# jazz sign Hayward



## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

Did the jazz make a bad choice? I think the kid is a good player. The jazz need a big man thats not dead weight looks like they have some traden in mind.


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## bowhunter3 (Oct 18, 2007)

I don't understand this pick, I thought they should had signed babbitt from Nevada. We will see but, I see him being a defensive liability.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Yaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnn.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> Yaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnn.


It may seem like more of the same old, same old with the pick of Hayward, but he's probably the best player they could have drafted considering what was left when pick #9 rolled around. I too, think he'll be used as trade fodder, but it depends on how well he plays. I think they are waiting to see how things shake down with Boozer, Memo, and Korver before they make any other moves.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Memo signed a new deal last year - huge deal. And he is out until at least January with the knee or achilles or whatever it was. Korver is unrestricted? He can go away with little to no impact. You are right - Hayward is probably the best they could get at 9. But nothing worth getting excited over. Unless the Jazz can resign Boozer however, they'll be in the lottery again next year - only with their own pick that time. And unless they can get Boozer AND one of the other major free agents, they will be holding Kobe's jock at the end of the season. Again.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> Memo signed a new deal last year - huge deal. And he is out until at least January with the knee or achilles or whatever it was. Korver is unrestricted? He can go away with little to no impact. You are right - Hayward is probably the best they could get at 9. But nothing worth getting excited over. Unless the Jazz can resign Boozer however, they'll be in the lottery again next year - only with their own pick that time. And unless they can get Boozer AND one of the other major free agents, they will be holding Kobe's jock at the end of the season. Again.


I thought Memo just exercised his option year at the end of the 08-09 season? Maybe I was mistaken. And January? Really??? That sucks.

As far as Korver- yeah, I'm afraid its not much of a loss if he walks. Hayward SHOULD be able to fill in that spot, and with more of a defensive presence. He'll need to work on his shooting to be up to snuff with Korver in that aspect though. He needs to put on 20lbs also, and in muscle, not just overall weight.

As far as Boozer goes, my emotions regarding him are mixed. He's a beast when he wants to be, otherwise he shows up for a paycheck and that's it. And then there's the injury worries. He takes forever to heal afterward, and then even longer to get his motor running at full steam again. In any case, the Jazz need to sign an inside powerhouse.

On another unrelated note, I heard some gossip that Ty Corbin is vying for the Head Coaching position in Atlanta, his hometown. If he moves, word has it that Jeff Hornacek will replace him with the Jazz, with the intention of making him Head Coach when Jerry Sloan retires. Apparently Phil Johnson is planning to retire at the same time as Sloan, possibly 2-3 years from now. Again, all just hearsay, but interesting, nonetheless. I'd love to see Horny take over when Sloan steps down. I think he'd be a great coach, and move the Jazz in the right direction.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> I don't understand this pick, I thought they should had signed babbitt from Nevada. We will see but, I see him being a defensive liability.


Hayward's a decent defender. He's quick enough and has really good size for a wing player (8'7" standing reach). How many NBA wings can touch the net without jumping? His vertical is 34.5". That's pretty darn good! His presence of mind and spacing on the floor is excellent, second to none in this draft (in other words he's a smart player who knows what to do and where to be). Hayward played excellent defense in the NCAA tournament, including his matchup against Wes Johnson, the #4 pick in the draft. Hayward was the better player in the second half of that game. Google the game. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

The only time Hayward might be a liability is against stronger guys. He's so thin. We all know he needs to bulk up. Even he knows this.

My biggest concern beyond his skinny frame is his 3 pt. shooting. That 30% from beyond the arc won't cut it. He must be better from long range or the Jazz will be stuck with another AK-like situation where defenders sink inside because the outside shot is not a threat.


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## mm73 (Feb 5, 2010)

I agree that Hayward was the best player available for the 9th pick, but I don't see how he makes the Jazz any better. Their problem is interior defense and rebounding, not outside shooting, plus this kid is not a great 3 pt shooter anyway. I don't see any way that Boozer stays with the Jazz so O'Connor has some major work to do to get somebody who is going to replace Boozers production on offense, and give the Jazz a stronger presence in the paint. That is a tall order for the Jazz considering the amount of salary cap they have to work with, and the difficulty in recruiting top talent to play in Utah, but the Jazz MUST do something to become more competitive or they will lose Darrin Williams when his contract comes up in a couple years.


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## mm73 (Feb 5, 2010)

Chaser said:


> On another unrelated note, I heard some gossip that Ty Corbin is vying for the Head Coaching position in Atlanta, his hometown. If he moves, word has it that Jeff Hornacek will replace him with the Jazz, with the intention of making him Head Coach when Jerry Sloan retires. Apparently Phil Johnson is planning to retire at the same time as Sloan, possibly 2-3 years from now. Again, all just hearsay, but interesting, nonetheless. I'd love to see Horny take over when Sloan steps down. I think he'd be a great coach, and move the Jazz in the right direction.


I have heard the same rumor, and I hope it is more than just rumor. I agree, Hornacek would be the ideal coach to replace Sloan. Hornacek never had great athletic ability as a player, but he had a very successful career in the NBA because he played smart, and he knew how to make the most of his strengths. Those same qualities would make him an exceptional head coach, plus he is a family man who fits in very well with the culture of Utah, and the fans already embrace him.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

BirdDogger said:


> He's quick enough and has really good size for a wing player (8'7" standing reach). How many NBA wings can touch the net without jumping?


I would hope every one of them could! I'm 6'2" and can touch the net just standing flat-footed under it. Any guy taller than me had better be able to do the same!


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

The thing that I'm afraid of, is that this last year, the Jazz were the 5th seed in the play-offs. Fine and dandy, but they were only 3 games ahead of the 8th seed. The upside though, is that the 8th seed (OKC) was another 8 games in front of the 9th. But think about it - Boozer is certainly worth 3 wins/year difference over Milsap. And while I'm not an Okur fan myself, he's worth another 3-4 wins/year difference over K-Fez. The new kid offers nothing more than we had with Korver, probably less considering NBA learning curve, and he'll actually get guarded since the defense won't have to guard K-Fez at all or double-team Boozer. Remember - Okur is out for at least the first half of the season and Milsap is a fraction of the offensive player Boozer is. The West isn't doing the re-shuffle like is going on in the East, so if they Jazz don't get better, they will fall out of the play-offs completely. And at that point, you can bank of D-Will leaving when his contract is up. 

I agree on all that is said about Horny. The only question I'd have is can he be "The Guy" in charge. He never was a take charge player, and being a shooting coach and great student of the game may/may not translate into holding all the reins. Gary Crowton is a great offensive coordinator and student of the game, but he made a lousy head coach.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> I would hope every one of them could! I'm 6'2" and can touch the net just standing flat-footed under it. Any guy taller than me had better be able to do the same!


By rule, an NBA regulation net is 15" to 18" from the rim to the bottom of the net. Many of the nets sold in stores are 18-21" nets. At 6'2" you need a wingspan of 7.65 feet to touch the NBA net. Chaser, you're a freaking gorilla!!! 
Now look at Hayward's standing reach and compare it to his vertical. 8'7" standing reach added to a 34.5" leap. He can get up to over a foot and a half above the rim in one step or less. That's not the best in the NBA by any stretch of the imagination, but the point is that Hayward gets up high enough to defend the basket against just about anybody.


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## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

Only two players that I am aware of could dunk a basketball standing flat-footed; Manute Bol and Shawn Bradley, so to be able to grab the rim flat-footed is no small feat.

Personally, I really like the pick, I think the upside of Hayward warrants a #9 pick. He is smart on/off the court, he is a level headed kid so he will fit into Sloan's style fairly easy I think. Based on what was on the board when the Jazz picked, I contend the drafted the right player. Character counts for a lot more than some here think, IMHO.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I wholeheartedly agree with your last statement, Pro. Character is one of those things that is very, very important for the Jazz when bringing in players. Salt Lake doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment, at least the kind these guys typically like. So if you bring in a thug, someone like AI, K-mart, or Ron Artest, the dudes are going to be into trouble in no time. It takes the right kind of person to fit into that category, as well as to be able to deal with Sloan without flipping a lid. Some of those things just aren't a worry for organizations in other cities. 
On the other hand, its harder for guys to get into trouble here. But you have to start with a player who doesn't drag trouble around wherever he goes.


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## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

Sounds like the Evans (55 pick) kid can play some ball. All time leading in field goal 63.9 percentage. School record in block shots 224. He's 6' 9" . so the jazz did go a inch taller on this pick.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Just watched the first summer league game-

Hayward's line was 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block in what I'd guess was about 23 minutes of playing time. He plays a really nice game, nothing seems forced. I think this is about what we can expect from Hayward. He'll be a nice role player who will do all the little things to help the team. Obviously the Jazz need some length in the interior and Hayward isn't that, but he's a nice piece to add to the team.


Evans on the other hand...0's across the board except for in turnovers. He had three of those. :roll:


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Hayward today: 14 pts. on 3-5 from the field, 1-2 from three point land, 7-8 from the line. He had 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 turnover in 19 minutes of play. He came up huge with the game winning 3 point shot followed by a clutch rebound at the other end.


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## Windage (Mar 11, 2010)

At first I was not happy with this pick. I wanted them to trade up and get a big man we so desperatly need. Looking at it now it looks like the Jazz picked a guy who will do real well in their system and will be able to contribute so its not as bad as I first thought. I hope they can add some size in the off season. I read and article that was suggesting the Jazz might sign and trade for David Lee which I think would be awesome.


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## bowhunter3 (Oct 18, 2007)

not with amare signing


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