Draft Day is finally here. Jazz fans have waited for this day since November when they started the season 3-15.
The Utah Jazz have two first round picks, the fifth overall and the 23rd pick, thanks to the Golden State Warriors. This draft class is considered one of the deepest in a long time, and the Jazz will have many good options with both picks.
Let’s look at the three main questions that the Jazz face on draft night.
Is the No. 1 pick in this draft worth Derrick Favors, Alec Burks, and fifth pick?
The answer to this question is, No. However, the Jazz seem to be all in for Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. Both of these players have the potential to be superstars, and for that reason it could be worth the trading away those players and picks.
Parker is the fan favorite, as he is of the Mormon religion and Utah is known for having the most Mormons in the U.S. Offensively Parker is a star; he can score with the best of them and is has great vision.
Most of the experts believe he will struggle on the defensive end as he is not the best athlete. The one thing Parker has is a true leader, he showed his leadership during his year at Duke.
Wiggins is probably the best athlete in the draft, he will be able to defend shooting guards and small forwards at an elite level. On the offensive end Wiggins still needs to grow, he is a good shooter and is super explosive. However, Wiggins is passive at times and would not stand out in many games during his year at Kansas.
If the Jazz end up making this move it would be a true rebuild as the Jazz would only have about $20 million to $30 million in salaries for next season. The Jazz then would have tons of cap space to sign free agents. With Parker or Wiggins, Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, and even Enes Kanter, Utah would have a solid young core to build around for the future.
In the end, this trade will probably not happen. The Cleveland Cavaliers do not seem sold on Favors as the best fit for their team.
Is Aaron Gordon the right player with the No. 5 pick?
Most of the mock drafts have the Jazz taking University of Arizona forward Aaron Gordon with the fifth pick. Gordon is a 6’ 9” power forward, who is a freak athlete that is the best defender in the draft.
He will be able to defend point guards down to power forwards. Offensively Gordon struggles with his jump shot and has a hard time creating his own shot. Gordon is a great team player and he will work on his game until he improves an area of weakness.
Now I am a huge Gordon fan, as a University of Arizona fan, I was able to see Gordon grow into a winner throughout his freshman year.
With all that being said Gordon is not a good fit for the Jazz. Teaming up Gordon and Favors would be great on the defensive end, however, they would struggle on the offensive end. Gordon and Favors are similar in they are better defenders than scorers, and it would not make sense to have both of them on the floor at the same time.
Who should the Jazz select with the fifth pick?
Of course this is one man’s opinion on what the Jazz should do, but the Jazz should take Julius Randle at No. 5. Coming into the college season, Randle was considered on the same level with Wiggins and Parker. Randle averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game in college and helped the Kentucky Wildcats reach the championship game.
He is a true power forward who can score with his back to the basket or facing his opponent. Many scouts compare Randle to another left-handed power forward, Zach Randolph.
If you look at the Memphis Grizzlies with Randolph and Marc Gasol at center, they have been very successful. The Jazz could have a similar frontcourt with Randle at the power forward and Favors at center. This could give the Jazz a great chance to build a winner with a solid foundation.