NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Utah Jazz to take Marcus Smart or Noah Vonleh?
The Utah Jazz let big men Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson leave after the 2012-2013 season, knowing that if they couldn’t get into the postseason with them (they finished 43-39, two games out of the playoffs), they needed to shift towards building around their younger players.
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The Jazz had young talent like big man Derrick Favors and forward Gordon Hayward and added point guard Trey Burke in the draft last year. Of course, that meant the Jazz would regress and they did to a tune of a 25-57 record, fourth-worst record in the NBA.
Despite that record, they only wound up with the fifth-overall pick, meaning they won’t be able to acquire one of the draft’s big four prospects – former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid, his college teammate, forward Andrew Wiggins, former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker and Australian point guard.
That, of course, doesn’t mean they can’t get a good prospect and according to The Salt Lake Tribune, it looks they are narrowing things down and could take former Indiana Hoosiers’ big man Noah Vonleh or former Oklahoma State Cowboys’ point guard Marcus Smart, who they have not yet had in for a visit.
Interesting take away from today's Utah Jazz pre-draft workout: Longterm, the organization sees Derrick Favors as a center, not a PF
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 5, 2014
With that thinking, the FO is confident that Noah Vonleh can come in and play along side Favors, with no issues
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 5, 2014
Source says the Jazz saw Vonleh workout already last week in a private workout in New York.
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 5, 2014
Walt Perrin isn't concerned about not having Marcus Smart in yet for a workout. "We know Marcus. We met with him in Chicago. ...
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) June 5, 2014
"We've got multitudes of tapes to look at. There's no concern. If we like him at 5 and he doesn't come in, we still take him."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) June 5, 2014
Vonleh, who measured in at 6’9.5 and 247 lbs. with an impressive wingspan of 7’4.5, averaged 11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Smart went for 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season and measured in at 6’3.25 and 227 lbs. with a wingspan of 6’9.25.