Alec Burks

On Alec Burks’ Injury, Recovery, and Return to the Utah Jazz

No season-ending surgery is ever optimal for an athlete, but the timing for Alec Burks last year was especially rotten. Missing 55 games in your age-23 season is one thing; hitting the sidelines permanently just weeks before a...

Playoffs Pessimism and the Plexiglass Principle

Last year’s Jazz team improved by 13 games, from 25 wins to 38. Given that the Jazz’ core players are young and improving, most fans are projecting a significantly better record for the coming season — enough to land...

The Wild, Wild West

It’s been said ad nauseam: the Western Conference is wild. Teams at the top are oftentimes separated from the teams as the bottom by only a few games in the postseason picture. Playoff seeds are shuffled so frequently that...

5 on 5: Pre-Preseason Propaganda

1. What was your biggest takeaway from Jazz media day? Aaron Hefner: To me, the biggest takeaway was that while the front office is optimistic about the point guard situation, they are being pragmatic about the possibility of...

Jimbo’s Mailbag – Media Day Secrets

Q: I loved your introduction to the Jazz dancers. Could you introduce us to a few members of the Jazz Dunk Team? @Mikeyvp Wow! Thanks for reading the mailbag! That’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed getting to know the Jazz...

Playing With the Pass: A Key for the Utah Jazz

When Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder was hired in the summer of 2014, one of the points of emphasis that was consistently mentioned was his desire to see his team “play with the pass.” A focus on a pass-heavy system...

Dunc’d On Podcast: Nate Duncan and Ben Dowsett Preview the Jazz

Salt City Hoops associate editor Ben Dowsett joined Nate Duncan, writer for The Cauldron and Nylon Calculus, on his latest episode of the Dunc’d On Basketball Podcast. Nate and Ben began by discussing the various injury...

The Boys are Back in Town: Notes from Jazz Media Day

In an environment typically associated with phrases like “new beginnings” and “fresh starts,” Utah Jazz Media Day had a bit of a different central theme: Continuity. The mantra was evident from the start, with team...

The Return Of Alec Burks

It is almost time, ladies and gentlemen. Basketball season is upon us, with the Jazz traveling to Hawaii to begin their preseason schedule and end the long wait for hoops. With the season nigh, ESPN’s Marc Stein released...

Jimbo’s Mailbag – What I’d Do for a Jazz Championship

Q: Give me a list of things you would do if it would guarantee a Utah Jazz NBA championship? @SCampbellSBN I LOVE this question. In fact, if I love this question so much that I would leave a bunch of grapes on its front porch...