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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Take it to the Court: A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?

Jefferson —  November 12, 2010 — 4 Comments

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

In the preseason, Big Al Jefferson stated that he hoped to be the “Robin” to D-Will’s “Batman.”  As any kid who has spent time watching Saturday morning cartoons can attest, Robin was never Batman’s greatest teammate.  Recall that Batman teamed up with Superman, Wonder-woman, Aquaman – even Scooby Doo.  For all the arrogance of Ironman (née Tony Stark), his greatest allies were Thor, Captain America, and Nick Fury (to name a few).  Would the X-Men be as popular/successful as the X-man?  For all of Batman’s prowess in policing Gotham, he had greater impact and magnified his influence by teaming up with other superheroes.  So you ask, what do these comics have to do with the NBA?  Observe:

During this off-season, we all watched in abject horror (or amazement) as LeBron announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach. One of the best basketball talents of all time, ‘Bron essentially espoused the Batman model (or, as some may say, the Legion of Doom model) of teaming up with other superheros (Dwayne “don’t call me Flash” Wade & Chris Bosh) in order to chase his championship. As impressive as the Heat experiment has been in the opening weeks of the season, not all is right in south Florida.

As has been discussed ad nauseum (here and elsewhere), earlier this week, Paul Millsap exposed the weakness of Miami’s front-line (I’m looking at you Bosh).  The Jazz somehow overcame a HUGE deficit and 39 points from the basketball-player-formerly-known-as-Flash.  A fluke?  Perhaps.

But Miami’s other losses in the young season (two at the hands of the Boston Senior Citizens, and one to CP3 – the other best PG in the league) demonstrated just what is wrong with throwing a bunch of superstars together…a lack of chemistry.  Against the Hornets, Miami allowed CP3 to put up 19 dimes and 13 points – Okafor posted a double-double – three other players scored in double figures.  In two games against the Shamrocks, Miami has looked the part of the pretender – not the contender that was promised.  In an alpha-dog league, no one is quite sure where their place is in the Heat-pack.

When ‘Bron decided to go to Miami, many (myself included) thought him a coward for teaming up with his “Super Friends.”  What would this mean for the future of free agency?  Would Carmelo and CP3 make good on Paul’s toast to NYC and joining Amar’e with the Knicks?  Was parity in the NBA a thing of the past?  How could the Utahs and San Antonios of the league compete with the NY Yankee model being copied in the NBA  (hard cap)?  Perhaps the league could consolidate into 6-8 “super-teams,” and leave the “average” NBA talent in the D-League (and send the D-Leaguers off to find work in the “real world”).

In today’s megalithic NBA, superstar Free Agents have the ability to demand outlandish salaries.  Granted, the value of a dollar is the same for me as for LeBron James – but what can he buy with $125 million that he can’t buy for $115 million?  Really?  If you have the basketball talents of Kobe Bryant, LeBron, Dwayne (and to a lesser extent, Deron Williams), why not simply pick a home and have your similarly talented friends come play with you?  I’m sure games of H.O.R.S.E after Miami’s practice are much more spirited with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James going at it…I mean really, who wants to face off against Lazar Hayward in Minnesota when you could be playing the King just steps from the beach? Continue Reading…

In Blog, Free Agency, NBA, Opinion, Take it to the Court , , , , , , , ,
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Morning After Drill: Don’t Call It a Comeback.

Jeff Lind —  November 11, 2010 — 5 Comments

I’ll admit it… I didn’t think the Jazz would win this one. I knew they had the skill to beat Orlando, but after an improbable come-back in Miami, I didn’t really expect the Jazz to get back out there the following night and bring it against another Eastern Conference power. I was (gladly) wrong, and Jazz fans across the world are in a euphoric (and maybe confused) stupor today.

Here are some quick thoughts from last night’s victory in Orlando (set to LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”)…

Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

“I’ve been here for years.” Deron is amazing. At Miami he was spinning out of triple teams to feed Millsap, and in Orlando he was raising up silky smooth jumpers to seal the game. The man is playing out of his mind right now… distributing well, hitting the right shots at the right time, and just leading his team to hard-nosed, well fought victories. He knows that system, and fans are starting to see the ridiculous upside of this team as the other guys fall in line behind him.

“Mama Said Knock You Out:” Sloan preaches a pick & roll, open jumpshot, cut up the middle, lay-up drill, unrelenting system. People keep asking how the Jazz get back into these games, and “the system” is the answer. The flex allows a well executed offense to hang around through the inherent runs that NBA basketball produces. While iso/catch and shoot systems rely on low percentage shots falling, the flex relies on high percentage looks opening up. So far, Miami and Orlando (even the Clips) have had streaks of hot offense coupled with poor defense from the Jazz. These streaks create gaps in scoring, and make teams feel like they have control, but the flex is a lot like the tortoise in Aesop’s fables: It keeps moving at a methodical pace. As the Jazz’ defense warms up and opposing offenses flatten out, it’s the flex that keeps churning… eating away at leads, and eroding spreads.

“I’m gonna knock you out:” The Miami game was the worst thing that could have happened to the Orlando Magic. It gave the Jazz confidence in a compromising situation… even when they were down 18, they played like a team that knew it could get back in. They just came out, got to work, and showed Orlando what it was like to play Utah Jazz Basketball.

“Don’t you call this a regular jam.”  How about that wacky man-zone the Jazz played in the third? If anyone’s ever questioned Sloan’s ability to coach, they need to watch that game. Not only did Sloan know when to call the zone up, but the team knew exactly how to execute, and it confused the Magic. The Jazz allowed cutting players space to run around, but as soon as those cutters broke to the perimeter, they was covered. When the covered man passed into the interior, the defense swarmed. There were no open looks, no easy baskets, and Orlando couldn’t break the defense in time to regain the ground they’d lost.

“The man of the hour.” Millsap was an absolute stud. Again. It wasn’t a 46 point performance, and it didn’t need to be. Right now Mansap is leading the team in points (23.9), rebounds (10.1) and in steals (1.3).  I think a lot of Jazz fans thought that Millsap would produce similar numbers to Boozer, but not better. Well, so far he’s been a complete upgrade. It’s fantastic.

“Tower(s) of power.” Let’s talk centers for a second:

  • Al Jefferson was legit (21 points on 10-16 shooting, 8 rebounds, and a block).  He came out and showed that A) last night’s poor performance was a fluke, and B) that he could hang with the big-boy centers in the league.
  • Fesenko. How much more comfortable does Fes look this year? I actually get excited when he gets the ball. Williams has done a good job of creating high percentage (high confidence) shot opportunities, but he’s also showing marked improvement controlling his body around the basket (including his MUCH improved defense). Besides that, he dwarfed Dwight Howard on the floor. My mind can’t comprehend the thought of having a serviceable, strong 7+footer, so I’m not going to talk too much about it, but man… this could be pretty cool if he continues to develop.

“And I’m just gettin’ warm.” Right now, the Jazz are looking pretty tough. They’re letting other GOOD teams have it, and they’re winning in style. However, as the season continues, they can’t rely on teams letting off the gas once they have the lead and letting them back into the game. Teams like the Lakers, Boston, and a matured Heat aren’t always going to give opposing teams those kind of opportunities. The Jazz need to open strong, stay strong, and grind it out. That’s the kind of basketball Sloan wants and that will ultimately succeed in a seven game series… and the Jazz are showing great promises of things to come.

“Competition’s payin’ the price.” That’s been true on this road trip. Opposing teams have overlooked parts of this Jazz team and they’ve been embarrassed. No more overlooking, though.  If the Miami game didn’t do it, last night’s did… The Jazz are on people’s radar. You can’t go and sweep the Florida basketball scene on national TV two nights in a row and not raise some eyebrows. This is the moment the Jazz have been waiting for… time to seize it and prove that this is an elite team in the Western Conference.

In Al Jefferson, Deron Williams, NBA, Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz , , , , ,
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Jazz still hot after Heat win- Utah 104- Orlando 94

Chris —  November 11, 2010 — 1 Comment

STEPHEN M. DOWELL, ORLANDO SENTINEL

It has simultaneously been the best year to be a Jazz fan and the worst. Actually, it’s a pretty atypical year for Jazz fans. But after coming off a 116-114 OT win against the Miami Heat yesterday, even the most optimistic fans didn’t expect the Utah Jazz to pull off yet another upset against a star-studded team.

In fact, I was one of the scant 25% of people on ESPN 360 cheering for the Jazz. And by the end of the game, I was cheering loudly- at my TV.

The Jazz and the Magic started off exchanging the lead, with the Magic taking the lead 23-22 at the end of the first after a amazing buzzer-beater three from Vince Carter, who ended the night with 20 points- 12 from downtown.

The Jazz kept it close until the end of the second when the Magic scored 10 points in the last minute of the half. That’s when Orlando started rolling.

Coming out of the locker rooms, the Magic continued their dominance of the Jazz into the third quarter. Dwight Howard slapped a D Wills layup into the stands…again. The Magic rained threes, almost completely unprotected. They shored up a 18 point lead, 76-54, and then, for the second time in twenty four hours, the roles in Florida were reversed.

Over the next 5 minutes, the Jazz went on a 24-2 run to even up the score, and the Jazz wouldn’t let go. The Magic were handed their first home loss of the season losing 104-94.

The Jazz play in the Hawks in Atlanta, Friday (which you can watch on your xBox 360) and end their four-game road trip in Charlotte on Saturday.

Game Notes-
This is the third straight game that the Jazz have come back from 18 or more points to win.

In Uncategorized
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Too soon?

Jefferson —  November 11, 2010 — 5 Comments

Paul Millsap

In Paul Millsap
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Morning After Drill: From Here We Go Sublime.

Jeff Lind —  November 10, 2010 — 8 Comments

That Miami game was over. Done. The Jazz were down 8 with 29 seconds left in regulation. The long ball had been inconsistent all night, the Heat had four good free throw shooters on the floor, and one of the best Jazz players (Big Al) hadn’t touched the hardwood for (what seemed like) days. I was wrapping up my comments on the Daily Dime Live, taking a few (deserved) pot shots for things I had said during the Jazz’ 3rd and 4th quarter runs, and trying to figure out what we could learn from this loss. The game was done.

Then Millsap went Supernova.

Mansap!

46 points. 67.9% FG% (19-28). 100% 3PT% (3-3). 9 RB. 1 Ast. 1 Stl. 1 Blk. 1Tov.

Don’t know if the story needs to be retold (you can check it out here), but here are a few morning-after thoughts as I try and wrap my mind around this win:

Continue Reading…

In Al Jefferson, Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Raja Bell, Utah Jazz
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Game Preview: Jazz at Magic

Spencer Hall —  November 10, 2010 — Leave a comment

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Jazz at Magic, Game 1 of 2

November 10, 2010
ESPN / ESPN3.com / FSN Utah / 1320am

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Jazz Injury Update – 11/10 at Orlando

Raja Bell (strained left adductor) – gametime decision
Paul Millsap (bruised left hip) – probable
Deron Williams – (bruised left calf) – probable

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There’s no rest for the weary. After a spectacular come-from-behind overtime win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, the Jazz move upstate and take on the Orlando Magic tonight. It will be interesting to see what kind of energy the Jazz can bring. Certain starters (ahem, Al Jefferson) should be quite rested after sitting the entire fourth quarter and overtime. (It could also be argued that Jefferson was sitting the entire game, as his 2 points seem to suggest).

All eyes are on Paul Millsap tonight after his 46 point night on NBA TV. Tonight a national ESPN audience will get a chance to see what he can do against Dwight Howard and the Magic. I predict a sluggish start from the entire team, giving up a huge lead early, making a strong run in the third quarter after making halftime adjustments, clawing back into contention late in the fourth, and then sealing the game with long 3 pointers and passes from Ronnie Price to Francisco Elson.

Oh wait.

I’ll let the good people from ESPN Statistics give the preview. Hit the jump for more stats than you can shake a stick at:

Continue Reading…

In NBA, Utah Jazz ,
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Jazz 116 – Heat 114: THE GREATEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE

Spencer Hall —  November 10, 2010 — 1 Comment

Because it’s Hemingway-esque in brevity, clarity, and impact:

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Enjoy another recap or two while you bask in the afterglow:

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In NBA, Utah Jazz
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The undervalued Paul Millsap

K.Malphurs —  November 10, 2010 — 1 Comment

Copyright NBAE 2010 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Everyone made the same observation simultaneously: Paul Millsap took his talents to South Beach and hung 46 of the most dramatic points in Jazz history on the Miami Heat.

With 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter the Jazz were down eight points. You can watch what happened here.

Paul Millsap has consistently been underrated. Coming out of high school he was rated as the 130th best prospect. He proved that ranking wrong by leading the NCAA in rebounding for three consecutive years at Louisiana Tech. 

After a long, extremely productive college career was over (he did more than rebound), he might have expected to be drafted in the 1st round especially considering how *weak the talent was in the 2006 NBA draft. Instead, he was overlooked once again and fell to the 46th pick and the Utah Jazz. Before we give the Jazz too much credit, keep in mind that they passed on Millsap twice to take Ronnie Brewer (14th) and Dee Brown (46th). There is a long list of players taken before Millsap who haven’t come close to his levels of production.

*Check out the 2006 Nba draft to see the list of players taken before Millsap.

Let’s look at the top 5 picks in the 2006 draft. All five players were between 6-8 and 6-11 in height and all five players were forwards. Everyone except Adam Morrison just happened to play the power forward position that Millsap plays. In terms of NBA wins produced, below is the current ranking of those 5 picks:

  • LaMarcus Aldridge: 28.8 wins
  • Tyrus Thomas: 12.3 wins
  • Andrea Bargnani: 11.8 wins
  • Shelden Williams: 6.3 wins
  • Adam Morrison: -1.4 wins

Paul Millsap has produced 26.4 wins, which means he falls right below LaMarcus Aldridge in total wins produced. I would still take Millsap over Aldridge (even removing the salary difference) because Millsap has produced only 9% less wins despite Aldridge playing in 29% more minutes. Millsap is a better shooter (53% eFG% > 49%), rebounder (Total Rebound 16.3% > 13%) and has produced a higher WS/48 minutes every single year. And even with a fat new contract, Millsap has made half what Aldridge has made so far.

Millsap would go in the top 5 picks in any re-draft and  it really isn’t even that close. Still two of the top 5 players (Aldridge and Bargani) from that draft make more money than Millsap with a third (Thomas) being paid only $1M less.

Millsap has been extremely productive over his first four years of service to the Jazz and for that he has been paid $9.8M.  Millsap is finally getting paid, but in over his career his workman-like efforts have been a huge bargain. The Jazz paid less than $133K per win that Millsap produced in the first three years and with the huge bump in salary (an 864% raise) he was paid $900K per win (regular season and playoffs) last year. Over the first four years he was paid $395K per regular season win he produced for the Jazz. To give you some perspective Kobe Bryant was paid $1.8 for every win (regular season and playoffs) he produced for the Lakers last year.

In fact Millsap was the most cost effective of all of the Jazz regulars last year with one glaring exception. Wesley Matthews produced 5 wins over the course of the year, which considering he made only $457K means that his COW (Cost of Win) = $92K. Here are a few NBA players off the top of my mind to see how their COW compared to the Jazz players from last year.

The Jazz have Millsap locked up for the next three years at a very reasonable rate considering his age and production. The Jazz just have to play him more and they will start seeing one of the most productive players in the NBA. That is why it shouldn’t be too suprising that now that his minutes per game has increased to 37.4 this year his wins produced ranking is now 3rd in the league right after Pau Gasol and Chris Paul.

Always a fan favorite, Millsap may have taken the superstar leap with tonight’s performance in Miami. He’s worked in the background and had to watch other less talented players get the headlines. Always underrated, we finally got a chance to see Millsap  unleashed while properly rated. His 46 points were the most scored by a Jazz player since Karl Malone put 56 on the Warriors in 1998. Millsap has the potential to be as good as the last Jazz forward from Lousiana Tech.

I for one don’t want to be the next in a long line of people who have underestimated Paul Millsap.

In Blog, NBA, Utah Jazz , ,
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