Archives For NBA

And a Mailman will deliver them

Spencer Hall —  February 25, 2011 — 3 Comments

Photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

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I hope all of you were awake last night for the spectacular shared experience of listening to the latest Karl Malone dispatch from the field. To recap, ESPN700‘s Bill and Spence show were able to track down Malone via phone while he dodged a tornado on a lake in Louisiana. Listen here (that’s a direct link to the mp3 file). If you haven’t already, seriously, do it now.

There’s praise for Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love. But most of all, Malone does what Malone does best, delivering a passionate 32-minute rambling rant that bends every convention of grammar, diction, logic, and history, while also providing a counter-intuitive voice of reason amid the company lines coming from the Jazz front office. His parentheticals combine with his malapropisms in an elixir of awesome that made no sense and yet still left me more excited about Jazz basketball than I have been in a long time.

Nothing new was revealed, other than some bizarre home-spun aphorisms that would make Jerry Sloan jealous. At the 8:32 mark, in a wandering escape from a blistering critique of Deron Williams which turned into praise for Sloan, we learn that if he (Sloan) told Malone “fleas could fly, I’d hitch ‘em up.” We would too, Karl. We would too.

After a question about whether Jazz fans and the Salt Lake community deserve more from their star players than they may have been getting from Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, Malone gave us his finest moment. “Back in the day I wore something with Jazz on it every time I left the house unless it was some unbelievable function.” Hopefully we haven’t seen the last “Unbelievable function” featuring Malone on a regular basis in SLC.

It was everything we ever loved about Karl Malone. All heart. It’s also the blueprint for future success for the Jazz. The fans will forgive all shortcomings when the heart is there.

In NBA, Utah Jazz ,
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Sad Sad City

Jeff Lind —  February 14, 2011 — 16 Comments

I’ve spent the last few days writing and rewriting this post. I can’t get it right, and I’m done trying. Like most lifelong Jazz fans, I’m frustrated, annoyed, confused, and a bit angry after the departure of Jerry Sloan. I’ve read the he said/she said, listened to the Karl Malone firestorm, and heard the pressroom rumor mill. Through it all I still have no clue why he left, and after experiencing near Sloan overload, I’ve come to this conclusion: it doesn’t matter. I don’t really care what the catalyst for his departure was, and I don’t care if he quit or was pushed out. What matters here is that he left, and where it leaves the Utah Jazz as an organization.

When I was a kid, I liked the Jazz because my dad did. I was from Utah, and it was our team. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve stayed loyal to the Jazz because I’ve been proud to call them “my” team. If you know the history of the team then you know that the Utah Jazz were a gift from the Miller family to the Salt Lake community, and the family has worked diligently to make it a true team. From the days of Pistol Pete through Stockton & Malone, the Jazz have never been run by the superstars. Larry H. Miller worked hard to develop an organization that was focused on winning, and winning right. The team was built on principles of putting in a hard day’s work, playing your role, and leaving it all on the court each night. In the four major American sports, there are very few fans that can say that their team’s ownership built their team the right way from top to bottom, but a Utah fan could say it and mean it. The Utah Jazz did things the right way.

Jerry Sloan was the heart and soul of this franchise because he embodied the Jazz’ efforts to do things the right way. I’m not saying he was perfect. Sloan has a lot of good qualities, but also has his fair share of bad, and to say that he’s had Jazz nation’s undivided support over the past 23 years is revisionist history. Sloan made mistakes, fans (and players) were quick to judge, and there were times that we called for his head, but in those moments, do you know what happened? Nothing. The Jazz trusted their coach, knew that they had the right guy, and in every instance took a stand against the fans and sent the message that they were not a reactionary team. The Jazz, for better or worse, were an organization that stood by their man. In a world where coaches are traded in & out on the whims of teenage players, a 23-year tenure sends a powerful message. It says that Coach Sloan’s voice was the most important one in the gym. The front office’s implicit trust of Sloan told fans, superstar players, and other organizations that this team was principled. No matter who walked through the door at the beginning of the year, one thing always stayed the same: Coach Sloan. He was qualified, he was smart, and they trusted him. For Jazz fans that trust paid dividends. How did second round picks turn into all stars? How did a small market team consistently make the playoffs and contend against giants? It was because of the consistency of Jerry Sloan, and the understanding that he would be here longer than any one player. There was accountability, opportunity, and expectations. All because of coach Sloan. He was a symbol of the way things were done in Utah, and nothing could change that… until last Wednesday.

Nobody knows exactly what went down in Kevin O’Conner’s office after that Bulls game, but it could not have ended worse for Jazz fans. Yes the team lost a great coach, but what we truly lost was our ability to implicitly trust an organization that was supposed to be THE organization. It doesn’t matter why Sloan left, what matters is that someone thought it was time for him to go… someone thought it was best for a Hall of Fame coach to leave his team in the middle of the season while his floundering squad was in desperate need of leadership. That tells me one thing: Coach Sloan’s word was no longer the most important word in the Jazz gym, and the Jazz’ model of consistency broke down. Something went seriously wrong, and suddenly the Jazz are just like nearly every other organization in the league. Maybe I’m an elitist, or maybe I just expect more out of a team that taught me expect more out of a sports franchise. I would never want Jerry Sloan to feel like he’s trapped on a failing team, but this is not the way you send off a Hall of Fame coach. This event, and the way it played out has created a crisis of confidence in Jazz land. We lost a superb coach on Thursday but with him also went many of the foundational principles that made this team unique.

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In NBA, Uncategorized
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To Every Hero There Is A Villain

Mychal —  February 11, 2011 — 5 Comments

Indulge a quick history of playwriting:

Humans like clear-cut heroes and villains. Throughout history play writers have indulged us with stories of good triumphing over evil. The hero rises above the elemental, human, or evil forces to be great.

Plays, up until the late 1800s, were happy affairs. [Editor’s note: The complete works of Shakespeare are on Line 2, Mychal.] The plays were lavish, the actors were extravagant, and the costume and makeup was gaudy.

In the late 1800s a new style of playwriting emerged. It was the style that influenced a lot of our modern-day dramas. That style? Realism.

Gone were the giant sets, the lavish costumes, and overdramatic actors. In their place were smaller stages, more minute movements, and more complex problems. The playwrights wrote about REAL life. In real life, there aren’t always clear villains and heroes. Just people. Flawed, broken, triumphant, and usually misguided people. It took a while to catch on. People wondered why would anyone want to escape to a night at the theater just to see their own human condition.

In these shows, a lot of the playwrights didn’t intend to make heroes and villains. Yet people still left the theaters interpreting what they had seen. Depending on the patron’s station in life, their personal demons, and mood at the time of seeing these shows they would turn certain characters into heroes and some into villains. Why? Because we need villains and we need heroes. For some reason, we as human beings try to simplify everything into a “he’s right and he’s wrong” philosophy.

Sometimes things just happen.

Sloan left because it was his time. Yet the fans need a reason. People don’t like to hear the explanation of “Just because” when they ask “Why”. We sometimes overanalyze and create a story that makes sense. But just because a story makes perfect sense does not make it true.

If we lose our job, the reasoning can’t possibly be that the company is downsizing. The boss didn’t see our genius, disrespected our ethnicity, or liked the hot intern better than us.

Jerry Sloan couldn’t possibly step down just because he’s just worn out. He must have been driven out of town. Deron must have broken the play one too many times. Jerry and Deron fought sometimes so that must be the problem, right? No one likes Utah, who could possibly want to play there. Larry Miller never would have allowed this to happen, etc.

People hated realism when it first hit stages in the 1800s because it portrayed the difficult grays of real life rather than the easy lessons of black and white. Life is complex. Life is confusing. There aren’t always logical explanations in life. Things happen and we are left to pick up the pieces and move on.

So as the book closes on an amazing era with Coach Sloan, let’s take a minute and enjoy what we’ve seen. We were privileged to see a special thing in sports. Coach Sloan always did things his way; you think he’d leave in a different way than his own? Sometimes life happens and there are no explanations. Let’s not ruin a great moment like this by trying to stage a witch-hunt when there’s not a witch to be found. A great person stepped down as coach yesterday and no villain needs to take credit for it.

In NBA, Utah Jazz
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Infographic – Jazz January Woes

Chris —  February 5, 2011 — 2 Comments

It’s hard to predict the future of basketball, but, stats are fascinating and they’re fun to look at. They also can point out some alarming trends. For example, when the team is under .500 in January, they usually miss the playoffs. And for a team that misses the playoffs only every twenty years or so, that’s a big deal. In fact, the year before their (unprecedented) 20-year post-season run started, they went 6-10 in January of 1983.

This infographic shows that in the last 10 seasons, any time the Jazz have won half their games or more in the month of January, they’ve at least gone to the playoffs. Also, interestingly enough, the last time the Jazz went to the Western Conference Finals they were 8-8 in January.

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In NBA, Utah Jazz
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The next move for Deron Williams

Spencer Hall —  February 3, 2011 — 10 Comments


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[Editor's note: Anytime Deron Williams gets some time at the shooting guard position, he bristles at the post-game questions about changing his position. Then again, he bristles about most questions. Guest writer Jason Schwarz makes the case for moving D-Will, to the 2-spot or otherwise.]

Since beating the Orlando Magic on December 10th the Jazz are 13-13 and it is clear that Jerry Sloan has yet to find an answer to the team’s slow starts. The early season success was a façade of sorts because of the reliance on divine 4th quarter interventions. Nevertheless, this team has shown glimmers of brilliance despite its inability to consistently win. So what is the answer…new players, new scheme or new rotation? Former players rave about the Jazz system but they aren’t so quick to rave about Sloan’s rigid rotation. This is a coach who has struggled to beat the Phil Jackson’s or Greg Popovich’s of the world because he fails to make essential adjustments at appropriate times. If there was ever a team in need of an adjustment, it’s the 2011 Jazz.

This Jazz group has proven unable to compete against the upper echelon of teams because the glaring inefficiencies in the lineup are too great to overcome. You cannot win in the NBA with a 2-guard who averages 7.9 points per game like Raja Bell. Nobody anticipated Raja would start when the Jazz signed him in the offseason. He couldn’t cut it as a starter during his last go around, what makes Sloan thinks he’s capable at age 34? That’s not to suggest Raja can’t perform a vital role on a championship team, but clearly he should be a 7th or 8th man rather than a starter. I’m confident that even Raja himself would admit to as much if confronted with the question. Sloan has unsuccessfully tinkered with all sorts of lineups but has yet to replace the veteran Bell in the starting lineup. So who should be the guy? Look no further than Deron Williams.

The D Will point guard pattern of lazily walking the ball up the floor in the first half, looking for his own shot in the 3rd quarter, and ramming it down the opposing teams’ throat in the 4th quarter has not benefitted his teammates. Whenever a team’s best scorer is also the point guard, the collateral damage can be difficult to deal with and this year’s team is no exception. Instead of fighting D Will’s versatility, both he and the Jazz should embrace it. This idea of moving D Will to the 2 is not novel; look no further than the U.S. Olympic team as a precedent. Coach Krzyzewski quickly realized that Deron is obviously a good point guard but he is exceptional as a 2. As a 2-guard he is free to shoot whenever he’s open, he can run the pick and roll from the wing, he can curl off a pick as well as anyone in the league, and he is the best passing 2-guard in the world. Would Deron be undersized? I would take the 2-guard version of Deron Williams ahead of Monta Ellis, Eric Gordon, Wesley Matthews or Ray Allen any day of the week. I would certainly feel more comfortable with him defending Manu Ginobili or Dwayne Wade than I am with Raja Bell and I would love to force Kobe Bryant to actually guard somebody when the Lakers play the Jazz.

Deron seems to walk with a chip on his shoulder because he hasn’t gotten the national credit he deserves. The fans and coaches are always putting Chis Paul, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, and even Tony Parker slightly ahead of Deron in point guard rankings. Deron might never be an All Star starter at the point guard position; in fact, it will be difficult for him to regularly make the team. If I could talk with Deron, I would tell him that this disrespect has nothing to do with him playing in the small market of Utah but has everything to do with him holding back his natural ability. The Jazz need to embrace what makes Deron so unique, by restricting his scoring ability they are hampering his progress. As a 2-guard he would become the western conference starter in the fast approaching post-Kobe era. If a player is capable of scoring 25+ points per game he should be put in a position to do so. With the Jazz searching desperately for a 2-guard they would be wise to look no further than the current roster; the second best 2-guard in the world is right in front of them.

It’s Jerry Sloan’s move…soon to be followed by Deron Williams’ move if this Jazz team can’t return to its winning ways. Many in the media are speculating that Deron Williams is next in line to follow in the free agency footsteps of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Deron’s hometown of Dallas seems a likely destination when he can opt out in 2012 and the Mavericks should be in position to offer him a max deal.

In Blog, NBA, Utah Jazz
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Exchange Week: Jazz in Hollywood

Spencer Hall —  January 25, 2011 — Leave a comment

Hollywood asks the tough questions at Sundance.

It’s exchange week between SLC and LA. We’re hosting Hollywood at Sundance and they’re hosting the Jazz against the Lakers on Tuesday night. Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles exchanged thoughts with Salt City Hoops about the matchup between the Jazz and Lakers. I should have asked if he missed James Franco at all this week. Instead, here’s what he had to say:

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SCH: Tuesday’s game is a rare time when both team teams have been struggling, so how do you (or do you) help fans maintain perspective while things seem to be falling apart?

AK: I laugh because it’s true.

No doubt, things get pretty intense in this neck of the woods when the Lakers drop a few games. Former Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat writer Ross Siler used to cover the Lakers for the L.A. Daily News, and he once described each Laker game as Game 7 of the Finals to fans. Pretty accurate depiction.

With that in mind, I guess I help maintain perspective by reiterating how I truly feel about the regular season: It’s often a horrible barometer for what happens in the playoffs. Not that the first 82 games are meaningless or without purpose, of course, but it’s just dicey to use them as a road map. Last season, two bad losses to the Cavs convinced the entire basketball universe LeBron that the gang had the Lakers figured out and that Kobe was changing cities. Well, Cleveland didn’t even make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. A LOT happens over the course of five months, so you have to take each loss (or win, really) with a certain degree of salt. That doesn’t mean you should gloss over bad performances or habits, no questions asked. Being critical of the team is part of my job. But I tend to assess situations through the prism of “is what happened fixable?” Assuming the answer is “yes,” and with a team this talented it typically is, my faith in the long view tends to be strong.

Plus, NBA basketball is supposed to be fun, and I don’t want to ever be responsible for sucking the joy out of that experience for our readers. You can be dead honest about how the team is playing without making it deadly serious.

SCH: Speaking of not serious, do you miss Sasha and Jordan Farmar? Vujacic made such an excellent villain; his cartoon persona was like a perfect storm of annoying for so many Jazz fans. And their recent performance for the Nets against the Jazz has me convinced they were the secret to the Laker success last year.

AK: As a writer who likes to blend comedy with analysis, Sasha is definitely missed. Dude provided me some of my best material since Slava Medvedenko and Von Wafer were teammates. Never a dull moment with The Machine.

On the court, however, I wouldn’t say either guy is truly “missed,” even though certain elements of their skill sets occasionally are at times.

For example, Steve Blake does a better job running the triangle than Jordan Farmar, if for no other reason than he’s willing to do it. Because Blake considers this priority one, the second unit has generally been more cohesive, particularly while at full strength. However, with Matt Barnes out, some scoring punch is missed, which means Farmar’s tendency to call his own number might come in handy. At the very least, Blake needs to be a “poor man’s Jordy.” He’s simply not shooting the ball enough.

Nor, for that matter, is he making enough of those rare shots. In theory, that outside touch could be provided by Sasha, but in practice, not really. Vujacic was buried in the rotation, and they really are a better bench unit with Blake running the show. He just needs to become more of a scoring threat.

Follow the Kamenetzky brothers on Twitter @espnlandolakers.

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Jazz vs Lakers | ESPN Game Preview
8:30 PM MST | NBA TV
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Staples Center / Los Angeles

In Blog, NBA, Utah Jazz ,
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2011 Game 40: Jazz 121 – Cavs 99

Spencer Hall —  January 15, 2011 — 2 Comments

The Red Panda never disappoints. Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

What a difference a year makes. Last year’s thrilling game between these two teams ended with an unbelievable comeback and unforgettable final shot from a guy who was riding a 10-day contract from the D-league.

Without LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal, the Cavaliers picked up where they left off in their previous game – a 55 point beat down by the Lakers on Tuesday – by giving up 70 first-half points to the Jazz. It was the most prolific half for the Jazz since their famous 72 point second half against the Miami Heat in November.

No comeback was required tonight. Instead, the Jazz put on a nice show for the fans – including a fast break behind-the-back-a-thon from Earl Watson to Andrei Kirilenko to a trailing Ronnie Price, sending the crowd into pandemonium. The energy in the building was remarkably high considering the lack of energy from the Cavs.

All Jazz starters scored in double figures for just the seventh time this season, with Deron Williams leading the way with 26. CJ Miles also scored 20 off the bench and attacked the basket with impressive ferocity. He was fouled on several attempts but several times had the ball cuffed, ready to throw down something spectacular. Even Al Jefferson finished a few moves with a dunk rather than settling for his typical shot-put.

On the Cleveland side, Antawn Jamison did the heavy lifting with 26 points and 11 rebounds, while J.J. Hickson cleaned up in the sloppy second half and picked up 21 and 14. Jazz alum Mo Williams remembered his time in Utah fondly, saying “I will always have great memories from here. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start my career.”

The most important performance of the night came courtesy of the Red Panda, the acrobat who catches and balances bowls on her head while riding a 10-foot unicycle (as seen above). I’ve always said that players who miss free throws should be forced to watch her in action. If they aren’t inspired by her incredible attention to detail, at least they might be shamed into concentrating a bit at the free throw line.

Next week the Jazz make a crazy four-game road trip through the Eastern Conference before returning home for a Tuesday night affair with the Lakers at home. Next game is an early 11AM MST start in DC against the Wizards on MLK day. Don’t sleep in.

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Random items

  • Jerry Sloan on whether he was limiting playing time for certain players in order to send a message: “I don’t send messages. I don’t even know how to send a text message.”
  • Ronnie Price remembered last year’s Sundiata game fondly. I asked him what he remembered about that moment that started with him throwing the final pass before Gaines hit the huge shot to win the game: “I just remember being upset at first,” he said. “Deron went out and we’d been chipping away at the lead and I was just mad that we were about let it slip away.We kept calling timeouts after we scored, and I was like ‘man, we’re not going to let this one slip away.’ Coming into that last play I just knew someone was going to hit a shot. When Sundiata got the ball, I knew it was going in.”

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The Sundaita Game, a year later


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Next game: Jazz at Wizards
11:00 AM MST / Verizon Center

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In NBA, Utah Jazz
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Jazz 131 – Knicks 125

Spencer Hall —  January 13, 2011 — 4 Comments

Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

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It was nice of the Knicks to agree to play church ball with the Jazz on Wednesday night. New York shot 29 threes (hitting 14 for a 48% clip) while the Jazz launched 22 of their own (hitting 10 for 45%). The hot shooting combined with strange officiating, technical fouls and no commitment to defense made the entire game feel like the ESA was a local stake center.

Anonymous Knicks Bill Walker and Shawne Williams combined for 48 points and 10 threes while eating popcorn and hanging out alone in the corners. On the other end, Raja Bell and CJ Miles went 4-8 and 4-9 and scored 18 and 24 points, respectively.

It was the last night of a long road trip for the Knicks, who also played late last night in Portland. The Jazz looked sharp after three days off.

From a lineup standpoint, it was interesting that Paul Millsap never re-entered the game after leaving with 1:44 left in the 3rd quarter. There was no word about any injury, and Mehmet Okur, CJ Miles, new U.S. citizen Andrei Kirilenko, Deron Williams and Raja Bell played the fourth quarter as the pesky Knicks wouldn’t go away. Jerry Sloan mentioned that Okur was playing well after missing six games with a lower back injury. Sloan also seems much more likely to let a player ride a hot streak than I’ve seen in the past.

Up next for the Jazz is re-visit to SLC from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. It will be a sparse reunion with most of the key players from last year’s Sundiata Game missing. No LeBron, no Shaq, no Korver, no Booz, and of course, no Sundiata Gaines. Still, it will be an important getaway game for the Jazz before they hit the road for a big East Coast swing. Next week the Jazz play four games on the road at the Wizards, Nets, Celtics, and 76ers before coming home to take on the Lakers. It will be interesting to see how the Cavs respond after being annihilated by the Lakers on Tuesday in a 112-57 loss.

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ESPN AP Recap | Boxscore | ESPN New York Rapid Reaction

Next Game: Cavs at Jazz
Friday, January 14, 2011
7:00 PM MST | Energy Solutions Arena

In NBA, Utah Jazz
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10 Things I Know Almost Half Way Through…

Jeff Lind —  January 12, 2011 — 1 Comment

The House that Larry Built

  1. With each passing week, the concept of Super Team is looking rosier and rosier. Fans throughout Utah’s base panicked this summer after hearing all about the superfriend’s super alliance. There was a certain contingent that felt if the Heat’s team worked well, guys like Deron Williams and Chris Paul would run from small markets to form their own super groups with other “elite” players. Well, we’re almost half way in, and the Super Team concept has proven to be anything but failure. Sure, they struggled out of the gate losing 8 of their first 22, but since then…. look out. The Miami Heat have now won 9 of their last 10 (Dallas), and 21 of their last 22! I don’t know what Deron thinks when he sees that team, but it makes me nervous. It’ll be VERY interesting to see how they do in the playoffs.
  2. Blake Griffin is the real deal. Have you seen that guy dunk (dumb question since if you’re reading this blog, you probably like basketball, and if you’ve ever even expressed an interest in basketball, then you’ve inevitably been forwarded one of his highlights)? The guy can jump out of the gym, and throw down harder than almost any player I’ve ever seen. I’ve actually found myself flipping over to Clippers games JUST to see what he may do next. Before this season, I’d never flipped to a Clipper game for ANYTHING let alone to see quality basketball. I’m very interested to see how he’ll do in the dunk contest. Blake’s strength seems to be in-game dunking, and it will be fascinating to see him try to build the same type of momentum when he’s not competing head to head with someone.
  3. This whole slow start issue is a weird problem to have. It’s common enough in the league, but most teams that have the issue don’t have a winning record. Those teams start slow, claw back, and eventually collapse. The Jazz, on the other hand, have exceptionally slow starts, but then follow them with mind bending second halves. So in one game you see a team go from the lottery, to top 3 in the west in a 48 minute time frame. Why can’t they bring the intensity of the fourth quarter to the first? From my seat they look lazy out of the gate (I’m looking at you Deron). The team seems to settle for A LOT of ill advised jumpers, while giving a horrendous perimeter defensive effort on the other end. When they play bad teams, it doesn’t really matter, but when they’re up against good perimeter shooters, it can get devastating FAST (read: Dallas). Forget the trade talk, get defensive stoppers out there early and put a hand in shooter’s faces on the perimeter (Hayward?). I think that solves the problem. Either way, I think this is a better problem to have than some, and one that can be fixed with mid-season discipline. I’d rather have a slow start problem, than a “lack of talent” problem, or a “can’t finish in crunch time” problem.
  4. The Lakers aren’t invincible. In their last 10 games they are 6-4, they have been inconsistent at times, and Kobe doesn’t seem to be as lethal as he has in previous years. Don’t get me wrong… they’re still A team to beat, but that Everest doesn’t look quite as insurmountable as it did a couple months ago… especially if Kobe really is dialing down his practice time with the team (and/or has bone on bone issues in his knee, as reported).
  5. The Jazz bench is key to success. I’m not ready to pin it on one guy (like CJ Miles, Earl Watson, or Fes), but collectively they have been the spark plug for the Jazz. Guys like Ronnie Price have fearlessly stepped up to better known, more established vets and shown them that every player is in the NBA for a reason. I love the chemistry of the second unit, and the desire to win. It’s no secret that they’ve saved the Jazz on multiple occasions from these pitiful, slow starts.
  6. I’m really, really liking Fes… as a player. He needs some good minutes in the second half of the year, because the Jazz will need him come playoff time. He had some good moments last year in the playoff’s, but he needs to gain Sloan’s full trust. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a good Memo and a serviceable Fes in any 7 game series vs. the Lakers or Spurs.
  7. I’d rather have a pouty Deron Williams leading my team than a giant-knee-brace-clad Chris Paul. Two things stir up ESPN’s Daily Dime chats more than any other topic: 1) who is the better point guard: CP3, or DWill, and 2) what tastes better on ice cream: chocolate or bacon. For now, the overriding opinion is that Paul is better despite H2H matchups, and durability (I’m called an apologist EVERY time I bring either of those things up). People love CP’s efficiency, and his pizzazz. Time will tell, but my stance will continually favor long term durability and very good efficiency over amazing efficiency over a few shortened seasons.
  8. Can we just collectively decide to rename the Coach of the Year award to the Jerry Sloan Coach of the Year award? Forget giving him the stupid thing, he has become the award. I mean, seriously NBA… this has become one of the biggest, longest running jokes. If we’re not going to change the name, then give him the freaking award while it still means something… the longer you wait, the more it’s going to look like Scorsese’s Best Director for “The Departed.”
  9. The Jazz gelled pretty fast, but they’ve had some rocky moments lately. They’re at a tipping point right now. They need Memo to get back, and play like we know he is capable of. If he does, and can stay healthy, then I think the Jazz have a legitimate shot at a deep run in the playoffs (as currently constituted). With Memo, the Jazz get deeper at the center and PF position, get a scorer who can put the hurt on opposing defenses in a hurry, a bigger spread on the offensive side of the ball (leaving Jefferson and Millsap space to destroy the paint), and add height.
  10. The Spurs are scarier than the Lakers right now. While the idea of facing EITHER in the playoffs is pretty scary, the Spurs have taken things to a new level, and are actually competing as a complete unit. They have discipline, heart, and all the pieces in place to win now. The Lakers are good, but currently they live and die by two or three key players (Kobe, Pau, and Odom). I look down the road, and I forsee more problems for the defending champs then I do for San Antonio.
  11. Oh… and Millsap is ridiculous (one for good measure). He should touch the ball 805 times per game.
In Deron Williams, Gordon Hayward, NBA, Paul Millsap, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz , , ,
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Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams (again)

K.Malphurs —  December 17, 2010 — 5 Comments

On February, 10th 1997 Terrell Brandon of the Cleveland Cavaliers was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title “The Best Point Guard in the NBA.” At the time it wasn’t completely off base even if advanced numbers would have suggested that the real best point guard was John Stockton.  However, it wasn’t a completely egregious mistake.  The previous year Brandon had the 3rd highest Win Shares Per 48 Minutes behind Michael Jordan and David Robinson, but right ahead of Karl Malone.  He was 6th in total Win Shares that year behind John Stockton and right ahead of Scottie Pippen.  At his pinnacle there really weren’t many point guards as good as Terrell Brandon.

The problem was his pinnacle just wasn’t that long.  He peaked and then in a couple years was back down to being an above-average NBA player.  That isn’t bad and he certainly had a good NBA career, but he is generally not remember as being one of the NBA stars of the 1990s.

Terrell Brandon is listed as 5-11 and 175 pounds.

Jason Kidd never had a year like Brandon’s 1995-1996 season according to advanced metrics.  His highest Win Shares was in 2002-2003 when he produced 11.3 wins for the New Jersey Nets. Brandon had 12.7 in 1995-1996.  However, nobody would ever suggest that Brandon has been a better NBA player than Jason Kidd.  While Brandon had a higher peak, Kidd has had a longer, consistently better career.   He has done all of this without ever being a really good shooter.

Jason Kidd is listed as 6-4 and 205 pounds.

It should be pretty clear with the title and with my word choice where my argument is going.  I am obviously setting up an analogy between Chris Paul and Deron Williams.  In my last post about the Jazz drafting, I listed Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul in the “comparable picks” despite the fact that Paul has 66.8 win shares compared to Deron’s 43.7.  I think that it is clear Paul has been better than Williams, but I think that Deron Williams will end up being better than Paul from this point on.

This is in no means a way of discounting Chris Paul.  He is extremely fun to watch play and has put up some incredible numbers.  He is one of the 5 current best players in the NBA and it has been that way almost since his rookie year.  However, I am going to make a case that Deron Williams has a better future and the reasons why I am happy the Jazz took Williams over Paul back in 2005.

  • Size – Chris Paul is listed as 6ft 175 pounds.  Deron Williams is listed at 6-3 and 210 pounds.  You can now see the comparison between Brandon (Paul) and Kidd (Williams).  Paul is a small, quick point guard who relies heavily on his quickness to be effective.  Also, Paul might be more injury prone because he is small.  Williams on the other hand is bigger and should be a player that can age better because of his size.
  • Durability – Williams has played in 412 games compared to Paul’s 370 because Paul was injured last year and also in his 2nd year.
  • Playoff Experience – 44 games for Williams compared to 17 for Paul.
  • Chance of staying – While it isn’t a guarantee that Williams is going to stay with the Jazz, I think it is even less of a guarantee that Paul will be with the Hornets for a long time.
  • Flexibility - Williams can play point or shooting guard, which is really helpful for a Jazz team that seems to have been looking for an effective shooting guard since Jeff Hornacek retired in 2000.  Chris Paul is and will always be a point guard.
  • Scoring/Usage % – Both are upwards trends for Deron Williams, while Paul’s numbers  have stayed pretty flat.  Deron seems to be shooting more, scoring more and doing this all while shooting at a higher percentage.
  • Shot selection- The closer you are to the basket the easier it is to make shots.  Paul is more reliant on outside shots than Williams, which because he is smaller makes logical sense.  This year Williams shoots 27% from close.  Paul is at 16%.  Last year it was 34% to 26% in Williams favor.  By watching the game you can see Paul utilizing the mid-range jumpshot more than Williams.  My thought is that he is able to shoot this often and effectively because his quickness allows him to get separation from defenders.  As this quickness goes away he will have to either learn to shoot more from in close or make more from the three point line.  Williams has less margin of error with his shot selection since he already shoots more from in close and also more from the three point line.

I think Deron’s size is going to play a huge advantage in his improvement over the next few years and the longevity to his career.  It will allow him to be less reliant than Paul on quickness, which with age will decline for both players.  Also, don’t underestimate the importance of Deron Williams’ mental makeup.  In no disrespect to Paul, but Williams seems like one of the players who is wired differently.  He seems ultra competitive and one of those players that will drag his team to the championship one of these days.  Paul seems like a nice guy, but might have a little too much of the ”just want to be one of the guys” in his personality.  I am probably overreaching, but the “Paul toasts Knicks future dream team with Stoudemire, Anthony” headline seems to lend credibility to that theory.

In the end Deron Williams won’t be Jason Kidd (he will be better) and Chris Paul definitely won’t be Terrell Brandon (he will be much better).  I think however the analogy fits in that while Paul might have a better peak than Williams, that Williams will have a better career.  And more importantly for the likely readers of this blog I think Williams will have a better career for the Jazz.

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