Question ? For the Jazz , it seems this year's draft is pretty wide open. Two years ago, they needed a shooter and got Morris Almond. Last year, they needed a big guy and they picked Kosta Koufos. But this year, things don't seem to be as well-defined. What do the Jazz need and who are some of the players they might go after with the 20th pick in the draft?
-- Daniel Thurgood ?
Answer ? In my opinion, the Jazz need size, some more outside shooting and a backup point guard who can learn the position behind Deron Williams.
That said, a team picking 20th in the first round can't be too picky. It must hope to find a serviceable player, regardless of position, who can make a 15-man roster and eventually become a contributor.
It doesn't happen often, which is why I think the Jazz have to approach this draft with the age-old philosophy of taking the best player available. If they try to draft for need, I think their chances of success will drastically drop.
So, who will Utah pick?
The top 10 players in the draft, according to what I've been told by personnel-types and scouts, are Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Ricky Rubio, Jordan Hill, Stephen Curry, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan and Brandon Jennings.
Barring a major trade, which I don't expect will happen, the Jazz will not have a shot at any of those 10 players -- a group that includes five point guards or combo guards, incidentally.
Players expected to go somewhere between No. 11 and No. 20 include Gerald Henderson, DeJuan Blair, Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday, B.J. Mullens, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Earl Clark, Terrence Williams and James Johnson.
If the Jazz follow the best-player-available philosophy, they will simply take the player from that group who falls to them.
If another player or two end up breaking into the top 20 -- someone like Eric Maynor or Austin Daye -- the Jazz will have a choice of players.
At that point, it will be up to vice president of Basketball operations Kevin O'Connor to make the final call: Williams or Johnson. ... Clark or Teague. ... Blair or Hansbrough.
There is one other possibility, as far as I can tell.
The Jazz could decide to draft a foreign-born player and keep him overseas for a year or two, while his game matures and their existing salary cap issues are sorted out. In that case, the most likely pick will be Omri Casspi of Israel, who is considered the second-best foreign-born player in the draft behind Rubio.
