Utah Jazz: The Summer of Dennis Lindsey

So far this offseason I’ve written about players, coaches, draft picks, and trade possibilities. In all that writing, I have mentioned his name several times but I have yet to write something specifically about him. The man I am referring to is of course Dennis Lindsey. No employee of the Utah Jazz will have a bigger impact on the team this summer than Lindsey. The decisions that he is allowed to make this summer and the summer of 2014 will have consequences for both good and bad on this team for years to come. This is why I am so glad it is June. The draft and free agency will be here before we know it. Once the Jazz have made their picks and signed or traded for their players, we will finally be given some insight and be able to analyze the direction the team is headed. It’s no secret the 2014 draft is loaded and that draft will be crucial to the long term success of the Jazz as well.

I for one am very excited to have Lindsey put his stamp on the team this summer. He is a young guy that is eager to see what he can do with a team of his own. One thing I really like about his youth is that he is not afraid of fans. Kevin O’Connor tends to shy away from fans, preferring not to get mixed up in our nonsense. On his radio show that used to be a weekly appearance, he has tried in the past to give us an idea of the stress and pressure of his job. However, when pressed by the hosts he always reverts to his easy out of “No Comment.” Now it’s not like Lindsey hasn’t said that either, but he is not afraid to explain things in generalities to give us a better idea of how management thinks. He welcomes criticism, and not once has he told the fans to stop. He told them to keep the pressure on so that management will remember to do their best. He realizes that if the fans didn’t care, they wouldn’t say anything at all.

Analytics. Dennis Lindsey learned from his days with Houston and San Antonio how modern NBA basketball numbers are digested, interpreted and put into practice on the floor. The Jazz have always been an organization that uses numbers in their analysis but it was on a much more basic level. Most fans should be very familiar with the LHM batting average or the fact the Jazz keep track of deflections. These are basic methods of keeping track of efficiency. I’m not saying those are the only methods the Jazz used, but they clearly needed a new voice and methodology to go along with what they already do. Lindsey has brought those advanced analytic techniques with him and it will be very interesting to see the players he targets this summer.

We have heard more than ever from Jazz management that this offseason is going to be a 1 step back to take 2 steps forward type of year. The dreaded “rebuilding” word has even been used. This is the perfect scenario for a new GM to officially take over. His year of being trained in the “Jazz” way of doing things is up. He’s ready for the challenge. The time for baby steps is over. It’s time to release our talent into the real world for some real full-time on the job training. Gordon Hayward is ready to be a leader. Derrick Favors is ready to wreck havoc on those that dare attempt to score on him. Enes Kanter can make up for any scoring Millsap gave us and then some. Letting our young players go out and prove what they can do with 35-40 minutes per night is the right thing to do. I think this is what Lindsey wants to do with the team as well. If it leads to wins this year great. If not, the experience will pay off the next year and for many years after that. Besides, less wins this year gives us a greater shot at Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, etc in 2014. That would be a tremendous “consolation” prize.