Archives For Jeff Lind

Division Previews: Portland Trailblazers, Northwest Division – Western Conference

Jeff Lind —  October 21, 2010 — 2 Comments

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Key Matchups

Brandon Roy v. Deron Williams – I’m trying to figure out what position Brandon Roy will play this season. He moves like a shooting guard, but has the skills of a point. With (former Jazzman) Matthews turning heads and making a name for himself, that should open Roy up to run the offense (as he’d like). He’s versatile, strong, a great passer, and has a great shot from the outside. Deron will be able to bully him on the offensive side with his size and speed, but I don’t see Deron being able to rise up on that shot too easily. They’re a mismatch on each other, and as a Jazz fan I want to give Deron the edge, but Roy has proven to be one of the more formidable offensive weapons in the west.

Wesley Matthews v. Raja Bell – After telling Wesley he wasn’t worth the cash and before the sheets went cold, we turned around and nabbed wily vet Bell to replace him. It wasn’t a slap in the face per-se (since Wesley’s pocket book really came out the winner here) but make no mistake, Matthews felt somewhat betrayed. I agree with the decision of the Jazz front office, but that doesn’t mean Matthews did. He’ll play with a chip on his shoulder and with real purpose this season, especially when the Jazz are in the building. I thought Wesley was good last year, but if the preseason rumblings actually mean anything, then he’s actually playing up to his massive contract and could prove to be a handful when we see them in the regular season.

High Notes | Low Notes

The Blazers were ridiculously banged up last year, and down the stretch it got downright comical. If you think about it, it’s amazing what they did with such a rag-tag group of guys. Almost all of their players went down with one injury or another. Well, it’s a new year and everyone is (mostly) healthy. People are excited to see Greg Oden in action, and see what he’s really made of. Because of his injuries, he’s always come across as an unfinished product, but he has the right tools to be a fantastic NBA player. He has good footwork. He’s huge. He’s got good hands around the rim. Those are three qualities that I would kill to have in a Jazz big man. It’s easy to look back at that draft and paint Portland the goat for not taking Durant, but remember… at the time, Durant couldn’t even bench the requested 185 lbs in the combine and the only major worry with Oden was his wrist. It’ll be exciting to see how he fits into the Portland scheme… assuming he can stay on the floor.

History

Last season was the 11th winningest season in Blazer history. The Blazers won 50 games (.600) and finished 3rd in the Northwest division. They played the Jazz (division rivals) four times and came up short in all four contests. Utah was Portland’s kryptonite (and from the looks of the preseason, it’s going to continue). Saying that, when you look at the whole picture there is a clear trend with the Blazers, and it’s not that they lose consistently to good teams. Quite the opposite: Portland takes care of business with crummy teams. Take a look at the list of teams THEY swept: Toronto, Sacramento, New Jersey, Minnesota, Indiana, Detroit, Charlotte, and (even) mighty San Antonio. The Blazers, unlike the Jazz, won the games they were supposed to win. Lesson to be learned: if you beat the teams that you should beat, then you’re doing a HUGE service to your team when playoff seeding comes around.

Player/Coach Notes

Nate McMillan is a good coach. He has a turn-around reputation because of his successful stints in Seattle and (currently) in Portland. When he originally arrived in Portland, the team was a mess. There were major cap problems, and serious off the court player issues. McMillan helped subdue those issues and has been instrumental in coaching up a young, talented team. Can he build on last year’s success and produce a competitive product in the midst of woeful front office conditions? I think so.

Outlook

The Blazers are at an interesting point in their franchise. They have all the talent they need to become a league power, yet injuries (for the most part) have held them from taking the last step from good to great. This is a statement year for the Blazers. Either they take that final step and establish themselves as a team to reckon with, or they risk falling into a cycle of failure. Superstars don’t sit happy on failing teams, and Brandon Roy has already begun voicing his desire to keep the offense running through him. This year represents their chance. The two biggest obstacles? 1) Health. If Roy and/or Oden can’t remain healthy, this team could be circling the toilet come playoff time. 2) The front office. Portland’s front office is a disaster. Paul Allen is a loose cannon and make no mistake; people throughout that organization are terrified of what lasting damage he can and will do. The firing of Kevin Pritchard was a complete and utter misstep, compounded now with Nate McMillan’s reluctance to sign an extension with the team. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and this could be a rager. Still, if that front office can reign itself in, and Roy ingrains himself as the (healthy) leader on offense, they should be a tough team to beat all year and an even tougher out come playoff time.

In Divisional Previews, NBA , , ,
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Division Previews: Orlando Magic, Southeast Division – Eastern Conference

Jeff Lind —  October 20, 2010 — 1 Comment

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

Key Matchups

Dwight Howard v. Al Jefferson – On one hand you have Howard: a battle tested, 6’11″ 265 lbs, defensive beast. On the other you have Jefferson: A relatively untested, 6’10″ 280 lb, offensive low block power. These two are nearly a wash, size wise (although you can bet that Dwight will be chiseled and in game shape come opening tip), so it’ll be fantastic to see them battle on either end for big man domination. It’s no secret that Al was a little heavy when he weighed in at training camp, so here’s to the rigor of Jerry Sloan’s intense preseason workouts that will hopefully have him game-ready come Orlando time.

Vince Carter v. Raja Bell – Carter is one of the most amazing offensive players I have ever seen, and he’s (allegedly) looked good this preseason. He’s athletic, strong, has a silky smooth jump shot, and last season showed us that he still has all the moves… when he bothers to play. He’s 33 and has a propensity to disappear in important games, but he’s also playing for a contract this year and (whether they like it or not) stands as the Magic’s most potent go-to threat. Conversely, Raja Bell is the newly proclaimed stopper for the Jazz, and if he has the guts to clothesline Kobe, he won’t fear getting up in Carter’s business. How Carter reacts to Bell’s tenacious defense within the Jazz system will be the most interesting storyline in these games. Will Vince rise to the challenge and use his athleticism to play above Bell, or will he shrug off the necessary work and let one of his many wing back-ups pick up the slack?

High Notes | Low Notes

The Magic finished 1st in the Southeast division last year with the 4th best offensive rating in the NBA. They also had the 3rd best defensive rating in the league. Unfortunately, they also allowed the 4th most points by an opponent of all 30 teams, and got dispensed by the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. Seeding from a great regular season doesn’t mean much if you can’t come up big when it counts.

History

Last season the Jazz played two games against Orlando and each squad won on their respective home courts.

On Dec. 10 in Salt Lake City, Deron Williams scored 34 points to lead the Jazz past Carter’s own 34 points, and Howard’s 18 points & 10 rebounds. With that win, the Jazz broke the Magic’s franchise-record eight-game road winning streak.

On Dec. 21, the Magic returned the favor in Orlando. Dwight Howard led the Magic to a win with 21 points and five blocks (um… yeah. FIVE). The Magic scored 64 points in the second half of that game on their way to a 104-99 victory over the Jazz.

In the random stat department: the last time an opponent had a 20/20 game versus the Jazz was on March 15, 2009. Guess who the player was? Yep. Dwight Howard (28 pts, 20 rebs).

Player/Coach Notes

Stan Van Gundy is one of the rare coaches that seems to successfully walk the fine line of player coach and disciplinarian. He calls out his players in the media, yet he always finds their forgiveness with spontaneous goofiness. He trusts his shooters, and constantly preaches defensive uniformity. He’s good, and in the past two years Van Gundy has helped the Magic finish 18 games over .500 (in each year). He’s one of my favorite coaches not named Sloan. He doesn’t lie down for garbage from players, he plays his fair share of mind games in the media, and he always seems to have a good time with it.

Jerry Sloan’s all time win/loss record against the Magic is 24/19. Since Jerry Sloan was named head coach by the Jazz in 1988, the Orlando Magic have had eight coaching changes.

Outlook

The Magic are a good  team hovering at the top of an increasingly crowded east. After getting axed last year by the Celtics, you would think that the Magic would try and reload with better weapons. Instead they settled for a Quentin Richardson downgrade (for Matt Barnes) and sending Howard to summer camp with Hakeem Olajuwon (who is hoping to return with some more refined low post moves). I like Orlando’s team and coach, and I’d love to see them compete hard for an Eastern Conference title. Unfortunately, without any additional movement or major player changes, I think we’ll see much of the same out of Orlando: a strong regular season with a mid-round exit in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

[CAVEAT: If Vince plays up this contract year, Howard really does learn some subtle low post moves, if Rashard Lewis pulls it together on a consistent basis, and Van Gundy learns how to use Reddick effectively (who is a total stud), then these guys could be really, really scary. They just haven't shown that they can do it on the big stage yet, and the Celtics have. Give me something to believe in Orlando!]

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In Al Jefferson, Divisional Previews, NBA, Raja Bell , ,
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Division Previews: Indiana Pacers, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Jeff Lind —  October 19, 2010 — 4 Comments

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Key Matchups

Darren Collison vs. Deron Williams/Earl Watson

It’s hard to say exactly what the key matchups are going to be here. The Pacers always seem to be trading out half their roster, and basketball is a game of chemistry.  From a Jazz perspective, I think I’m most excited to see how Darren Collison matches up against elite point guards like Deron Williams. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits into/runs the offense and if he really is as good as he looked running things in CP3’s absence last year. When you’re playing behind one of the elite PG’s, all you have to do is NOT be terrible and everyone is happy. He overachieved in that situation, and now it’s time to see if that was a contract/one time thing, or if he is the real deal.

Danny Granger v. Andrei Kirilenko (or anyone he plays).

Keep an eye on Danny Granger, who still stands as the Pacer’s biggest threat to any and all opponents (averaged 24.1 ppg last season). He’s an extremely high scoring player with an ability to stuff the stat sheet on any given night… the real question with Granger is this: will he take time away from scoring to do the other menial (read: “fundamental”) things that he could do well? He’s the kind of player that has the ability to take over a game at a moment’s notice… if he really wants to. A healthy (contract year) Andrei should be able to limit his scoring opportunities, or at least slow him down and force Granger to use his teammates.

High Notes | Low Notes

The Pacers are a high octane offense. They run. Hard. They score fast and often, so if you can’t slow them down then you have to keep up. Unfortunately (for them), they have been terrible on the defensive side, which makes keeping up a bit easier.

The Pacers weren’t particularly great at anything last year. They were 16th in scoring, 19th in rebounding, and 23rd in points allowed, so until they pick some of those categories up, they’ll never really compete for the East.

History

Utah is 36-35 all time versus the Pacers, splitting two games last year. Last March when Utah played in Indiana, Granger scored 44 points (and had a 4 point play), showing how dangerous he really is. The Pacers need a playoff spot this year, and they can punish defenses that don’t take them seriously. If the Jazz sleep on them at all, it’ll be a quick loss. Saying that, if the Jazz play hard, they should dispense of Indiana pretty handily.

Here’s a random stat for you: On October 22, 1989 the Jazz scored their fewest points in franchise history (65) versus Indiana (in Indy). That game also stands as Utah’s greatest loss differential (-35). What’s that mean to the team this year? Nothing, but you’ll sound smart when you toss those numbers out over lunch when the Jazz face the Pacers this year.

Player/Coach Notes

As the second fastest team last year (I feel like I’ve mentioned their speed 15+ times in this article), you can bet that the Pacer’s coach, Jim O’Brien, will keep the team running. Add Collison’s ability to distribute the ball from point, and you can look for the Pacers system to improve from last year. Saying that, if I had to bet my life on one game between Jim O’Brien + Darren Collison, and Jerry Sloan + Deron Williams, I’m going with our Utah boys. Every. Single. Time.

Outlook

The Pacers need to do three things to have a successful season:

1) Develop their core: At some point, you have to play the hand you’ve been dealt. Granger is healthy, they have a great distributor in Collison, and you have some solid pieces (Rush, Dunleavy, Hansborough). You know you’re not going to challenge for the top of the east, but you can focus on developing the team and finally establishing a core to build around.

2) Stay healthy: Everything hinges on this. It seems silly because every team needs to stay healthy, but the Pacers are working with a razor thin bench, which means they have almost no margin for error. If they lose any key players, the season could slip away quickly.

3) Make the playoffs: The top of the east is strong, but the bottom is still a bit of a mess. The Pacers have a good opportunity to squeak into the 7 or 8 spot this year. Do that and make a bit of a stand with your core team intact, and I’d consider the season a success.

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Boozer to Miss Eight Weeks with Hand Injury

Jeff Lind —  October 3, 2010 — 4 Comments

J. Pat Carter / Associated Press

Carlos Boozer has broken his right hand and will require surgery. The team announced that he is expected to be out for 8 weeks (anticipated return: early December).

Boozer broke the fifth metacarpal bone in his hand (on his day off) according to team doctors. He was evaluated by Bulls physician Brian Cole and by hand specialist Marc Cohen at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush.

While certainly unfortunate, to Jazz fans it’s not entirely surprising. During his time in Utah, Boozer seemed to receive more than his fair share of injuries. In his six seasons with Utah, Boozer missed 138 games, or nearly 28% of all games played (145 in all 8 of his seasons). Many of those injuries came at inopportune times for his Utah squad (see: final regular season game against Phoenix when Utah desperately needed a win, but Carlos sat out with a strained oblique).

Here’s to a speedy recovery for Boozer.

More info from Nick Friedell at ESPN Chicago.

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The AK47 Trade Dilemma

Jeff Lind —  September 24, 2010 — 4 Comments

There are a lot of emotions shooting around the Jazzosphere today. Shock, horror, happiness, exasperation… you name it, somebody in Utah’s expansive fan base is feeling it.

Francois Durand/Getty/NBAE

If you’re wondering what’s going on then you’ve gotta get up to speed. Early this afternoon, Marc Stein reported the following on Twitter:

Stein followed up his tweet with this article that outlines the trade. Broken down, this four team blockbuster includes sending Carmelo to the Nets, Derrick Favors and Andre Kirilenko to the Nuggets (and multiple 1st round picks), Boris Diaw to the Jazz and Devin Harris to Charlotte.

Since Mr. Stein’s original tweet, there has been a whirlwind of discussion, news, and speculation on what this means for the Northwest Division, and (for we Jazz fans) what this means for the Utah Jazz. If you know Utah basketball, you know that ever since he signed his max money deal, AK has been a polarizing character. In one breath we complain about his lockeroom tears, but in the next we praise his ability to stuff the stat sheet with blocks, steals, rebounds, and points. When he’s playing well he’s the linchpin of the defense and a prime spark plug for the offense. When he’s injured we talk about his softness and inability to play up to his potential. The Utah fan is a fickle beast and the singular absolute of Jazz fanaticism is that we only love you until we don’t. The funny thing is we’ve never figured out how we collectively feel about AK.

At SCH, we asked a few of our contributors for some FOR/AGAINST thoughts regarding this potential trade. Here’s what they had to say:

FOR THE POTENTIAL TRADE

From Chris (@elkirkmo):

AK is one of my favorite players on the Utah Jazz. It’s partly because I speak Russian, and he is Russian… it’s as simple as that. Despite my personal bias, a three-way trade moving AK and his massive contract to Denver would be doing us a huge favor, especially since we’d be replacing AK with a guy with another Russian name. Boris. Diaw is younger (by a year) than Kirilenko and puts up similar numbers that we’ve come to expect from Kirilenko. He has playoff experience and stands out as a nightly triple-double threat. Some will point to Kirilenko’s ability to post a 5×5 (at least 5 of 5 categories), but he certainly hasn’t put up those numbers lately (although he has posted a lot of time in a shirt & tie on the bench). The main concern I have is moving AK to a division rival, the Nuggets (maybe it’s the because Nuggs are pretty gangster and AK seems pretty soft). Bottom line: The Nets would be doing the Jazz a massive favor. They’d allow us to dump our injury-prone money pit for a equally matched player and a smaller contract. Thanks, Carmelo.

From Mychal (@my_lo):

We know that being a small market is a tough job for most teams. Being a luxury payer in a small market is an even tougher one.  Being a luxury payer in a small market during a recession with just months to go before a potential lockout is a monumental task for ANY team.  Is this a cost cutting move?  Yes, but this cost cutting move has a good return.  The key here will be getting Boris Diaw back on track developmentally. He’s still 27 years old.  If he could get a good workout at P3 for an offseason (which by looking at his international play, it might be required by Jazz management) he could turn back into the fantasy monster he once was. Many Jazz fans are infuriated at the thought of losing AK for Diaw, but these are the same fans that booed Hayward because he wasn’t Monroe… and why did we want Monroe?  He’s a phenomenal passer for his size. I’d argue that Diaw has the same phenomenal passing skills Monroe did, and has the same workman’s ethic that that Sloan covets.  Additionally, don’t forget that a certain player named Odom gives the Jazz fits every year in the playoffs. Diaw is one guy who can match up against Odom (and Artest), so while at it’s core this is a cost cutting move, Diaw is a player that could thrive in the Jazz’s offense and provide match up headaches for opposing teams.  Imagine this lineup: D-Will, Miles, Diaw, Millsap, Jefferson.  That’s a BIG lineup.  There are a lot worse things the Jazz could do to clear cap space (see: E. Maynor).

AGAINST THE POTENTIAL TRADE:

From Jefferson (jeffersonboz AT gmail DOT com):

This deal would likely save the Jazz from the dreaded luxury tax (an estimated total savings of $13 mil), but Utah will be trading a dangerous player to a division rival.  Sure, the Thuggets will be in a process of rebuilding WHEN – not IF – Carmelo packs his bags, but adding a player like AK47 to their already athletic young team is just plain crazy.  If the motivation is to get AK’s exorbitant contract off the books, an equal or better deal can likely be had at the trade deadline.  In the meantime, the Jazz could have another run with a veteran defender that finally has added some bulk.  Boris Diaw is an undersized 6’8″ listed as a power forward (much less muscle than Millsap).  For Utah, he’d have to play on the wing.  While his three point shooting is a respectable .332, it seems a little redundant with C.J., Raja, and the Rookie.  If money is the only motivator, a better option will likely come along.  In any event, AK’s contract is set to come off the books next year – and he’s expressed a desire to stay in Utah for a lesser salary.  Why not give the Jazzmen a shot to get off to a good start with the new guys?

From Brian Henderson:

Spend the money! Keep Kirilenko. Don’t get too trigger happy, KOC. Kirilenko is one of the anchor’s of this team, notwithstanding his contract. This trade would be a bad deal for the Jazz. Diaw is not a better player than Kirilenko and at just a year younger, that argument is a wash. I maintained in a post this summer that AK is the linchpin for the team’s success this season and I stand by that argument. It takes time to learn Sloan’s system. Kirilenko has it down. We can’t cobble together a championship team by haphazardly plucking players from the garden of NBA delights, however much the team would like to get some of that bread back from AK’s contract. The money is not hurting the Jazz; it’s already been earmarked. I believe Kirilenko could produce the best season of his career, if he is healthy, and with the current cast of characters around him. If he does, and the other pieces work (Jefferson, Lil’ Gordy, and the Return of Raja), this will be the smartest non-move KOC has ever made, and AK will have earned his paycheck.
Let’s just look at pure career production between the two:

Boris Diaw (8 years)

MP-30.0/game, FG-49.6%, 3P-33.2%, FT-71.4%, RPG-4.8, APG-4.0, SPG-.7, BPG-.6, TO-2.04, PPG-9.6

Andrei Kirilenko (9 years)

MP-30.8/game, FG-47.1%, 3P-30.7%, FT-76.3%, RPG-5.7, APG-2.8, SPG-1.4, BPG-2.1, TO-1.99, PPG-12.4

You may see a wash, but I see that Kirilenko blocks more shots, steals more balls, and scores more points. Kirilenko is a fantastic passer in this system. The Jazz don’t need to give up his production and system smarts for an extra assist a game on paper. The $8.8 million plus luxury tax cost seems a fair price to pay for that. Sometimes it’s not about saving money. Especially for a small market team, if the Jazz want to go big or go home, they should spend that money on AK. Otherwise, in the words of SNL’s Sean Connery during Celebrity Jeopardy, “You’ll rue the day you crossed me, Trebek!”

From Jeff (@jefflind):

I personally hate this trade. HATE it. Deron Williams has specifically stated that the organization needs to show that they’re committed to getting better if they want him to consider sticking around after his three year deal, and I don’t see how losing Andre at ANY cost makes the team better. Consider 3 things: First, it’s AK’s contract year, so he’ll be playing his guts out. Second, this large contract will be a valuable trade piece throughout the season. If things don’t go well, blow up the team later. There will still be suitors… especially heading into a lockout year. Third, Diaw is a nice player, but he’s no Kirilenko. That’s the bottom line. I’ve hated AK’s contract since the day he signed it, but we’ve suffered through it’s maxness for this long. Let’s not get crazy and throw the baby out with the bathwater.

What does it all boil down to? Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing I know, is that we won’t have long to speculate on it:

Check out these other sites for fan reaction and news.

SLC Dunk

Marc Stein on Twitter

Brian Smith on Twitter

The Salt Lake Tribune Story

ESPN

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In Blog, NBA, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz , , ,
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Kickers

Jeff Lind —  September 17, 2010 — 4 Comments

Chen Wang, Deseret News

During my senior year of college, some friends and I came up with a rudimentary way to gauge the toughness of a test. We didn’t have a name for it, but it was brilliant.  It was based on a simple question: Would you rather take a particular test, or get kicked in the face by that   course’s professor? Pretty soon the answer to “How’d the test go” transitioned from, “I’d rather get kicked in the face” to a statement of how many kicks you’d rather have to the face. The harder the test, the more face-kicks you’d have accepted to have gotten out of it. It was stupid, but it made sense to us. Kicks to the face are a pretty good metric because A) they impose a true negative cost (nobody wants to get kicked in the face), and because of our aversion to kicks in the face, B) one average kick to the face is a decently objective unit of measure. You weren’t being dramatic when you said “I’d rather have taken two kicks to the face than take that test”; you really would be willing to take the kicking.

I’ve thought a lot about the NBA schedule since it came out. I’ve started thinking about teams the Jazz are going to play in terms of kicks to the face, and have wondered which teams the Jazz will later walk away from saying, “Whoa–I’d rather take three kicks to the face than play them again.” With all that being said, here are the five teams that I think the Jazz would prefer to accept literal face kicking off the court than figurative ones on:

“One-Kicker” – The Oklahoma City Thunder.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images North America

As a basketball fan, I can’t wait to see these two teams match up this year. After last April’s instant classic, I’ve been looking forward to seeing some classic head to head action with Durrant and Deron leading their respective squads. As a Jazz fan, though, OKC makes me nervous. They are a good, young team, and they’re going to be better this year. The Thunder don’t accept that they are too young to be that good; they are going to be pesky. They’re a team that will play all 82 games like it’s the final week of the season, and that’s dangerous for teams like the Jazz. The flex doesn’t allow teams to take mental breaks, so if we get caught sleeping on these guys, they’ll take advantage and steal a few games. If the west is as packed as it has been in the past few years, that’s trouble come playoff time. Ultimately, am I scared of OKC in the playoffs? No. Not yet. I see them as an over-hyped and underage group of guys that played above themselves last year.  I think they’ll be trouble this year, but they are still a year or so away from legitimately contending in the west (like Portland was two years ago). Don’t misunderstand me: I love the Thunder, and think they’ll be a western power. I’m just reluctant to give them the west until they show that they can take it.

“Two-Kicker” – The Boston Celtics.

Getty Images North America

This team is old, but in basketball, old isn’t always bad. Between Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, and Paul Pierce, you have almost 60 years of NBA experience. SIXTY! While the Jazz will have youth and athleticism on their side, the Celtics will have wily, old man wits on theirs, and for anyone that’s played pickup ball against an aging dad or uncle, you know–old man wits are terrible to play basketball against. Between KG’s mouth, Shaq’s size, and Rondo’s ability to penetrate the lane, you’re facing a team that is all-around obnoxious. Remember: they are still the Eastern Conference champions, and I’m not convinced that there’s another team that will significantly challenge them this year. Besides (and I’ll get to this later), they have length and size. Unfortunately, the Jazz have historically been terrible against length and size.

“Three-Kicker” – The Miami Heat.

Doug Benc/Getty Images North America

Yeah–you expected these guys a little further down. I know. I’m not dropping them for spite. I don’t blame LeBron for leaving Ohio, and I’m not upset that Bosh, Wade, and LBJ want to play together in a warm city that knows how to party. Sounds awesome, really. (I left my hometown for more green financial pastures, so it’s all stones and glass houses if I start complaining.) I just don’t see them as much of a threat to the Jazz as are some other teams. Saying that, the Heat will be an interesting team to watch this season and my eyes will be glued to the TV come tip off. Anyway, I make them a three-kicker for four reasons.

The first is Chris Bosh. He’s good, but he’s yet to prove that he’s elite. He’s been the paper tiger in this Super Friend runaround, and until he earns some stripes in some big game moments, I have a hard time getting too worked up about his anchoring the Miami Trifecta.

The second is that this is a small ball team. The Jazz can match up on that. Yes, the Heat have two of the best penetrating scorers in the league, and yes, they have Mike Miller (who plausibly could become the leading scorer on the Heat this year – read that sentence again), but that’s fine with me. The Jazz’s biggest issues come against long teams, not small athletic ones (ask the Nuggets what Melo’s People of Utah do with athletic teams).

The third:  Who’s the alpha? This is a relatively untried experience in basketball. What happens when you jam three alpha dogs together on a single team and tell them to share? How will the King react when the media starts discussing his lack of production, or Wade’s inability to share the ball, or whatever. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh have been the guys in their respective cities since high school. Can they really share the spotlight with other true superstars? We’ll see. I think back on teams I’ve been on, or jobs I’ve worked at, and I’ve yet to see two or three mega alphas work together exceptionally well. Usually, something happens where one has to take the lead, and the other becomes resentful and bows out all together. It may not happen in this case, but until the Superfriends get on the court together, we won’t really know.

The fourth:  What happens if one of the Superfriends gets injured, even for a short time? That’s the danger of standing on a three legged stool to change a light bulb. One leg goes out, and you’re in trouble.

“Four-Kicker” – The Chicago Bulls.

via

In theory the Heat should have the four position, but with three members of the 2009-10 Jazz on their team, I can see the Bulls being an absolute killer for Utah late in the season. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. If the Bulls run the flex, then they add three players that know it instantly and the Jazz end up playing it straight up. If they don’t play the flex, they still have three players that know it, and know where the off ball screens are coming. Three of their players know where our players like to shoot, or get the ball. They know where the Jazz like to run the floor. They know where Utah gets lazy and where they tighten up. I play a lot of pick-up basketball, and the guys that are most annoying to play are my brothers and good friends. They know my weaknesses and the subtleties (read: idiosyncrasies) of my game. The Bulls were good last season, and they did an excellent job this off season, heaping on the talent. (Quick side note: if you exclude Kurt Thomas, the Bulls have about 67 years of combined NBA experience. That’s only about 8 years more experience than the Big Three + Shaq in Boston. Those Celtics are old!)

“Five Kicker” – The Los Angeles Lakers (of Anaheim).

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America

Man . . .  the Lakers. What do the Jazz do with them? They’ve forced us out of the playoffs for the past three years. They have what seems to be an impossible opposing system in the triangle, the best player on the planet in Kobe Bryant, a HOF coach, and the longest players in the league. If there was a team built specifically to dismantle the Jazz, it would look almost identical to the Lakers. It’s become comical, but I absolutely hate facing these guys. The blessing and curse of having an insane fan base is that opposing players hate you, and you always get the best out of opposing teams. The Lakers in particular are always bring their A-game against Utah because it’s a pleasure to beat the team and in turn, crush their annoying fans’ hopes & dreams. Other fans wonder why we’re so excited about the Bell signing? Well, to have someone that can hang tough as a defender on Bryant is why. It seems like we’re grasping at straws, but most of those last playoff exits came despite some well played games by the Jazz, and a lock down player like Bell could provide the tipping point that the Jazz need to get over the Laker hump (at least that’s what we tell ourselves). Until Utah starts beating L.A. consistently, they will keep the top spot as most terrifying team to play in the league.

Tom Smart, Deseret News

The upside to all of this is that as of today, the Jazz have a perfect record against all five of these teams, and Utah has gotten better this off season. In my mind, if Memo gets healthy, Raja stays tenacious, AK plays to his contract, Jefferson gets integrated, and Hayward really IS the baller we hear, then the Jazz could be scary come tip off. My guess is that there will be quite a few teams that walk away from ESA thinking, “Man… I’d rather get kicked in the face than play those guys again.”

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Stories of a Small Market: Jazz Photo Night

Jeff Lind —  August 13, 2010 — 13 Comments

This is the first in a series of short stories highlighting the good parts of being a member of a rabid fan base in a small market.

My dad loves basketball. Loves it. So when my parents moved to Utah in 1981, he made a plan to get Jazz season tickets. In 1983 he got his wish and he had his tickets. Because my mom wasn’t as much of a sports fan, part of the spousal negotiation of buying these tickets was the agreement that he was going to take the kids with him as often as possible for some dad time. The only problem: His four kids were 7, 5, 3 (yours truly), and 1. Anyone that has wrestled a small kid in a grocery aisle knows that these are not ideal ages for attending professional basketball games. If anything testifies of my dad’s undying allegiance to this game and team, it’s the early years as a Jazz season ticket holder. There were multiple times where he paid good money to have his kids either A) fall asleep halfway through a game or B) read a book through the third quarter. I can’t believe he suffered through it. The investment paid off, however, and he now has eight kids that love the Utah Jazz. Gone are the days of him trying to talk a small child out of a Disney video at home and into a basketball game; now there are fights for those seats.

By the time I was eight in 1988, I was a full fledged Jazz fan. I knew and loved the franchise. This was small market Salt Lake, and we felt like this was our team! These were our boys! But being a smaller market meant that the team had to do more things to gain public interest. As a result, they used to hold events where season ticket holders could go to the arena early, wait in line, and meet random members of the team. On one such night, my older brother Scott and I were thrilled when my dad asked if we would attend a fan appreciation night with him. Scott had just gotten a small yellow, green, and purple basketball for his birthday that he would get signed, and we could each get a picture with one of our basketball heroes.

The night came, and we drove to the Salt Palace early. We stood in line with the other season ticket holders, anxiously anticipating our chance to get placed with players. The odds of getting a good player were slim, though, because you could be paired with anyone on the roster. Scott and I stood there in line, excitedly talking about which players we would like to be paired with (Please, oh, please bring on Stockton or Malone!). As we approached the front of the line, my brother nervously gave me his basketball. He explained that my luck was much better than his, and I would most likely get put with one of the great Jazz players. It was flawless 10 year old logic and it made sense . . . I mean, I did have good luck! I took the ball and remember being excited to get it signed for him. John Stockton, here I come!

Minutes later we were at the front of the line, and the attendants separated me from my brother. We were taken in opposite directions, and were led off to various points in the gym where basketball players and Polaroid cameras were waiting. I remember passing player after player–Darryl Griffith, John Stockton, Mark Eaton–until finally I ended here:

That’s right: that’s me with the one and only Kelly Tripucka. And if you look closely, you’ll see Scott’s basketball, now victoriously signed by Tripucka, in my lap.

So, you’re probably wondering where Scott ended up.

Jeff will be a regular contributor on Salt City Hoops. Follow him on Twitter!

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