[jazz270Participant]

Since it seems that Jazz fans are the only ones really interested in this draft, here’s another one for you. Why haven’t we heard anything about the Kanter workout in Chicago? KOC and the Jazz are famous for being close-lipped about workouts, but this is ridiculous. I haven’t heard a peep. Nada.

Has anyone heard anything besides ‘no comment’? KOC has got that one down very well.

I can think of all kind of reasons behind the silence, including one where Kanter cancels some upcoming workouts because of a muscle pull or PMS or something……. Because the Jazz have already told him he’s the guy. Jazz don’t do that normally, but it makes me wonder. Or maybe Kanter is Memo’s long lost son and it’s a done deal. Got me.

Local guys think Knight is the guy, but I can’t see them picking him with Harris already on the team, and Knight reminds me a lot of Harris.

My guys are Kanter and Jimmer for their respective picks, but I’m really high on Burks as well. If he’s there at #12, it would be really hard for me to pick between the two.

Anyone who finds out some info on Kanter gets updates from Insider from me. Thanks in advance.

[bigblackNbeautifulParticipant]

 He has got to be the guy. 

[TRC1991Participant]

im not a jazz fan but im still interested in the draft…

[jazz270Participant]

I’m a huge Jimmer fan, but Burks really intrigues me. I can see him being an all-star in a few years, not many of the players in this draft I’d say the same about.  He’s very, very impressive.

I’d rather see the Jazz draft Burks than Knight at #3, though 3 is too high for Burks. And I like Knight as well. Hell, I like everybody after a good day at the golf course. Tomorrow may be a different story.

[butidonthavemoney]

"im not a jazz fan but im still interested in the draft…"

Filthy liar!

[jazz270Participant]

You can be an honorary Jazz fan Taylor. You don’t even have to root for us during the year. Who’s your team? Besides the Jazz, I watched a lot of the Clippers with Griffin, Detroit with Monroe, Sactoe with Cousins…Guys on my keeper fantasy team.This year I may have to watch the Cavs with Irving, since I have the #1 pick.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Utah Jazz radio commentator David Locke says the Jazz are being especially mum on Kanter knowing that he has value, and by making it seem like they are trying to hide him, they are just increasing the value of the pick in case of a trade.

[jazz270Participant]

Is a great guy, I love his enthusiasm and he’s the hardest working announcer I’ve ever seen….

But unless he’s being a decoy for the Jazz by espousing Knight, it makes me wonder. Knight is a very impressive young man, no doubt, and I really, really like the kid.

But he’s not almost 7 ft tall with 6% body fat and incredible basketball skills. Kanter is a greater risk for a pick, no question at all. But the upside and the potential are much greater with him than with Knight, who I can’t see as a top five PG in the league. 

I can see Kanter being a top five center in this league of rare real centers. Kanter might just be the best player in this draft, period.

[lukestine13Participant]

 alot of teams like to keep who they are targeting close to the chest. they don’t want other teams to know who they want so it can’t be used as leverage  in a draft day trade. maybe they are showing more interest in Kanter so theoretically it would make minnesota take a closer look at him to see what we like about him. Someone mentioned a draft of Kanter and JImmer  would be awesome but imagine this one a draft of williams and jimmer would be even better. It is a slight possibility. I just hope Jimmer blows the jazz away during his workout and that  none of the other teams he impresses are ahead of the jazz. At what number would you guys consider it is no longer reaching for jimmer. 

[scliddiardParticipant]

Jazz270:  I agree with most of your comments, I too would like to see Kanter and Jimmer and I have warmed to Burks, he needs to learn to stay on balance when he shoots and maybe that problem would be corrected. He does have great handles and that would be nice for our 2 man to have.

In the same way some people see some Chris Paul in Irving, I see some Duncan in  Kanter, I too think he is probably the best  player in this draft. Kanter is the man for me. I just worry Minn. will nab him at 2.  Kanter like Duncan isn’t the most athltetic player, but he’s solid athletically, he’s a very good rebounder, keeps his hands high with the ball around the rim,  good shooter, good passer, he’s just fundamentally sound. Not saying he’ll be as good as Duncan but I can see similarities.

Jimmer is better than people want to give him credit for and would fill some needs for the Jazz, we need outside shooting and a penitrater than can create his own shot and create for others, Jimmer can do that.

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I do like Kanter for the Jazz, and he is certainly very high up on my list for the 3rd pick. But here’s why I don’t see the Jazz picking him at 3 even if he is available. The combo of Derrick Favors and Al Jefferson. I really want those two to start next season. Favors is very young but has shown potential of being really good. He just needs to harness that potential. The only way to harness that potential is to give him a lot of minutes and let him make mistakes. Let him learn from those mistakes. He also makes out starting lineup bigger. Both Jefferson and Favors are 6’10. Favors is only 19 though and is the youngest player in the NBA right now, he very well could grow another inch. 2 6’10 players is certainly alot taller than a 6’10 and a 6’8 player (Jefferson and Millsap). Millsap is much better as a backup. You may have noticed that this year his defensive abilities were not quite so efficient. He focused more on offense but because of this he averaged less rebounds and less blocks as a starter then he did when he was backing up Boozer the year before. He also allowed bigger PF’s to back him down in the post and allowed them to score more then he did as a backup. He needs to be a backup again. He truly plays better as a backup then he does as a starter. Also this would give the Jazz a legitamate 6th man instead of a streaky 6th man like CJ Miles.

Drafting Kanter would mean that there would be a logjam down low in the starting lineup. Meaning someone would have to go. Make no mistake about it, Kanter is not going to like coming in as a backup Center. He wants to start. That may be good for him but that would also mean that either Jefferson or Favors would have to be traded. Now, of course many of you would probably say Jefferson, and that would be my choice too. But if Jefferson traded then someone has to make up the difference and provide what he provided down low. Meaning that Favors or Kanter would have to do that. Favors as I said before is still very young and learning the game. Last year as his rookie season he averaged just 6 points a game. He isn’t ready to take over and provide for Jefferson. Give him about 2 or 3 years and then he will be ready. Kanter used to be a dominating force inside, and may very well still be, but he hasn’t played basketball (any kind) for an entire year thanks to being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. That definitely limits your ability as he may not be fully polished as we originally thought. How can a guy who hasn’t play basketball for over a year take over for a guy like Jefferson. He can’t, he simply can’t. He too isn’t ready. As much as I love the future of a combo like Kanter and Favors, they simply aren’t ready to help the Jazz down low yet. They may be in future but not right now and that’s what matters because I want the Jazz to make the playoffs next season. I think that is possible, but that will not happen if they start two very young players who simply aren’t ready to take over down low and be an imposing force down there.

With that being said I really like the Jazz picking Knight. (I don’t think Williams will be available at 3.) Harris is not going to be there for the Jazz long term. Some of you may not see it but I see a future Chauncey Billups in Knight. (The Billups of the Detroit days). He may infact have a career like him too. He is very young, only 19. (Won’t turn 20 until December)  He has very nice outside shot, good defense, and a developing passing game. He is not going to be an allstar right away, but he might be someday. But that doesn’t matter because he can come in as a backup to Harris right away.  And be much better then the backup the Jazz have now of either Watson or Price. Some of you don’t like Knight because you really like Jimmer and picking Knight at 3 significantly decreases the chances of picking Jimmer at 12. I like Jimmer too, but I like Knight more simply because I know he can be better than Jimmer. With Jimmer there are a lot of question marks. (Can he play defense? Is his lack of athletic ability going to hurt him in the NBA?, Can he pass, and play the role of a point guard not as a shooter or scorer like he did in College.) With Knight those questions are not there. He may not be the shooter that Jimmer is but there are things that matter more than that in the NBA. The NBA is a different game than college is, a much different game. Some of you need to lie off on Jimmer and realize some of these other PG’s available who may just very well be better than Jimmer.

The only thing that Knight lacks is his athletic ability. He is not a great athlete like John Wall, Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook. (No point guard in this draft is like that, by the way). But he has enough athletic ability to get by in the NBA. Jimmer on the otherhand is significantly lacking in those terms although he does make up for it quite well with his strength, and creativity. Knight can get by with his athletic ability. Jimmer may not be able too. Its not that I don’t like Jimmer or that I am significantly down on him, its that I realize that Knight is better and I want him more than I do Jimmer.

Most of all, something that I haven’t mentioned about Knight is that he wants to get better. He has that attitude that the Jazz are always looking for. He is very even tempered and humble. He wants to get better. He has that work ethic to be a better player. He may not be a future all star but nor is Jimmer and he actually has a better chance of being an allstar than Jimmer does. Being an Allstar is not all about shooting. And I’ll tell you one thing Jimmer is not going to be the same kind of scorer like he was in college.

This comment may have been a little too harsh for some of you, but I feel a lot of times that most Jazz fans this year are being brainwashed into thinking that Jimmer is the best there is. So brainwashed that they don’t realize the other PG’s in this draft like Irving, Knight and Walker who may very well be better than Jimmer. There were two main points that I wanted to bring up in this comment. one was the thing about Jimmer, and the other is that Kanter is not our guy at 3 because he creates a logjam upfront.

[allstar8652Participant]

i understand what your saying about kanter causing a logjam down low, but thats not a bad thing since favors is still young and kanter is as well those 2 can be the 7 and 8 of the bench and that makes us really deep. Although i do think knight will be rookie of the year and have a very good pro career i still think you take a risk with kanter who says favors will stay with us after his rookie contract expires i know that is a couple of years away but by then kanter should be a very good low post player if he devolops and great low post guys are alot harder to get ahold of then  point gaurds who can be good just my 2 cents.

[scliddiardParticipant]

Ward12 : Several things I ‘m not in total agreement with you on. First we need to take the best player available and that is Kanter and worry about moving Paul or Al latter.&; Second I’m a Jimmer fan but not so much so that; I want the Jazz to draft him just because he’s a; local from BYU.; I would only want the Jazz to draft Jimmer if they thought he was the BPA at their pick. That being said, I’m not sure how good Knight is going to be or that he is going to be better than Jimmer. At his point Jimmer has better NBA level skills than Kinght, Jimmer is a better shooter/ scorer, he is a better ball handler, (very good crossover/double crossover), better at scoring after contact, better at getting to the foul line. Knight may end up being an allstar but so may Jimmer, You want to say Knight is a better athlete, but the combine numbers don’t prove that true, Jimmer proved better in more catagories than Knight, Jimmer was quicker in both the agility and modified lane drills, stronger in the bench, Knight was faster in straight sprint, and vert. Your selling Jimmer short if you think he can’t pass or be a facilitator, I think he will do that better than Knight. Knight was a shoot first point guard too and has to make the same changes and adjustments Jimmer does. Just because Jimmer is white doesn’t mean he can’ be just as good as the next player.

[BBall4life88Participant]

 Burks is a guy that intrigues me too. He did really well in easily the second best NCAA conference with a very sub par team. I don’t see why he can’t go higher than 10 to Milwaukee, in terms of best overal players I have him right behind Kanter…So i would say Kanter or Burks would be the best pick for the Jazz. I’m not too high on Knight to the Jazz, I don’t ever see Knight as a potential all-star. Good shooting guards and centers are very rare in the NBA and Burks and Kanter could be great, and they would fit right into the Jazz lineup and fill one of their needs. 

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I don’t care about the combine numbers, scliddiard. I realize that Jimmer scored better on most of the tests then Knight did but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that Jimmer does not use his athletic abilities as well or does not seem to use them as well, or does not know how to use them as well. While Knight does. He proved that in the tournament. That’s how Kentucky got that far. Thats why he is a winner and he knows how to win games. Thats the kind of point guard I want. One that knows how to use his athletic abilities to lead his team to win games.

I admit that I am probably selling Jimmer short a little bit but I have yet to see him lead a team like Knight does. I am sorry but shooting and scoring is not leading your team. That’s not the only way to lead a team. I’d like to see Jimmer try some other way to lead a team instead of just resorting to shooting or scoring. That is why I like Knight better and think he will be a better player than Jimmer. He leads his team in many different ways than Jimmer does. And he’s younger than Jimmer, meaning that he has more potential to be better than Jimmer. The fact that Jimmer is 22 years old affects his potential. It proves that he probably doesn’t have much left before he reaches his full potential, while Knight has a lot left and will probably end up being the better overall player. I want the Jazz to be better not just now but also in the future. With Jimmer I only see the Jazz getting better now, but not in the future because Jimmer probably does not have that much left and can probably not get that much better. But with Knight they can be better both now and in the future. (Knight is actually more passive than you think. No, he is not a passing PG and nor is Jimmer. Both are probably more similar than you and I realize.)

And I love how you just assume that because Jimmer is white that I am being racist and thinking that only black players are the best. I hate that about the NBA. I am not racist, and that is not why I think Knight is better.

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

Jimmer is not better than Knight but he’s better than Irving and Walker in my eyes…I love him as a Stockon lite type pg and Favors as the Malone lite type in Utah…if they snatch up a great Sf like Vessely 1st and then pair him with Jimmer than its a perfect draft…Jimmer/Hayward/Vessely/Favors and Whoever they get for Al Jefferson to play C…

[StewieStoneyParticipant]

 We need all Utah fans to stop talking about Vesely. If they take him at 3, it will make the D-Will trade look worse than it will be if the league goes with a franchise tag. Kanter is going to be good, I can confidently say that after watching his games and the basketball summit. That being said, I think Minny will take him at #2. They are log jammed at PG and SF, they need someone to play beside Love. If that is the case the Jazz WILL take Derrick Williams or Kyrie Irving. I think it will be Williams due to the comments the Cleveland organization and fans have made about Irving, they are in love with him. 
 

 

And let me tell you if Utah gets Derrick Williams 2 things gotta happen: 1) They need to convince him to take #8 for his jersey that way mine has use again, 2) There needs to be a party in Utah cause they just got the steal of the draft. Hell ill throw one, and ill go get some REAL beer none of this 3.2 crap!!!!!!!!!

 

 

"I think Beer should be 10% and Tithing should be 3.2%"

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I admit I don’t like Jimmer as much as some other Jazz fans do. I do like him, I just don’t want him to be with the Jazz because I don’t he can get much better than he already is. I admit he is an amazing player, and I do respect him for the way he plays the game, I’m just not as crazy about him as some Jazz fans are. (Is that so wrong?)

In order here are the way I rate the top 5 PG’s in this draft: Irving, Knight, Walker, Jimmer, Darius Morris.

I realize that that may not be your rating of the PG’s in this draft. But that is my rating. We all have our differences. We all have our own opinions. We all have players who we like or dislike. That does not mean there is anything wrong with that person or that they should be stoned. We are all entitled to our own opinon.

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

StewieStoney, I would be ecstatic if Derrick Williams is the Jazz’s pick at 3. I also want him to change his jersey number to 8, if he is drafted by the Jazz, but I would still wear my Deron Williams t-shirt if he didn’t change his number.

The T’wolves may want to trade their pick. I realize that Kanter makes the most sense for the Wolves but the fact that that may want to trade their pick would lead me to believe that they would select Derrick Williams at two just so they can get the best value out of the trade.

[scliddiardParticipant]

Ward12: I’m not a Knight hater or a Jmmer lover, I just think people are selling Jimmer short, and as far as Knight is concerned, I’ve watched him and don’t see that he is all that you are claiming he is. he made a few big shots in the tourney, I like that, but I don’t see that he sees the floor that well or creates for his teammates. Jimmer was asked to shoot as much as he did, it wasn’t as though he doesn’t see the floor or make the right pass, he does.  I actually like Irving as the only true point guard and the only point guard I really like, I do think Jimmer can learn the nuianses of playing the point and become very good. I would like to see Jimmer go to Pheonix were he could learn from Nash, I think he could end up being a lot like Nash, Jimmer has good handles and can keep his dribble alive while weaving in and out like Nash, Time will tell but I think if Jimmer were asked to do that he could and would be fine with it. He doesn’t have to shoot, he just does it so well it is what BYU needed from him.

 

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