But even with all that, the Jazz still have problems that they need to address. Who is their long term point guard? Is Ty Corbin really the guy to lead them? Should they resign CJ Miles? But among all their issues, the biggest problem the Jazz have to worry about is what to do with their logjam in the front court. The Jazz have six big men who all have a ton of upside and potential.
Al Jefferson is the best big man on the team at the moment, and the only one who can log in significant minutes at center. Averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds, Al Jefferson was the best big man on the team over the course of 4 quarters. He also blocked nearly 2 shots a game, and was a good defensive presence in the paint. Al Jefferson showed that if paired with a good point guard, he can do tremendous damage off the pick and roll, and can be a legitimate #1 option on playoff caliber team. One other thing to remember about Al Jefferson, is that he is young (27 years old) with his best basketball ahead of him.
Paul Millsap was the #2 option in the paint, averaging 16 points and 9 boards per game. Millsap was the Utah's most clutch player in the 4th quarter this season, and when Utah really needed a bucket, Millsap was the man to go to. His rebounding abilities and hustle is second to none in the NBA, and he is one of the hardest working players in the league. Every season, Millsap gets better, improving in many facets of the game. Like Al Jefferson, he's still very young (27 years old) and also has his best hoop ahead of him.
Derrick Favors is only 20 years old, but he is the cornerstone piece of the Utah franchise. He has grown a lot since his rookie season, and he's only going to get better. There's no doubt that he has serious all-star potential, and has the potential to be a franchise changing player. The Utah organization envisions many deep playoff runs, and possibly a championship in a few seasons. One of the reasons for this is because of Derrick Favors. The sky is the limit for this young man, and if he can harness his talent, look out.
Enes Kanter is also only 20 years old, but like Favors, he has a TON of upside. Strong, aggressive, and physical down low backed up with a solid offensive game. If Derrick Favors becomes Batman in Utah, no doubt Enes Kanter will be Robin or better yet, something like Spiderman. The point is, Kanter is supposed to evolve into the starting center position with Derrick Favors starting at the power forward spot. He showed early signs of being a good offensive rebounder, which means he's aggressive and hustles. The only thing that he and Favors need is a more polished inside game and moves. But once they get that part of their game refined, these two guys are going to be scary.
Jeremy Evans is by far the big man with the furthest to go in terms of development, and is also the one who needs to put on the most muscle. But Evans has one thing going for him that makes him a valuable player for Utah. The kid has freakish athleticism and he's only 24 years old. He's the kind of kid who comes in with a burst of energy and can ignite the Jazz by blocking a shot or by throwing down a spectacular dunk. His nickname "the human pogo stick" is a perfect description of him, since that is basically his only calling card. But if he can develop a more reliable inside game, get some moves, and learn to shoot a little bit, Jeremy Evans could become a scary player in the NBA. If you think Blake Griffin can get up, you haven't watched Jeremy Evans dunk!
Now I mentioned that there were six promising big men for the Jazz. But only five of them played for them last season. Who is the sixth big man I'm talking about? That would be Ante Tomic, a 7 foot 2 Croatian who the Jazz drafted in 2008. He is rumored to have game similar to Pau Gasol, and is a true/pure center. He has a very solid offensive game in the middle and can stretch the floor similar to what Mehemet Okur did. He is sort of like the Ricky Rubio of the Utah Jazz. A European player with tremendous potential clouded in mystery since he is yet to come over to the NBA. How good is he really? It's hard to say, but I've read raving reviews about him, and if he's as good as billed, then Utah will have to strongly consider working him into their championship puzzle. It has been rumored that he could come over as soon as the 2012-13 season but more realistically 2013-14.
All six players I mentioned have tremendous upside, and would all be great guys to keep for years to come. The problem, is finding playing time for all of these guys. Due to the fact that he's the #5 big man on the team, Jeremy Evans hardly sees the court, and with Millsap and Jefferson being the best big men at the moment, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter are getting limited minutes. What Utah realistically needs to do is trade one of these five players sometime either this season, or the next. Jefferson is a tough one to deal because he's the best big man on the team and can also play the center position. Derrick Favors is not even an option to trade since he's the "cornerstone of the franchise". Enes Kanter may not be the cornerstone of the franchise, but he's a big part of that foundation that Kevin O'Connor is putting together in Utah. Jeremy Evans doesn't really have any trade value, and is cheap, so there's no reason to let him go. As for Tomic, if he comes over, then Utah will definitely have to consider moving somebody since they will definitely want to see if they can bank on an investment they made four years ago. Trading Tomic is a possibility, but with the potential that he has, I don't see Utah pulling the trigger on that just yet.
But Paul Millsap just might be the kind of guy that Utah needs to trade to make their team better, as much as it pains me as a fan to suggest. Here's why: Within two seasons, Derrick Favors is going to be starting at the power forward spot full time, which means Millsap would either come off the bench, or start at small forward, which isn't his natural position. Also, Millsap is a very valuable player who Utah could deal to get another piece like a better point guard, or a more sturdy shooting guard. Plenty of teams would want him, and would be willing to offer some really good players for him. Millsap is improving every season, which also raises his trade value, and increases the number of teams that would want him.
As you can see, Utah has a bigman problem. A problem that is generally a good problem. You can't have too much size/height in the NBA, but in Utah's case it might be wise to make a trade soon and take advantage of this deep reservoir of big men that they have built over the years. They have concerns at the point guard and also shooting guard positions. While Alec Burks and Gordon Hayward are good players who will be able to carry the load soon, Utah would be wise to deal one of these big men to give their back court more assistance. I know for sure that the Jazz are fully aware of this problem, and that they are thinking of ways to solve it. It will be interesting to see what Kevin O'Connor comes up with for sure, and I wouldn't at all be surprised if Paul Millsap's name gets thrown around as possible trade bait.
(below is footage of Ante Tomic playing in case you haven't seen him play before)
