Morning Jazz 05-12-14

In case you missed anything Utah Jazz related from this past weekend, you can find it all below.

2014 NBA Mock Draft: McDermott 1.0 (via The J Notes)

Hello everyone, I’m back!! I just can’t stay away from the chance to do an NBA Mock Draft! So before knowing how the lottery shakes out, here’s my guess as to what could go down on Draft night.

1. Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Wiggins – Milwaukee has a lot of needs and this guy can help on both sides of the ball.

2. Philadelphia 76ers: Jabari Parker – I think the 76ers would take Wiggins if the get the #1 pick. In this scenario the get the #2 rated wing. Not bad.

3. Orlando Magic: Dante Exum – I could see the Magic taking Embiid here as well but they need PG help. (Continue reading here)

Should NBA Free Agency start before the draft? (via The J Notes)

The NFL has its free agency period before the draft so they can fill their respective teams with positions they need. After free agency they can reevaluate their team and see what holes they have left and draft from there. Logically both ways make sense. Same could be said if you have the draft before free agency.

What if the NBA did the same thing as the NFL? I wouldn’t like the waiting period for the draft to come, but teams would be able to see where they are lacking and draft guys where they need them the most. With free agency first the Utah Jazz for example could see which players they can bring in. Obviously Utah is not a popular destination for free agents, but this way the team can see which guys they can bring in. (Continue reading here)

Utah Jazz: 3 ideal NBA Free Agents to target in 2014 (via Hoops Habit)

Despite finishing 25-57 this past season, the Utah Jazz have a solid foundation of young talent to grow their franchise around.

With players like Derrick Favors, Trey Burke and Gordon Hayward, Utah can sell free agents this summer on playing with one of the best young rosters in the NBA.

With a young roster, however, comes some struggle. The Jazz finished 29th in the NBA in scoring this season with just 95 points a contest. Hayward led the team with 16.2 points, but will be a restricted free agent himself this summer.

Utah doesn’t need to hit a LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony-type home run in free agency, but adding an offensive threat on the wing will be crucial to their improvement next season.

Here are three reasonable free agents that the Jazz could pursue. (Continue reading here)

2014 NBA Draft: Auburn’s Denson could be perfect fit with Utah Jazz (via Rant Sports)

One of the hardest things to do in the NBA is to be an undrafted free agent after the NBA Draft and actually make a team’s roster next season. That is a problem one of the best scorers in college basketball last season, Chris Denson, will face as he looks to succeed at the next level.

Denson’s Auburn Tigers played extremely poorly last season, finishing 12th in the SEC, but he and KT Harrell lit it up from the floor. Denson averaged over 19 points a game, despite shooting under 70 percent from the free-throw line. Throughout the season, he showed that he could score from anywhere on the floor and, although not expected to be drafted, should show out enough in Summer League to make an NBA roster.

So what NBA team is desperate enough to give a player like Denson an opportunity in the NBA? Take a look at the dismal 2014 season of the Utah Jazz. (Continue reading here)

2014 NBA Draft: Pinpointing landing spots for round one (via Bleacher Report)

With the chaos of the 2014 NFL draft behind us, the NBA is now officially on the clock.

This year features a strong crop of talented prospects capable of bolstering rosters for years to come. A strong first-round selection is of the utmost importance for NBA franchises due smaller roster sizes and limited starting positions.

Most teams have already shifted focus to the draft, as the playoffs continue to roll along, as more teams are being eliminated from championship contention.

As we shift our focus to the draft as well, mock drafts will become increasingly abundant. Let’s take a look at how the first round could potentially unfold with the draft just over a month away. (Continue reading here)

Dream option for every NBA head coaching vacancy (via Bleacher Report)

Six NBA teams have openings at the head coach position, which means we’re in for yet another offseason of speculation, unrealistic hope and, unfortunately, some serious disappointment.

Not every front office is going to get its top choice, and fallback options will inevitably wind up stalking the sidelines for publicly satisfied but privately disappointed teams.

What if it didn’t have to be that way, though? What if every team in need of a new head coach got its man?

We know the Golden State Warriors need a splashy hire to compensate for the controversial firing of Mark Jackson. And we know the New York Knicks would love to consummate their weeks-long courtship of Phil Jackson‘s hand-picked golden boy, Steve Kerr.

We’re still in the early stages of the offseason. In fact, there are eight teams playing postseason games as we speak. So expect plenty of new names to emerge as the Knicks, Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and (probably) Cleveland Cavaliers put out feelers on prospective coaches. (Continue reading here)

NBA Draft 2014: Wish list for all 30 teams (via Bleacher Report)

Though the lottery hasn’t taken place yet, every NBA team knows what range it will be drafting in. And general managers will likely have a few guys highlighted on their boards as targets who could be available in their draft range.

Only 22 teams this year have picks in the first round, while five teams don’t have any picks at all. For each team, I’ve laid out a wish list of targets that could be available to it when it’s on the clock.

I ranked each prospect based on potential and team fit, with No. 1 on each list being the top priority. Some teams have two picks in the first round, in which case I provided either two separate wish lists or one big one, depending on how far apart the picks are from each other.

For teams that don’t have any picks, I’ve provided potential second-round trade options for each team to target. (Continue reading here)

Be sure to check with The J Notes daily as we bring you more Utah Jazz content. Also, be sure to check out our coverage of the NBA Playoffs.