I heard myself today.
Welcome back in drive time on a Friday afternoon, Utah's number one Sports Talk ESPN seven hundred ninety two point one FM, ESPN seven hundred sports dot com And if you want to check it out on YouTube, we're not in studio so may not be the best viewing experience today, but when we're back in studio you can you can watch us live on YouTube ESPN seven hundred Sports Utah.
Today we're not in studio because we are live from Yes, you heard it right, Spanish Fork twenty five thirty four North, second East in Spanish Fork at Tim dolly Ford Forever Warranty, employee pricing and more Tim Dolliford dot com to see the cars they have here in stock and uh just to check out some of their pricing and options. Of course, the forever warranty something you can't get just about anywhere else.
Porter Larson, Bryce Larson no relation and now joining us on the air, Andy Larson and a little behind the scenes are tech on site Spencer also a Larson of some kind, Step Larsen. So we've got we've got a whole thing going on here.
Family reunion going on.
Andy Larson how are you.
I'm fellow friends and family. Yeah, good to talk to you guys today.
Yeah, and none of us are related allegedly, So appreciate you guys joining us. Appreciate Andy's time on this Friday. Andy, we talked about a little bit in the opening segment, of course, the Utah Jazz and the NBA Draft, not only the talk of the town, but kind of the conversation around some of the draft circles in the league. I think a lot of that conversation has been overblown. I know you are in that camp as well. You and I were on site on draft I did Zion's
basketball headquarters. And that's kind of the feel we got is that the conversation around Ace Bailey is kind of happening without Ace Bailey. Give me your read. I won't speak for you, but the latest on the situation there and we'll get to the other draft picks for the Jazz as well.
Yeah. Look, the last hour has really cleared this up. So you know, we heard from on Draft Day on Wednesday, we heard from Ace Bailey himself like, yes, I'm focused on the basketball, you know, but knew the Jazz starting lineup was seemed to be excited to go to Utah, you know, said that it was his representation who was dealing kind of with all of the noise and rumors, and then you know, it's it's been a difficult thing.
So like he's got a manager, Omar Cooper, who has kind of represented him for the last few years in his high school and now you know college career, kind of steered him directors to be sure, and was the guy the NBA teams were kind of dealing with most when it came Dave Bailey, and it was pretty clear that he was trying to get him away from the Utah Jazz and to the Washington Wizards, the New Orleans Pelicans or the Brooklyn Nets, and in the end failed to do so. Right like in the end win win
number five to Utah. Anyway, that being said, then his NBA Players Association certified agent because Omar Cooper is not certified by the NBPA, UH went on Front Office Sports this morning and said, look, we love eight in Utah. We think it's a good fit and just makes sense. Omar may have tried to steer him in a different direction, but we believe that it's a good fit for him in Utah. And then, you know, finally, about an hour ago, Omark Cooper on his Instagram posted a photo of Ace
and said let's go and tad Utah Jazz. And finally, ESPN five minutes ago wrote an article that said, yes, Ace Bailey is reporting to the Jazz not only on Monday, but tomorrow. So this feels like it's been rectified, you know, Like I do think that Omark Cooper did not want a Bailey to be drafted by the Jazz. The Jazz took him anyway, and they are marching along, maybe a little bit reluctantly, but certainly to Utah this weekend.
And as someone who is you know, works in the college football sphere, I can tell you that this is not the first time or the last time we're going to be dealing with a situation like this, because I have well come in contact with a lot of these guys who are I guess agents now that are representing sixteen, seventeen, eighteen year olds and doing it a lot of times in bad faith or just not doing it with any sort of professional experience, and it causes a lot of
a lot of confusion and a lot of issues sometimes. Now that all of that I think is for the most part behind us. Jonathan Gavoni a few minutes ago obviously released the quote from both the jazz and representatives in the front office. We've had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives and he is coming to Utah tomorrow. As Andy just laid out, Now, what about the player,
Andy Larson, Ace Bailey number five? Pick. A lot of folks before this thing started rolling, had Ace higher than number five on a lot of the mock draft picks, and a lot of folks in jazz camp seemed to be pretty happy that he was still there at number five. What are they getting in the player, Ace Bailey a pretty high upside from what it appears in a really really good score.
Yeah, look, if we're doing that, Like, look, he didn't just fall because of the Omark Cooper situation, right, Like, that wasn't the reason he went to five. It was. There is some on court stuff there too that teams are worried about. But he is a tremendous shooter, you know, and can get to a shot as well as any prospect we've seen in the last five to ten years. Right, Like his ability to get together, get his kind of act together, for his gather and shoot over the top
of people and make those shots is incredible. You know, he's for him to make forty six percent of his mid range shots at Rutgers with the defensive attention he got, with the kinds of shots he took, is is increased. You know, it's it's awesome. You know, to compare it, Shake Gilds Alexander also shot forty six percent from mid range last year. And you know, the NBA defenders will be longer, but it is clearly going to be the basis of his game.
Uh.
And then you know, I think it's fair to say that he needs to work on the other stuff. You know, maybe he could make it a little bit easier on himself by not settling for those made rangers and instead getting to the rim more often, maybe tightening up his handle, maybe getting a little bit lower or stronger on those drives so he can get all the way to the rim a little bit better, and kind of the three point range and kind of getting off the ball a
little bit more would probably benefit his efficiency. And then being a more consistent defender and being a more consistent playmaker are our key steps. So Austin Age talked about his rebounding, which was very good, and I do think he shows defensive flashes. He's athletic as all get out, it just needs to be a little bit more consistent. So look, the thing is, he's eighteen years old and he doesn't turn nineteen until August. So he is a
you know, absolutely not a finished product. Ack, absolutely a little bit of a project there. But the ability to make shots that that high of a level is really really hard to find and will be the basis for his game moving forward in the NBA.
Yeah, Andy, I'm curious about the attitude of the front office of the Utah Jazz now with Austin ainge in there. It felt like there were some reports out there that said, with this pick of Ace Bailey, even though there were maybe some of those red flags, it was kind of the front office in Austin age saying, we really don't care. We're going to do what's best for the Utah Jazz and we'll figure all of that out later on down
the road. Is that the feeling that you're getting here with this pick of Ase Bailey or was there more behind the scenes that we just don't know of terms of how those interviews went and different things like.
That, No, you're right, Uh it is yeah, you know. Look, they were willing to deal with kind of the weird age and stuff because he is a good talent, and try say they believe he's a good kid too, right like, if you kind of ignore the Omark Cooper situation, everything else is fine from a you know, from a he wants to work hard. He is in the gym all the time. By all accounts, He's a really positive kid.
He's I think a little bit like naive in some ways, right like, And again, he's just eighteen, and maybe that's what happens when you've been kind of louded as the next NBA Starry or at your whole life. And so I think there is some like maturing to do there. But like, I don't think that he is. He's definitely not a bad kid, right like, And so I think
that's important to say. And so they, you know, the Jazz believe not only in his game, but it's his personality as well, kind of shining through and uh, kind of maturing over the next few years to become to kind of fill his own shoes, you know, the shoes that his talent provides. So yeah, you know, I think the Jazz saw some of those concerns, but look, the overall package on and off the court was strong enough for them to feel he was the best pick.
Andy Everyone in the Jazz HQ room there while we were awaiting the next selection for the Jazz, we all kind of thought that there was a good likelihood of the team moving up, you know, around fifteen to twenty, and obviously the assets that they have make that a high possibility. Well they did so, and they did so for one Walter Clayton Junior, a player who if you watch the NCAA tournament in in much detail, well you heard his name and you saw his play quite a bit.
Another guy who can fill up the stat sheet, especially on the offensive end. What are they getting Walter Clayton Junior? And what does this trend between the first two picks going pretty shot maker heavy say about the Jazz strategy this offseason.
Yeah, another very good shooter, but in a very different way than a Bailey, right where like a Bailey is kind of that tough made range shot maker that you're you know, imagine Kevin Durant the shorter, imagine a Carmelo Anthony almost. I think Walter is much more. Walter Clayton Junior is much more of a guard scoring a three point shooting guard that we've seen in the modern NBA.
You know, like these are crazy comparisons, but the Seth Curry, the Damian Mueller, the Jalen Brunst and the guy who's going to take a lot of shots on the perimeter use kind of quick move movements and hesitation moves to get himself open for three those threes down. He made thirty nine percent of his threes last year. He took so many of them. Obviously, was the most outsiding player in the NCAA tournament last year as Florida won the
national title. You know, was a transfer from my ownA and you know, has kind of grown his game that way into being more of a point guard, which standing at six two, he probably does have to play at the NBA level, But just the shot making, the ability to get into his shot and make them is really value. You know, that is the number one skill for NBA
guards today, and Walter Clayton has that in face. He's twenty two, he's much older than Ash Bailey, you know, kind of the rare senior prospect drafted in the first round, but the Jazz felt his shooting ability and again kind
of that winning player status. It meant that he had a lot to offer, and I tend to agree with him when I watched it throw and I came away really pleasantly surprised with how viable his NBA game looked, because you do worry about kind of how shorter guards can translate into the league.
I always look at how players play and perform specifically in the college basketball tournament, specifically in March madness is kind of a litmus test for their readiness for what is a much more serious form of basketball. Obviously, the the level of talent, the level of athlete you face in the NBA is a step above. But what is his performance specifically in the NCAA tournament tell you about maybe his NBA readiness as a prospect.
Yeah, you know, I think seniors can go one of two ways, right Like it can It can be that you are, you know, beating everyone else and being the best player on the floor because of your athletic gifts, because you are simply stronger and more mature than the other players on the court. Or it can be Hey, you have developed those skills to the point where they are NBA ready and you are just showing it against
worst competition. And I think Walter Clayton, in the eyes of most NBA you know, scouts, and I think in my view as well, is one of those guys that should translate well to the NBA because it wasn't that like his physical gifts were allowing him to overpower other guys. It was that his quickness and his shot making and his overall skill was allowing him to overpower other guys, and that should translate. You know, you can still get
off like those hesitation stepbacks in the NBA. You can still kind of get players off balance in the NBA. You can make the right reads in the NBA. Right, Like, I think a lot of what Walter Clayton does does translate. Now, look, there's still questions and he's still the eighteenth pick right where like the success rate is fifty to fifty here, and we will learn a lot about whether or not this will work in Summer League coming up in the
next couple of weeks. But I understand why the Jazz were so high on him, because, yes, you know, the experience level is there, but like and that that can be a double edged sword. But I think in this particular case, especially given how young the rest of the Jazz are, it can really help them.
Dany, you brought up Summer League, and I'm curious for fans that don't really pay tension or maybe don't go into Summer League understanding what to look for. What do you look for in terms of guys that go in there, and is it purely just statistical output or is it what are you looking for in terms of guys that are going to make an impact for their team when they go out and perform in summer League.
Yeah, I'm watching a lot you know, and there's been some really good research stunt on this that shows that summer League is really meaningful. Right Like, guys who do well in Summer League do correlate well with guys who do well in the NBA. And so I'm looking for, you know, first of all, this level of play, right Like, if you are struggling in Summer League, it is a bad sign. We have seen Jazz rookies, even Jazz sophomore
struggle in Summer League. If you're not dominating, you know, that level competition by year or two or year three, you may not be an NBA player, And then you know, I'm looking for kind of development of micro skills, right Like, this is such a useful time for players to learn what it is that they are good at and can bring to a near NBA lel and what it is that they need to work on, right that that may have worked for them in college and just isn't going
to fly in NBA spacing, NBA refereeing and so on and so forth, right Like, so some of that can be You may have to attack the rim differently, you may have to finish at the rim differently. Your ball handling has to be much tighter, you have to make much better reads. I mean, there's so much little you know, the defensive game gets so much harder when you're playing against constantly big dudes, you know, and switching out and
all that kind of stuff. So I'm watching for all those kind of like little micro skills that that do add up to a good player. I mean, I think we saw the difference in kind of having a well rounded player in these NBA finals, right where if it's both the Pacers and the Thunder, like really good team basketball didn't have a lot of weaknesses one through five in their starting lineups, and it allowed them to get to the NBA Finals in the first place.
You mentioned Obviously there's a correlation between when you have success in the summer league, you know, probably means you're on a level above some of the players around you. And there's even more of a correlation when you when you look deeper into it, if you do struggle in summer league, it obviously is is somewhat of a red flag. Now,
there are outliers, there are exceptions. Spence always likes to bring up when I think it was John Amichi, who you know, who played Tim Duncan super well in the Summer League, actually made him look bad in some ways. So there's always gonna be an outlier. There's always going to be an exception to the rule. But you really want summer league looks to be really strong ones from your rookies if they are to be contributors at the NBA level. All right, Andy, Moving along with the Jazz
draft picks, we talked about A's Bailey. Of course, the top five guy talked about Walter Clayton Junior out of Florida. Both of those guys familiar with for in a lot of ways. If you're if you're watching the NCAA tournament, this guy's no different. John Tanji out of Wisconson. He had a phenomenal showing against the BYU Cougar's in the NCAA tournament. What kind of player are the Jazz getting in a second round late draft pick fifty three?
Yeah, look, I think you saw a lot of that in that BA game in the second round, Like score thirty seven points, that game, had sixteen pre throws. It was an efficition score of that game and really almost kind of single handedly brought Wisconsin to almost winning that game. I think you know, that's kind of what he brings with the NBA. Another good shot maker, probably not as good as the guys in the first round, but certainly
someone who can make an open shot. And then it's kind of about whether or not he will be able to bring his gifts and be able to hang athletically against bigger players. Right, Like, he's not just twenty two, he's twenty four. He's a super senior. Last year was his sixth year in college, So all of a sudden it will be different for him around the bigger NBA bodies. The foul drawing when you're the biggest guy on the court is easier than when you're the smaller or you know,
you're just another guy out there. And I think that's probably the concern for John Tanjay and why he looks to fifty three. But you can believe that he can be a useful kind of rotation wing player in the NBA because he can make shots, and he does try defensively and maybe you know, again, the speed and athleticism
washes him out. Could totally see that happening. But I understand why the Jazz made the bet that they did at fifty three because he does have just like a I don't want to say, a three and D wing a skill set because he's not, you know, a top level shooter and he's not a top level defender even at the college level. But you can imagine him kind of working his game into that becoming you know, a minute theater wing that that's a really useful figure in today's league.
All right, Andy, Obviously the Jazz Is wrapped up their draft selections with those three guys, but they got R. J. Luis Junior out of Saint John's. This is a player who our guy, Gordy Chiasa actually mentioned as a possibility to look at it fifty three, Well, the Jazz got him without having to take a draft pick, and added
Stephen Krawe out of Wisconsin as well. A short look at those two players, Andy, what their expectations may be as far as being on the summer league roster two way deals and if you think there are you know, usually you look at undrafted guys as two way players. Is maybe bit pieces, but hey, uh is the one of these guys someone you're a little higher on.
Yeah, I mean R J.
Lewis Junior. I think is a was a super draftable guy and with projectory taken in most mocks, and my draft model liked him as a second round pick as well because of his production at Saint John's as you know, and I think what that team did last year as well, a little bit of a similar story a Tanja just you know, kind of different bodies, but like you would have liked to see, you know, had he been more efficient offensively. I think Lewis is definitely drafted kind of
that was the question. Is kind of struggle to make easy looks in college, but still was very productive you know, scored I think it was seventeen points a game, like was one of the best college basketball players last year. And defensively, he really gets after it. I think that's where he can contribute probably most in the NBA right
away is defensively. But he'll be a two way, So he's going to be spending probably most of his year in the G League and trying to show that he's a step above everyone else in the G League to get a call up from the Jazz. And then you know, the other two guys that they picked up are summer league rotation spots, right like, they are guys who the Jazz will give a look at and probably end up
on the bench in summer league. And you know, those guys can maybe get camp invites and then maybe Summer League invite or sorry SLC Stars invitest league invites and kind of work their way up in the roster and start their professional careers. But you know, they won't be on two way contracts. They won't be part of the Jazz unless they really, really, really surprisingly impressed in a way that you kind of we haven't seen players do for the Jazz in the last ten or fifteen years.
Signed TODs of atten deals.
All right, Andy, dates to look forward to obviously free agency, Summer League, and then before we know it, we'll be talking about the preseason basketball. What's the next date circled on your calendar and where can folks find coverage of it?
Yeah? Look, I mean the the Ah Bailey and Walter Clayton introductory press conference. I think John Jonji will be there too. It's coming up this weekend. I anticipate either Sunday or Monday, but we'll see. So that's a big date.
And then obviously June thirtieth is also a big date because it's the start of the NBAS free agent period and well, there aren't big free agency names necessarily out there, and the Jazz wouldn't get them anyway, and heck, even if they could, and the free agent one or two of the Jazz also don't have any cap space and don't have any roster space. You're talking about the you know,
kind of mid level exception. Realistically, if the Jazz do want to do anything in free agency or they have to make trades, right, and we could see that happened as well for John and Jordan Collins and sorry Jordan Carkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton. So anyway, that's all coming up this weekend, and I'll keep my eyes on what the jazz are doing then. Obviously July fifth is the start of the Utah Jazz Summer League, so it's all happening right now.
And Andy will have the latest on all of it at Andy B. Larson on the pages of the Salt Lake Tribune I guess on the web pages of the Salt Lake Tribune. Now appreciate his time as always, Andy, enjoy your weekend and we'll chat some free agency and off season stuff soon.
Yeah, sounds good. Thanks part.
Andy was he's gonna be on remote with me, but couldn't make it out of Spanish for a little bit of a drive out here.
Bummer.