Theoretically, they can use one more wing defender, and some are still on the market. The question is whether the Jazz are done tinkering with their roster. If the Jazz find themselves facing a team playing smaller, they can take Gay and play him at the center spot and match that element as well. If the Jazz are facing a bigger team in the postseason, Whiteside can play the majority of backup minutes to Gobert. What the Jazz are hoping for is this: By adding Gay and Whiteside, they make themselves more matchup-proof come playoff time than they have been in recent seasons. One of the biggest elements of signing Whiteside is the ability to plug him into the starting lineup and play the same style of basketball should Gobert miss a game or extended time. So, theoretically, engagement from possession to possession shouldn’t be a huge issue. It will be a veteran locker room and a locker room of vets who have never won at the highest level. This will be without question the best team that Whiteside’s ever played for and, without question, the first team he’s on that has a legitimate chance to make a championship run. He’s had issues with playing as hard as possible from possession to possession.īut, when he’s engaged, Whiteside can be a force in the paint, and that’s what the Jazz are hoping for: engagement.
On the other hand, Whiteside hasn’t been a great pick-and-roll defender. Stylistically, Whiteside fits what the Jazz do. Once the Jazz locked in a commitment from Gay, they scanned the market for a backup center and came up with a commitment from Whiteside. But unlike last season, Gay’s presence gives Utah the oversized combo forward it lacked, even if Gay is advancing in age. But the combination of years on the contract, role, the hope of winning a title, his relationship with Mike Conley and money eventually led the Jazz to win out.Īs a result, Utah’s first eight is a strong bunch, much like last season. The Jazz had to sweat out his decision, as Gay received significant interest from several contending teams, according to league sources. He simply makes the Jazz a deeper and more versatile team on both ends. He did that at times for the Spurs the previous two years, and he gives the Jazz that elusive answer to a small lineup. Perhaps the sneakiest way Gay helps the Jazz is that he gives them a small-ball center option. With Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson, Gay can make plays in a number of ways.
What he does for the Jazz is make their bench significantly stronger. But his combination of physical size and length make him competent on that end. Defensively, he’s not as good as he once was. He’s become much better as a 3-point shooter as he’s aged. He’s good off the dribble and spent a good part of his career with the ball in his hands. Offensively, he’s an accomplished scorer from three levels. Gay’s presence makes the Jazz more versatile on both ends of the floor. But he’s coming off a terrific year with the San Antonio Spurs, a season where he averaged more than 11 points per game and shot almost 40 percent from 3-point range. He’s not the insane athlete he once was now that he’s in his mid-30s and has an Achilles injury recovery in his past. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward who can score, shoot the ball and defend.
He was the guy the Jazz wanted to bring in and targeted with their midlevel exception. It means their rotation, barring any other moves, is largely filled. He will fill the backup center role vacated when Utah traded Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He steps into the void left by Georges Niang, who, according to league sources, committed to signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.Īs the Jazz were playing their Summer League opener Tuesday night, they gained a commitment from Hassan Whiteside on a one-year deal. The morning yielded a commitment from forward Rudy Gay on a two-year deal. General manager Justin Zanik and the rest of the front office stayed busy Tuesday. The Utah Jazz are beginning to take shape in earnest for the upcoming season.