Jayhawks in the NBA

[InfiniteJ]

From The Athletic:

NBA Players With The Most To Prove In 2022-2023

Utah Jazz: Udoka Azubuike

To this point of his career, Udoka Azubuike has been a punchline. A mistaken draft pick. A big reason the Utah Jazz didn’t take the next step. Now, he enters a season where he may well be fighting for his NBA career. There is a decent chance the Jazz don’t pick up the fourth-year option on his rookie contract. He’s never been a rotation player. His two years in Utah have been marred by injury. But option or not, Azubuike will have his clearest path to regular NBA playing time this season. There’s no Rudy Gobert to soak up most of the minutes. He will have an opportunity. And for him, that’s a good thing, because he has yet to prove he can play in this league. And he will have to do so if he wants to stay in it.

[KU76erfan]

Excited to see Och here in SLC

Wait, you don't live in Philly?

I thought Trad was the SLC'er

Lived there for about 5 years, then 12 in nyc; been in SLC for the last decade. I will grant that the Cleveland Orchestra is far superior to the Utah Symphony.

[randylahey]

From The Athletic:

NBA Players With The Most To Prove In 2022-2023

Utah Jazz: Udoka Azubuike

To this point of his career, Udoka Azubuike has been a punchline. A mistaken draft pick. A big reason the Utah Jazz didn’t take the next step. Now, he enters a season where he may well be fighting for his NBA career. There is a decent chance the Jazz don’t pick up the fourth-year option on his rookie contract. He’s never been a rotation player. His two years in Utah have been marred by injury. But option or not, Azubuike will have his clearest path to regular NBA playing time this season. There’s no Rudy Gobert to soak up most of the minutes. He will have an opportunity. And for him, that’s a good thing, because he has yet to prove he can play in this league. And he will have to do so if he wants to stay in it.

Lets hope he shows off his defense. If he can guard the pick and roll he should be able to stick around a bit

[pdub]

“ To this point of his career, Udoka Azubuike has been a punchline. A mistaken draft pick. A big reason the Utah Jazz didn’t take the next step.”

No.
He was the 27th overall pick.
What?

[ousdahl]

right?

they're saying that about a guy they even acknowledge has been marred by injury.

if they're gonna say that about Dok, I wonder what they'd have to say bout Zion.

[Deleted User 863]

“ To this point of his career, Udoka Azubuike has been a punchline. A mistaken draft pick. A big reason the Utah Jazz didn’t take the next step.”

No.
He was the 27th overall pick.
What?

LOL

What a dumb comment by whoever wrote that.

[CrimsonNBlue]

The only thing that can explain the "punchline" comment is that this guy might have hated the Udoka pick from the beginning and now he's trying to manufacture some sort of I-told-you-so cred. Just dumb.

Mistaken draft pick is still a stretch because it's the frickin' 27th pick. Hindsight might say the Jazz would have been better off taking a higher-upside prospect at that pick for a trade asset, and also I've personally thought the Jazz were crazy to think that they were contenders, so why are they taking a depth piece with a low ceiling in Udoka? But, again, what else can you count on at 27th overall?

Has to have some kind of agenda.

[Sparko]

Dok has a history of injuries. But he is a force in the paint and was a great situational pick at 27. Easily could play meaningful minutes on any team that values lane presence.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Dok has a history of injuries. But he is a force in the paint and was a great situational pick at 27. Easily could play meaningful minutes on any team that values lane presence.

I think now that his GM is Ainge that he could be in his last season. Certainly his last with Utah.

He has a chance to be a good piece on a contender if healthy, I think. Paint defense and fouls to give.


I also just read again that blurb and they say he is a big reason the Jazz didn't take the next step? Ridiculous, and yeah, it has be personal.

[Deleted User 863]

Personal or just totally incompetent about the topic he was writing about.

I tend to lean towards incompetent because I am not sure how you could have a personal vendetta against a guy who rarely played and was probably never interviewed by the media.

[CrimsonNBlue]

I tend to lean towards incompetent because I am not sure how you could have a personal vendetta against a guy who rarely played and was probably never interviewed by the media.

Me neither, but that suggests a vendetta to me. How can you pick a guy that has bounced back and forth on/off the active roster and say he's a big reason the team didn't take the next step? He was not drafted to be the final piece. Seems targeted.

[pdub]

He was drafted to spell Gobert.
A 27th pick, who was 20 when you drafted him, that you want getting 10-14 MPG, isn't a big reason you didn't take the next step.

[Deleted User 863]

I tend to lean towards incompetent because I am not sure how you could have a personal vendetta against a guy who rarely played and was probably never interviewed by the media.

Me neither, but that suggests a vendetta to me. How can you pick a guy that has bounced back and forth on/off the active roster and say he's a big reason the team didn't take the next step? He was not drafted to be the final piece. Seems targeted.

My only guess is because the guy thinks 1st round pick always means you're supposed be an immediate impact guy. But Dok was not viewed (or drafted) as such.

[Deleted User 863]

He was drafted to spell Gobert.
A 27th pick, who was 20 when you drafted him, that you want getting 10-14 MPG, isn't a big reason you didn't take the next step.

They still had Whiteside when he was drafted (iirc) so he wasn't even necessarily viewed or needed as a back up 10min a game guy. At least not in year 1.

[pdub]

My only guess is because the guy thinks 1st round pick always means you're supposed be an immediate impact guy. But Dok was not viewed (or drafted) as such.

But this isn't true.
Not after the lotto imo.

[Deleted User 863]

My only guess is because the guy thinks 1st round pick always means you're supposed be an immediate impact guy. But Dok was not viewed (or drafted) as such.

But this isn't true.
Not after the lotto imo.

I agree....but I don't think that writer is competent enough to realize that.

[twocoach]

The only thing that can explain the "punchline" comment is that this guy might have hated the Udoka pick from the beginning and now he's trying to manufacture some sort of I-told-you-so cred. Just dumb.

Mistaken draft pick is still a stretch because it's the frickin' 27th pick. Hindsight might say the Jazz would have been better off taking a higher-upside prospect at that pick for a trade asset, and also I've personally thought the Jazz were crazy to think that they were contenders, so why are they taking a depth piece with a low ceiling in Udoka? But, again, what else can you count on at 27th overall?

Has to have some kind of agenda.

Honestly, look at the players drafted after Dok in 2020. They didn't miss on any better forwards or centers. none of them look like "higher upside" picks at this point.

[InfiniteJ]

Here's the guy who wrote the Dok blurb:

https://twitter.com/tjonesonthenba/?lang=en

[kujayhawkfan]

He was mostly banged up when he was with the Utah Jazz

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Here's the guy who wrote the Dok blurb:

https://twitter.com/tjonesonthenba/?lang=en

What he said was ignorant and I may understand SOME of his sentiment if he was a Bane fan BEFORE the draft but......
I don't subscribe to The Athletic. It seems he may have been giving him praise in this article. Yes? No?
If yes, how soon he forgets?

https://theathletic.com/3054136/2022/01 ... how-going/