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Friday Night Inside Lights – Flash host Toros, Jazz host Mavs

Spencer Hall —  December 3, 2010 — Leave a comment

Could I interest you in a little basketball tonight? The Utah Flash host former coach Brad Jones and the Austin Toros in their home opener at the UCCU Center on the campus of Utah Valley University at 7pm followed by the Jazz hosting the Dallas Mavericks at the ESA for the late ESPN game at 8:30.

If you can’t make it to the arena, the Flash game is available via Futurecast. Follow the Jazz game on the ESPN Daily Dime Live chat.

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Jazz vs Mavs

Notes from the Elias Sports Bureau:

  • The Mavericks and Jazz have each won their last seven games. The Mavs snapped an eight-game winning streak by the Hornets (to begin the season) on November 15 and they ended a 12-game winning streak by the Spurs on Friday (November 26). The Mavericks have never snapped three different winning streaks of seven or more games in the same season. The last teams to do so were the Hawks, Pistons and Lakers, all during the 2008–09 season.
  • The Jazz lost the only previous game this season in which they faced a team on a winning streak of seven or more games. Utah’s most recent loss was at home against the Spurs on November 19, when San Antonio extended its winning streak to nine games (the streak that was eventually snapped by a loss to Dallas). But during Jerry Sloan’s tenure as Utah’s head coach, the Jazz have beaten 24 teams that were on were on winning streaks of at least seven games. That ties the Spurs for the most such wins for any NBA team over that span (since Dec. 9, 1988).
  • Utah was 13–3 in of November. It was the sixth calendar month in franchise history in which the Jazz posted a record at least ten games over the .500 mark. The others were January ’95 (14–1), March ’97 (14–1), March ’98 (15–2), April ’99 (15–4) & March 2000 (14–2).
  • Utah has been credited with assists on 64.6 percent of its field goals this season. It’s the second-highest percentage for any NBA team, behind the Celtics (67.0%). NBA average: 57.4 percent.
  • Raja Bell, Al Jefferson, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap and Deron Williams have played more minutes together on the court this season than any five-man unit in the NBA with the exception of the Lakers’ Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
  • Deron Williams’s career 19.2 points-per-game scoring average against the Mavericks is his highest against any team.
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Case of the Mondays: Black Friday Edition

Mychal —  November 29, 2010 — 1 Comment

Apology

So I would like to apologize to all my Case of the Mondays fans (all three of you. Especially you mom). I work retail and I got thrown into preparations for Black Friday so there was no Case of the Mondays last week. If there is any woman out there that is vehemently opposed to MMA I’m going to show her a video of Black Friday shopping and scream hypocrite.

Black Mamba Friday

Kobe was in top form in the 4th quarter.

What a Friday for Jazz fans. D-Will’s plea for his team not to eat turkey evidently was heeded. The Jazz came out and beat the Lakers. Here are some of the things I noticed during the game:

  • Kobe’s Still Kobe – Despite putting up pedestrian numbers in the first 3 quarters, the Black Mamba came alive in the 4th. He had 14 straight points in the 4th quarter until …
  • Sloan’s Adjustments – Sloan’s coaching is like a fine wine. It just gets better with age. His 4th quarter adjustments to ge the ball out of Kobe’s hands helped the Jazz disrupt his flow and caused a turnover which resulted in an easy layup for Raja. Instead of the normal ending of Kobe finishing off the Jazz, the Jazz were resilient and fought back and got the win. Just another reason why Sloan is one of the best coaches in the game.
  • Rebounding – The Jazz out-rebounded the Lakers, 42-38. No, that’s not a typo. The Jeffer-Sap Monster was out in full force hitting the boards.
  • Big Al – Remember all the attention Big Al’s increased weight got at the beginning of the season? Pau Gasol had to deal with it all Friday night. I’m sure the only one who thinks he should lose that weight now is Pau Gasol. Jefferson’s size really disrupted Gasol’s flow and allowed the Jazz to focus on Kobe and not have to double team Gasol in the post.

L.A. Griffins

How many Clippers does it take to take a ball from a Millsap? (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Blake Griffin is so much fun to watch. In fact while I am typing this I am actually re-watching a Clipper game. Do you realize that re-watching a Clipper game used to be a punishment worse than waterboarding? Now it is actually enjoyable. I’m just scared that one of these days Blake Griffin might actually realize that the name on his jersey reads “Clippers” and stop trying. Here are some things I noticed during the Clipper game:

  • Blake Griffin, Blake Griffin, Blake Griffin – Get your wins now agains this guy. Honestly, it’s like the Clippers went “weird science” on us and instead of making their dream woman they simply imported Blake Griffin’s persona from NBA JAM and put him in a living body. Amazing.
  • Twitter Prediction Came True – I said it on twitter earlier today, “J.A. Adande + Attending Jazz Game + Jazz 5 game win streak + Sweep of L.A. teams = A Story on ESPN about the Jazz tomorrow.” And he did. In other news, I’m starting an online palm reading service.
  • Team Effort – The Jazz had 6 players with 10 points or more. Solid.
  • AK-47 – We witnessed some vintage Andrei last night. His line: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.

Fesenko, Friend Me

So I must gloat right now. I took a shot in the dark and added Fesenko as a friend on Facebook. It looks I was worthy of friendship. I was accepted as one of his facebook friends. In case you were wondering what his most recent facebook status was it was this:

Yes this is not fake.

By the way, for all those out there, slcdunk.com does this thing called Fesenko Friday, in which they find a random picture of Fesenko and you get to make the caption of it. I totally recommend it. Great way to start your weekend. Kudos to slcdunk.com for such a great weekly holiday.

No Rest For The Weary

The Jazz have to face 3 tough basketball teams this week. They play against the Bucks tonight, the Pacers on Wednesday, and the Mavericks on Friday. The Bucks are coming off a win against Charlotte, the Pacers just beat the Lakers in L.A. on Sunday, and the Mavericks have won 5 straight. In case you’re wondering how the Jazz matchup, here are the team previews we did for each of these teams and how Utah matches up against them:

Milwaukee Bucks

Indiana Pacers

Dallas Mavericks

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In Case of the Mondays, NBA, Opinion, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz , ,
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Take it to the Court: Thanksgiving Edition

Jefferson —  November 24, 2010 — 8 Comments

Take it the Court is a new weekly column on SCH featuring the arguments, opinions, and random musing of a Utah Jazz fanatic.

Over the past several years, the Utah Jazz have teamed up with the Salt Lake Mission to provide Thanksgiving to thousands of underprivileged Utahns.  Thus, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a sampling of the Utah Jazz as your traditional holiday meal:

  • Turkey: I know you’re thinking Deron Williams as the main course, right?  Guess again…how about Jerry Sloan?  Don’t sleep on Sloan for Coach of the Year, tryptophan notwithstanding.  Surrounded by change (during his tenure, he’s seen different players, management, different uniforms, even a different arena, and later a new arena name), Sloan is as constant as the Thanksgiving turkey tradition.  This Coach won’t let his players nap on defense (or they’ll find themselves camping on the bench).  Turkey is Thanksgiving and Jerry Sloan is the Utah Jazz.
  • Mashed Potatoes: Half Millsap + half Jefferson = one tasty serving of “Jeffersap.”  Night in and night out, these two take turns filling the plates of opposing teams with tasty points and rebounds.  Together, they are the glue that holds the meal together – It would nice to see them both on the table at the same time, but at least we can always count on one or the other. Thru 15 games, the duo is averaging a combined 36 points and nearly 18 rebounds per outing.
  • Gravy train? Here’s where D-Will comes in.  You know that the key to turkey and mashed potatoes is a sweet tasting gravy to tie it all together.  Likewise, Deron is the link between Sloan and his two-headed Jeffersap.  When Williams is hot, he makes Sloan, Millsap, and Jefferson ALL look better.  You can bet that opposing teams wish they could go easy on Williams – just like passing by the gravy at your family feast, overlooking D-Will is a recipe for destruction.
  • Sweet potatoes: How come we only eat sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving?  It must be some holdover from a long forgotten era – but it still makes the menu every November.  Raja Bell is the sweet potato in our analogy – a little old school, but the meal just isn’t complete without him.  With Raja on the bench, the defensive difference in Utah’s home loss to OKC was palatable.  Raja hasn’t had a defining game yet, but he makes his teammates better defenders.
  • Homemade rolls: Unless your willpower is stronger than mine (sweet, sweet carbs), you really can’t stop after one serving…just like Andrei Kirilenko.  When AK is playing well, the team wins – plain and simple.  Recall that is was AK’s inspired play that initiated the streak of comebacks.  Pair him up with some Gravy or Mashed Potatoes, even cranberry sauce – and you’ve got a winning combination.
  • Green Beans: Not everyone likes CJ Miles.  I have several FB friends who insist that he is the problem with the Jazz and needs to be shipped away as soon as possible.  And then he knocks down HUGE buckets to keep the Jazz from dropping a close one to division rival Portland, followed by a great showing against the Kings.  I, for one, am a fan of green beans AND CJ Miles.  My only qualm? I don’t want my green beans thinking that it is my gravy.  CJ, I love ya, but this is Deron’s team – you don’t have to be the hero every time you get the ball.  Be content to be a green bean, for crying out loud!
  • Cranberry Sauce: Like it or not, a little bit goes a long way; enter the Utah bench – Fes, Elson, Price, Hayward, Watson [reserve "white meat" jokes about Fes and Hayward for another time].  The Jazz don’t need huge minutes OR huge numbers from their bench players.  Instead, they need small doses of energy to keep things together.
  • Pumpkin Pie: If you don’t finish your meal with a slice of pie with some fresh whipped cream, you’re missing out.  There’s just something about Mehmet Okur [shouldn't HE be the Turkey?] that can put the finishing touches on the Utah season.  Sure, you may think there is no room for pie, but come on, you can always make room for a nice slice of pie – and a silky smooth jumpshot.  Word is, Memo is getting close.

My wish is that each and every reader out there has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with more food than you can eat and plenty of friends and family to share it with.  From the staff writers of SCH, we’re grateful for you stopping by for the finest news and opinions on the Utah Jazz.

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Contact Jefferson W. Boswell at jeffersonboz [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

In Al Jefferson, Blog, CJ Miles, Deron Williams, Gordon Hayward, NBA, Opinion, Paul Millsap, Raja Bell, Take it to the Court, Utah Jazz , , , , ,
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Morning After Drill: Chaos Engine.

Jeff Lind —  November 20, 2010 — Leave a comment

The Jazz’ 94-82 loss to the Spurs Friday night was painful to watch. It wasn’t a horribly played game, necessarily, but it  felt like the Jazz had opportunities to take the game over, but didn’t want to. I’m not doubting the team’s resolve to win, but I am disappointed in their inability to put a collective foot on the throat of their opponent… especially in Energy Solutions Arena. Good teams win at home. Really good teams win at home and on the road. If the Jazz want to continue to be taken seriously, they need to start finishing these types of games against good teams at home. Here are some overall thoughts on the game:

AP
  • The Jazz started slow. Again. It took over four minutes for the Jazz to score their first points. It’s starting to get frustrating to watch the Jazz starters start so slow. The running joke is that they need a warm up quarter to really get going, and that seems more and more to be the case. By the time the second half rolled around, the Jazz were right there with the Spurs… so what happens if they actually play a complete game?
  • Someone on the Jazz, at some point, has GOT to box an opposing player out. It wasn’t the three pointers that killed the Jazz, and it wasn’t Tim Duncan (although he was great). It was Utah’s inability to stop the Spurs second chance point opportunities. This has been the most disturbing theme of the 2010-11 season.
  • The second chance points aren’t due to a lack of effort. The Jazz have guys under the basket during the shot… but fundamentally they are making HUGE mental mistakes.  The first thing you learn in team basketball is that when the shot goes up, you box out your man FIRST, THEN you go get the rebound. Unfortunately, it looks like the Jazz are looking to rebound first, so their men are left to wander free and grab errant rebounds. I don’t know how many times we’ve seen three or four Jazz jerseys under the basket, yet still seen an opposing team’s jersey fly in and take the offensive board.
  • Parker’s ability to penetrate into the paint is impressive… and annoying.
  • The Jazz keep giving games away. In the past two losses, I never felt like the Jazz were getting dominated, or that they couldn’t win. I have got the feeling that the effort isn’t always there to finish the game.
  • The Spurs feel boring to watch because they aren’t all that flashy and they beat you by doing everything just a little better than you. It’s like playing your older brother in the backyard. Take a look at the following statistical categories:
  1. FG%:              Spurs: 43.9%    Jazz: 41.9%
  2. 3Pt%:             Spurs: 25%        Jazz: 21.4%
  3. Blocks:           Spurs: 4             Jazz: 3
  4. Turnovers:     Spurs: 13            Jazz: 14
  5. D-Reb:           Spurs: 30           Jazz: 26
  • Al Jefferson got schooled by Tim Duncan. Duncan may be getting old, but he is so fundamentally sound that you have to respect him wherever he is on the floor. The thing with Duncan is that his game is based on hours of honed practice and it’s turned him into a fundamentally sound machine. His game is not an athletic one, which means that he’ll have more longevity then a player that depends on pure athletics to get the job done.
  • The Jazz have mental lapses on defense. It’s not like their defense is bad every time down the floor. It’s pretty good 80% of the time. It’s just that other 20% that ends up killing them. Help defense is the major problem, and when they play against penetrating guards, it really shows up. The bigs need to protect the paint better and work on their rotations.
In Al Jefferson, NBA, Utah Jazz , , ,
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Game 13 Preview: The Spurs invade the ESA with TMZ

Spencer Hall —  November 19, 2010 — 1 Comment

Gone are the days when the LA Lakers were daily tabloid fodder. Perhaps jealous of the attention being paid to the chill bros in Miami, the San Antonio Spurs roll into SLC tonight with a media circus in tow. Tony Parker is dealing with his impending divorce from Eva Longoria, to say nothing of the team chemistry issues caused by his purported relationship with the wife of former teammate Brent Barry.  Not fun for anyone involved, but it will be interesting to see how all the drama affects the surprisingly 9-1 Spurs.

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Game Info:
Spurs (9-1) at Jazz (8-4)
Coverage: FOX ROCKY
7:00 PM MT, November 19, 2010
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

ESPN Preview

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Last season, the Jazz swept the Spurs in the regular season, going 4-0 and exorcised the demons that made the Spurs almost invincible against Utah for about 10 years. Will the recent succes continue? All four wins came fairly early last season and current Bull Carlos Boozer was a beast for the Jazz in all four games.

The stars are aligned for a huge game from Paul Millsap. Boozer is gone and Millsap wasn’t included on the newly released All-Star ballot. You can vote for Memo Okur, who hasn’t played a game since last spring, but you can’t vote for Millsap. Hopefully for the Jazz, the snub results in rampage from the oft-overlooked second-round pick.

The Spurs are off to their best start in franchise history and are putting up their most points per game since the 1987-88 season. They’re also shooting a blistering 44% from behind the three-point line.

Surprising rookies Gary Neal and James Anderson are second and third in the league among rookies in three-point field goals made. Neal went undrafted out of college and then tore up leagues in Turkey, Spain, and Italy. He hit 5 three-pointers against Charlotte earlier this season and Anderson hit a 3 in each of his first 6 games, the first Spur to ever do so.

On the Jazz side, Jerry Sloan will be away from the team to attend a funeral. Longtime assistant Phil Johnson will take over the head coaching duties for the next two games. Raja Bell is recovering from a groin injury but will play, while CJ Miles is a gametime decision after sitting out the second half of the previous game with a sprained back.

In NBA, Utah Jazz , , ,
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When should Jazz fans start worrying about Gordon Hayward?

K.Malphurs —  November 19, 2010 — 5 Comments

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In 2004 the Jazz gave up Keon Clark and Ben Handlogten in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, who had recently fleeced the New York Knicks. It was one of those strange trades that still don’t make much sense, but it worked out great for the Jazz*. Clark and Handlogten never played a minute for any other NBA team besides the Jazz. Somehow the Jazz got Gugliotta, a 2004 1st round draft pick and this protected Knicks pick. Here’s how NBA.com described the trade before the draft:

It was Feb. 19, 2004, when O’Connor and the Jazz sent backup centers Handlogten and Clark (who played in two games for Utah) to the Suns. In return, they got Gugliotta, the No. 16 pick in 2004 (Kirk Snyder), a 2005 second-round selection (which they traded), cash, and the Knicks’ No. 1 pick, a pick they probably coulnd’t use until some ridiculous wait forever into the future — 2010. Phoenix had no idea it would turn into this. No one did, because it was impossible to see the Summer of LeBron coming six years away.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh gets the heartache, but not the blame. His predecessor, Isiah Thomas, did the deal (on Jan. 5, 2004) to acquire Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski from the Suns for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic and two first-round picks. Phoenix flipped one of the picks to the Jazz about six weeks later.

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Game 12: Jazz 98 – Nets 88:

Spencer Hall —  November 18, 2010 — 2 Comments

A long NBA season is punctuated by important nights that fans recall for years and show the identity of the team. And in between those important nights, the teams play the Nets.

A Wednesday is the most appropriately mundane day of the week, and seemed appropriate for a 98-88 win by the Utah Jazz at home against New Jersey. Paul Millsap picked up his fifth double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. All five Jazz starters scored in double digits. And both teams missed a million shots near the basket.

The game will be remembered mostly for Gordon Hayward’s first real dunk, a thundering left handed finish that brought the crowd to its feet.

Brook Lopez played well in the first half and scored 17 points but was held scoreless the rest of the game. Anthony Morrow took over in the second half when he scored 16 of his game-high 24. Even with the slow second half, Utah coach Jerry Sloan had high praise for Lopez.

One the Jazz side, the aforementioned starters played well but the bench was nearly non-existant. Earl Watson was honored on the JumboTron as the sub of the game after posting an epic line of 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 points. The entire bench combined for an evenly-distributed, but abysmal, 10 points. No bench player scored more than 2 points.

CJ Miles left the game in the second quarter with a strained back and didn’t return. He’s listed as day-to-day, but really, aren’t we all day-to-day?. The disappearance of Kyrylo Fesenko continued as he picked up the DNP-CD after apparently suffering a concussion on Monday against the OKC Thunder. After the game Fesenko changed quickly into street clothes and hurried out but claimed to be fine when asked about his health.

Not to get cute, but it was odd to see so many Nets players who still have strong identities on former teams now playing in new jerseys. Jordan Farmar will seem like a Laker for a long time. Devin Harris still looks like he should be representing Dallas. Anthony Morrow is so Golden State. Travis Outlaw was eponymous for the end of the Jail Blazer era in Portland. And Kris Humphries is still in the league?*

*Kris Humphries is not only still in the league, he is starting. No small feat for a man who was once traded by the Jazz to Toronto for Rafael Araujo.

Sidebar: Doesn’t that 2005 Jazz team with Humphries and Deron Williams seem like it happened 50 years ago? Also, it’s incredible that that team managed to win 41 games.

Up next for the Jazz is a Friday visit by their old nemesis, the  San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are dealing with the fallout from the announcement that Tony Parker and Eva Longoria are getting a divorce. It will be interesting to see how the media circus that is sure to follow will affect the play of the frenchman. Parker could have avoided this mess entirely had the Jazz taken him in the 2001 draft instead of going with the injury-plagued Raul Lopez.

ESPN AP Recap | Boxscore

In Blog, BYU, NBA, Utah Jazz ,
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Take it to the Court: A Revolving Door League

Jefferson —  November 17, 2010 — 2 Comments

Take it the Court is a new weekly column on SCH featuring the arguments, opinions, and random musing of a Utah Jazz fanatic.

Eric Maynor takes on D-Will (Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

Last Christmas, in one of its most generous presents of all time, Utah gift wrapped a promising young rookie – Eric Maynor – and sent him to a division rival, the Oklahoma City Thunder.  In return, the Jazz received the rights to Peter Fehse (he of New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig fame).  Fehse was drafted by the late-Seattle Supersonics in 2002, but he never played a minute of NBA ball (never will).  In that same transaction, OKC agreed to foot the insurance bill for Matt Harpring’s injured contract.  Such deals are not uncommon in the NBA – the bottom line is that the bottom line motivates many such moves each year.

In Utah’s Monday night loss, Eric Maynor was not incredible.  Compared to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Maynor looked downright pedestrian.  Still, in only 16 minutes on the court, E-May put up 8 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds (though D-Will and company did bait him into 4 quick personal fouls).

I couldn’t help but wonder what might have been had Maynor stayed in a Jazz jersey.  Sure, Earl Watson and Ronnie Price are adequate back-ups for Deron, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Utah gave up too much in their dispatch of Maynor… would that trade come back to haunt the Jazz at some point in the future?

For better or worse, Eric Maynor is only the latest in a long line of former-Jazzmen who have gone on to successful careers after their time in SLC:

  • Who can forget undrafted rookie sensation Wesley Matthews?  Just last night, he showed Portland that he was worth every penny of his new contract – he put up 30 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block.  Talk about stuffing a stat sheet.  B-Roy was watching as his understudy went off.  As I’ve said before, I hope the kid has a long and successful career – as long as he’s off when he plays the Jazz.
  • Much to D-Will’s chagrin, Utah shipped off Ronnie Brewer for peanuts last year.  Now, he’s teamed up with Boozer and Korver in Chicago.  The Bulls are off to a 6-3 start, though Korver and Ronnie B. have seen only limited minutes off the bench, and Boozer has yet to get out of his business suit.
  • Carlos Arroyo played 145 games for the Jazz from 2002-2004.  During that time, he averaged 8.9 points and just shy of 5 assists.  In his “break-out” 2003-04 season in Utah, he averaged better than 12 points and 5 assists per outing.  A bit of a journeyman, he had stints in Detroit, Orlando, TAU Cerámica (Spanish ACB), and is now running the point for LeBron and Friends in Miami.  Arroyo’s greatest successes on the court came in international play.  He was the flag-bearer for the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team, as well as named to 2004 All-Olympic Team – the same Puerto Rico squad that beat up on USA’s Nightmare Team.  In PR’s victory over USA, Arroyo contributed 25 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. [Note: USA basketball went on to win the Bronze medal, prompting the reorganization of the team – leading to the current "Redeem Team"]
  • Mo Williams was slated to become one of Utah’s many second round draft steals – selected 47th overall in 2003.  Instead, he played in only season with Utah – averaged 5 points and 1.3 assists in limited minutes.  After a few successful years in Milwaukee, Mo was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played alongside ‘Bron – even earned an All-Star nod last year (as an injury replacement for Bosh).  Now he’s left to pick up the pieces after the James gang bolted for sunnier weather.
  • Long before DeShawn Stevenson tattooed a backwards “P” on his cheek for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates(?), he tortured Jazz fans with his amazing talent and lackluster effort.  From 2000-2004, Stevenson played in over 200 games as a Jazzman.  He too became a journeyman, and has since spent time in Orlando, Washington, and is currently with the Dallas Mavericks.  Though still plagued with common energy and uncommon ability, DeShawn has had a successful run in the NBA since leaving the Wasatch Front.  Who would have thought that sheer talent (without the accompanying drive) would see this guy last a decade in the league?
  • How many people recall a little fella named Dell Curry sporting a Jazz uniform?  The Jazz drafted the 6’5″ Curry with the 15th overall pick in 1986.  Playing in only 67 games in the ’86-’87 season, Dell Curry went went on to spend 14 more years in the league.  In the 1993-94 season, Curry’s outstanding bench effort earned him a trophy for the Sixth Man of the Year with the late-Charlotte Hornets.  Dell Curry ranks 28th all-time in 3-point field goals made.  Perhaps his greatest basketball achievement?  Siring Golden State phenomenon Stephen Curry.
  • With the third overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Dominique Wilkins from the University of Georgia.  Unfortunately for Jazz fans, cash problems kept them from ever seeing the Human Highlight Film in a Jazz uni.  Several months after the draft, Utah shipped the promising young forward to Atlanta for John Drew, Freeman Williams and cash – the rest is history.  It actually worked out okay for the Jazz – they picked up Karl Malone in the draft 3 years later.
  • If you’ll indulge me, lets go all the way back to the Crescent City in 1974.  Better known for his career pacing the sideline, Rick Adelman played 28 games for the New Orleans Jazz – averaged 6.3 points.  Now the guy makes his living as a Head Coach – having spent time at the helm of the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings, and now the Houston Rockets.  Next time he comes to SLC, be sure to show some respect to the former Jazzman.

Only time will tell if recent personnel decisions will come back to haunt the Jazz.  Eric Maynor looked every bit the part of a solid NBA back-up PG in Monday’s loss.  We’ll get our chance to see Wesley Matthews in action this Saturday as the Jazz travel to Portland.  I can’t wait to see the Chicago Jazz take the court at ESA, though we’ll have to wait until February for that match up (long enough for Boozer to be injured a few more times).

It’s a revolving door league – some great players go and some poor players stay.  You can bet, though, like Eric Maynor showed on Monday night – the great players that leave will come ready to play and show their former team that it was a mistake to let them move on.

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Contact Jefferson W. Boswell at jeffersonboz [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

In Blog, NBA, Opinion, Take it to the Court, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz
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Morning After Drill: Lonesome Crowded West

Jeff Lind —  November 16, 2010 — 2 Comments

Well. That didn’t go so well. I guess after five games you just get used to your team wining. Unfortunately for the Jazz, the Thunder came in with a hefty chip on their shoulder. Apparently they didn’t appreciate being embarrassed on their home floor a few weeks ago, and they stormed into Salt Lake to return the favor. I sat on my couch for about 20 minutes after the game wondering what went wrong… I’m certainly not one to panic, especially after a well fought loss to a good Western Conference team, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t disappointed. Here are some of my morning-after thoughts:

  • I love Kevin Durant. He seems like a good person, and he’s got the silkiest shot, but when the Jazz play him all I can think is that “this must be what it was like for opposing fans to watch John Stockton.” He just plays so… well, so dirty. He was drawing players into the backcourt at full speed, only to cut back & slam into them (CJ), he was baiting refs into ugly calls, he throws elbows, and he  actually threw a leg out to trip another player (AK). It was borderline unwatchable. To an OKC fan, these are all veteran moves, but to an opposing fan (like me) it just comes across as dirty.
  • The Jazz’ victory against the Bobcats was largely attributable to Charlotte’s horrible free throw shooting (17-24). Conversely, this game against the Thunder was lost (for the Jazz) at the free throw line. You’re not going to beat a good Thunder team by putting them at the line for 34 freebies… especially when OKC hits 33 of those 34 shots.
  • I’m really not one to complain about refs. I firmly believe that if you lose consistently as a result of the refs, then you don’t deserves the wins. Good teams win in spite of the refs. That being said, the refs didn’t do the Jazz any favors last night. The Jazz played well in the first half, but they let the Thunder overtake them in the second, and between the inability of the Jazz to execute their offense, make key stops, or get any reasonable calls, they could never get over the hump.
  • Playing in the Western Conference is insanely brutal. Spurs, OKC, Lakers, Portland, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Golden State… even the Clippers are tough. There are no nights off. It’s awesome from a fan perspective, but it’s brutal out there for the players. The team can’t overlook ANYONE.
  • The Jazz missed Raja on defense. The rotations looked painfully slow at times, which gave the Thunder a lot of open looks at the perimeter. People recognize him as a defensive stopper, but his mere presence on the floor tightens up the entire ship. I know there’s been some complaints about his offensive production thus far, but I think most fans collectively underestimate how important his presence is on the defensive side of things.
  • CJ is killing me. One game he’s a rainmaker, and the next he’s airballing 3′s. In the OKC game, he was dropping fade-away teardrops and putting up huge 19 footers, all while making heady vet moves. He’s an essential part of the second unit’s success. The team largely lives and dies by how CJ plays, and that’s terrifying given his volatility
  • Ibaka was amazing tonight, and the Jazz didn’t have the defensive presence to handle him (I can’t believe I just wrote that). The team paid dearly for their lazy D, and it came in the form of Ibaka.
  • Offensive production was weak from some of the key Jazz scoring options. Jefferson only hit a measly 5-14. The team can’t expect to beat good teams when their power pieces aren’t scoring.
  • Earl Watson looked really, really good. I was excited to see how aggressive he was on offense, and how well he distributed the ball. I’m a Ronnie Price fan. I love his athleticism and heart, but I LOVE having a backup PG that I can trust. I’m starting to feel that way about Watson.
  • During the Eastern Conference road trip, the Jazz played dangerously well down the stretch… so what was that last possession all about? Deron dribbled around mindlessly, hucked it to AK, who tossed up a crappy behind the head layup… I just sat in shock and confusion. Why such a stupid play to end it? Especially when they could have gotten a quick shot off and gotten the ball back one more time?
  • OKC shot 71.4% in the third quarter. Yep. That stat happened.
  • During the preseason I estimated that the Jazz would not be firing on all cylinders until mid December. I’m sticking with that, and during these early losses I have to remind myself NOT to get impatient. The Jazz will be fine… they’re still finding themselves and they’ve shown flashes of who they will become. The upside of this team is tremendous. I don’t remember the last time I felt like that.
  • Bottom line? This game was a major let down. The team went on a massive Eastern Conference road trip where they played two back to backs and four great teams. They had four emotional wins, Deron was named Western Conference Player of the Week, and they came home on a mental high. Unfortunately, those types of trips can be dangerous, and create a false sense of security. Anytime a team is on that kind of high, it seems to overlook important aspects of the next game (in this case, defense).  Tough loss, but it really just wasn’t the Jazz’ night.
In Al Jefferson, CJ Miles, John Stockton, NBA ,
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Case of the Mondays: And Totally Redeem Yourself!

Mychal —  November 15, 2010 — 3 Comments

Case of the Mondays is a weekly column on SCH that recaps the previous weekend and gives you your Jazz fix when you’ve been diagnosed with a case of the Mondays.

About Last Week

After the Jazz began the season 0-2 it seemed all was wrong in Jazz land. D-Will wasn’t happy, the Jazz’s offense was terrible, Al Jefferson was overrated, Bell was on his last legs, the bench looked awful, Hayward was catching passes from D-Will that had an extra zip to them, and the Bear almost fell from a ladder in the home opener (yes, this did in fact happen.)

Then something crazy happened. In case you weren’t able to see last week I condensed all of last week’s games into one clip. Watch that and then come back. To paraphrase, the Jazz bandwagon has room for one more if you still haven’t caught Jazz fever.

Continue Reading…

In Case of the Mondays, NBA, Utah Jazz , , , , , ,
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