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We have an intern right now that is a crack. He's a sports nut like the rest of us. He has a gloriously polished chrome-dome, thick rimmed glasses and an insatiable appetite for hypotheticals. Some are appropriate for print, some are not.
My favorite so far is this:
Would you rather have a non-stop runny nose for the rest of your life or would you rather lose an arm?
The sports department was split down the middle. Half went with the runny nose, half went with the lost appendage.
The passion on each side was incredible. Those that chose the lost arm were adamant. They (slash I) didn't even hesitate. The thought of continually wiping my nose is more unbearable than being subjected to questioning by Jack Bauer.
The runny nose people thought it was ridiculous that anyone would sacrifice an arm for the sniffles.
Ad nauseum, we debated this hypothetical.
Several days later, I realized, this is stupid. They're both terrible options, but they were the only options.
Kind of like this Jazz team.
Would you rather have Deron Williams on the team and hover around .500 or do you embrace the youth movement and lose at a rate that makes the Clippers feel sympathy?
I see both sides. I can see why people would want to see the Jazz win more than they lose. It's tempting, because losing is unbearable. Especially for a Jazz fan that has always enjoyed a boatload of victories.
I fall on the other side.
I say embrace the youth movement. Enjoy the terrible basketball, for brighter days are on the horizon. A very far off horizon.
Stop trying to win games. Put the young guys in. You are battling it out for a better spot in the lottery. Don't mess it up by playing to win the game.
Remember the 2006 Seattle SuperSonics?
After a 35-47 season (notice the 35 wins Jazz fans). The Sonics got the #2 pick in the draft. The Blazers decided to ignore all medical advice and chose the oft-injured Greg Broken with the #1 pick.
Sonics get the no-brainer (#2 choice on the board but #1 in our hearts) Kevin Durant from the University of Texas and proceeded to win 31 games. They also got Jeff Green with the #5 pick by trading Ray Allen.
Then they got the #4 pick and selected Russell Westbrook.
They won 20 games. Left Seattle, moved to Oklahoma City.
They got the #3 pick and got James Harden
Last year, the Thunder were 50-32.
This year, they are sitting on 49 wins. They've won 9 of 10 and are rolling into the playoffs.
The moral of the story is not that it takes three years to rebuild, but it takes a bunch of talent.
You can get talent a few ways.
1. Free-agents. The Miami model has ruined that possibility for every small market team for eternity.
2. Diamonds in the rough. A late first rounder, 2nd rounder or undrafted free agent.
3. Lottery picks.
Which way is the most realistic and effective for a small market team?
The Thunder got four top 5 picks in three years. Now they're a contender.
I see the Jazz losing because they don't have enough talent on the court to win.
They traded away their best player in Deron Williams. Memo never returned from his Achilles injury, Andrei has been hurt, Devin Harris has a hamstring, Ronnie Price and Raja have toe injuries, Elson is banged up, Fesenko is always out with something, Millsap just returned from a knee injury.
That leaves you with?
Not enough talent to win.
But let's examine what the Jazz have returning (if/when next season rolls around) assuming health finally returns to this snake-bitten team.
Devin Harris a #5 pick as your point guard that will give you 15 and 7.
Gordon Hayward a #9 pick, a 6' 8" guard that is the team's leading 3 point shooter.
C.J. Miles an overachieving 2nd round pick that has averaged 18 points per game as a starter.
Paul Millsap, another 2nd round overachiever that gives you 17 and 8 every night.
Derrick Favors a #3 pick with ridiculous potential.
Mehmet Okur and Jeremy Evans.
Then there is Al Jefferson. Big Al has averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds on 54% shooting from the field in the last two months. He's played in every game this season and puts in 36 minutes a game.
Those numbers are better than any power forward or center in the league with the exception of Dwight Howard (who is going 23 and 14).
People complain that he never plays for a winner.
How could he? He played for the Celtics before they got the Big 3 (slash 4), a horrible franchise in Minnesota and when he finally arrived in Utah they won... until Deron Williams forced Jerry Sloan out, the Jazz sent Deron packing and the rest of the team went down with more injuries than a UFC Fight Night.
When next year comes around, for the first time in decades, the Jazz have talent. A lot of it. It's young and raw, but it's talent.
They'll add to that talent with a couple lottery picks this year. Probably something in the #6 and #12 range.
So, stop trying to win games.
Put the young guys in. Let them play 40 minutes.
It will lead to ugly basketball and more losses, but who cares. Wins don't mean anything right now. You are battling it out with Phoenix for a better spot in the lottery. Don't mess it up by playing to win the game.
Develop youth and look to next year.
We know what Al, Paul and Raja can do... let's see what the youngins are up to.
I don't like to lose. But if it's between the sniffles or an arm... I'll take the ugly losses now for a little talent later.
