The Jazz Losing Might Actually Be Good for the Playoffs

Facing the Lakers in the first round might be the best match-up for the Jazz...

It looks like the Jazz will be a low seed in the playoffs, and that might not be a bad thing for the Utah Jazz. The goal for the franchise, the players, the coaching staff, and the fan base this season was to win an NBA title. Anything less than an NBA title, and the season should be considered a waste. It is far-fetched to think that the Jazz team, as it is presently constituted, will be back next season. There are just too many free agents, and not enough money to bring everyone back. The 2008-09 season was the season that the Jazz needed to capitalize on the talent on their roster. In the Western Conference there are two teams standing in the way of the Jazz reaching the finals. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are the gatekeepers to the finals.

For the Jazz to reach the finals they must go through one, if not both the Lakers and Spurs. If the Jazz want to win an NBA title, then they should try and play the Lakers when they are the weakest. That time will be in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers have the top spot in the West locked up. Yet, they are still trying to secure the top spot throughout the entire league. Currently the Lakers are a game behind Cleveland in the standings, and they still have some difficult games on their schedule. The Lakers face three playoff teams in their final six games. Outside of San Antonio and Boston, the Cavaliers have a easier schedule. This means if the Lakers want home court advantage in the NBA Finals they will have to play until the last game of the season. The Lakers will not be rested going into the first round of the playoffs.

The Jazz also face the Lakers in the last game of the season. Meaning that if they are the eight seed in the Western Conference, they will play three straight away games, at Los Angeles. Utah isn't a great road team, they just don't play well away from Salt Lake City. Yet, it is very difficult to hold home court when any team is forced to play three straight games at home. (If you doubt this look at the record of teams in the NBA finals since going to a 2-3-2 format. The lower seed has only held home court twice since the start of the 2-3-2 format in 1985. The Detroit Pistons in 2004 and the Miami Heat in 2006.) The Jazz will need to try and steal one away from the Lakers on the road. There might not be a better chance of stealing a game then in the first round of the playoffs.

The team facing the Lakers in the first round will also have the advantage of not facing Andrew Bynum at full strength. Bynum will still be trying to come back from injury. One thing that all Jazz fans should know from this season is just how hard it is for teams to gel instantly after a player comes back from injury. The Jazz are still trying to figure out how to play with each other on the court. The unfamiliarity that the Lakers will have with each other on the court in the first round will create an advantage for their opponent. Setting up another chance for a road team to steal a road game in Los Angeles.

Facing the Lakers in the first round will also guarantee that if the Jazz wouldn't have to face the San Antonio Spurs until the Western Conference Finals. Other Western Conference teams match-up better with the Spurs, and the Spurs have shown that they aren't the dominate team that they have been in the past. Although, they have still shown that they dominate the Utah Jazz. If the Jazz were forced to chose between facing the Lakers or the Spurs in the playoffs, then the Jazz would be forced to admit that they match-up better and have a better history when they face the Lakers.

The Lakers will also be stronger in the Western Conference Finals. Bynum will be healthy, they will have figured out how to play with the Bynum on the court. The losses that the Jazz have suffered has raised the chances that they will have the eighth seed in the playoffs. Losing might have given the Jazz their best shot at getting past the Lakers and fulfilling their goal of getting to the NBA finals.

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The Wife's Outburst: How to have a successful NBA Finals Party

For those of you planning an NBA Finals party, and need a little help, look no further. This is your party planning HQ!

Things you will need:
1. Food
2. Decorations
3. Activities for those who get bored watching sports
4. Big TV (TiVO is preferred, but optional)

Food:
The best thing to have is easy to eat foods.
1. Hot Wings
2. Chips and Salsa or Bean dip
3. Pizza
4. Sandwiches
5. Hot dogs
6. Drinks (A wide variety is nice)
7. Egg rolls

Decorations:
Depending on who you are cheering for will depend on the colors you will use to decorate with. If you are Laker fans use purple and yellow. If you are Celtics fans use green. However if you don't really care who wins use all three colors (but your guest may wonder if they came to a Mardi Gras party).

1. Balloons
2. Table cloths
3. Streamers
4. Hats
5. Team memorabilia
6. Sweatbands for people to feel just like the players!!
7. Mini basketballs


Activities:
Some people may get bored watching sports on TV and so they many need something to fill the time with. Here are a few fun ideas for time killers.

1. Sports Party Bingo--http://sportspartybingo.com/
2. Modified Basketball--Shoot hoops with a clean garbage can, or laundry basket
(one for each team). Mark and "X" on the ground or floor where the players will stand. Each team will have their own "Hoop" and "X". They try to get as many baskets within a designated period of time as they can by taking turns. Form a line. the first player shoots then goes to the back of the line. The next player shoots and so on.
3. Print out some sports activity pages--
http://partysupplieshut.com/sports/sports-word-find.htm

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Utah Jazz: Panic Versus Hope

The Officials have been far too visible during the Jazz/Lakers series, but that isn't the only element of the series that has been obvious during the series...

It happened. The Lakers got the calls to go their way at home. Was that really shocking to anyone who was watching the game? The extent that the calls went against the Jazz was a little shocking, but nothing that wasn't seen in both game 1 and 2 of the series. In game 5 there were many fouls that left one speechless.

Harpring tries to take a charge, and takes a man-sized hit from Pau Gasol...No call (The official has to make a call on that play. It doesn't matter if it is a charge or a block, a call had to be made). Andrei Kirilenko being called for a foul away from the ball when Sasha Vujacic dribbles it off of his foot, and the official isn't even looking at the play. Boozer being called for a foul while trailing Odom all the way to the basket. Memo getting pushed in the back on two consecutive trips down the court, allowing Gasol to get offensive rebounds and ice the game.

These calls were game altering in nature. Officials miss calls, it just happens. When an official misses a call it is okay for the most part. Why? They will miss some going for you, and some going against you. Overall, things will even out in the end. Yet, the officiating last night was horrid. They would allow contact on one end, and call it tight on the other. With it being understood that the officiating was against the Jazz last night, the Jazz still had a chance to win the game. They were within striking distance the entire second half. The Jazz just couldn't get the lead.

There are some facts that have been glaring through out the series. With each one you could take a positive/hopeful view of the fact or a negative/Panic view.

Fact: Boozer is having an awful playoffs.

Panic: The Jazz can't win without Boozer. Deron could carry the Jazz during the Houston series, but he can't get it done by himself against the Lakers. If Boozer doesn't show up Okur/Kirilenko don't have the consistency offensively to help the Jazz.

Hope: Kirilenko is having a great playoffs. He is making up the difference offensively for Boozer. Okur hasn't shown up every game, but he has shown up for most of them. When Okur does show up to the games he takes the ball inside, making up for the lack of interior scoring from Boozer. All the Jazz need to win is an average game from Boozer, and the Jazz could dominate if Boozer returned to his performance level during the playoffs last year.

Fact: Odom has looked like an All-Star during this series.

Panic: Boozer and Okur can't stop Odom, he is having his way in the series. It is too late in the season for Boozer or Okur to transform in the series. Odom gives the Lakers the second scoring option they need to beat the Jazz. If the Jazz can't stop Kobe or Odom then the series is over.

Hope: Odom has had big games, but the Jazz have still been in the games(With the exceptions of game 1 and 2). The Jazz have yet to put together a full game. If the Jazz put together a game, Odom could go off and the Jazz would be able to handle it just fine.

Fact: Derek Fisher is the X-factor in the series

Panic: Derek Fisher has been able to take Deron Williams out of his game. The physical play of Fisher, and the double teams of the Lakers defense has seemed to puzzle Deron throughout the series. Derek Fisher has also hit the big shots when it mattered. When Derek Fisher is on the court the Lakers seem to win.

Hope: If the series comes down to a Derek Fisher three pointer to win, how do you feel? If you are a Jazz fan then you should feel really good. It means that you are making someone else on the Lakers besides Kobe beat you. Deron Williams has been able to adapt to what Fisher has been doing on defense. All Jazz fans should remember Derek Fisher is streaky, he will win a game for you one night and lose it the next.

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The Wife's Outburst: Dreadful performance by Boozer

After watching the game last night I had 3 comments:

1. The Jazz were playing like cowards.
I noticed the Lakers were playing with their heads held high (yes, maybe that was mostly becasue they knew they could do anything and not get a call). When the Jazz players would walk down the court, it was like they were moping and dragging their feet. The is the Spurs series of last year. This is the series the Jazz are playing as if they know they won't make it out.

2. The refs were handing the game to the Lakers on a silver platter.
Even though Kobe won and was presented the MVP award last night, they did not need to throw the game. The Lakers shot 43 free throws because the Jazz "touched" them. Whenever the Jazz would try to do something and the Lakers would commit a foul right in front of the refs and they wouldn't make any calls.

3. Carlos Boozer needs to step it up or pack his bags.
He only shot 30% last night. He only had 10 points. During game one: only shot 43% and had 15 points. This type of play does not win games. Boozer is our All-Star; however, he is not playing like one. What is his problem? If the Jazz lose this series because of Boozer's crapy and non-existent play, the Jazz must trade him. I am sad to say, but he has got to go if he doesn't care about Jazz basketball.

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Utah Jazz: Projecting the Second Round

Reviewing the first round predictions, and predicting the second round...

The first round of the playoffs were good. The Western Conference races were great. The Eastern Conference races were BORING! All four of the series in the second round should be very entertaining. (Hopefully in the Eastern Conference)

My Record in the first round:
5 out of 8 (OUCH!!! Not a great first round record)

Here is the second round predictions:

Western Conference
#1 LA Lakers Vs. #4 Utah Jazz
Series Enjoyability Rating:1st of 4 (Best series to watch in round 2)

Story Lines: How will the Jazz stop Kobe? How will the Lakers stop Utah's inside game? Fisher's return to Utah in the playoffs.

Prediction: Jazz in 6. Kobe is a beast! Kobe is the best player in the NBA today. The Jazz don't have anyone on the team that can match-up with Kobe. He is too fast for Kirilenko, and he is to strong for Brewer. Yet, the Lakers don't have a single person that can stop Boozer if he would just take it to the hoop. Once the Jazz have enough time to put together a game plan then they should take control of this series. The first two games will make all of the differences in the series. The Jazz really need to pick up one of the first two on the road. They don't want to be going into game seven in Los Angeles facing elimination. It would also be hard for the Jazz to win four game in a row at any time in the series. Kobe has the ability to win this series for the Lakers, but I don't think that they have all the pieces to beat the Jazz in a series.

#2 New Orleans Hornets Vs. #3 San Antonio Spurs
Series Enjoyability Rating:2nd of 4

Story Lines: Will Chris Paul continue his dream run in the playoffs? Can Ginobili carry the team for an entire series?

Prediction: Hornets in 7. I thought that it would be very close in the second round between these two teams. The Hornets have the players to handle the Tim Duncan, and Toni Parker. Manu Ginobili is the wild card in the series. The Hornets don't have a player on the roster that can match-up with him. Yet, the Spurs do have the players to take the ball away from Chris Paul. Yet, David West and Peja Stojakovic should be wide open if the Spurs try to take the ball away from Chris Paul. The Hornets are built to beat the Spurs.

Eastern Conference
#1 Boston Celtics Vs. #4 Cleveland LeBrons
Series Enjoyability Rating:3rd of 4

Story Lines: Will LeBron continue to get the calls against the Celtics? Will the Celtics continue to under perform in the playoffs?

Prediction: Celtics in 7. I picked against the Lebrons in the first round of the playoffs. Why? The Cavaliers only have one weapon LeBron. Take a look over the rest of the roster...there isn't much there. Yet, LeBron put away the Wizards almost single handily in a very boring series on the court(the only interest in the series was the Jay-Z/Souja Boy feud). On paper the Celtics create too may mismatches for the Cavs to handle. What makes this series very interesting is the Celtic melt down in the first round. They should have blown out the Hawks in every game the way they did in game 7. Yet, Doc Rivers was out coached, the Celtics didn't have the killer instinct, and KG didn't play well on the road. I think the Celtics still have to much for the Cavs to handle. LeBron will win some games to make it a series, but the Celtics will win out in the end.

#2 Detroit Pistons Vs. #3 Orlando Magic
Series Enjoyability Rating: 4th of 4(Least entertaining series.)

Story Lines: Will the Pistons keep their focus, and not get over confident? Can Dwight Howard raise his game to yet another level?

Prediction: Pistons in 5. Every Piston fan should write a thank you letter to the 76ers' organization. The 76ers gave the Pistons a real wake-up call in the first round of the playoffs. The 76ers had the Pistons down 2-1 and trailing in game 4 of the series. The Pistons came out during the second half and turned around the series. Why should the Piston fans be happy about the Pistons taking so long to advance in the first round? It woke up the sleeping beast. The biggest problem the Pistons have is they don't have focus. They play as if they are basketball royalty, although they have only won a single title. If they play focused for the rest of the playoffs there isn't a team in the Eastern Conference they can't beat. Dwight Howard is a beast, and he stepped up his game in the first round; however, the Pistons have the players to slow him down. There are too many weapons on the Pistons for the Magic to contain.

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Weekend Links and Videos

A short and sweet edition this week...

Great baseball article by Kirby Arnold of Heraldnet.com
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080420/SPORTS/48217425/1004/SPORTS#The.meaning.of.baseball

The TNT crew's response to Kobe jumping a car (KENNYYYY!!!)


Seeing that it looks like an early exit for Shaq-Fu and the Suns,here is a little playoff good-bye tribute to the Big Shaqtus.

And lastly, I continue strong with my theory that the Jazz should have traded Boozer for Kevin Garnett. If after watching the turn around in Boston after he arrived, and the dismantling of the Hawks(who have a very good big man in Al Horford) you still need more evidence of KG's greatness, this clip is for you. A taped interview with John Thompson while he was still on the T-Wolves. (just skip ahead to about the 4:00 mark and enjoy).

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Carlos Boozer MIA: Utah Jazz Need More Production from Boozer in Playoffs

Boozer hasn't been awful in the first three games, but if the Jazz want to go deep in the playoffs Boozer needs to step up his game...

In game one of last year's playoff series between the Jazz and the Rockets, Boozer was a non-factor scoring just 11 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Those are solid numbers for a role player, but not for a star. The TNT post game crew after seeing this performance called out Boozer, saying he needed to step up his game. What was Boozer's response last year? Game two he put 41 points on the board, against Yao Ming!

Fast forward to the playoffs this year. Once again the Jazz are battling the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. What is Boozer averaging for the playoffs through three games? 16.5 points and 11.5 rebounds a game. A huge step down from last year when he averaged 24.7 points and 11 rebs. There is no Yao Ming on the court, instead he is facing an older slower Mutombo. There are more weapons on the floor for the Jazz, but generally that opens up the floor more for Boozer. Boozer needs to step up in the series and take contol, because currently he is Missing in Action(MIA) in the series.

The Utah Jazz are up 2-1 in the series despite of the poor performance from their lone All-Star. The difference? The team is just better this season. Andrei Kirilenko is playing on the court as opposed to sulking in the corner. Okur is actually scoring this year, now that he doesn't have the task of trying to stop Yao Ming on the defensive end. Williams, despite playing injured, is carrying the team on his back. Plus, the bench is giving the team a lift. Yet, all of those points would be null and void if Boozer doesn't start to play much better.

One couldn't blame the entire loss last night on Boozer. The Jazz still had a chance to the win the game, despite another poor outing and poor free throw shooting; however, if Boozer would have shown up and given a Boozer like performance the out come would have been much different. So, what does Boozer need to do to turn things around?

He needs to demand the ball in the key! Boozer only took 11 shots last night. Of those only four were taken in the key, and he converted on three of four of those attempts. Making him 3 for 7 outside of the paint. His is very efficient at getting to the rim, and getting to the free throw line when he forces the issue in the paint. Yet, it seem this series that he is relying far to much on his outside jump shot. When Boozer does get position under the basket his teammates aren't looking for him. Boozer was wide open twice, when Williams had the ball late and they were looking to to take the lead late in the game, and he didn't get the basketball. If the Jazz want to win, they can't play that way. They need to give Boozer the ball!

Hopefully it won't take Kenny and Charles challenging Boozer again before he starts playing in the post season. Hopefully he will make the necessary changes on his own. Yet, until that takes place Boozer is still MIA in the playoffs.

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Sports Etiquette: Going to a NBA Playoff Home Game

The game are more important, and so are the fans...

Even with the Jazz coming home down 2-0 last season, people were excited about watching the them in the playoffs. The torch was officially passed from the Stockton/Malone era Jazz to the New Generation. Everyone wanted to see how the new squad would react in the playoffs. Also, playoff games are a blast! Everything is better! The play on the court is more intense, the fans are more jacked up, the pyrotechnics are outstanding, and even Pace Mannion seems more bearable in the euphoria that is the NBA post season in Utah.

I wanted to take part of that environment for the first home game against the Rockets last season. So, not having tickets, my wife went online and found some lower bowl tickets that were actually very reasonably priced. WE HAD A BLAST!!! The game was amazing, and I lost my voice for the next day or so (Always a sign that I had a really good time).

Yet, while we were at the game we saw the two polar opposites of Utah Jazz playoff fans. Behind us was a man and his son that were having the time of their lives. The son, who couldn't have been more than 5 or 6, was standing, cheering, and yelling with the rest of the crowd. The door give away were megaphones (which must have raise the volume of the crowd another 10-15 decibels, because it was LOUD!) and the kid behind us loved using it. When give-aways happened, we made sure the kid got as many things as possible. T-shirts, Frisbees, mini-basketball, etc. He was standing, cheering, high-fiving, and really having the time of his life.

On the other hand below us we witnessed a man that seemed to be trying to hold back the ocean with his own two hands. Here is a man that really had no business being at a playoff game(or really any Jazz game for that matter). He only stood for the National Anthem, and the only cheer that he gave was telling the people in front of him to sit down. The noise seemed to bother him quite a bit as well. Telling people around him, his wife, and his children to stop yelling. His temper came to a peak during the third quarter when after an amazing dunk the crowd exploded and tired to tear the roof off the arena with their voices. The man could hold it in no longer, and wanted to put a face to the noise in the arena. He turned around, poked me in the chest, and threaten to inflict bodily harm on ME if I wouldn't keep it down! Shocked by the man's anger towards me I shrugged, looking side-to-side with my arms out stretched as if to say, "How am I suppose to keep these people quite?" I was unable to express these thoughts vocally, as all the fans around the man expressed their displeasure in much stronger terms.

After hearing this rebuke, from everyone sitting around him, the man sat down in disgust. While the other fans around me told me they had my back, and what they would do to that man if he were to threaten me again. The grumpy man in front of me, after being turned away by the fans, tried to appeal to a higher source. Racing up the stairs to the usher standing by the portal. I looked up in interest to see the man, obviously relating the what had just transpired, and then pointing down directly at me. The usher response to the man was perfect. He looked around, with oddly the same mannerisms that I displayed earlier, and I saw him mouth, "What do you except? It's the playoff."

This second rejection was more than the man could bear. Deciding to retreat, by leaving the game, in the middle of the third quarter. This action was followed by upper-bowl fans sneaking down to take his seats. Something that all of the fans around greeted with great joy.

So how do you avoid being a terrible playoff fan? Be Prepared!

1) Be prepared for noise! Know that a playoff game is more noisy and intense than regular season games. If you have sensitive ears, then get ear plugs before the game starts. I have friends that will get them even for regular season games, and they work great to lower the sound of the arena. If you don' t think you can handle the extra noise and excitement, do yourself and the people that would be sitting around you favor, stay home and watch it on TV.

2) Be prepared to stand! Once the game tips-off you will be on your feet for the majority of the game. I know a lot of you aren't used to this if you are coming from poor crowds (such as Houston(I had to take a shot at the awful fans there)), or you think you can be a "sit-down guy," but if you can't handle standing, stay home and watch it on TV.

3) Be prepared for more rowdiness from people in the stands! I am not encouraging throwing stuff on the court or long verbal tirades, both of which regardless of the situation go way beyond the line of fanhood. I am not encouraging fans to berate opposing fans, but there should be some trash talk spoken to them. There are going to be more signs, and so you will have to show patience with them. There are going to be more people going wild and having a good time. There is going to be more excitement! If you can't handle that, stay home and watch it on TV.

Bottom line, the playoffs are more intense all-around, and that includes the fans at the games. Please, if you can't handle it don't come. You will enjoy the game more, and the people that would have sat next to you thank you in advance. I hope the crowd this year is as good as the crowd last year. If they are, then break out the brooms because a SWEEP IS COMING!

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The Wife's Outburst: The Best and Worst Dressed NBA teams

Which teams in the playoffs have the best uniforms...

As I have been watching the playoffs I have noticed that some of the NBA uniforms are down right hideous. I decided to rank the uniforms of the teams in the playoffs. As I was finding a picture of each teams uniforms, I have noticed that the Rockets and Magic are the only teams to have just two uniforms. Also, the Rockets and the Raptors have basically the same uniforms. The only difference is the way the strips go. The Celtics two road jerseys are the same except one has black trim and the other has white--WOW!! what originality!!! These are ranked from worst to best.


16. Toronto Raptors: They are just ugly. (At least it is better than the Bucks: They are Christmas colors, and with a mascot that looks like a reindeer, they are the Christmas team. No wonder they are awful. It would look like Christmas in July if they made it through!)

15. Houston Rockets: You copied the Raptors, or was it the other way around?? At least red is better than the colors and uniforms during the 1997 playoffs (the one where Stockton hit the 3-pointer??!!)

14. Orlando Magic: I liked the stripes better. These are plain Jane. Who else does it look like? Jazz, Hornets, Nuggets, Wizards... Another copy cat!

13. San Antonio Spurs: Black, White and Silver! Wow! Bursting with color. It hurts my eyes to look at them.

12. Atlanta Hawks: I liked the yellow better. Just about every team has a blue jersey.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers: The trim around the sleeves and neckline is an ugly pattern.

10. Detroit Pistons: Red, White and Blue. They can't make up their mind as to which color they are.

9. Philadelphia 76ers: I only like the black jersey. They do have a nice color scheme: Black and Red. Kind of threatening. The thing that makes these jersey's ugly is the basketball on them. It does not belong there.

8. Washington Wizards: When I first saw the gold jersey I thought it was cool, but as I look closer at it, I'm not so sure. I don't even know why they have the gold and black jersey. Is it supposed to represent the sparks coming out of the wizards wand?

7. Boston Celtics: This is my favorite jersey in the Eastern Conference. I like the green with black trim the best. It is a dark enough green that two colors compliment each other.

6. L.A. Lakers: The yellow is nice and bright and it does look good on tv when they play at home, but that is the only redeeming quality about the Laker's jerseys. Purple and Yellow do not fit the team. They are a west coast, California team. I think they should change something up.

5. Dallas Mavericks: I like how the dark blue jersey has an accent of baby blue and the white jersey has an accent of dark blue. I like the font on the front of the green jersey. The green and the blue combination looks nice together.

4. Denver Nuggets: Besides the fact that they are blue and white and yellow, the only redeeming fact is the dark blue road jersey. I like how they combine all the colors into one jersey. Very well done.

3. New Orleans Hornets: These colors work very well together. Very reminiscent of the culture in New Orleans!

2. Phoenix Suns: I love the combination of the purple, orange, and gray. It reminds me of a desert sunset.

1. Utah Jazz: They have stuck to a monochromatic color scheme: Blue. It is very nice and sleek looking. Looked nice when everyone in the lower bowl was wearing the baby blue t-shirts last year during the playoffs.

So there you have it. The best and worst uniforms in the 2008 NBA playoffs. The colors of a team should reflect where they are from.

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NBA Playoffs:Tracy McGrady Needs a Change

Being Down 2-0 and going to Utah the season is over for McGrady. Is Houston where McGrady should be in the future?...

Tracy McGrady needs to get out of Houston. He is currently in a no-win situation. McGrady carried the Rockets during the bulk of the twenty-two game winning streak, and was the only reason that Houston hasn't been blown out during their current playoff series with Utah. He is a great player, but he isn't a player that can carry the load by himself. He needs to have a good core of players around him, something that doesn't currently exist in Houston.

The Houston press is brutal towards him. They blame McGrady for every lose, and don't give him enough credit for the winning taking place with that team. He will never be the man as long as Yao Ming is on the roster, and he won't get any help with Yao being the other pillar the team is built around.

Also, Houston fans are awful. What a bunch of bandwagon jumpers. The reason a team plays for home court advantage the entire season is to have their opponents facing a loud, hostile environment in the playoffs. Rocket fans didn't make more than a mild rumble during the course of the game and half of the fans left before the end of the game; although, the game was still within reach of the Rockets who were only down by five point with two minutes to go. Yet, they are very vocal when it comes to complaining about McGrady's play during the game. McGrady had a near triple-double, but it wasn't enough for the Houston fans who declared McGrady a choker and worse on the majority of message boards.

There are better situations around the league for McGrady. The best might be the Washington Wizards. Gilbert Arenas already declared that he is going to apply for free agency, and no one can pay him more than Washington. The problem for Arenas is Washington doesn't want him back. The Wizards have constructed a great core of Butler and Jamison, and Arenas' game doesn't complement that core. Tracy McGrady would be a perfect fit for the Wizards. He is a defensive stopper. He would rather involve his teammates in the game first, and then take a game over down the stretch. He also would dominate a weak Eastern Conference. A sign and trade would almost make to much sense in this situation, because both of the players, and team would benefit from this trade.

It is hard to feel to bad for Tracy McGrady, especially after he threw his team under the bus after the game one loss; however, McGrady's future doesn't look bright in Houston. At least he will see what it looks like to play for a good fan base when Utah finish the off the series at home.

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Mark's Thought's: NBA Playoffs--Current Format Versus Changing to Taking the Top 16 Teams.

Changing the current format of the NBA Playoffs would be a huge mistake by the league...

For the past three seasons sportswriters have started a movement to change the current format of the NBA playoffs. This has come about from the lack of talent in the Eastern Conference. The change in the format would take the top sixteen teams in the NBA, instead of the top eight teams from both of the conferences. Most of these proposed changes would allow for the division winners to be the top six seeds, and then go off of the best records from that point on for the seeding of the remaining teams. The argument for this change is basically, we currently aren't seeing the best teams in the NBA, and this change would allow for better match ups in the later rounds of the playoffs. While theses complaints are logical, and would make some sense, I think the NBA would be hurting itself by making changes to the format.

Here is the current bracket for the playoffs:

Eastern Conference
--------------------
1 Boston
8 Atlanta
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4 Cleveland
5 Washington
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3 Orlando
6 Toronto
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2 Detroit
7 Philadelphia

Western Conference
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1 Los Angeles
8 Denver
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4 Utah
5 Houston
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3 San Antonio
6 Phoenix
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2 New Orleans
7 Dallas

If the changes were made the bracket would look as follows:

1 Boston
16 Toronto
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8 Phoenix
9 Houston
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5 Utah*
12 Golden State
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4 New Orleans
13 Cleveland
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6 Orlando*
11 Denver
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3 Los Angeles
14 Washington
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7 San Antonio
10 Dallas
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2 Detroit
15 Portland
*Indicates seeded due to being a division winner.

The NBA wants the playoffs to be exciting. It is important to have series that are exciting and draw people into the playoffs. In the current format there are really compelling series. There are really only two series that aren't incredibly compelling(LAL/DEN, BOS/ATL). This would greatly change if the NBA went to the 1-16 format. There are only two series that would have any compelling interest to watch(SAS/DAL, PHX/HOU). The rest of the series would be boring and predictable. The Western conference teams would roll through most of the Eastern Conference teams, and that would cause half of the country to turn the playoffs off by the second round.

Having the East/West division in the current playoff format actually keeps more people around the country watching for a longer period of time. Watching the Cleveland vs Washington game on Saturday was boring. Both of those teams are awful. Yet, if you were to move those teams to the new format they would both be eliminated in lopsided series in the first round; however, in the first format the teams are so evenly matched that even though the first game was boring there is a possibility for a compelling well played series. The best way to keep the weaker Eastern Conference compelling is to keep the current format.

Another argument used to try and get the new playoff format, is the elimination of series that should be taking place later in the playoffs. I am sick of hearing that the Suns/Spurs series shouldn't be taking place now, but in the Western Conference Finals. If that series was meant to take place later in the playoffs, then maybe both of the teams should have played better during the regular season to avoid playing early in the playoffs. There is a reason that Suns are a six seed, they had the fifth best record in the West and didn't win their division. Yet, even in the new format this early round match up problem isn't solved. With the new format the Spurs and Mavericks would be playing in the first round as well as the Suns playing the Rockets.

Another down side to the new format would be the change in the formats of the series. Forcing teams to fly from one coast to the other in series such as LA vs. Washington, would force the NBA to go away from the 2-2-1-1-1 format to the 2-3-2 format. The 2-3-2 format is terrible. It really gives a huge advantage to the team that doesn't have home court. If the road team picks up one of the first two games, then the team with the better record is forced to go on the road for three straight games. That is a daunting task for any team. Although, I will concede that only Detroit has won all three games at home, since the NBA went to that format. Yet, the 2-2-1-1-1 format is a better for keeping the series fair.

Also the keeping of conference rivalries can't be overlooked either. During the regular season, conference and division games are more intense than when a team is playing a team out of conference. Having the great rivalries inside of the conferences is another reason for keeping the current playoff format the same. No matter how you arrange the bracket there is always going to be terrible series; however, having the conference rivalries helps to make poor match ups on paper watchable. If the current Jazz/Rocket series is an excellent example of this. On paper the Jazz should run away with the series. Yet, the rivalry these teams have, and the fact that it is a repeat of the first round match up last year really adds to the intrigue to watch the series. This wouldn't take place if the format of the playoffs was altered.

Bottom line is the NBA shouldn't alter the current format of the playoffs. No matter what format of playoff that a league decides upon there will always be bad match ups. The desire of these sportswriters to change the format is the same elitist thinking that brought about systems like the BCS. In playoffs sometimes the most popular team doesn't advance, and sometimes the best series are earlier in the playoffs. That is why they play the games.

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Utah Jazz: Houston Rockets Dikembe Mutombo's Career Before the NBA

Mutombo is somewhere between 40-60 years old(or a little younger than Greg Oden), have you ever wondered what he did before his NBA career?...

Mutombo Now


His previous career

You don't have to take my word for it, listen to his own teammates.

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Weekend Videos and Links

Links and videos I found this week...

Trying to curse the Yankees, a Red Sox fan buries a Ortiz jersey during the construction of the new Yankees' stadium:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3344825

Amazing pass by Stockton-to-Malone


You know things are bad for, former Ute, Andrew Bogut in Milwaukee when...


T-Mac just being T-Mac

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Utah Jazz: Projecting The First Round of the NBA Playoffs

Reviewing the regular season projections and predicting every match up in the first round...

I have never liked that there is virtually no accountability for sports writers/commentators when they make their predictions. This is a lucky fact for many of them; however, I continue my policy of self-policing my predictions. On March 19th I projected the final Western Conference standings for the NBA as follows.

Projected Final Standings:
1. LA Lakers..................................57-25
2. Utah Jazz...................................56-26
3. Phoenix Suns.............................55-27
4. Houston Rockets.......................55-27
5. San Antonio Spurs....................54-28
6. New Orleans Hornets...............54-28
7. Dallas Mavericks.......................53-29
8. Golden State Warriors..............52-30
---------------------------------------
9. Denver Nuggets.........................49-33

Below is the actual standing and the margin of which I was wrong.

Actual Final Standings: (changes in the lost column from predicted final standings)
1. LA Lakers...................................57-25 (even)
2. New Orleans Hornets...............56-26 (-2)
3. San Antonio Spurs.....................56-26 (-2)
4. Utah Jazz....................................54-28 (+2)
5. Houston Rockets........................55-27 (even)
6. Phoenix Suns..............................55-27 (even)
7. Dallas Mavericks........................51-31 (+2)
8. Denver Nuggets.........................50-32 (-1)
----------------------------------------
9. Golden State Warriors..............48-34 (+4)
(AVERAGE OFFAGE OF +.333)

I feel good about predicting three teams dead on and having an average offage of just +.333(considering that a 0 offage would be the best I could possibly do). I was very wrong about the finish of the Golden State Warriors. They really feel apart down the stretch opening the door for the Nuggets to blow by them into the eight spot. Also, I must give credit to the Hornets for their amazing performance on their, late season, eight game road trip. They did blow a game to the Kings that would have given them the top seed, but being that close with the schedule that they had was truly amazing.

Now for the playoff predictions. I have decided to predict the playoffs round-by-round instead of projecting out the entire bracket.

Western Conference
#1 Los Angeles Lakers Vs. #8 Denver Nuggets

Series Enjoyability Rating: 5th 0f 8

Story Lines -- Will Bynum play a role in this series? Will the Nuggets ever play defense?

Prediction: Lakers in 5. The Nuggets don't play defense! The lack of defense is what keeps the Nuggets from turning into a very elite team in the NBA. They have no one on their roster that will match up with Kobe Bryant or Gasol. None of the games during the regular season were close, with the Lakers sweeping the Nuggets during the season. AI and Melo will explode offensively in one of the games to keep from getting swept, but the Lakers will roll in the series.

#4 Utah Jazz Vs. #5 Houston Rockets
Series Enjoyability Rating: 4th of 8

Story Lines -- How injured is Deron Williams? Can T-Mac finally make it out of the first round of the playoffs?

Prediction: Jazz in 5. No one is singing the praises of Tracy McGrady this year, which may make him very dangerous in the post season. Without that pressure on him, he may be more inclined to over achieve. Yet, if Deron Williams' injury isn't too serious, the Jazz just have too many weapons for the Rockets to handle. Boozer should dominate the blocks, and Okur/Korver should spread the floor with the three-point threat.

#3 San Antonio Spurs Vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
Series Enjoyability Rating: 1st of 8 (The Best Series)

Story Lines -- How will the Spurs defend Stoudemire? What impact will Shaq have in the series?

Prediction: Suns in 6. I really want to say that this will be a seven game series; however, I think the Suns will win on their home court and steal one of the first two games on the road against San Antonio. The Suns made the Shaq deal to beat the Spurs. Having Shaq should free up Stoudemire, who has been nearly unstoppable for the past two weeks, and stop Tim Duncan from getting to the front of the rim. This is really a pick'em series. If either team won the series I wouldn't be surprised, but it will be a great series to watch.

#2 New Orleans Hornets Vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
Series Enjoyability Rating: 3rd of 8

Story Lines -- How will CP3/Hornets respond to their first playoff appearance? Will Dirk continue his dominate late season play?

Prediction: Mavericks in 5. Dirk has been playing out of his mind in the last weeks of the regular season! He has shown that he has the ability to put the team on his back and carry them to a victory. Ironically, the Hornets had the opportunity to avoid the Mavericks in the first round by beating the Mavericks in their final game of the regular season. The Mavericks had the same scenario last year when they could have avoided the Warriors in the first round with a win in their final regular season game. The Hornets last year, like the Mavericks this year, would have been much better off with a better pairing. The Hornets would have blown by the Nuggets, but the Mavericks have the players and schemes that can shut down CP3 and the Hornets. This series should be fun to watch, but I am foreseeing an upset (I use the word upset in a very loose way, because all of the teams in the West 1-9 are very even).

Eastern Conference
#1 Boston Celtics Vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks
Series Enjoyability Rating: 8th of 8(The Worst Series)

Story Lines -- Will it be a sweep? How many fans will show up to the Hawks home games, more or less than half?

Prediction: Boston in 4. Nothing like seeing teams with losing records in the playoffs. Especially the lowly Hawks. Nothing too complicated about this series, the Celtics are a much better team than the Hawks. The really interesting thing to watch for in this series will be to see if the Celtics will score more points than people that show up to the first home game in Atlanta. Sports fans in Atlanta are horrible!


#4 Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. #5 Washington Wizards
Series Enjoyability Rating: 2nd of 8

Story Lines -- How much separation will LeBron's butt have from the officials lips? Will Agent Zero be the difference?

Prediction: Wizards in 6. This is the second hardest series to predict. The Wizards finally have their team back to full strength, and they have been playing really good basketball. Agent Zero should help the cause by coming off the bench and providing instant offense. Plus they have plenty of bodies to throw at LeBron to try and slow him down. The series really depends on what types of calls are made. This is the third time in a row these teams have meet in the first round, and in the previous two series the Wizards out played Cleveland. Yet, awful officiating gave the series to the LeBrons. Hopefully the officials can keep their whistle muted and let the game be won on the court. The two previous series were awesome, and this year's version should be more of the same. (Side note: You have to be angry if you are a Wizards fan right now! You have been the whipping boys of terrible officiating in your last two playoff series, and now due to poor officiating (The NBA gifting a foul to Devin Brown allowing them to win a game and stay ahead of the 76ers) you will have to face the same poor officiating in another playoff series this year. Agent Zero will be leaving after this season! This is a good/BAD thing indeed for the Wizards.)

#3 Orlando Magic Vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
Series Enjoyability Rating: 6th of 8

Story Lines -- Has everyone been overlooking the Magic while talking about the East? Who will win the battle of young talent, Bosh or Howard?

Prediction: Magic in 5. The coverage of the NBA can be very interesting at times. Dwight Howard is the MOST dominate big man in the game today. He is a beast on the glass, can power over the top of other players, and he is a coachable player that wants to get the entire team involved in games. He has two excellent scorers around him in Turkoglu and Lewis, and a descent point guard in Nelson. Coaching is also a huge advantage for Orlando. Sam Mitchell has done an awful job with the talent he has in Toronto! Orlando has already proven that they can win on the road against the Raptors, so look for a dominating performance from the Magic.


#2 Detroit Pistons Vs. # 7 Philadelphia 76ers
Series Enjoyability Rating: 7th of 8

Story Lines -- Will Andre Miller finally get the recognition he deserves? Will Detroit get surprised by the play of the 76ers?

Prediction: Pistons in 7. This is going to be a very close series. The teams spilt the season series 2-2; however, the first two games, which the Pistons won, were early in the season. The other more recent games the 76ers proved they can play with the Pistons. Andre Miller is having an amazing year. He has thrown this 76ers team, which has very little talent besides Miller and Iguodala, and made them into a playoff team in the East. On the other side of the series the Pistons have a tendency of overlooking opponents. If they don't come to play in the first game, the 76ers could steal one of the early games and make a very good series of it. Yet, in the end the Pistons have too much talent, and should out last the 76ers in the end.

In the second round it should be the Lakers vs. Jazz and the Suns vs. Mavericks in the West. In the East the Celtics vs. Wizards and the Magic vs. Detroit. I will wait for the conclusion of the first round to continue my predictions; however, my favorite to win it all is....Boston. They have the talent and the path, and now they just need to avoid injuries and a mental let down.

If the playoffs are anything like the regular season than anyone that appreciates basketball is in for a treat.

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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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Weekend Videos and Links

Interesting links and video that I have seen this week...

Good article by Adam Rittenberg, from ESPN.com, about BYU football
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3333765

SI.com writer Chris Mannex goes into depth about Kyle Korver, and his affect on the Utah Jazz
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_mannix/04/09/korver.jazz/index.html

The NFL Draft is approaching, and that means it is time for the hindsight draft articles. Here is the ESPN's redraft of the 2005 draft.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/news/story?id=3329724&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2

Summary of the Blue-White game at Utah State.
http://utahstateaggies.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/041108aac.html

I don't know if this is real or not...but Kobe jumps an Aston Martin


The Playoffs are almost here. Here are some videos to help in the preparation.

Game 6 1997 Western Conference Finals. (Stockton really took this game over)


NBA on NBC intro music (The NBA really should have bought the rights to that music and kept it when they left NBC)


Here is a video just in case you forgot how dominating Karl Malone was during his career. I forgot the sheer power that Malone used to throw down his dunks. (Excuse the odd intro, but the highlights are pretty good.)

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NBA Western Conference Playoff Breakdown

Here is a good breakdown of the Western Conference playoffs seeding...

My Brother e-mailed me this breakdown, and I thought it would be interesting to pass on.

NO and SA and PHX win out
NO 4-0 59-23 (1)
LAL 1-2 55-27 (5)
HOU 1-3 54-28 (6)
PHX 3-0 56-26 (3)
SA 4-0 57-25 (2)
UTA 2-1 54-28 (4)

LAL wins out
NO 3-1 58-24 (1)
LAL 3-0 57-25 (2)
HOU 1-3 54-28 (6)
PHX 3-0 56-26 (5)
SAS 3-1 56-24 (3)
UTH 2-1 54-28 (4)

NO and SA win out and HOU beats DEN
NO 4-0 59-23 (1)
LAL 1-2 55-27 (6)
HOU 2-2 55-27 (5)
PHX 3-0 56-26 (3)
SA 4-0 57-25 (2)
UTA 2-1 54-28 (4)

LAL beats NO; SA wins out; HOU beats DEN
NO 3-1 58-24 (1)
LAL 2-1 56-26 (3)
HOU 2-2 55-27 (6)
PHX 3-0 56-26 (5)
SA 4-0 57-25 (2)
UTA 2-1 54-28 (4)

LAL beats NO; SA wins out; HOU beats PHX
NO 3-1 58-24 (1)
LAL 2-1 56-26 (3)
HOU 2-2 55-27 (5)
PHX 3-0 55-27 (6)
SA 4-0 57-25 (2)
UTA 2-1 54-28 (4)

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