Funkerstation » r season is an audition for those four roo

SALT LAKE CITY -- Dennis Lindsey and Quin Snyder are doing their best to temper expectations, but recent moves to improve the Utah Jazz say plenty.The organization has been working toward this moment for more than half a decade. It drafted Gordon Hayward in 2010 and traded for Derrick Favors months later. Lindsey was hired as general manager in 2012, and he hired Snyder as coach in 2014. The first-time general manager then slowly built a young, talented roster and allowed it to grow.This offseason, Lindsey added veterans Joe Johnson, George Hill and Boris Diaw with an eye on reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2012.The time to reap the rewards of all that patience is now.Our goal is to make the playoffs, Hill said at Jazz media day Monday. Anything less is not a good season for us.Lindsey and Snyder werent quite that direct, but Lindsey has been adamant in the past about not adding pieces at the expense of internal development. The difference now is the Jazz have the core they need.Both Hayward and Favors are six-year veterans and borderline All-Stars. Center Rudy Gobert is healthy and one of the top defensive centers in the league. Dante Exum, fifth-overall pick in the 2014, is back after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. Rodney Hood enters his third season after averaging 14.5 points in 2015-16.The next step is a playoff berth after finishing a game behind eighth-seeded Houston in the Western Conference with a 40-42 record.Just in the playoffs, just out of the playoffs, I dont think it would have changed this offseason much, Lindsey said. We wanted to get experience, size, skill, physicality, shooting, passing. We were able to do so. Its very complementary to our younger veterans that have been here for a while.It was a natural step. I dont think we were skipping steps by any means.The front office may downplay expectations, but this is the simplest situation the Jazz have faced in years. No more waiting on young players to develop, and no more searching for an identity. Defense is the foundation, and some quality players are going to have to fight for their minutes.The fundamental approach that you have toward playing the game doesnt change, Snyder said. If that enthusiasm, comfort, fear, whatever emotional baggage you bring into a season that impacts your emotional state, that has to be supplanted by hunger, hard work, unselfishness, passion.Sometimes that enthusiasm is really good. Oftentimes its great. But that doesnt necessarily mean its channeled the right way. Youve heard people be too excited or too emotional. What that means to me is you just lost a little bit of focus on the things you need to do to be successful. We know what those things are. We just have to hold on to them and work toward them.Hayward and Favors have been in the Jazz program long enough to stick closely to the teams message, but this is a pivotal year for both. Hayward will likely opt out of his contract after 2016-17 for a much bigger deal. The 26-year old has repeatedly said hes not looking to leave, but Hayward is entering the prime of his career and wants to win.Favors has two seasons left on his deal and could sign an extension, but also wants to consistently play in the postseason.We have a lot of expectations of ourselves, Hayward said. For us, though, we dont want to get ahead of ourselves at all. We havent accomplished anything as a group yet.I think we hopefully play with a chip on our shoulder. Were starting to turn the corner as an organization.Favors tried to avoid saying playoffs when listing his expectations, saying the team hopefully improves and reaches its goals. He laughed when pressed to specify that goal.Just to win games, Favors said. Every teams goal is to get in the playoffs. Obviously, thats what we want to do. Thats what were going to try to do. Garrett Celek Super Bowl Jersey . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. Nick Bosa Super Bowl Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. http://www.49ersofficialfanshop.com/deforest-buckner-jersey-sales.html . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Ronnie Lott Super Bowl Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Jeff Wilson Super Bowl Jersey . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. You know what they say about best-laid plans. But, all things being equal, this could be a different kind of season for the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks when it comes to the trade deadline.Stan Bowman has been among the more creative and aggressive GMs during his time in Chicago. He always is looking to plug holes in his contending squad, spending a first-round pick last season to get rental Andrew Ladd, or a first-round pick the year before that for Antoine Vermette and a second-rounder for Kimmo Timonen.But Chicago will host the draft in June, and this time around Bowman is very reluctant to move his top draft picks.Were trying to make it a big event, and everyone [here] is excited about hosting it, Bowman told ESPN.com on Friday. So from that perspective, were probably going to try to hang on to those picks. Now, anything is possible. But its unlikely that I would be moving the early picks in the draft.The Blackhawks have 10 picks for the 2017 draft, including three in the fifth round and two in the sixth -- plus all of their normal slots.We did that on purpose. We do have a lot; we want to make a splash out of it, said Bowman. Hopefully it will work out well. I dont know if its a great draft; early returns are mixed on it. But there are always players in the draft.All of which means that Bowman doesnt plan on his normal trade-deadline plan of action.As far as the deadline goes, well still be creative and look at things, but the other side of it is, we just dont have any cap space, said Bowman. I dont envision us having any [cap space], like Im not planning on us shedding any players. If theres injuries, I suppose ...Theres also this: For the first time in a while, the current Blackhawks have a real injection of youth. Perhaps Chicagos late-season boost will come from within that group.We have six first-year players on our team, said Bowman. Im looking more at those players being better players in the spring than they are now, just through playing 60-70 games in the league. I think were going to be improving from within more so than we are adding from outside. I like that part of it. I like the excitement of having Nick Schmaltz or Ryan Hartman?or Tyler Motte or [Vincent] Hinostroza; those guys are doing pretty well right now. We havent given them big responsibility yet, but I think as we go along were looking at that sort of as our internal improvement, so to speak.First-year defensemen?Michal Kempny and Gustav Forsling have also helped shore up Chicagos blue line. I wwould argue that this is Chicagos deepest defensive corps in years.ddddddddddddut question marks remain up front, where the Blackhawks hope some of the kids will make their mark before the end of the season to help complement their talented, veteran core. Its not that they are struggling to score; the Blackhawks are fifth in goals per game. Still, if the kids can step their game up another level in the second half, that will be a boost.I asked a veteran front office executive from a rival Western Conference team to give a scouting report on the Blackhawks four rookie forwards:Schmaltz, 20: Really talented kid, will need time to adjust, like most kids. But the beauty is the protection of?Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews?and those great veterans. Schmaltz has always been a top player, a real offensive guy. He has the potential to be a 25-goal scorer in the NHL. Hes in the ideal situation to develop there, with the veterans around him.Motte, 21: He is a legit bottom-six guy, has speed, works hard, smart. Hes a good fit for them there.Hinostroza, 22: A talented kid, good stick, good head. Hes not big, though. In my view, hes behind Schmaltz in terms of talent and growth potential, but hes intriguing.Hartman, 22: Hes always been a gritty kid, and this is a great opportunity for him. This kid will fill that gritty, energy role and hes got a decent nose for the net too. Probably a bottom-six guy, but I think hes a pretty good one.The regular season is an audition for those four rookies to grab a role.Its a matter up front of seeing if some of those guys emerge as bigger pieces, said Bowman. Right now, theyre not really carrying the load, its our main guys doing that. But as we go along, I expect them to improve. I look forward to seeing those guys grow their games. We havent had a lot of players who were going to get better during the year. Thats probably why, in the past, we went external to find ways to improve our team. But thats not really my game plan this year. Things can change, but Im looking for some growth from these guys. Hopefully one or two or three of them are going to emerge as being able to take on a bigger load as we go.A major injury or a prolonged slump certainly could change everything, and the Blackhawks do have their 2018 first-rounder to dangle if need be. But the plan in Chicago sure looks different on the trade front than most years. And thats OK. ' ' '