The Utah Jazz’s acquisition of George Hill on the day before the draft might be the most underrated move thus far this offseason.
I’m just throwing this out there, but I’d rather have George Hill than Jeff Teague. Throw away all the per-game averages and look at the impact these two make on both ends of the floor. Even assuming we give the edge to Teague on offense, Hill’s defense tops Teague’s by a larger margin (at least in my opinion).
To be fair, both Teague and Hill probably would’ve given the Jazz enough of a jolt to make the playoffs despite incessant injuries last season, but Hill’s fit seems almost too good to be true. Theoretically, Hill improves Utah’s already devastating defense while adding just the right touch of steady playmaking and shooting to complement wonderful do-it-all wings like Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward. A starting five of Hill, Hood, Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert with Dante Exum, Alec Burks, and Trey Lyles off the bench is no joke.
As Andrew Bailey brought up in his recent breakdown of the Jazz’s draft, Hill’s 6-9 wingspan coupled with a willingness to play off the ball are huge advantages for coach Quinn Snyder when it comes time to building lineups.
In a draft that may not produce a point guard (besides big Ben Simmons) on Hill’s level, Utah nabbed its man without hesitation, giving up the No. 12 selection to Atlanta in the process. It makes all the sense in the world too—especially when considering that Jeremy Lin is the second best point guard available in free agency. The Jazz saw an opportunity to improve its weakest position, and proceeded to hit a home run on the day before the draft. No one is forgetting about Dante Exum, but this at least acknowledges that the Australian is still a young prospect coming back from an injury as opposed to one who’s ready to run a playoff team for 30-plus minutes per game.
Pencil Utah in for 45-50 wins and a playoff berth in 2016-17. This organization is ready to roll on all cylinders, and it’s hard to avoid drooling when staring at this roster. The Jazz have done everything within their power to build a title contender.
They retrieved Derrick Favors in the Deron Williams deal. They’ve nailed the draft with Hayward, Hood, Rudy Gobert, and Trey Lyles. They traded for George Hill. The only thing they’ve yet to conquer is free agency. Well, you might say, no free agent wants to move to Salt Lake City. However, that will start to change now. It might not be this summer, but it could very well be next. The Jazz are going to be an enticing option for veteran free agents looking to find a championship contender with the cap space to throw money around.
Utah has some decisions to make in the future with regards to whether Favors and Gobert is an ideal fit in a small-ball league (and whether they can afford to keep both of them). However, these tough choices are ones that the Jazz should welcome with open arms. One player who might fit perfectly at the four (if Trey Lyles isn’t already that guy) just so happens to hit the market next summer. Utah has familiarity with him and his brother Elijah as well. Yes, I’m talking about Paul Millsap, who could be an excellent trade target if Al Horford signs elsewhere and the Hawks opt to blow it up and rebuild. Favors has grown to love Salt Lake City, but he’s from Atlanta. Millsap is several years older than Favors and most of the Jazz’s core. Still, Favors has dealt with back problems, and Utah might be more inclined to give him up than Gobert or Lyles. Alec Burks and Favors for Millsap might not make sense to anyone else but me, but there it is.
Which second-rounder has the best shot at earning a contract with Utah?
Joel Bolomboy (No. 52 overall): A local big man from Weber State, Bailey believes his physical profile plus the current roster situation gives him the best chance at making the team.
Marcus Paige (No. 55 overall): Paige was highly effective running the pick-and-roll at UNC, but a shaky shot combined with limited size makes him an underdog to earn a contract with Utah.
Tyrone Wallace (No. 60 overall): Zach Reynolds of TLM believes Mr. Irrelevant is the most promising of this trio. It makes sense considering Walace has a 6-10 wingspan, but he also struggled badly with his shot in college.
At the end of the day, none of these three can be considered likely to make the regular season roster, but they’ll join the summer league squad that’s set to debut on July 4 versus the Spurs. Salt Lake City Dunk has more details on Utah’s Summer League team.
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