Take Note - Utah Jazz NBA 2k17 MyLeague

[JazzMan]

NBA Power Rankings
#5: Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz Depth Chart - 17-18
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Eric Bledsoe	Dante Exum	Raul Neto	Derrick Walton Jr. (R)
SG	Joe Ingles	Rodney Hood
SF	Gordon Hayward	Joe Johnson	V.J. Beachem (R)
PF	Rudy Gay	Trey Lyles	Harry Giles (R)	Joel Bolomboy
C	Rudy Gobert	Festus Ezeli

After re-signing Gordon Hayward to a 5-year max deal, the Utah Jazz solidified themselves as budding contenders in the Western Conference. Though they were swept in the 2nd round of the playoffs by the eventual champion Warriors, they still had a fantastic season and got even better in the offseason. Though retaining Hayward was the biggest story, it was the acquisitions of Eric Bledsoe and Rudy Gay that could make some big differences this season.

With the additions of Gay and Bledsoe, the Jazz boast arguably one of the top starting 5s in the league, anchored by center Rudy Gobert. Gobert enjoyed a monster season last year en route to Defensive Player of the Year honors, and he'll hope to improve further on the successful season. Joe Ingles returns to Utah, and he'll look to build off of an impressive season as well. Rodney Hood has been pushed to the bench, but he'll be needed as a scoring punch now that Derrick Favors and Alec Burks are no longer in Jazz uniforms.

Predictions:
Record - 53-29
MVP - Rudy Gobert
All-Stars - Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert

[JazzMan]

NBA Power Rankings
#4: San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs Depth Chart - 17-18
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	George Hill	Tony Parker	Spencer Dinwiddie	Dejounte Murray
SG	Jonathan Simmons	Manu Ginobili	Dwayne Bacon (R)
SF	Kawhi Leonard	Davis Bertans
PF	LaMarcus Aldridge	Zach Randolph	David Lee
C	Andrew Bogut	Kevin Seraphin	Jonathan Jeanne (R)

They didn't land the big fish in Chris Paul or even Kyle Lowry, but they got a very good consolation prize in former Spur George Hill. Hill is one of Coach Pop's favorite players, and he returns to San Antonio to take over the reigns at the point guard spot, filling in for Tony Parker, who will be coming along slowly after his injury in the postseason. Hill might be one of the more underrated acquisitions of the offseason, as he knows the system, and he'll be a great fit next to Kawhi Leonard.

Though the Spurs lost Pau Gasol and Danny Green, as well as center Dewayne Dedmon, they shouldn't be hurting too badly after picking up Andrew Bogut and Zach Randolph, as well as retaining Jonathan Simmons and Manu Ginobili. Bogut will likely get the start at center to help protect the rim and rebound, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Randolph pick up a bulk of the minutes at center, as he and Aldridge could make for a deadly combo at the 4 and 5.

Predictions:
Record - 55-27
MVP - Kawhi Leonard
All-Stars - Kawhi Leonard

[JazzMan]

NBA Power Rankings
#3: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics Depth Chart - 17-18
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Isaiah Thomas	Terry Rozier	Demetrius Jackson
SG	Avery Bradley	Marcus Smart	Antonio Blakeney (R)
SF	Jimmy Butler	Jaylen Brown	L.J. Peak (R)
PF	Al Horford	Alan Williams	Jordan Mickey	Tyler Lydon (R)
C	JaVale McGee	Jeff Withey

While it was suspected all season-long that the Boston Celtics would make a move for Gordon Hayward in free agency, they instead traded the #1 overall pick for Jimmy Butler. They still pushed for Hayward, but would have had to deal Avery Bradley to make space for him. Instead, Hayward signed with Utah, which left enough room for Boston to sign Warrior center JaVale McGee, who looked very impressive in Golden State's title run last spring.

With a starting lineup of Thomas, Bradley, Butler, Horford, and McGee, they've got a balanced lineup with plenty of scoring, shooting, and defense. Their bench isn't too shabby, either, featuring Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Alan Williams, Jeff Withey, and Terry Rozier. Will this be the year that LeBron falls in the East? If there's a team to do it, I think it'd be this Celtics squad.

Predictions:
Record - 56-26
MVP - Jimmy Butler
All-Stars - Jimmy Butler, Isaiah Thomas

[JazzMan]

NBA Power Rankings
#2: Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers Depth Chart - 17-18
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kyrie Irving	Trey Burke	Kay Felder
SG	J.R. Smith	Iman Shumpert
SF	LeBron James	Luke Babbitt	Richard Jefferson	James Jones
PF	Kevin Love	Channing Frye	Jeremy Evans
C	Tristan Thompson	Tony Bradley (R)	Walter Tavares

Although the Cavs lost the Finals rubber match against the Golden State Warriors, they still sit atop the East, where LeBron has been unchallenged for 7 straight years. Some say that the Cavs got lucky by avoiding the Washington Wizards, who did indeed have their number, but you'd be crazy to think that LeBron James doesn't elevate his team past the Wizards. The Warriors, on the other hand, are a different story.

Cleveland put up somewhat of a fight, but Golden State was just too damn good and athletic to be challenged. The Cavs really didn't do much to improve their team; they are in luxury tax hell and had to let some players walk, most notably Kyle Korver and Deron Williams. However, the additions of Trey Burke, Luke Babbitt, and Tony Bradley may actually make life easier on the Cavs until the postseason, as they're all capable of playing big minutes when needed.

Predictions:
Record - 56-26
MVP - LeBron James
All-Stars - LeBron James, Kyrie Irving

[JazzMan]

NBA Power Rankings
#1: Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors Depth Chart - 17-18
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Stephen Curry	Shaun Livingston	Jarrett Jack
SG	Klay Thompson	Patrick McCaw	O.J. Mayo
SF	Kevin Durant	Thabo Sefolosha	Omri Casspi	Mike Miller
PF	Draymond Green	Boris Diaw	Udonis Haslem
C	Dewayne Dedmon	Damian Jones

There wasn't any question who would come into this season as the favorites to once again win it all. The Golden State Warriors are a dynasty. They had perhaps the greatest team of all-time last season after adding Kevin Durant, and after bring both Durant and Curry back, there's no doubt that Golden State is the team to beat this season.

That doesn't mean that there aren't any flaws to the reigning champs, however. Golden State lost Andre Iguodala, Ian Clark, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, and David West in the offseason, and they replaced them with some vets willing to take the vet minimum, as Golden State is well above the salary cap. However, one big acquisition is former Spur Dewayne Dedmon. Dedmon had a very good season last year for San Antonio, and with him being a shotblocking, rebounding big man, he should fit in perfectly with the Big 4. I expect another title this year for the Dubs.

Predictions:
Record - 62-20
MVP - Kevin Durant
All-Stars - Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry

[JazzMan]

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2017-2018 Utah Jazz Season Preview

Utah Jazz
#	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
#0	Rudy Gay	F	31	6'8"	230	$19.55M
#2	Joe Ingles	G/F	30	6'8"	226	$9.35M
#5	Rodney Hood	G/F	25	6'8"	206	$2.39M
#6	Joe Johnson	F	36	6'7"	240	$10.51M
#11	Dante Exum	G	22	6'6"	205	$4.99M
#13	Eric Bledsoe	G	27	6'1"	205	$14.50M
#20	Gordon Hayward	F	27	6'8"	235	$26.75M
#21	Joel Bolomboy	F/C	23	6'9"	235	$905K
#23	Derrick Walton, Jr.	G	22	6'1"	189	$562K
#24	V.J. Beachem	F/G	22	6'8"	193	$647K
#25	Raul Neto	G	25	6'1"	179	$1.01M
#27	Rudy Gobert	C	25	7'1"	245	$21.50M
#31	Harry Giles	F/C	20	6'11"	232	$985K
#41	Trey Lyles	F	21	6'10"	234	$2.44M
#50	Festus Ezeli	C/F	28	6'11"	265	$3.00M

Another year of Jazz basketball is here. The Utah Jazz come off of perhaps their busiest offseason in franchise history, as they not only had to re-sign Gordon Hayward, but they also dealt long-time Jazz players Alec Burks and Derrick Favors for Eric Bledsoe. They also signed free agent Rudy Gay and found a way to bring back Joe Ingles on a cheap deal. All in all it was a successful offseason for the Jazz, and it would have been even if all they did was just re-sign Hayward. Re-signing Hayward was the top priority for Utah no matter the cost, and they made it happen.

Now, it's time to get to work. Quin Snyder, Utah's head coach, is expecting improvement yet again. He has taken the Jazz from a 20-win team, to a 30-win team, then a 40-win, and now a 50-win team. Wouldn't it be something if the Jazz somehow elevated up to a 60-win team? Though it's doubtful, the Jazz do look improved this season. They lost George Hill in free agency, but got back do-it-all point guard Eric Bledsoe. They lost Derrick Favors and Alec Burks, but brought in veteran forward Rudy Gay, who could be the perfect stretch four in Quin Snyder's system. They even managed to find a suitable backup for star big man Rudy Gobert in Festus Ezeli. Ezeli has legit size and rebounding abilities, and he should be able to step in and defend at a high level while Gobert gets rest.

So, with the Golden State Warriors seemingly dominating the NBA and the Western Conference, what is Utah's next move? They're good enough to get a top 3 seed in the West, but Golden State awaits them if they're able to make it that far.

[cnolen]

Awesome setup/offseason for the series. Very excited to see how you do in your first season. I like how you utilized your cap by signing good depth in Rudy Gay. Good luck!

[JazzMan]

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Rudy Gobert led the way for Utah with 20 points and 20 rebounds off of 10-12 shooting.

Gobert's 20 & 20 Game Too Much For Mavs

November 1st, 2017

In the Utah Jazz's season opener against the Dallas Mavericks on the road, it was Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, and Rodney Hood who shouldered the load for the Jazz down the stretch. Gobert, in particular, had 20 points and 20 rebounds, as he dominated the Mavericks big men in the paint on both sides of the ball. He also recorded 2 blocks and had 2 assists, while shooting 10-12 from the floor. Gordon Hayward got off to a slow start, but somehow still finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting just 6-16 from the floor. He went 8 for 10 from the free throw line.

New Jazzmen Rudy Gay and Eric Bledsoe both struggled shooting the ball for the Jazz, but overall they were very impressive as they made some key plays down the stretch. Bledsoe finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 blocks while shooting 4 for 13, and Gay finished with 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 6 for 17 from the floor. The 5th starter, Joe Ingles, had a quiet 8 points and 4 rebounds, but he played great defense on Harrison Barnes all game, forcing Barnes to shoot 8 for 19.

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Rodney Hood had a huge second half off of the bench, dropping 20 points after not scoring in the first.

Rodney Hood, still not used to coming off of the bench, went scoreless in the first half as the sixth-man, as he really struggled to find his place in the offense. Then in the second half, he ponied up and started driving to rim possession after possession, abusing the smaller Dallas guards. He finished with 20 points, all in the second half, while shooting 8 for 15 from the floor and 2 for 3 from behind the arc. Really impressive showing from Hood. Dante Exum stuffed the statsheet in the 15 minutes of action that he played, putting up 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

For Dallas, Harrison Barnes led the way, but didn't receive much help. He had 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists with just 1 turnover, but shot 8 for 19 from the floor. Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac had an impressive debut, dropping 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, but shoot poorly from the field; 6-15 shooting. Seth Curry also shot 6 for 15 and finished with 14 points and 6 assists.

The Jazz take on the Trail Blazers on the 4th in their home opener to finish out the week. Portland dropped their opener on Halloween to the sp00ky Timberwolves, 110 to 98. C.J. McCollum injured his knee in the game, but is expected to play tomorrow against the Kings.

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