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The Utah Jazz are in uncharted waters. For the first time since 2016, the Jazz have a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Specifically, they own the ninth overall pick. And on top of their top-ten pick, the Jazz have two more first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, one at pick 28 and, most importantly for this article, one just outside the draft lottery at pick 16.
The Jazz acquired the 16th overall pick in the draft as part of the trade that sent star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2022.
While the ninth-overall pick is understandably what Jazz fans are most excited about, as it's the team's highest pick since 2014, the 16th pick is a great pick, too, especially in a deep draft such as this one. There are plenty of players expected to fall around the pick-16 range which could make an impact for the Jazz right away. But there are also projected first-round prospects who stand out as players who the Jazz should not draft. With all of that said, here are two players the Jazz must avoid selecting with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft:
2 players Jazz must avoid with No. 16 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
Dereck Lively
Former 7'1″ Duke center Dereck Lively established himself as one of the top defensive players in college basketball in the 2022-23 season. The 19-year-old averaged a whopping 2.4 blocks in just 20.6 minutes per game with the Blue Devils as a freshman. Lively's blend of size and timing made him arguably the best rim protector in the nation. He also rebounded the ball at a high level for Duke, as he averaged 10.5 rebounds per 40 minutes.
Does Lively's defensive-minded skill set remind anyone of a star center on the Jazz? Because it should. Walker Kessler is fresh off one of the better rookie seasons in Jazz history, and he checks all of the boxes that Lively does from a defensive standpoint.
If Kessler wasn't on the roster, Lively would make a lot of sense for the Jazz at pick 16. But it would be redundant for the Jazz to select Lively when they already have a terrific and young defensive-minded big man to build their franchise around.
Bilal Coulibaly
Bilal Coulibaly is one of several tantalizing French-born prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft class. At 6'7″ with a 7'3″ wingspan, Coulibaly has great size for a wing that can't be taught. Coulibaly is also a terrific athlete who is more than capable of scoring above the rim. But while Coulibaly's physical gifts make him an incredibly intriguing prospect, he's far too unpolished for the Jazz to take a risk on him at the 16th pick in the draft.
For one, Coulibaly has little to no creation chops, meaning he didn't create his own shot much at all overseas. And he played against inferior competition in France's LNB Espoirs league in the 2022-23 season. He has a long way to go on the offensive end in order to become a rotation player in the NBA.
Jazz fans don't have to wait much longer to figure out who the team will draft at pick number 16, as the NBA Draft is just ten days away. Will Danny Ainge decide to draft a guard, a wing, or a big? Only time will tell, but what's clear is that the Jazz must avoid selecting Dereck Lively or Bilal Coulibaly.
