ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 12: Enes Kanter #0 of the Utah Jazz drives against Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 12, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Freedom’s play doesn’t justify a reunion
During his career, Freedom was an above-average center. The last three seasons have seen him average 8.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a bench player. Those rebounding numbers are nothing to sneeze at, but it’s clear his offensive production has gone down the drain.
In his last full season–2020-’21–Freedom was 249th in defensive RAPTOR out of 265 players. Granted, his offensive RAPTOR was 39th, but his wins above replacement was a middling 143. With the vendetta against Utah as a whole, is it worth adding a below-average player?
Not sure why he says this he’s never played defense in his life, he’s a liability on the floor. You can say and shout and do whatever you want the NBA doesn’t care only thing they care about is defense.
While the tweet above may be hyperbole, the core argument is there. Why would the Utah Jazz, a poor defensive team, want to add a noted defensive liability? It makes no sense. If the Jazz are to sign a center at this point, it should be someone young to develop or someone they can at least see building around if they choose to keep Donovan Mitchell.
The offense used to be there. Had he stayed with Utah, he could have become a true stretch big, but that never happened due to him requesting out. In his last season with the Jazz, he shot 31% from behind the arc. Since then, he exploded in his first season and a half with the Thunder for a 50% mark on lower volume, and then never got even close to that again. Seems like a judgment error, but what do I know?
Utah Jazz</a> are at moment without a real starting center. Rookies Kofi Cockburn and Walker Kessler could maybe prove themselves this season, and Udoka Azubuike is probably going to be a career backup. They could resign Hassan Whiteside, but that former star has been relatively quiet about the inner workings of free agency, so NBA fans have largely forgotten about him.</p>
<p>Another unsigned free agent comes to mind. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kanteen01.html" ref="nofollow">Enes Freedom</a> (formerly Enes Kanter) is a former Jazzman who, since 2014, has bounced around the league.</p>
<p>Freedom is not a horrible center. His offensive production is better than average, he is an elite rebounder, but he is also one of the worst defenders in the entire league at his position. If the Jazz are serious about tanking, then they might not care about his defensive struggles. In fact, it may actually be a welcome addition to <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2022/07/05/utah-jazz-first-depth-chart-offseason/">the roster</a>.</p>
<h2>Utah Jazz: No matter what, Enes Freedom should not be signed</h2>
<p>Usually, I enjoy it when a team brings back a former player, especially when that team is the one that gave the player his start. The Jazz took Freedom–then Kanter–third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Aside from Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and Kemba Walker, that draft class was very disappointing. I can’t knock the Jazz for taking Freedom at third, even if it was a little bit of a stretch.</p>
<p>Freedom has enjoyed a relatively solid NBA career. He’s never been All-NBA, but he’s gotten plenty of minutes and earned millions of dollars. That being said, at age 30, teams suddenly lost interest in signing him.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kessler literally has the same Rudy gobert foundation, now can he reach the ceiling? We’ll have to see but if they eventually trade Mitchell or don’t try to compete, why not start the young kid on and off to give him reps</p>
<p>— oscarito (@granchiqioscar) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://twitter.com/granchiqioscar/status/1554557369673285639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Apparently, Freedom is used to there being a little bit more demand for his services. He’s not a bad player by any means, but the Utah Jazz should absolutely not resign him, under any conditions.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Freedom and the Jazz have beef </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-89446" src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1976,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F461302590.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1976" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/461302590.jpeg 1600w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/461302590-768x948.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 10: Enes Kanter #0 of the Utah Jazz drives with the basketball in front of Dwight Howard #12 of the Houston Rockets during their game at the Toyota Center on January 10, 2015 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Enes Freedom has a dark history with the Utah Jazz</h3>
<p>After being traded to the Thunder in 2015, Freedom had some harsh words about Utah as a whole. Freedom suggested that he did not only not enjoy Salt Lake City, but the region left him so dilapidated that he even <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12576601/enes-kanter-passively-rips-former-team-utah-jazz-comparison-oklahoma-city-thunder">started to hate basketball</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>“I think the difference is, I like playing basketball there. I think that’s the most important thing. I never liked playing basketball before in my NBA career, and this is the first time I felt like playing basketball there, for my team, for the fans, for my teammates for my coaches, for everybody. So, that’s the first time.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Freedom went on to suggest that he did not like the fans, organization, or city he was playing in. I get it. Sometimes it just takes a lot for a player to consider a foreign city home, and Freedom never really felt that in Utah. It could be no one’s fault, or maybe he isn’t telling the whole story.</p>
<p>Even so, after making those disparaging remarks, the Utah Jazz should be in no hurry to give him another chance in the NBA. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, and Freedom left all his bridges burned.</p>
<p>On top of that, Freedom was a promising young starter on the Jazz while the team was on the rise. Mitchell was on the way, and honestly Rudy Gobert would fit pretty well alongside Freedom. Enes could help on offense, and Rudy could be the defender we all know him to be.</p>
<p>In fact, Freedom could have been an early prototype of the floor spacing center. With Gobert down low and not going anywhere, the Jazz could have eventually had a starting five of Mitchell, Hayward, Freedom, Rubio, and Gobert. Joe Ingles could have come off the bench and excelled in that role. All in all, Freedom may have left a lot on the table with the Jazz.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> His play just isn't that good </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-89447" src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1087,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F458875798.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1087" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/458875798.jpeg 1600w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/458875798-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 12: Enes Kanter #0 of the Utah Jazz drives against Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 12, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Freedom’s play doesn’t justify a reunion</h3>
<p>During his career, Freedom was an above-average center. The last three seasons have seen him average 8.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a bench player. Those rebounding numbers are nothing to sneeze at, but it’s clear his offensive production has gone down the drain.</p>
<p>In his last full season–2020-’21–Freedom was 249th in defensive<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/"> RAPTOR</a> out of 265 players. Granted, his offensive RAPTOR was 39th, but his wins above replacement was a middling 143. With the vendetta against Utah as a whole, is it worth adding a below-average player?</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not sure why he says this he’s never played defense in his life, he’s a liability on the floor. You can say and shout and do whatever you want the NBA doesn’t care only thing they care about is defense.</p>
<p>— Mike Daugherity (@20W34thStNYC) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://twitter.com/20W34thStNYC/status/1554555431212617728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>While the tweet above may be hyperbole, the core argument is there. Why would the Utah Jazz, a poor defensive team, want to add a noted defensive liability? It makes no sense. If the Jazz are to sign a center at this point, it should be someone young to develop or someone they can at least see building around if they choose to keep Donovan Mitchell.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRaG_08Lcoo?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen title="Enes Kanter 2020-21 Season Highlights | Trail Blazers"></iframe></div>
<p>The offense used to be there. Had he stayed with Utah, he could have become a true stretch big, but that never happened due to him requesting out. In his last season with the Jazz, he shot 31% from behind the arc. Since then, he exploded in his first season and a half with the Thunder for a 50% mark on lower volume, and then never got even close to that again. Seems like a judgment error, but what do I know?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Freedom may be blackballed </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-89445" src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1203604950.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1203604950.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1203604950-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – FEBRUARY 26: Enes Kanter #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during a game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 26, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>He has simply made himself unlikable</h3>
<p>Like it or not, the NBA is a very left-leaning sports league. Its fans are predominantly people of color, it is a very urban-centric game, middle America does not follow it that closely, and it has the youngest fans out of any of the major leagues. That’s a recipe for a fanbase that leans in heavily to the left-wing train of thought. No matter where you stand, you can see at least that much.</p>
<p>A very leftist thing is standing up for human rights violations, even at the cost of personal wealth. I can safely say that Freedom has done that. His Turkish citizenship was basically revoked after his comments against the corrupt government. He has stood up to NBA policies regarding China. Those policies, in summary, say that the NBA stands against the human rights violations but will continue to conduct business in the country. Freedom, in response, has had a lot to say.</p>
<p>So far, Freedom seems like he would be a champion for the left leaning-NBA. Then he became a <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/enes-kanter-freedoms-political-awakening">Fox News champion</a>. This is where I will get on my soapbox. If you want, feel free to stop reading now.</p>
<p>It is my opinion that, when playing with mostly black men in liberal cities, it is not a good idea to tell them to “<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://www.oregonlive.com/nba/2021/11/enes-kanter-tells-tucker-carlson-that-americans-shouldnt-criticize-the-us-they-should-just-keep-their-mouth-shut.html">just keep their mouth shut</a>” about the social justice issues that plague them.</p>
<p>I’ve lived in Turkey. I’ve read about China and the current Uyghur genocide. I have firsthand experience with tyrannical governments in Turkey. It’s bad. Worse than here, for sure. But I’m saying that as a white man. To suggest that black men and women (and other marginalized communities) should, well, shut up and dribble, doesn’t make you very endearing to the community you want to play with.</p>
<p>Fans love to rag on LeBron James and other NBA stars for picking who they want to play with. That’s an asinine and downright stupid hill to die on. LeBron James is a top three NBA player ever. If he doesn’t want someone on his team, you don’t force him to play with him.</p>
<p>The same goes for teams. If established NBA players as a whole want to reject someone based on anything, that’s their prerogative. I don’t think it’s too much for players to avoid someone who has consistently marginalized their struggles. The “it’s worse elsewhere” attitude is counterproductive.</p>
<p>If we are following the “it’s worse elsewhere logic”, Freedom and his family are rather hypocritical. Freedom’s father was jailed in Turkey for over a year due to his dissent against the government. Freedom himself has expressed fear of returning home. But let’s face it: it could be worse.</p>
<p>By his own mindset, Freedom should instead focus all his efforts on worse countries than Turkey. China comes to mind, and he’s doing an admirable job. He could also focus on Ukraine, where things are worse than just having social media censored.</p>
<p>Freedom believes <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://nypost.com/2022/08/02/enes-kanter-freedom-im-being-blackballed-by-nba/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons%22>he%e2%80%99s been blackballed</a> by the NBA and its players. He claims the NBA and China are in cahoots against him because he stands up to the Chinese government and the NBA, which does business with them. If that’s true, good for him. He’s a hero. I suspect the Chinese government and the League offices have bigger fish to fry than the ramblings of a role player, though.</p>
<p>The second option Freedom has proposed is that the NBA is blackballing him due to his prominence as a conservative token. That may actually have some merit, but if it’s players and coaches who don’t want to deal with him, that’s their choice and they have the right to stick by it.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Donovan Mitchell trade talks with the Knicks have stalled" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2022/07/30/donovan-mitchell-trade-talks-knicks-utah-jazz-stalled/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/08/04/poor-play-politics-vendetta-utah-jazz-avoid-enes-freedom/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2022/07/30/donovan-mitchell-trade-talks-knicks-utah-jazz-stalled/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Donovan Mitchell trade talks with the Knicks have stalled </a> </div>
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<p>The third option makes a lot more sense: Enes Freedom was never a star, he’s getting older, and his flaws now overshadow his strength. He played ten full seasons in the NBA, more than most, and it may be time to hang it up. It’s not the NBA’s job to help him propel his delusions.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">