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I didn’t catch much of the action this weekend, but from what I have read so far, it looks like I missed out. On Friday, I got home from work and fell asleep until the game was half-way over. I was pleasantly surprised to wakeup and find out the Jazz were beating up on Philly the way they were. On Saturday I took my wife to Vegas and recorded the game, but my dad was so impressed with the overall effort of the team that he called me and told me what happened, so I didn’t take the time to watch it later. It looks like the team is starting to play a little harder, and the results have been one of the few bright spots of this young season. It sounds like the Jazz didn’t play a full 48 against Cleveland, which is still a concern, but they also played with a lot of heart in the second half, and win or lose, that’s all I can ask for.
Another bright spot has been the rookies so far. Maynor has had two excellent games now, and Mathews looks like he has been in the league for five years. CJ had better watch his back, because if he sits out on the wing this year and jacks up threes at a 30-35% clip while refusing to take it to the hoop like he did last year, I think you will see Wes take his spot. The kid is fearless, young, and hungry, and if he continues to play the way he has, he deserves to start. I know Jerry Sloan has grandfather laws that will bench Mathews and give CJ his spot for at least until Miles really hurts the team, but I want the guy out on the floor that provides them with the best overall chance to win the game, and Mathews has been playing way beyond everybody’s expectations so far.
I did a lot of thinking this weekend about the Jazz and the current state of limbo that they seem to be in, and I have come to the conclusion that the team really lacks solid leadership. I don’t mean to dis Deron at all because I think he is a great leader, but all of the good teams in the league have more than one guy to push the team’s vision on the floor, and the Jazz don’t have that right now. Because of that, I think it would be a real mistake in the overall progression of the team to trade Boozer for a young guy with a lot of potential like Tyrus Thomas. We don’t need anymore young talent; we need leadership, and I think the Rockets could really help us out in that area if they were willing to talk.
The Jazz are already basically committed this year to paying the luxury tax, so looking forward, they need to make moves that also legitimately help the long-term financial situation of the franchise. After a lot of thought, I think a trade that would help them tremendously would be Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko for Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier. I have to follow that up by saying that I do not think T-Mac is a long-term solution for us, and I think we would probably have to let him walk after this season, but that is OK. Shane Battier is the guy I really want. I like him because he can come in and fill the role Derrick Fisher left when he went back to LA; a guy who will lead the team in the locker-room and on the court, while providing veteran experience and toughness-two things this club is seriously lacking.
T-Mac is going to come back this year ready to play. A legit concern about that is that he could hurt the Jazz with his one-on-one style of offense. Honestly, I don’t care because if he doesn’t workout, he will be gone next year anyway, and Jerry can always bench him. However, if he does work out, the Jazz will have a consistent scorer from the wing, and they will most likely be able to re-sign him for much less than he is currently getting paid.
The other benefit I see from this deal is that the Jazz will have plenty of money to spend in the biggest free agent class the NBA has ever seen if they don’t re-sign T-Mac. Think about it-Boozer and AK will be off the books, and Battier only makes about $7 million a year (only???) That’s nearly a $25 million payroll cut. Jazz management will be able to structure the team with new blood and add the Knicks lottery pick to the mix. I just don’t see how they can go wrong with this move in the long-term.
The Jazz need to do something, because I don’t see them being a serious contender if they don’t make some kind of a move, and I think Battier could really help out our young core of players in a lot of ways. Sure, the Jazz will probably figure some things out and win some more ball games, but I want more than that. The Rockets wanted AK this summer, and would probably still be willing to talk. Boozer for Battier gives them a reliable low-post presence that they don’t currently have, plus he would come off their books next summer giving them room to play in the market. I would even be willing to throw in CJ and others to make the numbers work. In the short-term we might struggle, but it really sets us up to be in a position to surround Deron with some real leadership and talent.
Regardless of if the Jazz wait until the trade deadline, or choose to do nothing until next summer, inevitably changes need to be made. Why not make them now and start building a contender? Regardless of what the players say on camera, in the backs of their minds, they know change is coming, and I think that hurts their overall commitment level. Contending teams need stability, and the Jazz don’t have that right now. I would love to see KOC pull the trigger on a deal like this. What do you guys think?
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There are so many better players we could get for Boozer and AK. I like Battier, but we've got our role players on our wings (Korver, Brewer, Mathews, possibly C.J. depending on how much you think he has gotten better) and T-Mac is not the answer for anything......unless the question is how to we pay one player 23 million dollars a year to make sure we don't make it past the first round.