Aloha, Hawaii: Utah Jazz Preseason Observations

Hawaii, you treated the Utah Jazz well. The team’s time in Paradise included a pair of nice preseason victories over the Los Angeles Lakers, the second being a dramatic overtime win in the wee hours of Wednesday morning....

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...

Training Camp, Alec Burks Interview, and Media Day Recap – Salt City Hoops Show

On this week’s episode of the Salt City Hoops Show, hosts Andy Larsen and Ben Dowsett break down everything we learned about the Jazz during the first week back before the team flies to Hawaii Friday. We talk about: The...

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...