Utah Jazz 2016 Preseason Presser
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 1:25 pm
After another lung and grueling offseason full of hope and anticipation, the Utah Jazz were ready for another season with Digiskunk at the helm as GM. This upcoming season, however, was going to be unique, and he wanted everybody in the sports world to know — that's why he dragged everybody out for a press conference at 8 in the morning.
Digiskunk: Yooo what's poppin guys, thanks for joining me on this morning. As you're all well aware, the regular season is just around the corner, so let's review what we were about to do during the offseason, as well as discuss our plans for both the immediate and long-term future.
Digiskunk: One of our biggest objectives this off-season was to re-sign Ryan Anderson to a brand new contract. He was great for our ballclub last season, averaging 21.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per 37.2 minutes of play — so it was only natural that we wanted to bring him back for a few more seasons. Unfortunately, we weren't able to offer a contract until unrestricted free agency due to our outstanding luxury bill. Coincidentally enough, Ryan Anderson was excited at the prospect of playing for us again so he immediately inked a brand new 3-year deal. So welcome back, Ryno!
Digiskunk: Last season, our team struggled to score points when our starters weren't on the court. We courted a few players who could help us out in that department, and ultimately, we were able to talk Michael Beasley into signing a contract — even though he was high as a kite when he did so. We're really excited to bring Michael on board, because not only can he rebound and score the ball, but he can by us all dank weed which we can smoke prior to games. It's a win-win situation!
Digiskunk: Last season we made a commitment to clear up some cap space, so we traded Andrew Bogut — who was guaranteed some major cash the next few seasons — to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, who was on the last year of his contract. Mozgov performed pretty well for us, but we weren't really interested in bringing him back, especially for the amount of money he would have required. Instead, we chose to pursue cheaper alternative options, such as Jon Brockman, Lavoy Allen, and Steven Hill. We were able to sign all 3 of these big men to the vet minimum; and although they won't be scoring too much next season, their rebounding numbers suggest that they'll easily earn their worth here in Utah.
Digiskunk: We also decided to improve our backcourt offense this offseason, so we pursued a few good shooters who were also team players. Of all the players we scouted, Patty Mills seemed to fit the bill perfectly for us; he's a proven point guard who can score at will and defend the perimeter. We think he'll become a vital piece for our team this upcoming season, so make sure to keep an eye on him — especially any time that Darren Collison or Nando de Colo is on the bench.
Digiskunk: In addition to improving our backcourt offense, we also added some much-needed bench depth in the form of Ben Gordon, Martell Webster, J.J. Barea, our 2nd round draft pick Newton Boatright, and Nando de Colo, who is returning from last season. We feel as if this is a much better bench than last season; it's deeper, has more talent, and is capable of giving the starters some rest during "garbage time" (which, for the Sacramento Kings, is all the time). Take it from me: These guys are going to get the job done. If they don't, I will probably just trade their sorry ass to another team.
Digiskunk: Overall, we're very excited for the upcoming season. It's quite possible that this has been the best Utah Jazz squad assembled in years — at least ever since I took over as GM. We have strength in the backcourt, in the front court, and on the bench as well. If there was any way to improve from last season's disappointing 42–40 record, I feel we made all the right moves to do so. We may not have landed a premier star like we wanted to, but we still managed to compile an extremely competitive team without going too far over the salary cap. And for those reasons, I feel we are going to be much better than last season.
I'll now be taking any questions from the press!
