Archives For Deron Williams

Two Questions for the Front Office

Jeff Lind —  March 30, 2011 — 4 Comments

I don’t know how I missed this article the first time around (apparently need to update my reader), but NBA Confidential did a pretty awesome post on How Deron Williams Could Have Gone to New York Instead of New Jersey. It was linked in the TrueHoop bullets yesterday, and a lot of what was written struck a nerve. Not from an “I disagree with this” standpoint, but more from a perspective of disbelief.

Just when I’m coming to terms with this whole disaster that is the Utah Jazz’ 2011 season, Sam Amick (the blog’s author) has a Q&A with Kevin O’Conner that raises more questions for me than provides answers. Here are two questions that I would ask O’Conner after reading this article:

Jim Urquhart / AP

Question 1) How do the Jazz let Sloan walk KNOWING that you’re trying to trade D-Will?

Some quick facts:

Amick asks when O’Conner started strategically looking at the D-Will trade, and O’Conner says, “I’ve been looking at it for a while.” A while? A WHILE? something doesn’t add up here. If you’ve known that you’re going to trade Williams for “a while,” how do justify letting Jerry Sloan walk? I know you say that you tried to talk him into staying (the morning after the true firing/quiting altercation began), but Sloan left because there was some kind of irreconcilable difference between he and the organization. It’s my belief that a large part of that differences was regarding Sloan and Williams’ rocky  relationship. I’m not saying that either party was right or wrong, but it’s pretty clear that the point of friction in the departure was Williams and Sloan. It came to a point where one or the other had to go because the couldn’t coexist. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Jazz fans, and I’m not saying that you can’t lose one… at that point, you probably HAD to lose one of them, HOWEVER, you can’t lose both of these pieces in the same year. If you were going to get rid of Sloan, then keep Williams. If you’re going to get rid of Williams, then keep Sloan. This town may not be big enough for the both of them, but it was certainly big enough for one or the other.

O’Conner claimed to have been in the market for trading Williams for “a while” yet he still lost Jerry Sloan over it. At worst there was some scheming here by the Jazz GM to oust both of these personalities, and at best the situation was grossly mismanaged.

Question 2) When you decide to trade your all-star, shouldn’t YOU be making the calls?

Amick asks O’Conner why other execs felt slighted by their lack of knowledge on the Williams trade, and O’Conner says “Anybody who called me I talked to them about it.” Okay, that’s great, but how much calling did O’Conner do himself? He makes it sound as if he just watched Denver do its shopping and then took the second best deal left when all dust had settled. I don’t hate the trade (especially with how poorly the Nets and Jazz have ended up playing), but this exchange makes me wonder if O’Conner could, in fact, have done better. I’m not the GM of any franchise, but I know that if I’m trying to sell something of value, I want as broad an audience as possible. Especially if the item I’m selling is one of a kind. Instead, the Jazz went into stealth mode and took the scraps from a division rivals’ broken process.

I’m excited for the future of the Jazz. I like the pieces we have, and I like the opportunity that this draft presents, but I’d like our chances a lot more if I felt comfortable with the leadership of the front office. The frustrating thing is that I DID trust them until this Sloan ordeal went down. The Williams trade, while not horrible, has just added fuel to that fire of skepticism. I want to believe in this franchise, but when I read articles like this and watch a season with so much promise go up in flames, it makes that difficult.

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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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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.

In Blog, NBA, Utah Jazz , , ,
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Is C.J. Miles the key to the Jazz season?

K.Malphurs —  December 3, 2010 — 8 Comments

C.J. Milesis not going to be the best player on this Jazz team.  At best I think he could be the 5th best player behind Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Andrei Kirilenko.  That, however, doesn’t mean that Miles isn’t the key to a season where the Jazz (hopefully) make the jump from good to great.  Why is a player who isn’t even a starter, or one of the best players, possibly the key to the Jazz season?

AP Photo

In trying to answer the above questions lets look at the Jazz lineup more closely.  Right now the Jazz have two below-average shooting guards in Miles and the starter Raja Bell.  Neither are particularly good shooters (32%-33% from 3 and less than 42% from the field for both of them), and neither stand out as above-average in any statistical category.  They both have less than average WS/48 (average = 0.10) with Bell coming in at 0.062 and Miles only slightly higher at 0.072.  It isn’t really that big of a surprise to see that the Jazz production by position has the shooting guard position as a -4.9 PER compared to their opponent.  The fault on this lies on primarily with Bell and Miles since they play the majority of the Jazz minutes there.

The shooting guard position isn’t a team strength, so let’s do a little more analysis and compare the two players who play there most.  Bell is a better shooter this year and overall from the line, the field and from three.  Miles is more athletic and thus has a higher rebounding %, steal % and block %.  He also has a higher assist % (12.1 compared to 6.3).  Still they aren’t too different when you compare the individual stats with Miles coming out only barely ahead. However, when you compare the team stats it is a completely different story.  The +/- when Miles is on the court is +133, while Bell is -48.  The team’s win percentage when Miles is on the court is 82.4% compared to Bell who comes in at 43.8% (check out some of the stats from 82games.com to see the differences in the play of the Jazz when both players are on the court).

For a little more clarity lets compare the Jazz starting lineup (Williams, Bell, Kirilenko, Millsap, Jefferson) with the starting lineup when Miles replaces Bell.  These are the top two lineups that Coach Sloan has used this year.  In 331.9 minutes the starting lineup has been outscored by 23 points.  They score on average 1.02 points per possession and give up 1.07 points per possession.  When Miles replaces Bell, the team (in only 62.3 minutes) has outscored the opponents by 51 points.  They score on average 1.36 points per possession (.34 points more) and give up 0.94 points per possession (0.13 less) to their opponents.  All it took for the Jazz to go from an average team to the 1996 Chicago Bulls is substituting Bell for Miles.  Now before anyone writes this let me stress that all of this is based on a small sample size, which could mean that everything changes.  Also, I recognize it just might mean that Bell is facing tough competition (the starting shooting guard) while Miles gets to play against the backups.  I know both of those things, but you can’t ignore numbers like that.

Now if both players really aren’t that different why do the Jazz play so much better with Miles ?  Here are a few theories:

  1. Miles is a better defender- This is probably the most plausible explanation.  Miles is taller, quicker and just from watching the games looks to be much better on defense.  Opponents are shooting an eFG% of 37% when Miles replaces Bell in the starting lineup.  With Bell the starting lineup gives up 45% shooting.
  2. Miles shoots the ball- One of my main problems with watching Bell is that he doesn’t do anything.  It isn’t like he is playing poorly, but sometimes it would be nice if the shooting guard actually shot the ball.  He seems to be content passing the ball around the wing and doesn’t look for this shot nearly as much as Miles.  The numbers reflect this.  Bell’s usage rating is the 3rd lowest on the team at 14.4%.  Miles, on the other hand, is second behind Deron Williams with a usage rating of 26.7%.    Miles is 4th in field goal attempts despite being 6th in minutes.  Bell is 6th in field goal attempts despite being 5th in minutes. My theory is that defenses have to respect the threat of Miles shooting the ball (even if he isn’t an above average shooter) more so than Bell and that opens up the offense.  With extra spacing it gives Millsap and Jefferson a chance to dominate inside.  The defenses seem to collapse and guard the paint more with Bell on the court.
  3. He shoots the ball more from close range – Miles shoots 23% of his shots from close range compared to only 9% for Bell.  This has two advantages.  One it it is easier to shoot from up close (Bell makes 70% while Miles makes 61%).  The second one is that while I can’t proof this I think Miles moves more without the ball than Bell.  It seems to me that Bell stands outside the three point line and is strictly a catch and shoot player.  Miles is a little bit more dynamic and that movement is something that is critical to Coach Sloan’s offense.

The season is only 20 games in and the Jazz are playing great.  A 15-5 record makes me rethink my intial forecast of 50 wins and as a Jazz fan I have no problem with being wrong by guessing too low.  Part of the reason for the Jazz record has to be C.J. Miles.   Looking at those +/- numbers makes me think that Miles is really lucky, good or both.  Let’s hope for both and that despite pedestrian raw numbers there is some magic to the way Miles plays that allows the Jazz to continue their strong play with him on the court.  Overall I think that he is the key to the Jazz season.

In CJ Miles, Raja Bell, Uncategorized , ,
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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.

-  -

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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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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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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Division Previews: Milwaukee Bucks, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Mychal —  October 19, 2010 — 2 Comments
In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Fear the Deer

Key Matchups

D-Will vs Young Buck

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

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

Advantage – Jazz

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advantage – Milwaukee.

High Notes | Low Notes

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

History

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

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

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

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

Player/Coach Notes

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

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

Outlook

Fear the Deer.

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

Watch out for this team.

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

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

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

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

Follow Mychal on twitter.  (@My_Lo)

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