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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Matt Harpring's Work On Utah Jazz Broadcasts a Holiday Gift For NBA Fans

Matt Harpring's playing career appears to be over, but hopefully his broadcasting career has just begun...

It is tough to see Matt Harpring back at Jazz games, but not on the court. Harpring after announcing his quasi-retirement (he announced he will not return this season and indicated that he would be unlikely to return in the future, but he has not made his retirement official) has now come to Utah to join the Jazz broadcast.

Harpring sat in on the television broadcast with Ron Boone and Craig Bolerjack for the Jazz game against the Spurs. He also plans on being a part of either the radio or television broadcasts for the remainder of the week.

As I watched the television broadcast before the Spurs game, I commented with my wife about how Harpring still looks to be in great playing shape. It would appear that Harpring really did give everything he had to try and get back on the court for the Jazz this season.

That hard work and commitment to training is really what made Harpring such a likable Sloan style player. When Harpring came into the game you knew exactly the type of play he was going to bring to the court. He was going to knock players around, play physical, and do the little things which win basketball games.

These attributes of Harpring made him loved inside the Jazz organization; however, other teams aren’t exactly sad that they no longer have to face him on the court. Players knew when they were facing the Jazz that Harpring was going to really knock them around the entire game. Other teams won’t miss the bumps and bruises they would have received from Harpring’s aggressive style of play.

The other thing which I noticed about Harpring is how he was improving the Jazz broadcast. Matt’s insights into the game were really on the mark the entire night.

Before the game Harpring joined the pregame show to walk through different plays the Spurs like to run against the Jazz. While this segment was not new to the Jazz pre-game show, Harpring was able to give more clarity to the segment and insights.

He highlighted before the broadcast the ability of the Spurs’ Matt Bonner to be a Jazz killer. He walked through the play the Spurs liked to run to Bonner to get him open for three point looks against the Jazz, Harpring also explained why it was important for the Jazz to close out on Bonner and not allow him to set his feet when he shot the ball.

Throughout the broadcast the Spurs would run the exact play Harpring outlined before the broadcast, and he would point out with great accuracy when the play was beginning to develop. He was also spot-on about Bonner’s ability to shot the ball better when his feet were set, as opposed to taking a shot on the move.

Along with the insight Harpring would give, not only on Bonner but the strategies of the Jazz, he brought a real excitement to the broadcast. An excitement which can sometimes be lacking among sports broadcasters. Just by listening to Harpring one can tell he has a genuine love for the game of basketball, and that love of the game is passed forward through his commentary.

Matt Harpring has the knowledge and the passion for basketball to be a great broadcaster; however his most important attribute is his ability to be well spoken.

When you listen to Matt Harpring he is able to make an intelligent well thought out point, and he is able to make his point during the flow of a broadcast. This ability to be well spoken really separates the good commentators from the great commentators. What is even more impressive is Harpring is able to be well spoken about what is actually happening in the game, as opposed to other commentators who view broadcasts as an opportunity to shot the breeze, with a game happening to be going on in the background.

Too often players who are likeable or who are a good interviews do radio shows or broadcasting and really are quite terrible. Case-in-point—The Deron Williams Show versus The Ronnie Brewer Show. Deron Williams is well spoken in post game interviews, and seems to have an interesting personality. Yet, Williams’ short lived train wreck of a weekly radio show with David Locke proved some people don’t have the ability to have a long well spoken conversation (Although he was really at a disadvantage dealing with wind-bag David Locke to begin with). Ronnie Brewer on the other hand had a similar weekly radio show with Gordan Monson and Kevin Graham. Brewer’s show is very compelling radio—why? He is a good conversationalist. He is able to string words his words together to make interesting points.

Harpring has that same conversationalist ability and he brought that ability to the Jazz broadcast against the Spurs.

Was he perfect on the broadcast? No. He was looking into the wrong cameras from time to time, and he would talk over Bolerjack or Boone at different times. Those problems seemed to be more lack of experience as compared to lack of talent. Even with his miscues he was still the bright spot on the broadcast for the Jazz.

He still is under contract for the Jazz this season, and it would be a shame if the Jazz missed out on the opportunity to make Harpring a fixture on the Jazz’s broadcasts.

The Jazz would much rather have Matt Harpring on the court helping them to win games, but they should at least have him do what he can to help the Jazz broadcasts. If Harpring brings the same work ethic to the broadcasts he did to the court, then he should be quite a success.

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Jerry Sloan is Set to Lead the Jazz For His 22nd Season; Why Has He Been Successful?

Why has Jerry Sloan succeeded in Utah?

It has always been interesting to me to hear people call for the firing of Jerry Sloan.

Some say he is too old. Others say that he doesn’t know how to manage players’ minutes on the court. Another popular argument is he won’t play rookies. All of these arguments seem odd, and off target to me.

Yet, this vocal group of Jazz fans is waiting for the day when Sloan will retire, and a new coach will take over the team. The logic of these fans is simply any change will be good change for the Jazz.

He is a coaching legend, now a Hall of Fame coach, and it is shocking that he has never won the Coach of the Year award.

Sloan isn’t perfect, but what coach ever has been? Sloan does have a resume to backup why the Jazz keep him around.

In 21 seasons as head coach of the Jazz, he has led the Jazz to the playoffs in all but three of them. Sloan has only has a single losing season with the Jazz since taking over in 1989. He also orchestrated the rebuilding of the Jazz after Stockton and Malone left.

It is clears that his strengths greatly outweigh his weaknesses.

Here is a top five reasons Jazz fans should like the way Sloan runs the Jazz.

Jerry Sloan has an offensive system.

Watching other teams around the NBA is eye opening to see the importance of having an offensive system.

All teams technically have some form of an offense, most being a motion based offense without any set plays. Normally these offenses turn into nothing more than guys playing one-on-five. Players will just sit in the corner waiting for their turn to try and create something off the dribble -- instead of screening and moving away from the ball.

Not having a system also creates discord on any team. If you ever heard Matt Harpring describe playing with Allen Iverson, then you know the bitterness Harpring had playing on a non-system team. Players on the 76ers were told to give the AI the ball and get out of the way.

The system Sloan uses elevates players to play beyond their skill level. Why? It is built around getting open looks around the rim; dunks and lay-ups. His system will make any player look good who will move without the ball.

It amazes me how often other teams, most of which are perennial losers, will wonder how Jerry Sloan has been so successful? Sloan found a system which will win basketball games, and he has stuck to the principles of that system his entire coaching career.

Sloan Intimidates NBA Officials.

Sloan once compared the NBA to WWE wrestling. His point being the known wrestlers will get the preferred treatment. In the NBA you need to have a rep to get the calls.

Young players will struggle to get calls for years. Sloan is able to use his experience in the league to help his players get calls now.

Some members of the Jazz, mainly Deron Williams, are just starting to get some calls; however, they would be getting far fewer if not for Sloan.

Coach Sloan has always told his players to go about playing, and leave the arguing with the officials to Sloan.

The intensity which Sloan uses going after officials has rubbed some officials the wrong way. Steve Javey and Joey Crawford are good examples of this fact (Both officials are known for showing up popular players and coaches).

Overall, Jerry’s ability to terrify officials gives a decided advantage to the Jazz. Officials will think twice about making certain calls and facing the wrath of Sloan. Jerry has also been so hard on officials over the years he is able to push the line further on criticizing the officials.

If a player plays hard, then Jerry Sloan will reward that player.

It doesn’t matter how much money a player makes, or his credentials before coming to the Jazz, if they work hard they will play. He will play the best players, regardless of what is going on off the court. Sloan is about winning.

Jerry Sloan’s ability to let the best players play; helps players shine when they normally wouldn’t get a chance.

Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley, and Paul Millsap are a few examples of players who worked hard and were given a chance. Sloan allowed these players to showcase their talents.

Sometimes, Sloan does get over zealous with making players prove themselves before earning playing time. Using Deron Williams as a backup point guard for the first half of his rookie season was perhaps a bad move.

Sloan is usually on target when he evaluates talent. If you were to name the players who succeed on other teams after failing to produce under Jerry the list is very small. Jerry wants to make players better.

Jerry isn’t trying to be BIGGER than his players.

He doesn’t care about awards, he doesn’t care about accolades, and he doesn’t look for an interview.

Sloan’s Hall of Fame induction speech looked very awkward. Jerry didn’t want to be giving the speech, and he was not trying to hide the fact that he hated every minute the attention of the audience was focused on him.

He freely gives credit to the players when they win, and takes blame in loses. He has admitted that his job is to make the players look good, and to have them succeed. Even when hitting large milestones he plays off his accomplishments.

After his 1,000th victory as a head coach, the crowd at the Energy Solutions Arena stood chanting Jerry’s name. How did Sloan react?

Sloan gave a slight wave that could have been mistaken for him swatting away a fly, and walked off the court. When asked about the accomplishment by the media, he side stepped the question calling the attention on him silly.

He knows that basketball is a player’s game. He has always placed the attention win or loss on his players.

Sloan still has a passion for the game and a competitive fire to win.

There is not a single night you have to ask if Sloan cares about winning the game. He does everything in his power to try to get every ounce of effort out of his players.

He tries to keep his players on an even keel. He doesn’t let them get to high after a win, or to low after a loss. He will go after an official for a bad call whether the Jazz are up or down by thirty points.

Jazz fans don’t have to worry about Sloan taking a Pat Riley like leave of absence during the season. Jerry Sloan’s teams come to play every night. That attitude comes from the top.

The pairing of Jerry Sloan and Utah Jazz has been very successful for both sides. The only thing both the Jazz and Sloan still want is an NBA title.

Jerry Sloan probably won’t win the Coach of the Year award again this year. The thing is he won’t care either way. The only thing Sloan wants to win this season is an NBA title.

Sloan is a link to the past glory of the NBA. The way Sloan is able to run a team is a dying art. There are few coaches left in the NBA who are able to establish a “my way or the highway” philosophy.

The vocal opposition of Jazz fans against Jerry Sloan will probably look back at the Sloan era with nostalgia if the Jazz become the typical small market NBA team. Small market teams do not win consistently in the NBA.

I have to believe the one major difference between the Jazz and the rest of league is Jerry Sloan.

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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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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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The Wife's Outburst: Annoying Commercials

A look back at last year's NBA playoff coverage...

With the start of the new basketball season, I thought I would pay homage to the playoffs. Every year during the NBA playoffs on TNT, you see a Saving Grace or Closer commercial every commercial break. Annoying!!! Seeing that many commercials in a 3 hour time period does not make me want to watch this show. In fact I avoid it at all costs. I can't stand it. When it is shoved down our throats, why would I want to see it. I feel like I have already seen a season by watching all the commercials. Sometimes TNT will even show both tv trailers in one commercial break.

Saving Grace


The Closer


To end on a happy note, TNT does know how to have a good commentating crew on Inside the NBA.  They have a good groove going on.  It is a nice change of pace from the annoying commercials.

Charles and the Ring of Fire

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The Wife's Outburst: The NBA Draft

Today is the NBA draft and many sports lovers will be glued to the television tonight to see who their favorite team will draft. How many surprises do you think we will see? For the last month, the sports analysts have been constantly projecting who will go to which team. They seem to be saying the same thing everyday. There is nothing new about their analysis. Then suddenly, a team makes a move and it is Christmas for the analysts.

Now, while I was on my honeymoon, the NBA Draft was on. Before we could go out that night, my husband had to see who the Jazz were going to take. (FYI: This was the year the Jazz took Deron Williams.) I was like, "Come on, you can see who was drafted later!" So now I know when the NBA draft is because it always comes a few days after my anniversary.

I really don't care for the draft. You have to sit for 10 minutes, listening to the analysts break down who has been taken and who is still on the board. I say just get on the Internet the next morning and see the results. The anticipation is not that great. So you can all guess what I will be watching tonight...

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Quick Hits: Jazz Lose to Spurs, NBA Playoffs, NHL, and More...

Last night may have been the best loss of the season for the Jazz...

It seemed a very unfavorable time to take a break from writing on the Blog for the last few days; however, my wife had her Wisdom Teeth pulled and I have been taking care of her. That has really cut into my blogging time. She is doing much better now, and so I am now able to touch some topics I would have liked to have written a full entry on.

The Spurs Flexed Their Muscle Against the Jazz Last Night -- Wow! The Spurs shut down everything that the Jazz were trying to accomplish last night. Sure Deron Williams wasn't going at a hundred percent, but he was completely useless last night. Parker made him look terrible for the entire first half. Yet, it was nothing in comparison to the egg that Boozer laid last night. Letting Tim Duncan go coast-to-coast, was just another highlight on the Defense-by-Boozer highlight real. Though, his offense might have actually been worse last night. He was passing on wide open shots. He wasn't going to the rim. When he would get the ball in good position under the hoop, it seemed he would panic and try to outlet the ball to the outside as fast as he possibly could. His lack of an inside game caused multiple turnovers which the Spurs capitalized on. The Spurs were better at every position last night.

The Good News The Jazz Avoid the Spurs in the First Round--Before the game yesterday, the Jazz fans seemed to be ingesting large amounts of liquid courage. With this courage they were calling for the Jazz to play the Spurs in the first round. Forgotten were the Western Conference Finals of last year or the fact that 1999 was the last year the Jazz won a game in San Antonio. Forgotten, that the Jazz have NO answer for Manu Ginoboli. All of that didn't matter because the Jazz were playing far better basketball over the last five game than the Spurs. The game last night was a giant wake-up-call to Jazz Nation...THE SPURS OWN UTAH! That fact makes the loss last night bearable. With a win the Jazz would have been facing the Spurs in the first round, a very challenging match-up against a veteran team. Instead, the Jazz face the Rockets and Tracy (My hands influence the course of the universe, but I can't get out of the first round) McGrady.

The Greatest Fear All Jazz Fans Should Have Right Now!--How injured is Deron Williams? After Carmelo Anthony took Deron to the ground, Deron has been playing awful. The game against Houston was the first indication that Jazz fans should worry. Bobby Jackson...YES...Bobby Jackson gave Deron Williams problems the entire game. One could have made an argument that this one game was a abnormality, but Parker's schooling of Williams last night proved he is more injured than he is letting on. Why is this a HUGE problem? Deron Williams is everything for the Jazz. Take away Williams and Boozer and Okur become very average players. No one can create their own shot on the Jazz besides Williams. No one can create shots for other people, if Williams isn't orchestrating the offense. Take away Williams and the Jazz wouldn't even be sniffing the playoffs this or any season with the current lineup.

NBA Officiating in the Playoffs -- One more quick thought on the NBA Playoffs. I think it will be interesting to see one year removed from a major officiating scandal how the NBA will deal with the "Star Treatment" that has been present in the playoffs since Jordan. The series that will point out if this is an issue for the NBA is the Wizard Vs. Cavs. This is the third year in a row that these two teams have faced each other in the first round of the playoffs. The past two the Cleveland LeBrons have narrowly won the series, thanks in large part to suspect officiating. If this continues for a third season, the NBA might have a much larger officiating problem than the scandal of last year. This will be an interesting unspoken subplot in that series to keep an eye on.

NHL Playoffs -- Yes, the NHL playoffs are going on right now. This could be shocking to most people considering they get the same exposure as the Mountain West Conference. The shame of the non-exposure for the NHL is the fact that they now have an enjoyable product to watch. I can't name a single player on Detriot's or Nashville's roster; however, it was very enjoyable to watch their game last night between commercials of the Jazz-Spurs. The new rule changes make the game more open, and more athletic. There are players now that have serious talent. Crosby on the Penguins is really amazing. If you have a minute and Versus, you might want to think about giving the NHL Playoffs a look in from time to time.

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