The Big Podcast Episode 36: Utah Jazz Edition

Should Utah Sell High and Trade Carlos Boozer?

Here is an outline of what hosts Jake Stowell and Mark Welling talk about in this week's podcast.

• The problems the Jazz have had against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
• The log jam at the two guard position.
• The defensive problems of the Jazz.
• What the Jazz have to do to win on the road.
• Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul who is playing better?
• Should the Jazz trade Boozer now that his trade value has elevated?
• Matt Harpring doing Jazz broadcasts—good or bad?

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Utah Jazz First Quarter Report Card: Can The Jazz Be an Elite NBA Team?

The Jazz regular season is already a quarter done. It is time to pass out first quarter grades to Jazz players, coaches, and management.

Deron Williams—Williams is playing like an All-Star, again. It is hard to think that Williams has yet to go to an All-Star game in his career. From the initial balloting it appears that Williams won’t be starting in the All-Star game, but if he continues to plays at this level there will be no way to keep him off another team.

When the game is on the line you want the ball in the hands of Deron Williams. He has been able to take an important next step this season. This season Williams is able to take over games. He is able to put the Jazz on his back for long stretches of the game, and produce wins. This year’s team is Deron Williams’ team. The Jazz will only go as far as Williams is able to take them this season.

Grade—A+

Williams is the best player on the Jazz, and might be the best point guard in the NBA right now.

Wesley Matthews—The rookie who is playing like a veteran. This season Matthews has been able to plug holes, and defend bigger known NBA players. Since his insertion into the starting lineup the Jazz are 11-5.

Matthews is still a rookie and will make some serious rookie mistakes on the court. The difference is Matthews will recover and respond better to his mistakes compared to other rookies. He isn’t afraid to guard anyone in the league, and he is very good at doing the little things to help his teammates while he is on the court.

It is still amazing that Matthews went undrafted, and that he was basically gifted to the Jazz when they were in need of a steady two guard.

Grade—A-

He has exceeded every expectation placed upon him when the Jazz invited him to training camp. Yet, he is still a rookie, and he is still learning and making mistakes.

Ronnie Brewer—His new nickname really should be “Mr. Baseline.” Brewer is an artist in the Jazz offense at working the baseline and finishing around the hoop.

His defense has also improved this season which is a real surprise. Last season Brewer was able to increase his number of steal per game; however, Brewer struggled to stay on his feet and play physical defense against bigger players. This season Brewer is not only playing strong off the ball defense, but he is able to play physical defense and rebound the basketball.

The part of his game which is still lacking is consistency with his mid-to-long range jump shot. There were multiple times last season and this season when teams would simply dare Brewer to take shots.

Grade—B+

When Brewer’s game is going, the Jazz are very tough to beat. Yet, Brewer has the same holes in his game this season as last season. He lacks consistency from the free throw line and his outside jump shot.

Carlos Boozer—Boozer after a terrible start has now turned on beast mode. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week. He is averaging 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds a game. He is also shooting 54.9% from the field this season, which is over his career average.

He is doing everything on the court he can to not only get back in the good graces of Jazz fans, but also to ensure a big free agent contract at the end of the year.

While there has been some token gestures by both Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz front office it seems clear Carlos Boozer is on his way out of Utah at the end of the season. Carlos Boozer is going to want too much money, and the Utah Jazz simply can’t pay him to stay. Nor do the Jazz really want him to stay for that matter.

Utah has invested in Paul Millsap, and they are going to have a high lottery pick which they will most likely use on a young power forward.

This means that the best thing Utah can do is to start shopping around Carlos Boozer now that his trade value has increased. He is going to be an All-Star this season, and he is going to produce for whatever team he is on, because it is his contract year. This will be the best opportunity for the Jazz to move Boozer, and get equal value back for him.

If the Jazz were to move Boozer now it would give the team time to acclimate to the new player in the rotation.

The Jazz can be a very good team, this season, with Boozer on the roster; however, the Jazz could be a better team, in the long-term, if they were to get equal value for Boozer through a trade.

Grade—A

Like him or hate him Boozer is an All-Star this season, and he is one of the major reasons the Jazz were able to rebound from a slow start. Boozer is trying to prove he is an elite post player in the NBA this season. He really needs to stay healthy to prove to teams he can make it through an entire NBA season.

Mehmet Okur—Moneyman has been making it rain from beyond the three point line this season. Okur is shooting 42.9% from behind the arc this season, which is well above his career average. Yet, Okur’s minutes are down from where they are in the past.

Fewer minutes for Okur wouldn’t be surprising if he was still finishing games for the Jazz. Sloan has elected to not finish games with Okur and rather end the majority of the games this season with Millsap and Boozer on the court.

This is odd considering Okur’s attribute of being a big-time clutch shooter at the end of games. What is keeping Okur off the court for the Jazz is the fact that Boozer needs to be on the court. There has been a problem with the Jazz’s defense whenever both Okur and Boozer are on the court at the same time.

Both Okur and Boozer aren’t great defenders, but each can play well when they are surrounded with another good post defender (normally Kirilenko or Millsap). The problem is when both Okur and Boozer are on the court it is the same as giving the green light to teams to penetrate and score in the paint against the Jazz. Neither will rotate on defense, and both play defense too much with their hands and not enough with their feet. This means they will swipe at the ball, and that leads to teams scoring easy points from the free throw line.

With Boozer playing so well the past few weeks there really isn’t a reason for the Jazz to elect to finish with Okur at the end of games.

Okur’s season did get off to a rocky start when he injured himself on basically the first defensive play of the Jazz season trying to take a charge. Memo is such an iron horse of a player it is hard to tell exactly how those early nagging injuries have been affecting his play this season.

Grade—B

Memo is still hitting big shots for the Jazz, but he is still lacking the ability to play on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Paul Millsap—Millsap got paid in the offseason and it seems to be affecting his game. Millsap isn’t dogging it like many other NBA players after they receive big contracts; rather Millsap seems to be pushing himself too much during games.

Millsap has gotten off to a slow start this season because he has been pressing to prove on the court he is deserving of the new contract he received. The stat which is way down for Millsap is his rebounding. His ability to rebound the ball is what got him drafted, and got him a large contract from the Jazz.

As the seasons progressed and Millsap has relaxed his numbers have improved, although not to same level as last season.

Grade—B-

Millsap has been picking up dumb fouls and his rebounding numbers are down. Hopefully he will improve and return to form as the season progresses.

Andrei Kirilenko—Andrei got off to a great start at the beginning of this season. He started to hit his jump shot like the Andrei of old, and his over/under numbers are among the best on the Jazz.

What has plagued Andrei during his entire tenure with the Jazz continues this season. While he is one of the best players on the Jazz with the ball in his hands, he is also the worst player on the Jazz at taking ill-advised shots.

This Jeykll and Hyde mentality which Kirilenko has is one of the most frustrating things about being a Jazz fan. Kirilenko has the ability to control the game on both sides of the court without taking a shot. Yet, Kirilenko seems determined to play outside of the Jazz offense and defense at times.

Grade—B+

Andrei really did get off to a great start this season. He has been active and his shooting has improved. Injuries have hurt his chances to return to an All-Star level of play. It still remains to be seen if AK can play his active style of basketball and be effective with an injury. The simple fact still remains: The Jazz are a better team when Kirilenko is on the court.

CJ Miles—He came into this season in the best shape of his life. Then he was injured early in the pre-season. CJ even after the injury still looks to be in better shape this season compared to where he was last season. He looks more muscular, and he is able to play more physical defense.

CJ has a very good shot, but he hasn’t been able to bring a consistent shot to actual games. He has the ability to give the Jazz an instant spark of offense; however, he is just as likely to shot the Jazz out of a ballgame. Miles doesn’t seem to have the ability to pick the right time to shoot and stop shooting to help the team.

Miles has struggled with running the Jazz offense the entire time he has played in Utah. He doesn’t set good back screens, and he is stagnate when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. Miles will go to a spot on the floor and stay there waiting to get the ball. This season is more of the same lack of effort from CJ to do the little things to help the Jazz win.

Grade—Incomplete.

It is too early to give CJ a grade due to injuries. CJ does look to be improved from last year in the few games he has played this season.

Ronnie Price—This was the year that Ronnie Price had the inside track to the backup point guard position for the Jazz. Even before he injured his big toe things weren’t going well for Ronnie.

Price’s shooting percentage is way down this season. He is shooting 35.7% from the floor and 22.2% from beyond the three point arc. He struggled to get the Jazz into the offense when he was on the court.

With the way that Eric Maynor is playing it will be hard for Price to earn back his minutes at the backup point guard position.

Grade—C-

The way Price finished the season in the playoffs against the Lakers most likely bought him another year with the Jazz, but he isn’t taking advantage of that opportunity to find regular minutes in the Jazz’s lineup.

Eric Maynor—Maynor took over the back-up point guard position from Ronnie Price after Price’s toe injury. Maynor has shown signs of promise this season, but he has struggled with consistency this season.

He is a terrible three-point shooter(averaging 19%), and he really lacks a full grasp of the Jazz offense. What Maynor does well is pass the basketball. He has made some great passes this season, and he has been able to give good enough minutes in order for Williams to get some rest on the bench.

Maynor is still a rookie, and still makes some very dumb rookie level mistakes during games. Maynor looks to be a very good player in the NBA, and as he gets more minutes he will improve.

Grade—B-

He needs to learn that it is okay to pass the ball at the end of the quarter. Maynor also struggles to run the fastbreak. He is a good backup point guard and he has shown flashes of brilliance this season when given extended minutes.

Kyle Korver—A favorite of the ladies, Korver played in his first game of the season against the Timberwolves. He didn’t look like he was ready to be back on the court.

The downside of Korver has always been his defense. He has a problem staying in front of faster and bigger guards in the NBA. His shooting ability is what keeps him on the court. Yet, outside of his first year in Utah his shot has struggled.

Last season, Korver suffered from a wrist injury on his shooting hand which hurt his shooting percentage. This season he didn’t look much better in his first game back against Minnesota.

It is too early to give a grade to Korver, but with the emergence of Matthews and the play of Miles it will be hard for Korver to find minutes in the Jazz rotation.

Grade—Incomplete

Korver will need to regain his long range shooting prowess in order to find playing time this season.

Kyrylo Fesenko—Fes has now entered the “puppy zone.”

When you get a new puppy dog you are happy with everything it does. It doesn’t matter if the dog is yawning, scrunching its face, or flopping its ear around—you are just happy that the dog is doing anything. The puppy is cute, loveable, and full of potential.

Fesenko is the new puppy for the Jazz. Every time he walks onto the court you aren’t expecting much out of him, which means if Fesenko does anything while he is in the game it is a bonus. The arena seems to erupt when Fes does the littlest things, like rebound the basketball (for that matter even catch the basketball).

He is being graded on potential, and therefore is on a completely different grading scale.

Grade—A Gold Star

Fes has shown flashes of brilliance, but it will be interesting to see if the Jazz will invest in developing Fesenko in the long term.

Kosta Koufas—Yes, he is still on the team. What it takes for Koufas to get on the court is another story. If your team only has nine healthy players, and you can only get on the court in the last few minutes of a thirty point blowout, then you know your place on the team. That place, in the D-leauge.

Grade—D-league All-Star

Koufas is not ready to be in the NBA. In hindsight staying in college would have been the best thing for Koufas. He needs playing time to develop, but even that playing time might not be enough for him to find a permanent home in Utah.

Jerry Sloan/Coaching Staff—Sloan has managed to right the ship quite a number of times already this season. The Jazz got off to terrible start, and there were many who thought they would simply implode. Sloan was able to get players to buy back into his system, and once again soothe egos for the betterment of the team.

Injuries have plagued the Jazz already this season, but Sloan was able to find a rotation with a nine man roster to win key games. The Jazz are still in contention in the West, and they now have a full healthy roster.

Now that the Jazz are healthy Sloan faces another challenge. His bench seems to be filled with players of roughly the same talent level. Jerry has to find the right amounts of minutes to not only help the team win, but to please Jazz players desires to be on the court.

Getting players to accept their roles is a very difficult task for any coach in the NBA. How well Jerry gets certain Jazz players to accept a lesser role on the team will really make-or-break the Jazz season.

Grade—A-

Considering the state of the Jazz when the season started Sloan has proven himself once again a Hall of Fame coach. He needs to now get his players mentally tough enough to get up for game not only against big named teams, but to be prepared to play every single night. He also has to find a way to get the Jazz to win on the road.

Front Office—The Jazz stood firm during the summer against the media, opposing GMs, and Carlos Boozer’s demands. The reward for the Jazz is now they have a more marketable Boozer who is putting together a strong All-Star season.

The Jazz now have many options for how they can deal with Boozer, but most importantly the Jazz have all the leverage to make the decision which is best for the team.

So far you also have to give the front office high marks for handling of the past draft. Maynor looks to be a solid addition to the team. Plus, Matthews was a great find and addition to the Jazz as an undrafted rookie free agent.

There have been some real boneheaded moves by the Jazz management. The marketing department and the ticket sales division have brought inferior products to the Jazz fan base. As a result attendance at Jazz games is well below where the Jazz have averaged in the past.

The hiring of David Locke as the radio play-by-play voice continues to be a terrible move for helping to create interest in the team. Plus, it hurts the creation of new younger fans who simply won’t listen to the worst play-by-play call in the Utah sports market.

The elephant in the room still remains. The Jazz are over the luxury tax this season.

The Jazz are a small market team, and that means they have a limited amount of capital to spend on player contracts. To keep the Jazz in Utah, the Jazz simply cannot go over the luxury tax and be fiscally viable.

The salary cap will most likely decrease again next season. That means it will be increasing difficult for the Jazz to shed the money required to be a non-luxury tax paying team.

Grade—B-

Getting below the luxury tax is the most important task for the Jazz front office. As long as the Jazz are over the luxury tax threshold the front office isn’t doing their job.

Utah Jazz Overall—Watching the Jazz this season is like watching a person who is afraid to succeed. The Jazz have proven they can play with any team in the league.

The Jazz have beaten the Lakers, Magic, and Trailblazers. They have also won the season series against San Antonio for the first time since 1997.

Yet, the Jazz have also lost to Minnesota twice, Sacramento at home, and Oklahoma City at home. All games the Jazz simply cannot afford to lose if they want to compete in the Western Conference.

This lack of consistent play, and the poor play on the road, points to a lack of mental toughness on the Jazz.

The team continues to take steps towards looking like a Jerry Sloan coached team, but right now they don’t have the physical edge which has been associated with Jazz teams of the past.

Overall Grade—B

The Jazz seem to be at a critical junction in their season. A place where they could really step up their game and be an elite Western Conference team or slack off and be a team simply fighting to make the playoffs. How the Jazz play in the next quarter of the season will really set where the expectations should be for the post-season.

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Utah Jazz: Is It Time to Hit the Panic Button

If the Jazz continue to play poorly panic button talk will increase...

The Panic Button.

It seems that no matter how good a team is in the NBA there is a moment during the season that teams will think about pushing it. Every team has a different threshold that must be meet before pushing down hard on the button and thinking that the current season is a lost cause. Some like the Timber Wolves, Grizzles, and Thunder need to have the ball thrown up for the opening tip of the season. Others like the Clippers seem not to care enough to even find the panic button to push. The way that the current Jazz season has unfolded it might be time for the Jazz to start looking around for the panic button.

What does it mean to "hit the panic button?" It means that the current formulation and make-up of the team isn't working. That there needs to be some serious changes to the face of the franchise in order for it to take another step forward. In some cases this means taking quite a few steps back. The 76ers trading Allen Iverson to the Nuggets, or Shaq being traded from the Lakers to the Heat are two examples of teams taking a considerable number of steps back. Neither the 76ers or the Lakers received anything in return for their superstars, and both were far worse in the short term due to the deals. The Suns trading Marion for Shaq last season or the Harris for Kidd deal are examples of teams trying to trade a know commodity in hopes that an unknown piece will fit and take the team to the next level. in the case of both trades last year they proved poor decisions for the teams giving up known commodities.

The Jazz have problems.

Injuries to Kirilenko and Boozer have left the Jazz very thin for post players. Millsap and Okur have also been battling injuries all season, but have managed to stay on the court, for the most part. Yet, if either Millsap or Okur gets into foul trouble post-scoring comes to a grinding halt.

The Jazz have not been able to make defensive stops. This is a problem that started for the Jazz last season, and seemed to be resolved at the early stages of this season. The defense of the Jazz was the leading factor to the Jazz getting off to a quick start. Injuries, and lack of concentration have allowed other teams to put up big numbers against the Jazz, especially when the Jazz are on the road.

The Jazz need to make a decision about the current Jazz roster. Can these players that are currently on the roster take the Jazz to where they want to go, an NBA championship? If that answer is no, then it is time to hit the panic button and the Jazz need to start moving players. The time to make these moves are before the coming trade deadline.

If the Jazz do nothing they run the risk of not getting any value for the players that can opt out of the contract this season (Okur, Millsap, Korver, and Boozer). The Jazz organization is also saying that they think that once all the players on the current roster are healthy that they will be able to not only make the playoffs but win a championship.

The Jazz need to start playing better regardless of the injuries that they suffered. Yet, if the Jazz continue to play poorly then the front office of the Jazz will be looking at the panic button until the February 19th trade deadline. Each loss will put more pressure on O'Connor to push the button and make a big franchise altering deal.

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Weekend Links and Video

A comeback of all the stories and videos you need...

First an interesting article about the comeback of Andrei Kirilenko on SI.com:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_mannix/11/26/kirilenko.jazz/index.html

ESPN.com broke down a list of all free agents in the NBA for the 2009-10 season:http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-09-10

A great sight for statistics for the Utah Jazz:http://www.atsdatabase.com/Stats/NBA/Utah-Jazz-Basketball-Past-Results.html

An interesting interview of Kyle Whittingham on the Dan Patrick show:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/listenlive.player.html?file=http://ht.cdn.turner.com/si/danpatrick/audio/2008/11/26/DP-Kyle_Whittingham-11-26-08_Interview.mp3

Some Great Officiating Moments Videos:
Tony Romo Plays Official


Great Explinations By the Officals

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Quick Hits: Utah Football, BYU Football, Utah Jazz, and more...

I want to write more about these subjects, but school is killing me and I just don't have the time...

Deron Williams Returns

Before the season if you were to ask a Jazz fan what player the Jazz couldn't afford to lose, Deron Williams would be the first name mentioned. That makes the Jazz's 5-1 record in his absence even more amazing. Knight and Price filled in and gave the Jazz a great start to the season. Now with Williams returning it will be interesting to see how the Jazz transition. Last night both Knight and Price played the back-up role for Deron; however, it is becoming more clear that Knight is a better fit in the back-up position. Not to say that Price hasn't performed well, but Knight brings more to the Jazz attack. Williams had a quite night in his return. Deron had 7 points 9 assists and shot just 1-8 from the field. Although there wasn't any noticeable signs of limping, Deron appeared slower and less confident in his game. This should be little to worry about as Williams will play his way into a groove. The more interesting question will be how his ankle will hold up during the rest of the five game road trip. Williams played 31 minutes last night, and had to travel before their game tonight. How many minutes that Williams plays tonight will show the true health of his ankle.

Utah Football Under Attack From the National Media

The ACC, Big East, and PAC-10 are all really bad this year! Yet, the national media continues to try and force feed college football fans the company line that there is a significant difference between the BCS conferences and the non-BCS conferences. Why are they doing this? Unless something drastic happens both the WAC, MAC, and Mountain West Conference will have their champions ranked higher than the ACC, and Big East Champ. The major conferences don't want people thinking, how is it far that a North Carolina or Wake Forest is getting into a BCS bowl and an undefeated Utah/Boise State isn't getting in? If people were thinking about this then it would go further to expose the BCS as a joke.

The strategy that the national media is taking is to attack the University of Utah. This due to the fact that they are the strongest of the non-BCS schools. Claiming that they played in a weaker conference, and a weaker non-conference schedule compared to the champions of BCS conferences. Such a claim is unfounded and wrong. Just compare Utah's schedule to USC. USC might not even win their own conference, thanks to a loss to Oregon State. The same Oregon State team that the Utes beat at home the week following the Beavers beating the Trojans. So if the media is going to tell us how great the Trojans are this year, then the Utes need to be ranked above them and get more attention. Yet, doesn't USC play a tougher conference schedule compared to the Utes? NO, the Mountain West Conference is 6-1 against the PAC-10 with many of these wins coming from the lower level teams in the conference. Also the PAC-10 has just ONE, yes ONE team currently in the top 25 of the BCS rankings. That is compared to the three teams that the Mountain West Conference currently has ranked. On paper, and since there is no playoff that is all you can go on, Utah should be ranked above USC. If that is the case then any national media member would also rank North Carolina, or South Florida well below USC.

Not having the Utes ranked higher, and getting more respect insults the intellect of college football fans.

BYU Still Has a Shot at the BCS

With the Utes beating TCU the table is set for BYU to play themselves into the BCS picture. No one is talking about this possibility, because people assume it is far fetched; however, it is more probable than people realize. Here is what has to happen:

1 - BYU wins out. This would include beating Utah which would be a top ten team, and that would propel them up in the polls/help their BCS computer ranking. Also this will keep a one lose BYU team ahead of a undefeated Ball State.

2- Boise State loses a game. Boise State hasn't looked dominate all season and end the season against Nevada on the road and Fresno State.

3 - BYU doesn't get leap-frogged by the Big East/ACC/PAC-10 Champion(right now Oregon State is leading). If BYU finishes ranked ahead of any of these teams they earn the automatic birth.

It isn't an easy path, and BYU doesn't control their own destiny; however, the scenario is more likely than people want to admit. (Although the scenario of going to the Poinsettia Bowl is more likely)

Andrei Kirilenko Making the Jazz Go

Kirilenko has been creating an instant spark off the bench for the Utah Jazz, and it appears that Sloan's "Bring AK off the bench experiment" is succeeding. Kirilenko has the highest over/under rating in the NBA, and AK and Millsap are the over/under combo as well in the NBA. (http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus.jsp) Besides AK providing a statistical advantage for Utah, he is also providing leadership and defensive toughness. The Jazz will now need consistency from Kirilenko as the season goes on if they hope to make a charge for the title.

What Happens to Boozer At the End of Games?

Since last year's playoffs Boozer has turned into a terrible clutch player. Boozer ranks 17th in turnovers per game among forwards. Yet, I can't prove this but he seems to lead the league in turnovers in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. Boozer has seemed to press, and force passes at the end of games trying to make something happen. Instead of using the offensive set to create a scoring opportunity. Boozer has been a workhorse for the Jazz in the early part of the season, but if Boozer wants to be the closer for the Jazz he needs to be smarter with the basketball.

A Cool Site For Jazz Stats

http://www.atsdatabase.com/Stats/NBA/Utah-Jazz-Basketball-Past-Results.html

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Jazz Preview: Five Questions About This Season

The season has not started, but there are still questions surrounding this year's Jazz squad...

The 2008-09 season is finally beginning. The Jazz will be without Deron Williams to start the season, but that looks to be a short term arrangement for Utah; as Deron should return to the starting line up shortly. On paper the 2008-09 Jazz team looks very good, but there are still some serious questions surrounding this season. List here are the top five question that will be answered by the Jazz this season:

#5: How are Boozer, Memo, Millsap, and Korver going to handle the contract year?

If you want to be technical about it, Millsap is the only player on the list that is in a contract year. The other three players(Boozer, Memo, and Korver) all have option that they can exercise to make themselves free agents. Yet, everyone really knows that there is little to no reasons for any of them to stay in their current contracts. They are all going to opt out at the end of the season, and they should all receive pay increases for their services next season. Now what needs to be seen is how these players who are in a contract year will respond. The Jazz offense is all about passing the ball to the open man, and getting high percentage shots. The offense breaks down when players are trying to take shots outside of the offense to pad their stats.

Boozer got short chained by playing for the Olympic team. He was downgraded to no more than a human victory cigar, playing only when the game was firmly in hand for the United States. Boozer could try to send a message to the league that he is better than what he showed during the Olympics. That could lead to Boozer becoming more of a black hole on offense looking for his own shot. That would hurt the numbers of Memo and Korver, both of whom get many of their shots by Boozer passing them the ball out of the low post. Typically having a player in a contract year is good, because the player is looking to play their best ball; however, having four players in contract years could lead to problems of players putting their personal interests above the interests of the team.

#4: Can the Jazz stay healthy?

Last year the Jazz were fairly lucky with the injuries that the players sustained. Deron Williams' injury in the early part of the playoffs did slow him down, but didn't hamper the Jazz in their efforts to make it out of the first round.  Kirlenko and Boozer have both proven that their bodies aren't able to hold up to the rigors of an 82 game season. The question isn't if they will go down, but how much time they will miss this season.

Deron Williams starting the season injured isn't a good sign. It is important that the Jazz keep Williams off the court until he is healed. It is better to be cautious and struggle to start the season than to have Williams with a lingering injury for months. Matt Harpring is a huge question mark this season due to his injury. Harpring may never have played healthy since coming to the Jazz. His knees have always bothered him, and limited his minutes; however, the knee injuries have expanded to the rest of his legs. His ankles and feet are starting to go out. Plus, last season's mystery disease that caused Harpring to miss multiple games could rise again and give him problems this season. For the Jazz to be successful this season they need to stay healthy.

#3: What will change this season with Larry Miller stepping down and his son Greg taking over the team?

Greg Miller might have more of an impact on the Jazz during the off season. Yet, Larry H. Miller has always had impact on the Jazz during the season. He was always there to give a bode of confidence to Jerry Sloan, always siding with him over any player. Larry would always say five or six really stupid comments during the season that would cause some sort of falling out with a Jazz player. Larry was always the face of the Jazz crowd, sitting in his normal court side seat. Plus, will we still get the emotional speeches from Larry, when he will break down due to his deep love for _______. (You can really insert anything there. His wife, the crowd, D-Will, his weird bump on his elbow.) Seeing how Greg interacts with the team will be very interesting to see this season.

#2: Will Andrei Kirilenko come of the bench the entire season?

AK is already getting some early votes for sixth man of the year. Sloan seems to have like the way that Kirilenko played coming off the bench, and will start the season using AK as the sixth man. The real question is whether Andrei will continue to keep his emotions/ego in check and fully commit to the role of coming off the bench. It almost seems too perfect for Andrei to fill that role. Kirilenko plays much better with Boozer off the court. AK gets more touches on offense, and he doesn't have to pick up fouls covering Boozer's defensive weakness.

Harpring is the other element that could complicate AK coming off the bench. Whose minutes do you take away and give to Harpring? Miles has played well since being inserted into the starting lineup, and AK's minutes have been cut with him coming off the bench. You could play Kirilenko at the same time as Harpring; however, that would limit the offense of the Jazz and most likely take away minutes from another player(Most likely Millsap). On paper the move of having Kirilenko come off the bench looks really good, but the move does have the danger of killing team chemistry.

#1: How far can the 2008-09 Jazz go?

Likely, this is the last year that the core players of this team will be together. Last year this team made it to the second round and were eliminated by the Lakers, the year before to the Western Conference Finals losing to the Spurs. Just how far can the 2008-09 team go?

A NBA title has to be the goal of the team this year. Anything besides winning it all would be a disappointment. The Jazz added very little from last year's team, but they are relying on the players they have whom are young improving this season. The Jazz don't expect another disappearing act by Boozer in the playoffs. The Jazz are also relying on the fact that many of the core players are improved from last season. This year's Jazz team already looks like they will be in better shape than last year's Jazz team.

Memo, Brewer, Williams, and Miles all look like they dedicated themselves in the off-season and improved their physical conditioning. Okur is the best example of the conditioning change. He appears to have dropped a lot of weight and added muscle. Okur has especially added upper body muscle.

This is the most talented team on paper that the Jazz has ever had. This might be the last chance for this team to win a title due to contracts. It is all or nothing this year.

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Quick Hits: Utah Jazz, BYU Football, Utah State Football, MLB Playoffs, and More...

A quick look at many sports stories...

Could Andrei Kirilenko work? - Maybe.  It will all depend on AK's attitude.  Something that is very hard to judge until you see how Andrei plays on the court.  If AK doesn't feel like he is being snub by the move to the bench, then you might be looking at the sixth man of the year award winner.  Sure it stings a little to have your highest paid players be coming off the bench, but look at Manu Ginobili to see what AK could become.  The Spurs, like the Jazz, run a set offense that is based around the pick and roll.  Tim Duncan needs to be feed the ball early to get his game going, just like Carlos Boozer on the Jazz.  The problem in the past with AK has come with getting him touches early in the game.  Bringing him off the bench would solve that problem.  When Manu enters the game for the Spurs the post has normally been established, and the Spurs are looking to expand their offense.  That would be the same principle applied to AK and the Jazz.  It would be easier to get AK involved later in the first quarter keeping him happy.  A happy AK, is a great AK.  The Jazz struggled last season when Deron left the floor.  AK would be a stabilizing influence on the court with the younger/newer back-up point guards the Jazz have.  AK also plays well with Millsap, with both of them being active play makers that create instant offensive opportunities.  AK would also be playing more with Korver than Brewer.  That would help open up the Jazz offense.  Last season teams would pack their defenses into the paint knowing that neither Brewer or AK would beat them from the outside.  Korver being on the court would make the other team more honest, and AK would make-up for Korver's lack of defensive abilities.  Having AK come off the bench makes a lot of sense; however, it all hinges on Sloan selling AK on the idea.

BYU's defense yet to face a solid quarterback - This Saturday BYU face the New Mexico Lobos, and another quarterback that is sub-par.  New Mexico's quarterback Brad Gruner has yet to throw for more than 100 yard in a game.  His high came against Tulsa with 98 yards.  He has just 55 yards against New Mexico State, and 33 yards passing against Wyoming. Gruner doesn't look to be a quarterback that will challenge the secondary of the Cougars.  The poor level of opposing quarterbacks has made it is hard to judge just how good/bad BYU's defense is at this point in the season.  Sure, you could make a valid argument that Jake Locker is a good football player, and he was the quarterback of Washington.  Yet, Locker isn't a good quarterback, he is a good athlete.  His athleticism is what gave BYU problems.  IF Jake Locker had been able to complete a pass BYU's defense would have been in real trouble.  Looking ahead TCU's quarterback is not a great passer, and BYU's first real test will come against UNLV's Omar Clayton.  How much a test Clayton will be is debatable, but the Mountain West Conference is not a quarterback strong conference this season.  

Will Utah State carry away the momentum from the end of the BYU game - If the Aggies played the way they did in the fourth quarter against BYU every game, then they could compete with any team that they have left on their schedule.  It will be important for the Aggies to play well against San Jose State this weekend.  The Spartans are the first major non-ranked conference opponent that the Aggies face this season.  (Lets face it Idaho is not good at all. UNLV was a non-conference)Borel showed that he has the ability to move the Aggies' offense, and the defense proved they are able to get key stops against a good offense.  The Aggies are 1-4 right now, but they aren't going to be a cellar dweller in the WAC.  Winning on the road at a tough place to play (San Jose State's field is the worst kept field in all of college football.  It might be easier to play a football game in three feet of mud, because that is normally less mud than there is on San Jose State's field.) would help the Aggies going forward.

Time to jump on the Rays' bandwagon - As a Mets fan I find only one team left to rout for in the playoffs.  The Tampa Bay Rays.  Red Sox have won too much lately (which is a big difference from my Mets).  The Phillies are a divisional rival (I don't get people that cheer on teams inside their favorite teams division, after their team has been eliminated.  I hope the Phillies crash and burn!).  Their is too much history between the Dodgers and Mets to hope they win it all (Although I am hoping they destroy the Phillies and make it to the series).  The Rays are fun to watch, they are young, and the franchise has never done anything in the past.  Plus, I don't feel the guilt with jumping on the bandwagon, because if you watched a Rays' home game this season they had about 10-20 loyal fans in the stadium.  The rest of the people at the game were cheering for the other team.  All their fans are bandwagon fans!  It is cool because it is like seeing a fan base being born.  Go Rays!!!

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Utah Jazz 2007-08 MVP

Making a case for every player on the Jazz and their importance to the team...

The MVP debate has been heating up as the end of the regular season is nearing. The national media has narrowed it down to four players. Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Chris Paul. While arguments can be made for any of these players to be the MVP of the league(although the arguments for Chris Paul are really shaky, and don't make much sense) it looks like the MVP award will be a tough call. This leads back to the definition of the MVP? Is it suppose to determine the best player numbers/talent wise or is it the player that meant the most to the team? Everyone has their own opinion about the definition, and it doesn't look like David Stern or anyone in the NBA front office is going to define the meaning any time soon.

For Jazz fans the debate over who was the MVP of the team during the Stockton/Malone era has revolved around this question. Malone had talent coming out of his ears and carried the team, but in the clutch the ball needed to be in the hands of Stockton to get the team over the top. On the current Jazz squad their is an abundance of talent, but who is the team MVP for this year? Here is a case for everyone on the Jazz roster. (In no particular order)

Jason Hart - Well...he is still alive, and suppose to be a really nice guy. Not MVP material. (Side note: If someone invented a time machine and was offering trips back to change the past don't you think that Hart would be first in line to talk himself out of leaving the Clippers? He is again buried behind Price on the bench like he was at Sacramento, and Cassell did nothing for the Clippers the entire season right up to the point that he left for Boston. I am pretty sure that situation would suit him better then the situation he is currently in.)

Morris Almond - He is the team MVP!!! If you are talking about the Utah Flash. The D-league Kobe has little chances of getting any playing time with the Jazz, but if he doesn't win the D-league MVP something is very wrong.

Kyrylo Fesenko - Fes is a fan favorite. He is a more lovable version of Greg Ostertag. Also he appears to have the desire to improve himself. As long as he doesn't get a cartoon character tattooed on his calf he is in good shape for the future, but has little chance of capturing the MVP for the Jazz this year.

Jarron Collins - He can still draw a charge.

Ronnie Price - Energy! Energy! Energy! When he comes into the game for the Jazz, the tempo of the game changes. He is running up the court with the ball and getting the team into the offense. He has been the spark to at least two Jazz victories this season. Also, since Price earn the back up position the Jazz are 26-8(.764) as compared to 22-18(.550) before the move was made. That is a very big swing in winning percentage. Good spark guy, team MVP?...No.

C.J. Miles - He has kept himself ready for any playing time that Sloan has given him. His game has grown huge amount since last year, and he could be competing with Brewer for most improved player on the team. He is still stuck behind Korver and Brewer for playing time, and he hasn't proven he can maintain his effort game-in-game-out. Future bright, team MVP?...not even close.

Paul Millsap - Here is a case of misconception among fans. Many fans have complained this year about the lack of play from Millsap. Yet, Millsap has improved in every statistical category from last year. The shock comes from the lack of increase from last season. After watching Millsap's play in the playoffs and the Rocky Mountain Review people were projecting a monster year from him. His game is improved, but he is no longer catching teams by surprise this year. He still has room to grow, but he is not the team MVP.

Matt Harpring - The lack of playing time due to his injury hurt the Jazz earlier in the season. Yet, with the emergence of young talent behind him his role on the Jazz has become less crucial. He is still a key to the Jazz success, but not the team MVP.

Andrei Kirilenko - It is obvious that AK is much happier with his role on the Jazz this year as compared to a year ago. He has shown the brilliance that made the Jazz sign him to the max money deal, but those moments this season has been rare. He has the ability to take over the game on both sides of the ball, but his intensity night-in-night-out has visibly wavered at times. It is frustrating to think of the player he could be for the Jazz if his ego wasn't involved. He is a BIG key to how far the Jazz make it in the playoffs, but not team MVP critical.

Ronnie Brewer - His role on the Jazz this year has been downplayed on all fronts. Mostly his athletic defensive ability. This was seen in the loss to the Timberwolves. He was the only one on the court, due to other injuries on the team, that could slow down the speedy back court of the T-Wolves. The ability of the Jazz to have a defensive presence on the perimeter has allowed AK to help on the inside. Also the ability of Brewer to finish around the basket opens up the offense around him. His stats are decent, but it is the little things that makes him valuable to the team. Team MVP? Nope.

Kyle Korver - Chicks dig the long ball! He is the MCP - Most Crushed on Player by both women and men. On the court his impact was felt the moment he arrived in Utah. The threat of him on the three point line forces teams out of zone defenses. He is a key, but not the team MVP.

Mehmet Okur - Memo has a huge impact on the Jazz. The Jazz are 4-6 when he is out of the line up. He is the most underrated player this year for the Jazz. His defense, while at times is lacking, is much improved compared to last season. He has also expanded the ways which he can score. Teams can no longer send a smaller perimeter player out to guard against the three, because of the ability Memo has now to dribble and pass the ball.

Carlos Boozer - He was the only All-Star and sadly the only sure member of the Jazz on Team USA on the Jazz. He is the guy that has carried the bulk of the Jazz scoring this season, and is the leading rebounder. Yet, Boozer has a glaring hole in his game DEFENSE! Calling Boozer a sub par defender would be a compliment of which he is undeserving. He is slow to cut off his own man, and never rotates to help.

Deron Williams - Who is the guy you don't want to see injured? D-Will. Deron is the only Jazz player that can create his own shot on a consistent bases. He is also the backbone to the Jazz offensive rhythm. If he is not hitting on all cylinders than the Jazz will struggle. He is a great shooter, but his pass first mentality makes everyone on the floor better. He also puts the team above his own quest for numbers. There have been times this season Deron has asked for Price to get more minutes because he is playing well. That is something you don't see from a top player in today's diva filled NBA. Although Booz, AK, and Memo are important they are expendable in the big picture in comparison to Deron.

If there was a vote for team MVP the ballot this year should read:
1) Deron Williams
2) Carlos Boozer
3) Mehmet Okur/Andrei Kirilenko

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Utah Jazz: Odd Treatment of Andrei Kirilenko's Injury

Treatment of Kirilenko's Injury involves a rickshaw, low quality X-Ray machine, Trip to Bountiful, and a wheel chair...

It was dirty. There is a fine line between hard and dirty, Dirk Nowitzki crossed that line last night when he took Andrei's head off. That might not have been his intentions but that is what came out of his actions. He should be suspended. The act wasn't the only strange event last night. The treatment of AK after the injury was just as bizarre.

The treatment of AK, by the Jazz, after the injury was comical. After being hit by Nowitzki he is rolling around on the ground. There is NO retaliation by the Jazz players. NO one is being restrained by Jazz coaches. Sloan isn't fired up as he usually is after a dirty foul. After the game NO one is calling out Dirk. The lack of team heart is one of the problems with the 07-08 Jazz, and it was evident in the Jazz's reaction. It would have been good for team unity for someone to either send a message to Dirk during the game. (Not a head hunter type foul that would injure him, but a good hard foul at least) At least call him out after the game. Even Sloan, someone who doesn't shy away from these types of issues, side stepped the question after the game saying he wasn't watching the play when it happened. Sloan not watching a break away layup right in front of the bench? Not likely. The Jazz did send a message loud and clear. Go ahead and bully us, because we won't fight back. That is the attitude that let the Mavericks back into the game last night, and will get the Jazz into trouble in future games.

After rolling around on the ground, with no response from a teammate or coach to the foul, AK knocks down two free throws. Considering the circumstances, this was no small feet. He then limps off the court looking relatively well. Until a camera near the locker room shows AK visibly limping, with very little support given by the Jazz training staff to him. What does it take for him to get some help walking?? Does he need to rip off his own leg and carry it in his arms before someone would support him? Yet, he makes it to the locker room and Jazz nation is sure he is in good hands.

Then reports come, (very late I might add, KJZZ wasn't hustling to get any info on the air) that the X-ray machine isn't strong enough to take a hip X-ray. In order to get an X-ray they need to take him to a local hospital. This is something that would normally get a pass, but this same situation happened last year with Dee Brown in the playoffs. The machine was strong enough to take X-rays of the chest and neck. So....what's the point of having an X-ray machine that isn't strong enough to take X-rays? Larry H. Miller needs to protect his investment and get some decent medical equipment.

So, needing to a more powerful X-ray machine AK is wheeled out of the Energy Solutions Arena. (I know I have refused to use this name, but I have to get used to it sometime) Only he isn't carted out in a golf cart, not even a wheelchair, a RICKSHAW. Yes, a RICKSHAW. Not only a novelty tourist gimmick, but the transportation mode of choice by the Utah Jazz medical staff for injured players. It wasn't even a productive rickshaw. The rickshaw required two members of the medical staff to move, and they had to walked hunch over to balance it out. That is the best medical equipment the Jazz can afford?

AK is then rushed to a local hospital in Bountiful. This seemed strange last night considering the medical options available much closer to Energy Solutions Arena. (LDS, U of U, the new regional hospital at 5400 South...etc) Yet, one the specialties of Lakeview Hospital, in Bountiful, are hip fractures. (Here is the Lakeview link explaining more about hip injuries http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=b696f142-edf4-4d7f-a7ba-dc89ceee0ace&chunkiid=11786&siteid=41ff706c-df58-11d3-ad19-00508b91a0dd&url=http://www.lakeviewhospital.com/) Thus, explaining AK's further journey last night. The X-Rays came back negative, thankfully, but AK did have a MRI schedule today for precautionary reasons. (The Lakeview site reveal many hip injuries are missed by a traditional X-ray)

AK then returns to the arena, finally being wheeled in a wheelchair. Larry H. Miller must have seen the rickshaw and sent someone to buy a real wheelchair. A obvious move to try and save face, so that ESPN wouldn't run the awkward rickshaw video for a solid news cycle. (Larry trying to nip the old fashion vibe Utah gets. Something a RICKSHAW implies. The only thing worse would have been a horse and buggy.) Hopefully, the first order of business for the Utah Jazz today was ordering a medical golf cart, as seen in the NFL. It is shocking that all arenas aren't required to have one. (That and decent floor mops. Normal towels don't get it done.)

Gary Briggs is a great trainer, yet the treatment of AK, after his injury, was laughable. It boggles the mind that Larry H. Miller would spend so much money on these star players, and not have the best medical treatment money can on hand at the games. It seems like a common sense decision. It is time for an upgrade. Open the wallet and make it happen Larry.

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