Well…….that didn’t go as expected……. The first true tanking season that the Jazz have ever participated in feels like a gigantic waste right now. The Utah Jazz finished the regular season with sole possession of the worst record in the league, and they learned on Monday evening that they will be picking 5th in the upcoming draft in June. The reality is that the 5th pick is still going to be a good pick, but not one single Jazz fan wants to hear that right now. It’s hard as a fan not to buy into the various conspiracy theories that float around about how the NBA has rigged the process when none of the worst three teams in the league get to pick 1, 2, or 3.
The really disappointing part of this whole process is that the team missed the chance to draft a player that everyone was looking forward to watching in Cooper Flagg. More than anything, we miss having our very own ready-made superstar right here in Salt Lake City. If there was a shot to change our perception and change our reality in the short and long term, it was represented in our chance to draft Flagg. If you draft Cooper Flagg, you instantly get better in the short term, and the rebuild is accelerated because there is a buzz and excitement around this franchise that will start to attract free agents that the Jazz need. In short, next season would be a lot more fun because there would be more winning and a lot less worrying about draft position.
Even the most optimistic Jazz fans knew that the number pick was not the most likely outcome, but the hard part is that the team misses out on the chance to draft the perceived next tier of players, such as Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey. No player, including Cooper Flagg, is guaranteed to be a “generational player,” but we would have hoped to at least have a chance to get a consolation prize. But in the spirit of optimism, let’s take a quick look 5 of the best picks that the Jazz could land not named Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey.
Tre Johnson—I have Tre Johnson ranked ahead of VJ Edgecombe simply because I think he has the potential to be a better scorer. Specifically, I think he could be a 25-point-per-game first option, along the same lines as Donovan Mitchell. The red flag that I see with Tre is that he disappeared at times during the season.
VJ Edgecombe – Edgecombe is a safe bet for a solid NBA career. This is because he projects as a bigger 2-guard who may be the most athletic player in the draft. He can score at a high level, but his biggest strength may end up being on the defensive end when he gets to the league. The only red flag I see is that FG% is not that high for a guard, so he may not become a great shooter in the long run.
Kon Knueppel – This one feels a little bit repetitive for me, as Kon feels a little bit like the same player as Kyle Filipowski. But you can’t dismiss the kind of season this guy had next to Cooper Flagg. Knueppel is a solid player and would still help the Jazz create a huge frontcourt with almost any lineup. The red flag for Knueppel is that he is not a great rebounder for his size.
Jase Richardson – This one may be a bit of a reach, especially since his combine measurables were a little bit disappointing on Monday. But I believe that Jase Richardson is going to be the type of player who works really hard to improve his game at the next level. He can shoot the lights out, and he is really crafty, albeit against college competition. The worry with Jase is that he won’t be able to defend at his position because of his size.
Nique Clifford – This one may also qualify as a stretch also, but Nique Clifford reminds me of another former Mountain West player named Kawhi Leonard. Before you shred me in the comment section, hear me out. Aside from Cooper Flagg, Nique graded out as the most athletic player in this draft. He is a gamer, and he has the ability to make the game look easy. He is not going to have any problems scoring at the next level. The only question is whether he is going to have the work ethic to establish himself as a bona fide #1 option. The only scary part about Clifford is that he is older, and there is a high percentage of 22-year-olds who don’t make it in the league for whatever reason.
Just in the time that it took me to write this article, I have already cooled down a little bit after my initial reaction to the draft lottery. History has shown us that having the number one pick doesn’t guarantee a championship or a contending team. Of course, it can help and bring a level of excitement to a franchise that the team and fans can get behind, but it’s not the end of the world to miss out on one player, no matter how good that player may be. Who knows, maybe next year we can win some more games, and it will be our turn to win with the 1.8% chance(eye roll) that the Mavericks had. Until then, we should all remember that we have a great team and they have always provided us with a lot of great moments, and our moment to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy will arrive, just not in the way that we all think it will.