A few last thoughts on the draft

Faithful readers of this blog (assuming you exist) know right off the bat that you won’t find any analysis of the Jazz’s draft picks here due to this writer’s lack of knowledge about such things.

Therefore, head over to Truehoop for the scoop on Gordon Hayward.

Now, my thoughts:

–We all know the Jazz need a shot-blocking big, but by the time our pick rolled around, the ones that could’ve come in here and made a difference right away were gone (emphasis on “right away”). As I see it, the difference-maker that propels us from swept-by-Lakers to contender isn’t going to be a #9 draft pick. It’s going to be someone we trade for, or sign as a free agent. Losing teams can find a player in the draft that will propel them to the next level–because their next level is simply getting to .500, or making the Playoffs. If you were expecting the Jazz to draft a guy at #9 that was going to instantly transform us into a contender, of course you’re disappointed. My hope is that we’re going to address the need for a big on July 1 or shortly thereafter.

–I don’t see why some people think Hayward=the end of Kyle Korver in Utah. It is unlikely that Hayward is ready to contribute, much less play, right away. Our coach famously doesn’t play rookies (OMSW excepted). He’s 6’9″ and weighs 200-and-freaking-8 lbs. In all likelihood, he is not going to be getting a great deal of playing time right away.

–Fans, stop calling for KOC’s head. I highly doubt that KOC cloistered himself in his office and made the pick without consulting with anyone. The pick would not have been made without, at the very least, Jerry and the Miller family’s blessing. Collectively, I think, this group knows a little about basketball.

–At the end of the day, this pick was a gift from Isiah’s Incompetence. We could very well have gone on another 25 years before getting our next lottery pick. Of course when a lottery pick lands in your lap, you want to make the most of it–but there’s no need to declare Hayward a bust before he even arrives in the SLC. He’s one of ours now, and we should be cheering him. Same goes for Evans.

–If the Jazz and the Pacers were guys, they would have the same “type” of girl. This makes it three years in a row that either the Pacers took the wildly-ballyhooed projected Jazz pick or vice versa, and surprisingly enough, the girl is not necessarily white. 2008: Roy Hibbert. 2009: Tyler Hansborough. 2010: Gordon Hayward.

(Disclaimer: I could just be overly optimistic because I don’t know much about the draftees. Also, lest anyone start thinking that I’m all about irrationally defending the team to the death (i.e. I belong at KFAN), let me just say that if the Jazz drafted Hayward because they intend to throw big bucks at Boozer, then sign me up for the boo parade I will be leading the Boo Parade into next season and beyond.)