’s going to do. Now, I’m looking at one right now. I mean, it’s fun. I think we all do this. We look at fun. I think we all do this. We look at these mock drafts just for the heck of it. And we’ve seen him a hundred times now. But we still if if 101 comes out, now. But we still if if 101 comes out, we look at it, right? And what are they we look at it, right? And what are they saying? And especially now with you and us and Yak because it’s our business. And so we want to be and ourselves as And so we want to be and ourselves as prepared as possible to be able to discuss what we’ve seen and whatnot. So Clutch Points, I just literally just five minutes ago, obviously I know what we’re talking about. So Clutch Points comes up with a draft mock a mock draft, comes up with a draft mock a mock draft, right? And so they’ve got obviously they’ve got Flag and they’ve got Harper. That seems to be virtually I mean maybe just remove the word virtual that that everyone you look at has flag one um Harper 2, right? So I look at this um Harper 2, right? So I look at this one saying all right well what do we see? Well they got flag one and Harper two. They got Bailey too. That’s where I’m going with this. Oh, I had seen I’d I’m going with this. Oh, I had seen I’d seen those but not really since I don’t know. That’s why I bring up early to mid-conference season was the last time I saw because if it was standard then you would bring it up. Okay. So, flag one. Everyone’s got that. That’s a that that’s unanimous. And uh so you look at this and here’s one uh so you look at this and here’s one clutch points for whatever it’s worth. And the writer says almost everyone has Dylan Harper above Ace Bailey. I am fine being the outlier here as I am fine being the outlier here as I am sold on Baileyy’s upside to become a star in his long per long per long-term potential as a beast on both ends of the potential as a beast on both ends of the court. Well, if you can get a beast, you court. Well, if you can get a beast, you better do it. Yes. And then he’s got Harper three and then also too, this is a surprise. Maluch the big and I saw Duke play 50 times obviously everybody’s watching flag so you see all these other Duke guys. Yeah. So he he’s there at four and guys. Yeah. So he he’s there at four and I don’t see that man. That would surprise me. I don’t see that he’s been more 678 guy. Yeah. I you don’t even think he’s that big. I’m not sure. I wasn’t impressed. But, uh, you’re you’re not drafting for 25 26, you’re drafting for 28 29. And then he’s got Edgecom at five. So, uh, this one. Yeah. I mean, he’s got Trey Johnson at seven and, uh, let’s see what’s you said. What did you say, Fred? Come five. Five. Yeah. So, he’s available. That would excite a lot of Jazz fans. I think a lot of Jazz fans Jazz fans. I think a lot of Jazz fans are very interested in him. I’m not sure he’s going to be on the board. Um, I he’s going to be on the board. Um, I called up another mock draft over here and they have Edgecomb going number three to the Sixers. They have the standard one, too. They have Harper, too. And then the draft starts at three. Yeah. Well, bang. Edgecom’s gone. The draft’s over for him. Court, this is Associated Press. Never trust AP. Never trust AP. No. Ace Bailey dropping to four. And they have the Jazz taking Trey Johnson at five. And I think the two names most Jazz fans are rallying around for whatever that is worth are VJ Edgecomb and Trey Johnson. I like Johnson a slight better. Yeah. Not that that means anything, but I just do. Phillip, take Trey or VJ and tank on. There’ll be no tanking. Phillip tank. They may be losing, but there will not be tanking. Hey kids, rock and roll tank on. So, uh, that has a lot of intrigue there So, uh, that has a lot of intrigue there at number five because there’s there’s all sorts of directions on which double A can go. And so the stuff that that I was talking about last week and trying to get some information from jazz people is they were real high on Jeremiah Fears, but I don’t know if that information was based on what Austin A is thinking because he’s new man now. Maybe maybe everything you were told a week or two ago is old news now. Or they week or two ago is old news now. Or they knew this was coming. And they know double A likes fears. I don’t know. I don’t know. The question with him is the three-point shooting. Everybody’s fixated on that because he didn’t shoot. He didn’t he didn’t even shoot 30% from three. But if you think that can improve, then have at it. I I you know, I’ve heard have at it. I I you know, I’ve heard they really they’re high on fears. I’m thinking what why would I go with Jagor then? He’s he’s five, six inches taller. The the shooting percentage is virtually the same. Uh he scored more points and all that because my guess is speaking of fears, he had far more FGAs uh than uh fears, he had far more FGAs uh than uh Jagor did. And you know, he’s an American. He didn’t have to make the adjustments. I think we underestimate Jaor’s all the adjustments that he had to make and going around the world and knowing one person, Travis Hansen. Yeah, I can relate to that. Uh, I moved to Arizona from New Jersey and knew one person, my sister. That was it. My parents didn’t even come. They came later. Uh, she they sent me to live with her because she’s much older than I am and because they wanted me to start school at the start of the school year rather than, you know, sophomore year or in the middle or what have you. Uh, so I I think not not what have you. Uh, so I I think not not to say that he should be drafted five, but I think he’s his best ball is way but I think he’s his best ball is way down the line and he’s going to be much down the line and he’s going to be much better than we saw in his one season at better than we saw in his one season at BYU. But as far as what the Jazz got. BYU. But as far as what the Jazz got. Yeah. I see. Back to that that comment. Take who does take Trey? Trey or VJ and Take who does take Trey? Trey or VJ and tank on for but they will they will tank on for but they will they will tank on but just not on purpose. They won’t tank. they will lose. Well, it’ll be the same. The result is the same. The result may be the same, but the process battling to the end will be different. Yeah. There’ll be uh opportunity to win games trying to win and playing their best players. And and and so what if you win 10 more? And and so what if you win 10 more? And San Antonio won 10 more, probably won more than that, and they still got ahead of you. So, you tried it. You gave it of you. So, you tried it. You gave it your best effort to suck and you literally did. You never have been worse in terms of winter. First 60 loss team in Jazz history, right? So you literally did your best to be your worst worst record ever and it didn’t pan out. Nope. So now what’s the point? There is no point. We learned our lesson. And then you move on from that and now you have these young fellows and you run with them. And yeah, so you will they may not even get I would think they may not even get I would think they would get to at least 20 wins, but I would get to at least 20 wins, but I can’t guarantee that at all. Let’s see what the roster is for we Well, I think what the roster is for we Well, I think I they even with the young guys ought to I they even with the young guys ought to get to 20. They’re not going to trade that many vets and the young guys ought to be better. Yeah, but they could be injuries. Sure. So, if there’s injuries, uh, who knows how that’s going to play out. Uh, but get yourself get yourself a bonafide player, man, that that everyone from Austin to his father to the owner to Jay-Z to all the other scouts, all those folks that are there doing all the heavy lifting that they do that everybody feels great about and bring him in. And yeah, I’m not expecting him to just take the world by storm, but who’s to say that he couldn’t be on the all rookie team? I would assume Flag would be rookie of the year. Seems like a safe bet, right? But when they do the odds for the rookie of the year, you know, his odds are going to be way better than his odds are going to be way better than everybody else’s, of course. And wherever he goes, he’s going to get immediate playing time and and get shots and get all the stuff as if he’s a four and get all the stuff as if he’s a four or five year veteran. Uh so he’s got that. but shoot for somebody who’s on the old rookie team. That would be a a the old rookie team. That would be a a nice level of accomplishment. And yeah, so I’m excited about the opportunity that they have. What is it uh three weeks from tomorrow to uh get going here and and get somebody? Austin said yesterday when he came on that a high probability that we keep these picks and we we focus on five keep these picks and we we focus on five and then when five’s done we’ll focus on 21 or you know he didn’t say uh that 21 or you know he didn’t say uh that they keep the picks but he didn’t say that they wouldn’t maybe trade up. He said everything was open. Yeah. But the most likely thing is that they drafted five and 21. But I I think you drafted five and 21. But I I think you can have it’s easier to move up from 21 can have it’s easier to move up from 21 than it is five. Yes. Because you only got four spots to go. So simply math would tell you you got more spots. And it looks like two of them aren’t budging no matter what. So really only one or two. Yeah. Yeah. One one and two aren’t I mean one or two spots, right? Yeah. The one and two picks aren’t moving. So at five, you can really only trade up to at five, you can really only trade up to three or four, right? And then at 21, well, we’ll see who they like. Seem like you can you have more maneuverability there. And there’s players out there at 21. We’ll we’ll see about that when that comes about. Uh but yeah, I think they have an opportunity to get a bonafide rotational player. To what level, you know, remains to be seen. Uh but there’s some good some good players there. I think Trey Johnson can be a player. I like him more over Edgecom. fully acknowledging that I’m not draft expert here, but you know, I watch these guys play, right? But you might change your opinion if you got to sit there and your opinion if you got to sit there and talk to guys. You’re the king of that. And these teams value, they value that in every pro sports league. It’s in there finding out the maturity level, finding out the drive, the level of preparation they bring to those meetings. That matters a lot to No question. Yeah, they don’t. And we don’t get Yeah. We don’t get to And we don’t get Yeah. We don’t get to do that. And I think that’s key when you’re trying to project. Okay, yeah, we can look at film and decide who’s better now, but we know all these guys have to now, but we know all these guys have to improve. So, who’s going to be better in three years and five years and 10 years? I still think it’s going to be Trey Johnson. That’s the guy. You’re feeling it. Yeah. Right. Compared to Edgecom, I just I think he’s a they’re about the same size, so that there’s no big distinction there. Uh but maybe they go maybe they go with Uh but maybe they go maybe they go with fears. Maybe they think hey this is a kid that in you know he’s better than Collier and uh he’s going to develop uh blah blah blah remains to be seen uh what what they think there and if they take him then then we’ll see you know away we go then then we’ll see you know away we go on that uh as far as that goes. This on that uh as far as that goes. This clutch uh clutch points has uh Jagger at 11 for those who are interested in that. And it starts off, it says, “Jagor Demond has done wonders for his draft stock over the last month and now solidly finds himself as a lottery projected prospect, which I believe that would happen. I felt that once he got free and happen. I felt that once he got free and was trying to can just play in these workouts that they have rather than trying to fit in and see what Kevin Young wants and all this stuff. Uh that they would play to his style and his ability to cut loose. Yeah. Plus that adjustment thing you’re talking about which is absolutely real. I with every passing month you can be more comfortable, right? Language skills get better. Yeah. blah blah blah, right? And so I felt you just adapt. I felt his so I felt you just adapt. I felt his best ball was so far out ahead of him. I best ball was so far out ahead of him. I I think he showed 40% of what he could do in college because everything was so new. I think he would be much better if he could come back next year, but obviously go go chase it. If the pros are going to go go chase it. If the pros are going to take you in the top 15, you know, you take you in the top 15, you know, you probably ought to go. The agent has him somewhere working with people and they’re already working on the three. Oh, yeah. Obvious. It’s obvious what he needs to work on and and what his strengths are. And as long as he stays 69 and can pass it like that. Yeah. Yeah. I don’t think he’ll shrink. Yeah. Good point. Yeah. And he can. And that that’ll get better because they didn’t they played one season but really they only played about a half a season because the first half was so disjointed. Who’s on first? The guys are coming in and out of the lineup left and coming in and out of the lineup left and right. They couldn’t figure out and not not not this isn’t a knock but it not not this isn’t a knock but it not that they couldn’t figure it out. It just took a lot of time to figure out. just took a lot of time to figure out. And I don’t think that NBA people pay that much attention to that portion of the season. But we there’s a lot of blowouts in there, right? There’s a lot of blowouts in there, a lot of overmatch and plus he was injured for most of December there was that. Yeah. So you factor all those things in there and I think under all those circumstances he did okay and now that’s over and now he did okay and now that’s over and now he can be loose and just go do his thing. can be loose and just go do his thing. and then when he gets drafted, he’ll have to fit into a team concept. But as have to fit into a team concept. But as far as these workouts and all the stuff that they’re doing, who wouldn’t, right? I remember Dave Rose telling me a kid showed up in his office at Dixie College when he was a junior college coach and he says, uh, so he’s got his head down he says, uh, so he’s got his head down and he says, kid walks in the office, says, “Coach,” and he looks up and so naturally he sees his feet and he looks up, he looks up, he looks up, he looks up, he looks up, he looks up. It’s Keon Clark who played in the NBA, played here, right? And so by the time he got to the top of And so by the time he got to the top of uh Keon’s head, his eyes were as big as uh Keon’s head, his eyes were as big as basketball was practically. Yes, young man. What can I do for you? And he man. What can I do for you? And he wanted to come and Tark had the or UNLV wanted to come and Tark had the or UNLV had the thing there where they would uh send guys over and all that blah blah blah. And so uh that that I think that’s blah. And so uh that that I think that’s the way you would look at uh Jagor. you the way you would look at uh Jagor. you cannot deny his height when he walks in and he can get so much stronger and all. and he can get so much stronger and all. So, he’s a he’s a player. I wonder if So, he’s a he’s a player. I wonder if the if the Jazz had an opportunity to trade up. It seems like he’s worked himself beyond the late first round, the 20s that he’s going to go much closer to 20s that he’s going to go much closer to 10 than he is to 20. We’re also getting into the time of year where they start to have interactions, you know, interviews and maybe the combine. There was some time for people to get to know him. And we’ve always said that, well, he’s going to help us draft stock when he gets to that. Some people just have that charisma, whatever. They come across and and that stuff matters and that can bump you up. And I think Edgecomb and Trey Johnson will do that too because these guys have known for at least three years that the NBA was a likely destination and so they had to play the game and go to college. It’s required of them, right? So, they did it. And especially now with the NIL, there’s no need to go overseas or go to these other places where you can make money because you can make money right here uh in, you know, Texas and Baylor. They both got money. And he they uh what’s his face? Or they asked him last year, “Wow, look like you had your best recruiting class.” He’s a football coach at Baylor. You had your had a real good recruiting class. Yeah, we’re paying him now. That’s exactly what he said. Remember that? So implied in there is I want to get So implied in there is I want to get these guys all along. We weren’t paying them and other people were. Yeah. So we’re giving them money so these guys can stay in college for that year. At least now I think that I think they they least now I think that I think they they ought to do with it away with it and if ought to do with it away with it and if you want to go out of high school, you want to go out of high school, you can go. But at least now they’re being compensated to where they’re not missing out on a year’s worth of earnings. And then you can argue they can get more in then you can argue they can get more in that one year than they would have gotten in the NBA salary wise. But I think both those guys will show well in all the interviews too. Is everybody cooled on uh Casper’s uh Jackonus? It appears to that level. Yes. And I did too. I was really enthralled with him early in the season. Uh I not to say that I think he’s going Uh I not to say that I think he’s going to stink, but I cooled on him a little to stink, but I cooled on him a little bit myself as I watched and made it a bit myself as I watched and made it a point because it’s the winner. I got nothing else to do. This is work and to nothing else to do. This is work and to watch um Illinois as much as possible. Uh but I do think he’s he’s a he he can Uh but I do think he’s he’s a he he can be a player in this league, man. But his be a player in this league, man. But his shooting was not nearly good enough. Uh 20% I think it was from three. Now, his 20% I think it was from three. Now, his field goal percentage was much better. I think he was over 50. He was in love think he was over 50. He was in love with off the dribble threes, and he was not good at shooting off the dribble, and that really drove down his three-point percentage. But it’s But he took him. Yeah. The way I was watching him, it’s like he was playing to show NBA people. It wasn’t necessarily within the framework of Illinois trying to win games. It was this is what I have to games. It was this is what I have to work on because he’s a strong, rugged kid, you know, he’s already got an NBA body. Yes. And Cody Williams will have to work a couple years to get that well to work a couple years to get that well built. Yeah. Yeah. And uh he is is a built. Yeah. Yeah. And uh he is is a player that, you know, he came here to go coach be coached by Underwood over there at Illinois because he’s an excellent coach. She’s highly regarded in coaching circles from what I understand in my conversations with people who know way more about it than I people who know way more about it than I do. And so I think that was a conscious do. And so I think that was a conscious decision in the way that Jaor was with Kevin Young and in the way it appears that some of these other guys that the Cougars are getting Debons and these guys that okay, he can prepare me during this short time we’re going to be together to get going for my professional career. And I think that’s the same thing with Underwood over there in Illinois. And so, uh, I still think he can be a player. Uh, it’s so hard to he can be a player. Uh, it’s so hard to to to just slap like longstanding reps on these youngsters and you don’t know how, excuse me, you don’t know how they’re getting coached. And I wondered that watching Illinois games because he was physically developed and at the times when he did attack the hoop, I thought, why are you taking off the dribble threes? You can you can beat these guys. You can get into the pain and beat these You can get into the pain and beat these guys. And now maybe they’re college kids. I know. So I know. And and so but kids. I know. So I know. And and so but it’s like you said about Igor if you if it’s like you said about Igor if you if you put him in these scrimmages they do whether it’s two on two, three on three, whatever. I think they very rarely go five on five this time of year if at five on five this time of year if at all. But you know, does he attack the hoop more? Can he be coached to do that? hoop more? Can he be coached to do that? And maybe he won’t have that advantage in the NBA as Lock loves to point out. in the NBA as Lock loves to point out. you know, top 200 players in the world, everybody’s a lot bigger and a lot better. But watching those games, they just kept thinking, “Put your imprint on the game. Let’s go.” And off to dribble three, Clank. But he just turned 19 last week. I hear you. I hear you last week. I hear you. I hear you last week. Full season as 18. But I I think all Full season as 18. But I I think all these things are why he’s not going to go top five, but all the points you talk go top five, but all the points you talk about is why he’s still going to go in about is why he’s still going to go in the next five. Yeah. Yeah. And Hallebertton and SGA didn’t go at that point. They didn’t go in the top 10. They didn’t go in the top 10. They didn’t go in the top 10, right? And here they are with their team in the finals. So, one’s a superstar already and the other’s on the way. DJ PK, it’s 975 the zone. Brian Guilter, NBA radio host, coming up at the top of the hour. We’ll talk with him the top of the hour. We’ll talk with him about Austin A, the move to Utah. What does it mean for the Jazz? Stay with us.
DJ & PK debated if Utah Jazz fans wanted something other than the team keeping their NBA Draft picks and making those picks as Austin Ainge said the most likely option.
