Utah Jazz expecting a major turnaround of fortunes with the number 3 NBA Draft Pick
After going through a messy divorce with the Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan and then losing their All-Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets four days later, Utah Jazz’s new head coach Tyrone Corbin is hopeful for an immediate boost when the number 3 NBA draft pick enters their ranks in late June.
Jazz had a miserable 2010-11 season where they lost 43 games and also failed to make it into the post-season. In February, during the mid-season transfer window, Utah traded away their ace guard, Williams, to the New Jersey Nets. Williams was selected by the Jazz as a number three draft pick, back in 2005. However, in his exchange, Jazz in essence netted two No.3 picks. One of them will be exercised this year after they won the rights in the Tuesday’s lottery and the other will be used the preceding year. The draft pick for the next year and rookie Derrick Favors were also acquired by the Jazz along with the veteran guard Devin Harris as a result of Williams’ trade.
Duke guard Kyrie Irving is lauded as the top NBA prospect in the upcoming 2011 draft and Arizona’s forward Derrick Williams is expected to be the second pick. The players projected for the third pick include 6 ft 10 in forward Jonas Valanciunas from Lithuania and 6 ft 11 in forward Enes Kanter from Turkey. Corbin already has his eyes set on the available options.
"There's some great young talent out there and there's some guys that'll surprise some people once they get into Chicago and you see the size of them.” Corbin said.
According to the league laws, all the thirty teams have the authority to examine the top prospects and evaluate whether they fit into their scheme of things. The team officials can also orchestrate some drills to watch the players on the court and interview them.
"The interviews are an important part of that. We really evaluate how a guy will carry himself and can you trust a guy to do what he says he's going to do. Everybody makes some mistakes, but we put a lot of weight on the interview and the background stuff." Tyrone said who took the responsibilities swiftly as Utah’s coach after Sloan’s retirement on 9th February.
Corbin is looking forward to draft a player who can make the team better and can regularly start a game. The franchise expects to bring Brigham Young University’s star Jimmer Fredette and other top prospects to the Salt Lake City in the next few weeks for team workout.
Kevin O'Connor, Utah’s general manager although extremely excited was very wary about the decision that the Jazz have to make, especially after Williams’ departure, "We better not s***w it up. We rolled the dice on trading an All-Star and now we've got to produce."
Coach Corbin also said that the pressure is on him to draft the best player with the available options as the selection is very crucial for the team’s future performance. Oklahoma City Thunder’s selection of Kevin Durant in 2007, shows the significance of drafting the right player as Thunder have blossomed into legitimate championship contenders three years after his arrival.
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