Breaking Down the Ja- Show RosterIt's that time of year again folks. Before the season starts Coach Duke (Gonzo is out of town) is going to look at the team position by position and see where they stand and what hopes they have.
OverallDuke: Gonzo and I decided to strike a deal with the Jazz as legend Jerry Sloan eyed retirement. He built a solid team with room for improvement. It's young in spots but has enough veteran leaderships so we don't get in fights over Boo-Ray..Is that what it's called? I'd like our cap situation to be a bit better, but what can ya do? We've got some great talent here. I think we can sneak into playoffs and maybe even surprise some people.
Point GuardsDeron WilliamsDuke: I've loved this guy ever since he went to Illinois. Dee Brown was flashier, but Deron was the real talent on that team. With a few years under his belt in the NBA, he just appears to get better every year. He pretty much does everything and is an odd hybrid of strength, speed, and passing at PG. Love this guy. However, Our success is going to directly correlate to how well Deron can do with building his chemistry with Al Jefferson instead of Carlos who left for Chicago.
Ronnie PriceDuke: This guy has been in the league for a few years and hasnt really amounted to much despite his athleticism. He's a good defender and has a nice little jumper so we're basically just going to use him for depth. May not get alot of minutes
Earl WatsonDuke: He played college ball with B-Diddy at UCLA but we don't hold that against him. Alot like Ronnie, he's got some great athleticism and his outside game and perimeter D are decent. His handles are slightly better than Ronnies though so we're going to give him the backup slot to Deron
Shooting GuardsRaja BellDuke: One of the few guys to be labeled a "kobe stopper" in the league, we like Raja. We're glad to have him back after some time in phoenix and we like his ability to defend and occasionally score. Our plan isn't to run through the offense through him so it's alright if his game is lacking a little there.
CJ MilesDuke: What were we all smoking when we drafted all those high schoolers? Only a few of em really "made" it. Ah well. CJ's got an ok midrange game but thats about all i can really say about him. He'll spell Raja in a pinch but odds are he wont get a ton of time
Small ForwardsAndrei KirilenkoDuke: Well, he's been here from Russia forever and we love his defense. How many guys can you think of in the league who can do the post and perimeter? Not many. He was a top 10 guy in the league for a bit there but now he's sorta overlooked in the star talks. HIs scoring is way down, but thats alright, he's still got the IQ and D to be our starting SF.
Gordon HaywardDuke: Come on, who wasn't pulling for them last year to take down Coach K and Duke? I lost a bundle of money on that game and this kid is raw. But he's definitely got some upside to him. His shot is godly. If he develops right, He could be our Steve Kerr figure. Can't wait to see how this kid does. He's slightly a liability on D but we'll work on that to try to get him up to speed.
Jeremy EvansDuke: This kid doesnt have alot going for him, we'll probably put him in at garbage time and he can score alot quick if left alone. But that's it. You won't see him much.
Power ForwardsAl JeffersonDuke: I loved this guy in Boston (the one part of the KG trade who didnt deserve to move), I loved this guy and felt for him in Minny. And now he's here. So stoked. He plays D, He scores, and he rebounds. Ye gods man!
Paul MillsapDuke: Ok so sure he's a little small for a PF but he's a beast! He rebounds, he plays D, and is capable of scoring like mad on occasion. We love this guy. Best part is? He's young.
CentersMehmet OkurDuke: Probably the best shooting big man behind Dirk, Okur's a quality guy. Any 6'11 guy who can decide to score whenever he feels like it is an asset. His defense leaves ALOT to be desired though. Hopefully we can get his scoring back up as its been going down lately
Francisco ElsonDuke: He's pretty much here in case of foul trouble Not that many years pro for how old he is. Ah well, thats how it goes. Probably won't see a ton out of him with MIllsap, Okur, Jefferson splitting the big man minutes
Kyrylo FesenkoDuke: Another "insurance" guy. He's tall...but thats about it. I mean good god man, being that big you should at least be able to lay it in. He's young though so he may improve.
There it is folks: the roster breakdown. Who's ready for the season?
Last edited by
Oznogrd on Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:54 pm, edited 3 times in total.