Jazz vs. Spurs Preview

That second picture is Wes Matthews, Sr. getting choked by Xavier McDaniel.

If the Jazz sweep the season series from the Spurs tonight, can you call the season a success? The Jazz finally got a win in San Antonio earlier this year after going 0-13 in the AT&T Center (and probably getting poor cellphone reception, too). Somehow the Jazz are outscoring the Spurs in the paint by nearly 20 points a game. This season has certainly had it’s ups and downs, but beating the Spurs has been one of the most enjoyable “ups.”

Tonight’s game will also feature Dick Vitale doing color commentary for the ESPN broadcast. It’s only his second NBA broadcast since marrying the college game in 1984. What’s the opposite of a diaper dandy?

The Numbers:

• Here’s how you quantify the surprisingly great play of Wesley Matthews: Among all players who have accumulated at least 200 offensive plays this season, Matthews ranks as the best individual offensive player on the Jazz (ranks 44^th in the NBA). Matthews scores at a rate of 1.02 points per play.
• Mehmet Okur is an underrated defensive player – at least this season. Among all players who have accumulated at least 200 defensive plays this season, Okur ranks as the 5^th-best individual defender in the NBA. Okur allows opponents to score at a rate of only 0.74 points per play. Who knew?

(Information courtesy of Peter D. Newmann, NBA Statistics and Information Research at ESPN.)