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Division Previews: Miami Heat, Southeast Division – Eastern Conference

Mychal — October 20, 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.

Coming together like Voltron hasn't always ended well

Overview

What can be said about the Miami Heat that hasn’t been written in hyperbole? It’s like taking a frontpage ad in the New York Times telling people that Columbus arrived in America. It’s world changing news, but it’s 500 years too late.

If you haven’t heard by now and do not own a television, computer, radio, ipod, cell phone, landline phone, never been in a sports bar, don’t have at least one friend with half a brain, never watched half a second of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN U, ESPN Classic, ESPN Does Las Vegas, or just came out of your bomb shelter from 1963, this guy named LeBron, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is kind of good at basketball took his talents to South Beach. Not only did he go to South Beach but he took his friend Chris Bosh, formerly of the Toronto Raptors, there, too, while Dwyane Wade re-signed with Miami. Add in Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, and a handful of veterans past their prime that are chasing for a ring and you have a very happy Pat Riley.

This is the kind of “Wouldn’t It Be Awesome If This Could Really Happen” team that immature guys like myself make in NBA2K11. But then it really happened. Kudos to Pat Riley for pulling it off. I’m now convinced Pat Riley could sell high fructose corn syrup to a diabetic. I’m sure in another life Pat Riley was a used car salesman – and a damn good one, too.

Key Matchups

(Photo: Walter Iooss Jr./SI)

Dwyane Wade/LeBron James/Chris Bosh vs Deron Williams/Andrei Kirilenko/Al Jefferson

Call me delusional. Call me crazy. Call me a homer. But the Jazz can match up against Miami. Don’t believe me? Look at this:

Deron Williams 6’3″ 209 lbs. vs Dwyane Wade 6’4″ 220 lbs.

Let’s first focus on this strictly in a defensive point of view. Deron Williams has quietly put himself in the discussion as one of the best perimeter defenders at his position. We have seen him shut down Brandon Roy, Chris Paul, and other good perimeter players. He plays big for his position. He offensively can compete with Dwyane Wade on most nights. While he is not as explosive as a scorer he is a smart point guard who can get the Jazz’s offense humming like a well oiled machine of back doors and cuts. Dwyane Wade can take over a game offensively. We saw it in the Boston series in last season’s playoffs. But with Williams guarding him as well as Raja Bell don’t count on it happening.

Advantage: Neutral

—

Al Jefferson 6’10″ 280 lbs. vs Chris Bosh 6’11″ 235 lbs.

Bosh is a top 5 PF in this league. He is long. He is quick. He has a silky smooth midrange game too. Unfortunately for Bosh he will be facing another top 5 PF when he faces up against Al Jefferson. If Al Jefferson wasn’t playing for the Toyota Timberwolves the last two seasons he would be in a discussion as a top 3 PF. Bosh is facing a guy who outweighs him by 45 pounds. If you don’t think that is a big weight disparity then go to your local gym, pick up a 45 pound weight, throw it at your friend, and then see how he fares. Jefferson may be outhustled a couple times in transition but Jefferson is going to love coming off a screen to an isolation that leaves just him and Bosh down low.

Advantage: Big Al

—

Andrei Kirilenko 6’9″ 235 lbs. vs LeBron James 6’8″ 250 lbs.

This is the matchup that the Jazz will focus on all night. If Deron Williams and Al Jefferson are focused and on their game, LeBron can become their main concern. The key will be making LeBron feel like he has to do it by himself. Andrei Kirilenko has put more weight on this year and looks to be in better condition but LeBron is still LeBron. He’s the reigning MVP and can go into God-mode at any stage of the game. Kirilenko’s job will be pestering him, causing turnovers, and preventing LeBron from getting his teammates involved. Turn this game into LeBron vs. Utah. If he is able to get Dwayne Wade & Chris Bosh to work in complete harmony then they will have formed Voltron. Game Over.

Advantage: LeBron James

—

Final Verdict

This daunting matchup is not as bad as it would seem. Yes, this is still 3 of the 5 starting U.S.A. dream team players vs Utah but don’t forget that D-Will was part of that Dream Team, Kirilenko led his Russian team to Euro gold, and Al Jefferson might be given a long look by the U.S. team after this season.

Which leads us to …

Jazz Bench vs Heat Bench

This is where this game will be won. If the Jazz starters can play sound defensively then it’ll be up to the starters to play assassins to the Heat’s aging bench. Allow me to list those on the Jazz bench who’ll be fighting for minutes:

C.J. Miles
Gordon Hayward
Earl Watson
Mehmet Okur*
Kyrylo Fesenko
Ronnie Price
Jeremy Evans

*when healthy

Now let’s compare that to those who’ll be fighting for minutes on Miami’s bench:

Udonis Haslem
Zydrunas Ilgauskus
James Jones
Eddie House
Patrick Beverly
Carlos Arroyo

You know when you watch The Discovery Channel and they have a documentary on how lions hunt? Let me give you a quick summation:

Lions don’t hunt alone. They work in a group known as a pride. They are very patient hunters. They lack the stamina for a long drawn out attack. So they must wait for the perfect time to attack. Say they are hunting zebra. They will follow the herd and make a target on their weakest herd members. Who are the weak members of the zebra herd? The newborns and the old frail elders. This pride of lions will follow the zebra until the strongest of this herd are tired and need rest. So when the leaders of the herd of zebra come to a pond of water to get their much needed rest that’s when the pride of lions attack. They go for the weak of the herd and make them dinner. It’s an unforeseen attack. Most of the pride are hidden in the brush. They work in an ambush.

What does The Discovery Channel have to do with basketball? The Jazz’s bench will be Utah’s pride of lions. The Jazz will wait patiently and weather the storm of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh until they will inevitably have to get their rest. Miami will then have to send out their young bucks and frail elders. That’s when the Jazz will unleash their pride of lions on Miami’s weak, their newborns and frail old veterans.

If Utah’s bench comes ready to attack then they can put their team in a position late in the game to win it.

Advantage: Utah

Continue Reading…

In Divisional Previews, NBA, Utah Jazz Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Lebron James, Miami Heat, Southeast Division

Division Previews: Milwaukee Bucks, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Mychal — October 19, 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.

Fear the Deer

Key Matchups

D-Will vs Young Buck

Brandon Jennings wasn’t supposed to be this good. In just his 7th game in the season he dropped 55 points on the hapless Golden State Warriors. He never looked back. While he didn’t quite score in volumes like that again he did steadily improve. He’s a fast and nimble point guard with a killer floater. But he’s 6’1″ and weighs 169 pounds wet. Just the type of player that Deron Williams eats for breakfast. Jennings will be improved in his sophomore campaign but unless he grew 3 inches and put on 30 pounds this is going to be a rough matchup for Jennings.

Brandon also struggled last year with his jumper only hitting 32.3% on 2s away from the rim and has trouble finishing inside against bigger opponents, only 39.7% – worst mark for any player with 200 attempts or more. Expect the Jazz to get Deron isolated against Jennings in the post often. Defensively the Jazz’s tendency to allow more 3s than most teams could allow Jennings to burn them. This is a guy that can light up anybody for 30+ points if the conditions are right. But Deron’s size should bother Jennings all game long. If Deron seems to have trouble guarding his speed the Jazz could potentially put Raja Bell on the Young Buck. You don’t want to see Raja when he gets angry.

Advantage – Jazz

Corey Maggette/John Salmons vs. Andrei Kirilenko/Raja Bell

I know that in Utah the matchup that will get all the press will be Big Al vs. Andrew Bogut, but that matchup won’t determine the game. What, you say? How do these teams’ second best players not impact the end result? I’ll show you.

The Bucks last year were the 3rd best team in defensive efficiency. Out of 100 possessions opponents only got 94.05 shots up on them. What does that mean? Well, for a Jazz team that averaged a FG% of 49% getting less shots means less points. Less shots turns a 49% field goal percentage to a 47% field goal percentage if you count those lost possessions as misses instead of simple lost possessions. What does that have to do with Maggette and Salmons?

[Author's Sidenote: This team is going to give Miami fits. Really.]

For all of the Bucks defensive strengths they were an offensive mess. They ranked 23rd in offensive efficiency – only averaging 97 points a game. Their offense received a shot in the arm when it acquired Salmons in an offseason trade. He was their offense most nights. Now in the offseason the Bucks added Maggette to boost this offense. The quickest way to put the Bucks’ offense in a standstill is to shut these two down. It will be AK and Bell’s responsibility. It will be a rough night.

The Jazz are known for taking risks on defense. This by default results in fouls – a lot of fouls. Maggette is the league’s best at getting to the charity stripe. Expect Maggette to bring a tent, a sleeping bag, and some marshmallows to the game because he’ll be camped at the free throw line all night.

Advantage – Milwaukee.

High Notes | Low Notes

This is an up and coming team. They overcame injuries to key players (Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut) to have a successful season, still made the playoffs without arguably their best player (Bogut), and even managed to push Atlanta to 7 games shorthanded. Now they have reloaded in the offseason by adding Maggette, Drew Gooden, and Chris Douglas-Roberts. This will no longer be an offensively challenged team. They were already a good team despite their offense being ranked 23rd in the Association. Now they added offensive firepower to a top 5 defense. If Brandon Jennings can continue his development as one of the best up and coming point guards in the league and Maggette can buy into playing defense expect the Bucks to be a top 10 team.

History

All time series is tied 41-41; 1-1 last season season.

The Milwaukee Bucks only allowed the Jazz to score 99 points a game in their two meetings last season. The only teams to do better? Atlanta, L.A. Lakers, Boston, and (gasp!) New York. To make matters worse the Jazz averaged 23 assists per game against them and shot a miserable 30% from 3. Milwaukee gives the Jazz offense fits.

2005 #1 draft pick out of Utah, Andrew Bogut, will make his annual reunion tour with his beloved Utah. Technically he’s from Australia but it’s a homecoming of sorts.

The most recent meeting between these two was a physical match that resulted in ex-Jazzman Carlos Boozer being ejected from the game with 16.7 seconds left while disputing a non call. It was one of those close losses (even though the final score doesn’t give the game justice) the Jazz wish they could have had back.

Player/Coach Notes

Scott Skiles and Jerry Sloan are known for their hard-nosed approach to defense. Both will agree that it doesn’t matter how many points a player can score; if the player can’t play defense he’s not cut out for this league. In fact, last season while Scott Skiles’ Bucks allowed only 94.05 shots per 100 possessions the Jazz allowed 94.91 per 100.

Watch the sidelines. Skiles and Sloan could set a record for most combined scowls in a game.

Outlook

Fear the Deer.

This is a team that despite numerous weaknesses made up for it with their defensive prowess. This year’s model now is more potent on offense and will continue to test teams on the defensive end. They lost to the Hawks in the 1st round of the playoffs last year. But they were arguably without their best player and still managed to push the Hawks to 7 games.

Watch out for this team.

They are the Bizarro Heat. Defensively sound. If Bogut can stay healthy for the season the Bucks could surprise some people in the East as a 4 seed.

[Author's Note: This team is built like the 2004 Detroit Pistons that beat the powerhouse 2004 Lakers. Defensive minded and hard-nosed. I would love to see the Bucks play the Heat in a 7 game series. Delicious basketball right there. Milwaukee could very well be their Kryptonite. Just a prediction.]

The Jazz split the season series with them 1-1. But the Jazz’s win against them came before the Salmons trade. The Bucks then went on to win 14 out of their next 16 games after that trade. Don’t forget that the Jazz’s loss to the Bucks last season came during that stretch.

I see the Jazz splitting the season series against them with each team winning at home but the Jazz will play the Bucks on the back end of a back to back after playing the Clippers this season. That might spell disaster and allow the Bucks to steal one in Utah while Utah is licking their wounds from battling inside against the man child, Blake Griffin, and the Geico Caveman, Kaman.

Follow Mychal on twitter. (@My_Lo)

In Divisional Previews Brandon Jennings, Central Division, Deron Williams, Eastern Conference, John Salmons, Milwaukee Bucks

Utah at Phoenix: Things To Watch For

Mychal — October 12, 2010 — Leave a comment

Coming off a 109-100 victory in Portland against the Trailblazers the Jazz travel to Phoenix as part of a back to back with another Western Conference foe. While the final scores in preseasons games have little to no meaning in the regular season, the matchups and discoveries during these preseason games have a lot of bearing on how games will be decided in the upcoming 82 game season. This game will give Jazz fans a preview of what to see at their home opener. Here are a few things to look for in tonight’s game:

Fesenko….Fesenko….I mean, Fesenko

Who are you and what did you do with the REAL Fesenko? (Salt Lake Tribune)

When Fesenko said he wanted to be the next Wesley Matthews, most of us could simply laugh. When he weighed in 25 pounds less than last year 280 pounds, we dismissed it. We assumed this was still the big fella that was once distracted in a playoff game by balloons. He said with Okur out, he would fight for minutes. Then Monday night in Portland happened:

22 min, 18 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk, 1 to 5 pf

Granted that line was put up against a depleted Portland frontline without Oden, Pendergraph, or Przybilla. Nonetheless, Fes appeared to have what has been lacking – FOCUS. It should be noted, however, that Fesenko has never been really used his size to exploit smaller competition. Tonight in Phoenix Fesenko is going to get a chance to prove that he’s committed to impressing Coach Sloan and the rest of the Jazz family. If he wants to be the next Wesley Matthews, he’ll have to be consistent. Phoenix’s relatively small frontline consists of Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick, Robin Lopez, and Channing Frye. Robin Lopez, the biggest, weighs only 245. This is a great opportunity for Fes to show his improvement as a player and use his size to bully around the opponent.

Will he step up?

Jazz Frontline vs Phoenix Frontline

That's a small lineup. (Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images)

The Jazz big men have to be licking their chops right now. Lopez, Turkoglu, Warrick, and Frye are going to have their hands full with the bigger Jefferson, Millsap, and Fesenko. It should be a feast for the Jazz in the paint and on the boards. This should result in a high FG% and a lot of open shots on the perimeter as Phoenix will have to double team to handle Utah’s size down low. Utah should easily win the rebounding battle, too.

[Sidenote: It sure feels nice to see Utah out-sizing opponents down low.]

Backup Point Guard Battle

Elementary, my dear Watson, Sundiata Gaines is working hard. Really Hard. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Once again Earl Watson came off the bench for his usual 12 minutes at the end of the game against Portland’s bench and fringe players. I’m not sure if Sloan is comfortable with Watson running the offense yet, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on. Will EW get more than garbage time tonight? Here were the stat lines of Watson, Gaines, and Price from last night:

Earl Watson – 12 min, 2 pts, 0-0 fgm-a, 2-4 ftm-a, 2 ast, 0 to, 2 pf

Sundiata Gaines – 12 min, 5 pts, 2-6 fgm-a, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 to, 1 pf

Ronnie Price – 7 min, 5 pts, 2-4 fgm-a, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 0 to, 0 pf (1 blown dunk)

Ronnie Price played a good game and was more effective in 7 minutes and had a greater impact on the game than Gaines and Watson. Watch for Ronnie P getting some burn at SG this season, too. That leaves Gaines and Watson battling for the spot behind D-Will. While Watson looks like the favorite on paper, Gaines is playing solid basketball.

Keep an eye on who comes off the bench first tonight to guard Goran Dragic - a big guard who has a history of exploding for points off the bench. A good test for the back up point guards.

Will Gaines continue to leave the bench in crucial minutes while Watson watches?

Can Sundiata and his non-guaranteed contract challenge Watson and his guaranteed contract?

First Back-to-Back

Nothing tests conditioning like back-to-backs. The second night has been the Achilles Heel for the Jazz every year. This will be a good test for the rookies, escpecially.

Can the rookies Evans and Hayward bounce back the following day from a rough outing? Will the speed of the NBA game seem even faster on the second night?

Can Big Al Jefferson go 24-28 minutes without grabbing his shorts and huffing for air?

Andrei The Great

.”]

Behold the power of NBA JAM Andrei Kirilenko. [Sidenote: Bear and Eagle unfortunately are not playable in NBA JAM

Andrei Kirilenko has been nothing short of solid and amazing in his first two preseason games. Phoenix likes to run and play up tempo. This is what AK47 was made for. Kirilenko’s game is suited for two things: the open court and NBA JAM. Playing the Phoenix Suns is like combining those two. With Turkoglu playing the 4, you can bet that Kirilenko will be playing a lot at the 4 as well.

[Sidenote: Thank you Greg Miller for not trading Andrei Kirilenko. He's too valuable to me on NBA JAM. Oh and he's good in real life too.]

Follow Mychal on Twitter @My_Lo

In NBA, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz

Utah at Portland: Things To Watch For

Mychal — October 11, 2010 — Leave a comment

Coming off a 100-96 victory against the Portland Trailblazers the Jazz travel to Portland to once again face their division foe. While the final scores in preseasons games have little to no meaning in the regular season, the matchups and discoveries during these preseason games have a lot of bearing on how games will be decided in the upcoming 82 game season. Here are a few things to look for in tonight’s game:

New Starting Lineup

I can't lie, these warmups are fresh.

The starting lineup of Williams, Bell, Kirilenko, Millsap, and Jefferson proved potent and lethal. In fact they posted an average +/- of +20. While they were on the floor they outscored Portland’s starters by an average of 20 points! Tonight, however, Sloan is “toying” with the lineup.

With so much defensive pressure in the starting rotation the bench looked weak. Weak might be a generous adjective. Once the starters came out, Portland’s bench feasted on Utah’s bench like a pack of wolves on a three-legged cat – make that a blind three legged cat. The bench was said to have looked confused at times and playing outside of the offense. The bench averaged a +/- of -10. Ouch. Big bodied Fesenko led the way with -17 (ouch).

[Sidenote: Should have made that dunk big fella.]

Tonight Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Williams, Thompson, Miles, Millsap, and Jefferson are getting the starting nod. Thompson will go from a DNP in game 1 to starting in game 2. Welcome to the Jazz, young man. It seems that Sloan wants to see if the cohesive failures of the bench can be fixed by having Kirilenko and Bell lead these young bucks off the bench.

Can the starters with Thompson and Miles set the tone for the game?

Can the bench play solid relief minutes for the starters?

Gastric Distress

Look there's even a basketball hoop in the background!

Whoever the cook is for the Jazz needs to hold off the beans and salsa for the rest of the season. Guys, seriously, wash your hands. Buy some Purell. Stay away from Charles Barkley’s Big Box from Taco Bell. Whatever it takes. Deron had a bout last week, and now Jefferson is feeling the ills. Jefferson says he’s good to go for tonight but we’ll see how long he stays in.

My suggested game plan? Get the ball to Jefferson with his back to the basket and his defender early and often. Lets see if Aldridge or Camby wants to body up on the big fella tonight. Good thing the Jazz aren’t wearing their home whites. I guess Sloan was right when he said being able to find the bathroom in a new arena is important.

Backup Point Guard Battle

To backup the greatest you got to be the greatest. (Courtesy of Deseret News)

Watson, Price, and Gaines are in a battle to backup Williams. The favorite in the race is Watson, but Gaines has been putting on a show since camp started. The kid had to fight his way into the league, and ever since “the shot” that took down the King, he hasn’t looked back. Each of them got 12 minutes each in the last preseason game. Here’s what each did with it:

I love Ronnie Price as much as anybody and this competition will definitely push all these guys to be better players. But after the first preseason game the score is Gaines 1, Watson and Price 0. Something to keep an eye on.

5 Games in 8 days

Things will heat up quickly for the Jazz over the next next 8 days. Keep an eye on the rookies Hayward, Thompson, and Evans. This is their real first taste of the NBA grind. Can they sustain a high level of play for these 8 days? This will be a good barometer for how the skinny Hayward and Thompson will adjust to an 82 game season (not to mention the playoffs).

[Sidenote: Evans' nickname is Slim.]

Tell us what you think. What are some other things to watch for in tonight’s game against Portland?

Follow Mychal on Twitter! @My_Lo

In Uncategorized

Eerie Optimism

Mychal — September 30, 2010 — 5 Comments

There is something different this year with the Utah Jazz. Yes, there’s new uniforms, new colors, new floor, and even a new suite in Energy Solutions Arena, if you’re willing to spend the money. You would have to have been living under a rock not to notice that some of the faces on the Jazz roster are different from last year’s squad. (Apologies to those who actually do live under rocks. But don’t worry Minnesota fans, once David Kahn leaves it’ll be safe to come out. When Rubio comes from Europe you’ll know it’s safe. That’s the sign.) This year during media day there was an eerie optimism that I felt as I listened to interviews and read different articles today. I’m going to cite a few things that stood out to me during media day.

The Value of a Friend

This would have been a nice reunion to witness.

This from Brian T. Smith (@tribjazz) of the Salt Lake Tribune:

Raja Bell was mauled. Cut off midsentence, grabbed with two long arms and almost tackled by a much-discussed man with shaggy blond hair.

Bell quickly turned around to discover the culprit. In turn, Bell found a friend.

Andrei Kirilenko was saying hello. And Bell was once again a member of the Utah Jazz.

The duo embraced, laughed and smiled. They requested a moment alone and were granted it. Within seconds, the former and current teammates were catching up and reconnecting after five long years.

For Bell, 34, a quick minute filled with private conversation said everything about his decision to once again call Salt Lake City his home and the Jazz his home team.

If anybody remembers the season in which Bell and Kirilenko played together it was like watching guerilla warfare. The Jazz were outmatched, outmanned, and disrespected. They were even picked to challenge the NBA’s worst record ever before that season. But they were not out-coached nor out-hearted. They battled hard with each team every night. It was such a fun team to watch because you knew all those players were putting it out on the line for Coach Sloan every night. They had no choice but to rely on hard work and not talent. That kind of experience forged a bond that we can’t imagine. Bell & Kirilenko have that bond and experience. They also are our only ties back to the Stockton/Malone era. That friendship will drive Kirilenko and Bell this year and influence others. Like I said “Eerie Optimism”.

Kevin O’Connor’s New 2nd Round Draft Steal

Deron Williams on Jeremy Evans to David Locke:

I’m really impressed with Jeremy Evans. Really, really impressed. He just needs to add 20 lbs., and he’ll be a monster. Oh my gosh. I’ve never seen anyone jump like that. He jumps so quick. He goes after the ball. Just ridiculous. … It’s like he can jump three times before you jump once.

[Sidenote: During the interview David Locke remarks that Deron Williams is "Like the fourth Jazzman to say that". I also endorse listening to CJ's interview for a quick anecdote of Evans blocking Francisco Elson. Also CJ's interview will give you a good laugh. What up doe?]

Jerry Sloan also on Jeremy Evans to David Locke:

I was shocked [by Jeremy Evans' artistic talent] and I was really excited for him because he’s a wonderful guy. He works hard, he’s got some talent, and it’ll be fun to watch him grow.

Get used to seeing this.

I am saying this emphatically now. Jeremy Evans will be the steal of the 2010 draft. Let me repeat myself, Jeremy Evans will be the steal of the draft. I have found that the most impressive compliment Sloan can say about anyone is “He works hard.” If Sloan says that about a player then he will rarely be in Sloan’s doghouse and Sloan will put that player in situations where they can grow, succeed, and improve. Don’t believe me? Look at Paul Millsap or Wesley Matthews. Eerie Optimism.

New Confidence

Paul Millsap on….Paul Millsap?:

[The biggest area of improvement in Paul Millsap's game will be...] Will be…his confidence level.

I don’t know if Paul Millsap’s new press secretary is Karl Malone but that was definitely Paul Millsap referring to himself in the third person. Every year Millsap adds a new dimension to his game. This year? He added “Speaking in Third Person.”

"Paul Millsap will refer to himself in the third person!"

Paul Millsap has always been in the shadow of Boozer. His time in the limelight was postponed last year with Boozer unexpectedly opting into his contract last minute. Millsap for the first time in his career is the man. He is the Jazz’s starting Power Forward. Don’t think that is a big moment? If you don’t, you need to think back to when you were in high school. Remember your first day of school for your senior year? Remember when you started to become yourself for the first time because there was no one above you to tell you how to be? You controlled that year for the first time without one of your peers outclassing you. Well this is finally Millsap’s senior year and he started it off right. By speaking in third person. Eerie Optimism.

Being Themselves

My last observation from camp cannot come from a quote but it comes from the way each of these players carried themselves in interviews. In acting (Yes, I’m using an acting reference), we use the term subtext often. Subtext refers to what a character is really saying in a play. The line might read, “It’s a wonderful day.” But depending on the way in which the character says it changes what he or she means by “It’s a wonderful day.” It could be negative or positive.

How does that relate to media day?

In interviews I heard players able to be themselves in Utah for the first time in a long time. Deron Williams was the unquestionable leader of this team. CJ Miles could be himself without worrying about being thrown into Sloan’s doghouse for half the season. Fesenko spoke as if he finally realized he’s playing on a professional basketball team. There was excitement just to be there as evidenced by Hayward and Evans. There was the maturity of Raja Bell, Earl Watson, and Francisco Elson who would be able to set the example of hard work. There is the freedom to create a new destiny as evidenced by Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. There also was the relief of knowing that rumors were just indeed rumors with Andrei Kirilenko. There was the bond of old friendships and the budding bonds of new. In short, there is something eerie about this year’s Jazz team. It is the optimism of being able to create something new and tap into potential that has not yet been seen. So get your popcorn ready Jazz fans. It is the beginning of a new Jazz era.

Follow Mychal on twitter @My_Lo

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In Uncategorized, Utah Jazz

AK + Trade Talk = Boris Diaw?

Mychal — September 24, 2010 — 1 Comment

Huge trade talk today as many sources are reporting that the Jazz are involved in a proposed massive four team deal. As a result of this proposed deal the Nuggets would trade Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey who would then ship Devin Harris to Charlotte, Favors to Denver, and Charlotte would then ship Boris Diaw to Utah.

One of these players is potential trade bait (HINT: It's the one without facial hair)

Brian T. Smith reporting:

Here are what the outlets are reporting as of right now:

Yahoo Sports:

http://tinyurl.com/23wnb7j

ESPN’s Marc Stein:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5610989

I’m not sure trading AK in a contract year is the best plan, but Boris Diaw is the one of the best passing big men in the league (and remember, Jazz fans, how much we coveted current Piston Greg Monroe because of his passing skills). Let’s hope Kevin O’Connor isn’t just using this as a cost cutting measure.

source bballcity.com

Career Stats:

Boris Diaw

Source: ESPN.com Stats

Andrei Kirilenko

Source: ESPN.com Stats

When more news comes along we’ll update you. In the meantime tell us what you think. Good or bad for the Jazz?

In Uncategorized

Francisco Elson – Really?

Mychal — September 2, 2010 — 2 Comments

The rumor mill has been talking about the Jazz signing Francisco Elson, the only Dutch NBA player of Surinamese descent. A legit seven-footer, Elson is a veteran player with the height and length to give Utah some depth behind Al Jefferson and Mehmet Okur. He also has championship experience after picking up a ring with the Spurs in 2007.

Do you know how hard it was to find a picture of him that wasn't of him getting posterized? Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images North America

Here’s Hollinger’s Scouting Report:

Elson’s main selling point is his mobility for his size. Even though he’s 33, he still runs the floor better than most centers and is a good pick-and-roll defender who can check smaller players. However, he lacks muscle and bigger centers maul him inside. As a result, he fouls a lot (more than once every seven minutes) and doesn’t grab many rebounds.

Offensively, Elson is too thin to play the post and mediocre at best as a midrange jump shooter, hitting 35.8 percent of his long 2s over the past three seasons. He’d get more baskets around the rim but he has terrible hands; plus, he has poor instincts as a scorer and rarely finds easy buckets off cuts and feeds.

Lacks muscle? Gets beat up by centers? Terrible Hands? Rarely finds easy buckets off cuts and feeds? He might just fit right in with a long line of similar Jazz big men.

It’s always nice to have an extra big body and six extra fouls to go around. Obviously with Okur out the Jazz would love to find someone who isn’t going to foul at a high rate and knows the system. And while Fesenko certainly has potential, he’s taking his dear, sweet time to sign the tender from the Jazz.

That’s why (okay, deep breath. I can’t believe these words are going to leave my mouth) the Jazz need to go out and sign Jarron Collins. There I said it. Yes, Jarron Collins. If Fes isn’t coming back, the Jazz should bring back Collins.

[Editor's Note: I am not on board with this. Repeat, I am not on board with this.]

The Jazz said they got tougher this year. Collins likes hard fouls. Sign him. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Michael Chow)

Collins could relief minutes for Al Jefferson while Okur is getting healthy, and then later in the season, when everyone is healthy, he can be the foul machine that Sloan enjoys. With Jefferson and Hayward a few new joining the team and learning the new system, adding Collins could make the process of gelling as a team easier. He is a good locker-room presence and the players know him. If the Jazz are going to sign a guy who is going to foul then why not a guy who is huge and knows the system?

In Free Agency, Players, Utah Flash

Gordon Hayward – He Just Plays

Mychal — August 23, 2010 — 1 Comment

Back in June I remember looking at my smartphone in disbelief. The only thing I could mutter was:

“Gordon Hayward? Really, Gordon Hayward?”

Courtesy of NBA.com

The kid who had broken America’s NCAA brackets, the kid who no one knew about before the year started, the kid who looked like Andy from Toy Story 3, the Jazz drafted him? What were they thinking?! They could have drafted Xavier Henry (still arguing over a rookie salary), Ed Davis (Al Jefferson or Ed Davis, you decide), or Cole Aldrich (Tag 2.0). But for some reason all those choices made more sense in my head than Gordon Hayward. I kept thinking:

“We needed to get bigger! All we did was get skinnier!”

Then I heard that the crowd at ESA booed him. Now this made me feel like an awful fan. I can’t imagine walking into a new job on the first day of work and getting booed by everyone. Can you imagine that? Booed by an entire arena filled of fans hundreds of miles away only because you were not 7’0″. Jazz fans at Energy Solutions Arena booed a kid pursuing his dream. Afterwards, I called my Dad and asked him what he thought. Expecting him to be full of gloom I was surprised by his answer:

“We booed John Stockton. What do we know?”

He was right. Darrell Griffith, Karl Malone, and Deron Williams all got cheers from Jazz fans when they were drafted. John Stockton? Not so much. I think we all know how that panned out. Turned out Stockton was a decent basketball player.

(Go to the 0:41 mark)

What did Kevin O’Connor say of this Andy look-a-like?

I hear all of the fans and you can appreciate what the fans are saying. They wish and we wish that we had the third or fourth pick; we didn’t. We think we got a player that’s going to be a really terrific player in the NBA……The only thing I hope is that in two years you’re not booing. -Kevin O’Connor-

Well, I know it hasn’t been two years but summer league has been played. Now the analysts are talking about how they think these draft picks will pan out after seeing them in summer action. What have they said about Gordon Hayward?

David Thorpe of ESPN:

Get used to lofty praise for Hayward, despite somewhat pedestrian numbers. He does all the little things that don’t show up on stat sheets — smart help on defense, toughness in digging out loose balls inside and great awareness of whom to move the ball to in their offense. He’s really a 2 who can play the 3 and even some 4 within a few years. How many guys can we write that about?

Flash Gordon Hayward

Shaun Powell of NBA.com:

With Kyle Korver gone, Utah could use outside shooting, and the situation is almost perfect for Hayward. Unless he’s a total bust, it’s hard to imagine him not pushing for starter’s minutes at some point this season. Hayward isn’t just a spot shooter, either; he can score in other ways, as he showed in summer league. And it helps to have Deron Williams around to create shots for you. Utah has a solid history in Draft decisions and this looks like another one.

CNNSI.com:

Coach Jerry Sloan had high praise for Gordon Hayward (ninth pick) after watching him in Orlando. “He’s not a mistake-free player,” Sloan told the Desert News. “This is a game of mistakes. He’ll make a mistake here or there. But he just plays. He just plays basketball. “We had another guy here years ago who did the same thing, and he ended up being a pretty good player — John Stockton. “I don’t mean to put that kind of pressure on [Hayward], but he plays.”

So far Hayward has looked like a solid player. Jerry Sloan even invoked a reference to hallowed Stockton. I was impressed with his summer league debut. Watching him one could see he was willing to do the little things to help his summer team win. While the rest of the players were ball hogging and trying to show they were worthy of a call to a training camp, Hayward was unselfish and played within the system. Just imagine what will happen when he plays with a team of guys who all play within the system.

Sloan was right when he said, “He just plays.” While I may have been disappointed when I first heard the Jazz drafted him, I’m now excited to see him in action. I think the Jazz might have found another diamond in the rough. After this summer, I have decided with my Dad’s philosophy:

“We booed John Stockton. What do we know?”

Follow Mychal on twitter: @My_Lo

In Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz

Take Heart, Portland, Utah’s Been There.

Mychal — August 20, 2010 — 11 Comments

“I just want to explain to everybody what I think and feel and that I could sacrifice my career with the NBA.”

“The only thing I’m not prepared for is if I’m told, ‘We want you to stay anyway.”

“I’m sure then the next season would be a repetition of the previous one, and what will the fans say then?”

“How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?”

“For the past two years I’ve been going on the court and acting like a robot.”

“Big money is obviously good, but I am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn’t mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark.”

“Trust me, I really am prepared to leave NBA. It certainly does not mean that I’m dying to go to Europe. I’m just ready.”

Sound familiar? It is the cry of a certain European player that has not yet grasped the concept of being a part of a team. A European player that won’t accept his role because he’s not the man. It is sad to see. We have seen it in reports all this week in which Rudy Fernandez is ready to take fine/suspension from the NBA for violating his terms of his contract. He has grown tired, bored, and weary of playing in NBA. He doesn’t feel wanted. But good news, Portland fans. None of those quotes above are from Rudy. They are from another formerly disgruntled European NBA player: Andrei Kirilenko.

Rudy, Andrei already tried it.

Portland, take heart, for Jazz fans have been through this painful annoying process. Think, you didn’t even have to endure it with your highest paid player, Brandon Roy. Just think of the implications of Roy saying he would throw his contract away just to play for CSKA Moscow. The Utah Jazz did. Not only that Kirilenko wouldn’t accept his new role on the team when two bigger dogs, Williams and Boozer, burst on the scene. He would not accept a demotion so he sought to go where he would still be the big dog: Russia. Sound familiar, Portland?

Just like Portland, the Jazz had to deal with all the annoying media attention that a ROLE player can cause. Trade scenarios were brought up on every occasion. Jazz fans had to hear the trade of Marion for Kirilenko a million times a day just as Portland fans are hearing Wilson Chandler for Rudy Fernandez. Not only that but Kirilenko’s diva episode came right after the biggest success in the Jazz organization since the Stockton/Malone days. The Jazz had just made it to the 2007 Western Conference finals only 3 months before Kirilenko found another reason to cry. At least Portland is not dealing with this whole fiasco after an amazing run in the playoffs.

It's a long walk to Spain, Rudy, filled with fines and suspensions....

Finally, Portland, take heart that the Jazz have set an amazing precedent for you. The Jazz said no. That’s right, they said no to Kirilenko’s demands. They said no to Russia. They said no to him leaving for CSKA Moscow. They said no to crying. Most importantly, they worked it out like adults and talked it out. It seems like Nate McMillan has even begun reaching out to Rudy. Just imagine what Jerry Sloan would do in place of McMillan. (Somehow I have the feeling it would involve a John Deere and some sprints) Just saying.

What’s the amazing part about Kirilenko’s so called holdout? Kirilenko, even after all his whining, his complaining, and threats to leave the Utah Jazz, reported to camp. On time. So while Rudy is crying now and planning his exit strategy there is a silver lining. Rudy is learning the hard way that the NBA is no Euro-ball. This is where the big boys play and for a reason. Rudy will come back to camp because wants to play ball. At least I hope so. It would send a message that the team is bigger than his minutes. The team is better because of his contributions no matter how big or how small. The sooner Rudy learns this the sooner he’ll be a better NBA player. How do I know? Because, Portland, Utah’s been there. Maybe Portland could skip out on its yearly tradition of front-loaded deals to Utah’s Free Agents this year as a thank you.

In Uncategorized