Here, we’ll make the opposite claim, partly because it’s just more fun. More importantly, 10-5 is far from an elite record. The Jazz look good, and at times even great, but they do not look like one of the clear best teams in the National Basketball Association. The addition of a former multiple time All-Star might help them get there.
Having said that, adding a polarizing, ball-dominant guard like Wall would not come without its risks. This is a hypothetical without a clearcut yes or no. In other words, it’s a big, $42 million dollar maybe.
On the subject of that contract: we urge Utah Jazz fans to carefully read the title of this article. Re-read it if you have to. We are not suggesting the Jazz inherit Wall’s gargantuan contract. That would be tantamount to absolute incompetence. The 1-14 Houston Rockets are currently footing that bill to have Wall function as effectively the most highly paid assistant coach in NBA history.
Surely, the former #1 overall pick would prefer to get on a basketball court, and do it with a contender. The Utah Jazz could offer him exactly that opportunity in the event of a buyout. Here is the case for, and against, the Jazz pursuing John Wall this season.
Golden State Warriors</a>. It wouldn’t be hard to argue that this team’s best approach to the season moving forward would be to stand pat. </span></p>
<p>Here, we’ll make the opposite claim, partly because it’s just more fun. More importantly, 10-5 is far from an elite record. The Jazz look good, and at times even great, but they do not look like one of the clear best teams in the National Basketball Association. The addition of a former multiple time All-Star might help them get there.</p>
<p>Having said that, adding a polarizing, ball-dominant guard like Wall would not come without its risks. This is a hypothetical without a clearcut yes or no. In other words, it’s a big, $42 million dollar maybe.</p>
<p>On the subject of that contract: we urge Utah Jazz fans to carefully read the title of this article. Re-read it if you have to. We are not suggesting the Jazz inherit Wall’s gargantuan contract. That would be tantamount to absolute incompetence. The 1-14 Houston Rockets are <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/19/utah-jazz-target-john-wall/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32208751/sources-houston-rockets-john-wall-working-together-find-trade-destination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently footing that bill</a> to have Wall function as effectively the most highly paid assistant coach in NBA history.</p>
<p>Surely, the former #1 overall pick would prefer to get on a basketball court, and do it with a contender. The Utah Jazz could offer him exactly that opportunity in the event of a buyout. Here is the case for, and against, the Jazz pursuing John Wall this season.</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/2021/11/19/utah-jazz-target-john-wall/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The case for John Wall </a>
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three-point heavy attack</a>. That’s fair, but counterpoints nonetheless exist. This Jazz team’s 21.7 assists per game rank 25th in the NBA. Relevantly, Wall’s 6.9 helpers per game from last season were actually the lowest figure of his entire career.</p>
<p>It seems likely that Wall would boost his assist per 36 minutes when surrounded by the talent he would be in Salt Lake City. The Rockets didn’t exactly arm him with a wealth of targets last season. His ability to force defenses to collapse and kick the ball to open shooters may improve Utah’s inconsistent three-point efficiency.</p>
<p>In fact, the Utah Jazz don’t currently roster a drive-and-dish option of Wall’s caliber. His presence may add a wrinkle to this offense that makes it even more devastating.</p>
<p>Of course, we’ve just pointed to the counterargument: this offense is already devastating. With a league-leading 114.82 Offensive Rating, do the Utah Jazz need John Wall?</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/2021/11/19/utah-jazz-target-john-wall/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The case against John Wall </a>
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Jordan Clarkson</a>, who posted a 30.4% Usage Rate last season. Wall’s ball-dominance might run the risk of alienating savvy playmaking wing Joe Ingles, who is already tasked with finding his offense in the context of Clarkson’s on-ball play.</p>
<p>While Clarkson is struggling from three-point range this season with a 25.9% three-point percentage, he is a more naturally talented three-point shooter than Wall if career averages are to be trusted. On the one hand, this may suggest a logical backcourt pairing, with Wall playing the role of distributor and Clarkson aiming primarily to score.</p>
<p>That feels like a stretch. Quin Snyder’s offensive system emphasizes three-point shooting, and often of the unassisted variety. It feels unlikely that he’d overhaul his entire style for the second unit to accommodate Wall when his team, as stated, already has the best Offensive Rating in the league. Snyder is comfortable with the ball in Clarkson’s hands. He’s unlikely to shift it to Wall’s for any significant stretches when Wall has never been a competent three-point shooter.</p>
<p>From the standpoint of purely aggregating talent, acquiring Wall would be a no-brainer for the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately for the former Kentucky Wildcat, the fit concerns may be too major for the Jazz to consider that option.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="The one Jazz player showing significant signs of growth" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/16/utah-jazz-one-player-growth/" 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/2021/11/19/utah-jazz-target-john-wall/"https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/16/utah-jazz-one-player-growth/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> The one Jazz player showing significant signs of growth </a> </div>
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<p>This was a bit of an agonizing decision. We think Wall could be a good addition to the Utah Jazz with some significant caveats. He’d have to be comfortable with a substantially reduced usage rate, he’d need to tighten up his three-point shot selection, and he’d need to improve on his -1.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) from last season. Unfortunately, his ability to accomplish all of those tasks is just too questionable for the Jazz to consider adding him.</p>
<p><strong>Verdict: </strong>Pass</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">