Friday, May 30, 2008
Where Are They Now: The BJ-League!
Well, ponder no more, loyal reader. Everyone's favorite undrafted small forward was, until recently, playing the game that he loves at the ripe old age of 39! He's like Stockton except without the craftiness and overall skill level. And best of all, he was playing in the BJ-League! That's not a nickname for the NBA, it's a Japanese league started in 2005, and it sounds exciting. And now, the man who couldn't hit a playoff three pointer to save his life is the head coach of the Saitama Broncos. DREAM JOB!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Hart Too Pricey
Add This to the List
The Utah Jazz yesterday waived the second-year guard Bart Kofoed, following an incident in which a teammate, Bobby Hansen, sustained a broken cheekbone during a scuffle at a New Year's Eve party. ''There are many versions of the story,'' said the Jazz general manager, Dave Checketts. ''The fact is, a punch was thrown, and I don't see that the situation could ever be patched up again. There is a clause in his contract that requires him to act in good citizenship and good sportsmanship. For violation of that clause, we're going to terminate his contract because he struck one of his teammates and caused significant damage and damaged the team.'' Jim Farmer was signed to replace Hansen, also a guard, who is expected to be out four to six weeks.
Happily, it appears that Kofoed has seen the light and come to God. But I still wouldn't tease him at the holiday party.
Morally Questionable
Hallelujah!
The NBA is finally going to start cracking down on flopping. Last night, Rasheed Wallace most eloquently characterized the state of flopping in the league:
"All that bull(bleep)-ass calls they had out there. With Mike [Callahan] and Kenny [Mauer] -- you've all seen that (bleep)," Wallace said. "You saw them calls. The cats are flopping all over the floor and they're calling that (bleep). That (bleep) ain't basketball out there. It's all (bleeping)entertainment. You all should know that (bleep). It's all (bleeping)entertainment."
This drama infusion of professional basketball has become pervasive (including a few Jazzmen). While I like that the league is addressing this, I'm also concerned that this new policy takes the burden off of officials. To keep the pressure on officials, fines should also be extended to those who are regularly duped. Let's hope that this is the beginning of the end of taking dives.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Jazz Management 101
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Why I Cheer For the Pistons (and why you should too)
And now, with the current Lakers/Spurs battle to determine which team contains the most NBA-holes, the East again delivers with a great matchup: Detroit/Boston. And I'm here today to tell you who to root for: the Detroit Pistons.
Just like Obi Wan Kenobi, the Pistons are the Jazz' only hope. Each of the teams left in the playoffs, minus one, have at least one player that is a lock to be included in any discussion of the NBA's greatest 100 players of all time: the Spurs have Duncan, the Lakers have Kobe, and the Celtics have Garnett (and Pierce?). The Pistons don't have such a player. The best player on their team is quite debatable (Billups, Rip, Rasheed). Similarly, the Jazz don't have that once-in-a-lifetime player. Deron might get there one day, but he's not going to go on the road and rip someone's heart out - yet.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that we, as Jazz fans, have to cheer against the superstar model of NBA team building. We don't have a superstar, and we're unlikely to have one any time soon. We need to believe that a team can be greater than the sum of its parts, that the individuals can be subsumed in something greater than themselves. That, to me, is partly what being a Jazz fan is all about - believing that the right combination of smarts and effort can overcome a lack of god-given talent. That's why I'm rooting for a Pistons championship.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Yikes
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Bulls & Suns "horny" for Horny
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Do You Really Want to Know?
In addition to disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy admitting to betting on over 100 games that he officiated, he is now stating that relationships among officials, coaches and players have "affect[ed] the outcome of games", that there were gambling activities of other NBA officials and that a referee passed "confidential" information to an unidentified coach.
As someone who works in the business of communications, I have to hand it to David Stern and the NBA for effectively getting ahead of and burying this Donaghy saga. These new revelations, however, will undoubtedly add fuel to the fire of basketball conspiracy theorists everywhere. And there are no shortage of these theorists among Jazz fans.
Obviously, if other NBA referees have intentionally skewed games, (or are currently doing so) then placing bets on these games, they are breaking the law just as Donaghy did. For fun's sake, let's get out the tinfoil hats and assume that other referees are not gambling, but that Donaghy is telling the truth regarding the NBA using subtle tactics not to completely manipulate the outcome of games, but to make the outcome more likely to fall in a way that the NBA desires. How would this ever be brought to light?
I'm no lawyer, but as I see it, absent of the racketeering, the NBA would not be doing anything illegal. If it is not illegal, the Justice Department has no incentive to expose the NBA, and a big disincentive in the form of a civil lawsuit for exposing confidential business practices. Furthermore, since the NBA is a privately held corporation, they are not required to provide anything other than basic financial transparency regarding their business operations. Lawyers, am I wrong?
Do we want to know? Would Jazz fans feel vindicated by such a revelation? Or would the fun of formulating conspiracies, as well as following NBA basketball, be forever ruined?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Summer Reading
- Insights from the Draft Guru - Kofoed11, aka the Draft Guru, has an uncanny knack for deciphering on which collegians and foreigners the Jazz have their set collective eyes. His predictions are gold-plated diamonds.
- NBA free agency - Expect numerous articles about how the Jazz absolutely must sign Josh Childress, or Juan Dixon, or Sam Cassell, or Kenny "Sky" Walker.
- The Rocky Mt. Revue - As the only TCG author currently living along the Wasatch Front, we expect numerous Revue reviews from Rising Stock. Actually, on second thought, don't hold your breath on this one.
- The Future - The posts about what the Jazz need to do going forward have already begun. Look for everyone to encourage Larry H. to throw $$bling$$ at Deron. Look for everyone (except yours truly) to encourage the Jazz to lock up CJ Miles for a long time. An look for me to encourage Jason Hart to opt-out of his contract and test the current market for an undersized, poor shooting, turnover-prone backup point guard.
- Trades - I love gossip. I especially love NBA gossip. And what I love most of all is inventing NBA gossip.
- The NBA playoffs - As long as the Spurs are alive, you can expect 5-7 posts from Booner and Golden Griff about how evil the Spurs are and how they absolutely must lose if there is to be any beauty or reason left in this world.
- Poetry - 00Tag writes hauntingly beautiful lyric poems about Greg Ostertag and Tyrone Corbin. Hopefully he'll share some of his work with us.
To Pick OR Not To Pick...
Coach After Jerry?
Surgery
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good
- D Will coming into his own. As one friend put it, this was the year Williams realized he was better than the rest of his teammates. He's the alpha dog now. Jazz fans should recognize that this team is not going to follow the Stockton-Malone paradigm. Rather it's a hybrid late-90s Jazz/early 2000's Pistons team, without the defense. Lots of good players but only one great one, not two.
- The young nucleus. Our young players are incredibly promising. And not just Williams and Boozer. Millsap, Brewer, Miles, and even Fes are talented and if developed, could help the Jazz achieve greatness.
- AK's contract. Simply pretending the Jazz aren't in serious trouble because of the millions we owe Andrei does not make the problem go away. Williams is going to ask for and get max money and we can't afford to pay the two of those guys. Especially when one of them is at best the fourth biggest contributor on the team at this point.
- Our size. For too long Boozer and Okur have been able to hide in this league. No more. They are an undersized power forward and center combo and it has the ability to kill the Jazz in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. Eventually we're going to need someone to compete with the Gasol's and Tyson Chandler's of the world.
- The Western Conference. It is deep and it is good. The Lakers and Hornets are going to be great for years and we need to deal with that fact somehow. We're close to where they are but based on this year's playoffs, both are better teams.
- Boozer. I actually believe the media has not paid enough attention to this. Boozer killed the Jazz in the playoffs this year. He had one good game out of twelve and in the other eleven he hurt us immensely by taking terrible shots and not playing defense. I fear that the "undersized" knock on him may be coming true. He will always be a good player -- especially in the regular season when no one Ds up -- but unless something changes I question his ability to become a great one.
Adios Phil?
So that's it...
- What if the Jazz had not lost on the road to every Eastern Conference team that didn't make the playoffs except Milwaukee?
- What if the Jazz had not lost focus in the month of December?
- What if the Jazz had not shrunk to San Antonio the last game of the season?
- What if Carlos Boozer played in the 2008 playoffs like he did in the 2007 playoffs, or like he did during this regular season?
There are other "what ifs" as well, like what if the Jazz had pulled the trigger on a Marion for Kirilenko trade? Or a host of controversial calls, and no-calls, in both the Houston and L.A. series. Those are situations for another post not by me. They are out of the control of the players and coaches, and are largely circumstances that are now water under the bridge.
As much as the disappointment now hangs over SLC, and wherever the Jazz Nation has citizens, this is a positive developmental step. What ifs, feelings of regret and of unrealized potential, whether perceived or real, should provide huge motivation for improvement in the off-season. These current bitter feelings should provide the catalyst to develop the leadership and focus needed to propel the Jazz to greater heights. I eagerly await next season to see if the Jazz learn from this season and come out stronger.
The Long NBA Summer
I feel good about what the Jazz are at this point - they are the second youngest team in the NBA and have a solid core. But, I also recognize that two western conference teams that are still playing are similarly youthful and, as noted, still playing.
So, here's to hoping that Kirilenko enjoys his family vacation in France this summer and that Okur enjoys putting on his customary twenty-five "summer pounds." The Jazz gave us all a nice little run this year. And that's often all that you can ask for.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Why I still like our chances...
Okay. Call me a fool. Call me an eternal Jazz optimist.
Was Wednesday the Jazz's best chance to capture this series? Of course. We were right there. We had the opportunities, the open shots, the rebounding position. Nevertheless, I'm still a believer that the Jazz can win this series. Here's why:
This series has some striking similarities to last year's playoff series with Houston:
"Ah", you might say, "but the Rockets of last year do not have what the 2008 Lakers do: Kobe Bryant." And you are right. But this isn't Kobe Bryant MVP. This is Kobe Bryant with a back injury. And, as with most muscular injuries, continuing to play with an injured back will only make it worse. At the most, Kobe's back isn't going to get a lot better, especially when you consider the Jazz's physical nature. That is not to say that they should cheap shot Kobe, just that the Jazz play hard-nosed physical basketball.
Experience
During Games 1 and 2 of this series, the Jazz were intimidated by the Staples Center. You could see it on their faces. Game 5 was where they got rid of this intimidation. Other than Williams and Brewer, the Jazz played average, but they were on the verge of victory. If (when) they take care of business this evening, there should be very little white in the eyes of the Utah Jazz when they tipoff for Game 7 at the Staples Center.
Karma
This argument may have suffered a bit by many Jazz fans booing Derek Fisher, but let's face it:
KOBE IS AN ASS!
I could enumerate the reasons, but we all know them. He doesn't deserve to win another NBA title.
Great Story: Frank Layden
The playoff series with the Jazz and the Lakers is very similar to a series I played in 1988. We beat Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trailblazers on a Friday night, and 36 hours later found ourselves at the fabulous Forum in Los Angeles taking on the defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers. We lost Game 1 by 12 points and were feeling pretty low when we walked back to the locker room. However, our coach, Frank Layden, had a plan and employed an unusual strategy. While we sat there waiting for a tongue lashing, Frank approached the situation with a completely unorthodox approach.
He walked into the locker room and closed the door behind him. He looked at us all sitting in our chairs and said, ‘Guys that was a tough one, and here’s what we’re going to do next. I am going to close the locker room to the press.’ Now, in the NBA at that time, it was a $10,000 fine to close the locker room to the press. This was a very bold move. Next he said, ‘You guys are going to take a shower and go out the back door to the bus. I am going to go out in the hallway and tell the press that the Lakers are simply the greatest team I’ve ever seen and that we have no business being out on the court with them.” Karl Malone and I looked at each other and just shook our heads. What is he thinking? Has he lost his mind? Then Franks said, ‘On Tuesday night, we’re going to come back and kick their rear ends.’ All of a sudden we started smiling at each other. This is starting to get pretty funny. We jumped in the shower and went out to the bus. The press was infuriated that they couldn’t speak with us, and Frank got some major air time as the media lambasted him for closing the locker room. He had a little smirk on his face as he got on the bus! We came back on Tuesday night and took care of the Lakers. In fact, we won Game 2 and Game 3. It was a brilliant strategy.
I asked Frank years later when he thought of that strategy. Was it during the game? No, he told me he thought it up while he was walking back to the locker room! Apparently, to be a great coach you have to be able to think on your feet!
Pau's Put-Back
With that said, even if ignoring refs were not my M.O., I would have nothing to complain about regarding the Pau put-back on Wednesday. I've watched this thing a hundred times and I'm convinced of one thing, and one thing only: Okur flopped.
We can, and likely will, argue for days about whether Gasol pushed off (I think he does, but that happens on every play, just watch Boozer), and whether the Jazz would get that call in Salt Lake (they would), and whether there is a conspiracy to get the Lakers into the finals (no, there are easier ways to fix these things than no-calls). But the sad part of this whole thing is that Okur chose to flop in an attempt to draw a foul instead of nutting up and fighting for that board. He may not have been able to get it - Gasol is deep and the ball bounces perfectly towards him - but he at least can try and get a tip or keep Gasol from just flushing the game. Instead a flails his arms (convincingly) and gives Gasol a dunk to ice it. Exaggerating fouls instead of rebounding is ALWAYS a stupid choice; you just aren't going to get the call enough to make it worthwhile. This is especially so on the road, in the last 30 seconds of a tight playoff game.
I've grown to like Memo. I think he fits well on the Jazz, and I can forgive his lust for outside shooting because he is, in fact, our best shooter. But that was an unforgivable "Euro" move Wednesday night that may have cost us our best chance at winning this series.
Now, judge for yourself.
First, the "HOW-CAN-THEY-NOT-CALL-THAT" angle:
Now, the "oh-maybe-that-was-a-flop" angle.
For what it's worth, truehoop (who's author picked the Jazz to win the series) agrees.
Shot Selection
Here are shots I like:
- Anything by Deron Williams. Especially if Jordan Farmar is in the game. In fact, if Farmar is in the game I think D Will is the only Jazzman who should shoot. And as great as he's been, we need Williams jacking it up even more down the stretch.
- Most of Memo's. His new shot fake, dribble, launch a running jumper over an approaching defender is not the prettiest move in the league but it's opened up a new facet of his game and his post-season play is much improved this year.
- Many of Harp's, Korver's, and Brewer's. These three have struggled at times to knock down J's but at least their shots usually come within the flow of the offense.
- Anything by AK outside of 12 feet. I'm sure if you reviewed all the game film you'd find that he's hit three of these shots in the playoffs. But he's taken about 50. And 45 have gone right off the back of the iron. The only silver lining is that they clank so hard it gives Okur and Booze a great chance at an offensive rebound.
- Boozer's 15-foot, hand in the face, fall away jumpers. Really one of the worst shots in our offense. No chance of a foul, usually draws nothing but backboard, and we can rarely board it. This shot is especially maddening with 17 seconds left on the shot clock.
- Boozer's run down the lane, throw the ball up into the defender, hope for a foul and then complain after you don't get one. The amazing thing about this shot is that it actually affects our defense, as Carlos is often out of the play arguing as Odom takes it down the other end for a dunk. One question about these shots: if Walton is stealing the ball at the same time as Odom and Gasol are cleanly blocking it, who gets credit for the defensive play?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Stumbling at Staples
The Jazz came close…only to fall again in the Staples Center. How close? From the 10:30-mark on (from the 3rd), throughout the rest of the game, the Jazz never trailed by more than 6 points. Oftentimes, only down one or two. We tied the game on four different occasions in the 2nd half. But could never take a lead and get over the hump. During a few offensive possessions when the game was tied-up, the Jazz turned the ball over on a traveling call, a missed lay-up and a bogus offensive foul-call (I’ll save the ref-complaining for later). For some reason, we couldn’t take control of the game. I’ve got to believe that the Staples Center owns some sort of weird, mysterious hex over the Jazz, because we were so close, and yet still couldn’t pull out the victory. The game was there for the taking!
Boozer struggled again. Even with solid numbers, he wasn’t stellar. I think we expect him to be a superstar performer for us. And yet, he hasn’t risen to the occasion.
Odom and Gasol outperformed our big guys (combined 43 pts & 19 rebs vs our combined 41 pts & 25 rbs), coming up with bigger plays down the stretch. Pau Gasol’s slight shove, and put-back dunk was proof of this fact (even though it should have been called as a foul). In my opinion, this became the tale-telling sign of the game. It was painfully obvious that Booz and Okur couldn't guard the Laker post-guys in the paint, nor on the perimeter.
Was that Jarron Collins I saw in the game? Did we have a Jarron Collins sighting last night? The noble Jazz statesman made a game-day appearance! I wish we had a better option off the bench…
CJ Miles showed us some spark during the 3rd quarter. He had a sweet dunk over Lamar Odom that was quite impressive. I’ve always wanted to see more of CJ in the game. He’s got some great 'hoop'ability. However, I’m not sure he’s able to defend any better than Harpring or Korver.
With every game that goes by, Deron Williams becomes the face of the franchise; clearly "the man".
The good sign from Game 5 is…we know that we can compete at the Staples Center. Game 5 was our best road performance of the series, even though we didn't win. We're in good shape going into Game 6, being that our competitiveness has heightened. We ought to take away a great amount confidence while playing at home, to win the next game.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Pre-Game 5 Blasphemy
Monday, May 12, 2008
So you can watch ABC/ESPN/TNT with the volume off...
- Matt Harpring has a football mentality because he played QB in high school, and a lot of his family members played college football
- Ronnie Price played his college ball at Utah Valley State, which is located 45 minutes south of the Tox Box (formerly Delta Center).
- Jarron Collins has a twin brother, Jason Collins, who also plays in the NBA.
- Mehmet Okur is from Turkey and is married to the former Ms. Turkey (tons of Thanksgiving and stuffing jokes go unrealized on this one).
- Kyle Korver comes from a family of basketball players, and everyone of their first names begins with the letter "K."
- Ronnie Brewer's father, Ron Brewer, also played at the University of Arkansas and was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers. Ronnie also has an unorthodox shot because of a injury resulting from a childhood water slide accident.
Game 5 Issue List
Issue 1: All-Stars - Last night I fervently prayed to David Stern that Deron never be named to the all-star squad. Jazz all-stars are cursed: announcers now refer to Kirilenko as "the one-time all-star"; last year in the western conference finals, the lone Jazz all-star, Okur, averaged around 8 points per game; and now, all-star Boozer is disappearing before our very eyes. After he checked back into the game in the fourth quarter, Boozer contributed a total of 6 points (1 fg), 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, and 2 turnovers. The offense was obviously not running through him as Deron was frantically looking for Okur and Korver, not the big Alaskan. To win in LA we need Boozer to command double teams, not get his pocket picked by Derek Fisher.
Issue 2: More Millsap - Aside from the crazy doctor on the baseline holding up homemade signs that say "BAD CALL," and the monochrome-slightly-feminine-baby-blue-hued crowd, the real reason the Jazz are so tough at home is Mr. Paul Millsap. He is a cyclone of energy at home, going up for dunks, getting his hands on passes, and generally creating more havoc than a 6"6' power forward has the right to create. I love when Luke Walton tries to guard him. But on the road, he loses a bit of his edge. I'd love to see him barking in Staples on Wednesday.
Issue 3: Krunchtime Korver - Korver logged nearly 30 minutes on Sunday. He played the entire fourth quarter and the overtime. That is too many minutes for a one-trick pony. I know, I know, he's in there because he is money from the line when icing games. But it drives me crazy to have a huge defensive liability - who hasn't exatly lit it up from the field this series - on the court while LA mounts its comeback on Derek Fisher's back. Give me somebody that can D up: Brewer, or Millsap, or Harpring! Ok, not Harpring.
Issue 4: Can we win in LA? - The Jazz obviously have the advantage in the dry mountain air beneath the Wasatch. But to win this series, the Jazz need to claim victory in Los Angeles. Game 5 is the time to blow the horn of ascendence on the national stage.
How hurt is . . . "hurt?"
Sunday, May 11, 2008
How Sweet It Is...to be tied @ 2
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Trifecta
Friday, May 9, 2008
Playoff Perspective . . .
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Jarron Collins
I was hoping this post could wait until the season ended, but after watching last night's game I realized the drum beat needs to start now. A few weeks back The Crotty Kid wrote an insightful piece on this blog about Shane Battier entitled, "Why is This Man Not on the Jazz?" I would like to reverse that question and ask it about Jarron Collins: Why exactly does this man continue to suit up for the team we all love?
Collins' play (11 minutes last night!) is infuriating. But let's start by giving the him a fair shake and listing his attributes:
- He looks damn good in a sweater vest (see above).
- He has a twin brother who is also in the NBA. This is important because it gives the mainstream media something to write about. Unlike the rest of America, today's journalists haven't fully wrapped their head around the concept of twins. They're especially enamored of them when they play sports (i.e. the Barbers and the Lopez twins at Stanford). I shudder to think what will happen when the first set of triplets makes the majors or plays in the NFL. The New York Times will probably run a bi-monthly A1 story on their progress.
- He is good at catching D Will's hot pad at the end of warm ups.
- He is a gentleman and a leader in the locker room. I've heard a number of people who work for the Jazz say that Collins is quote, a real stand up guy, unquote. In eighth grade I also had the pleasure of playing basketball against Collins (actually, the Collins twins -- you can imagine how the undersized team from Salt Lake City fared in that game) and am proud to report that he didn't swear, get technicals, or start a fight during the game.
- He is undersized. Listed at 6'11, I am told, again on good authority, that he is closer to 6'7 or 6'8. There is no such thing as a 6'8 center in the NBA.
- In turns out he is actually terrible at playing the game of basketball. Most recent case in point: in 17 minutes of action in the playoffs he has yet to score. This is after averaging less than two points and two rebounds a game during the regular season.
- According to John Hollinger's PER ratings, Collins is the 415th best player in the league -- sandwiched in between Chris Anderson and Mardy Collins (I don't even know who those people are, but for Mardy Collins' sake, I hope he's not somehow related). Now, there are 30 teams in the NBA and each team has 12 players on its active roster. 30 x 12 equals 360. When you're the 415th best out of a group of 360. . . well, it's not good.
Nauseating Numbers - Game 2
The Pride of Arkansas-Little Rock
Fisher is killing the Jazz, just killing them. Last night he shot 70% from the field, 80%(!) on 3s, and added three steals. Not to mention zero turnovers to go along with his 22 points. And his threes in the 4th quarter? Daggers, all of them.
Coming into the series, the Jazz had the obvious advantage at point guard; up-and-coming superstar versus decrepid veteran. But Fisher has outplayed Deron thus far. And that's not to take away from Deron's game last night. Deron shot the ball well (5-5 from deep) and kept us in the game. It is obvious, painfully obvious, that he's our best player when he's on the court.
But Fisher has been the difference in both games. In game 1 he did it off of his dribble penetration and finding Gasol for easy dunks. And he was everywhere on defense, collecting 6 steals (all at Boozer's expense, it seemed). In game 2 he did it from outside, letting Kobe kick to him in the corner for that nasty, behind-the-head launch of his.
After game 1, I felt, even though we might not be as talented, that we could rattle the Lakers: Kobe gets flustered when things don't go well, Odom is a total dope fiend, and Gasol is an absolute ninny. At the end of the first game the Lakers were spending more time worrying about Harpring's clever jersey clutches than Okur firing open 3s. That was a good thing.
But Fisher is a tougher nut than the rest. He's the glue that keeps together the collection of dandys and fancy boys known as the Lakers. If the Jazz have any hope in this series, they have to find a way to keep Derek Fisher from beating them. I can't believe that I just wrote that.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Dikembe/Andrei Split Screen?
During the Rockets-Jazz series they showed a McGrady/Boozer split-screen playoff commercial. How funny would it have been if they chose Dikembe Mutombo and Andrei Kirilenko? That's the funniest possible combo, right? I bet you can't top Kirilenko and Dikembe.
-- Scott, Austin, Texas
SG: What about a split-screen with George Karl and Flip Saunders in which Flip is staring confusedly into the camera, jaw twitching, and Karl doesn't move or blink for 30 solid seconds. Those two images make me think, It's playoff time!
Lance Allred vs. Jarron Collins
Distinguished Author > Stanford Graduate.
CASE CLOSED!
RIP Kobe Up
In the 2003-2004 NBA finals, Larry Brown and the Pistons found a way to slow down Kobe Bryant: make him play hard on defense. Rip Hamilton has always been one of the best conditioned players in the game and is a master at moving without the ball. When the Pistons realized that Kobe would be defending Rip, they forced him to chase Hamilton, who never stopped moving, during long offensive possessions and to fight through crushing screens from Rasheed and Ben Wallace. Make no mistake, Kobe is an excellent defender. But by forcing him to expend so much energy on the defensive end of the floor, the Pistons slowed Kobe down offensively.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Jazz Notes
- Sporting News article on a Jazz practice prior to last March's home disaster against the Lakers. Fun facts: Millsap practices his threes; Deron's favorite point guard of all-time is Jason Kidd.
- Looking for the next Mehmet Okur in this year's draft? Look no further than Georgia (the country). Giorgi Shermadini is compared to Okur, but without the bulk. Not sure that's a good thing. Also, if you're like me, you enjoy NBA articles with poorly translated quotes. Not only do we learn that young Giorgi is as good as Memo was at 18, we also have this gem from a Cavs scout: “Shermadini is a very talented player. As he has very good conditions for improvement, I think that it will happen first time in basketball history that from low level league player will go in NBA. This fact is EUREKA.”
"Go Hornets, Go!" - Jerry Sloan
Monday, May 5, 2008
Key Numbers from Lakers Series - Game 1
7
the number of turnovers by Carlos Boozer. The Jazz turned the ball over far too many times in the 2nd quarter. Watching the game in real time, it seemed like every member of the Jazz was committing unforced errors, but in retrospect only one other Jazzman had more than one turnover - Deron Williams had two.
15
the number of points scored by Sasha Vujacic in 17 minutes, a large majority of these coming, again, in the 2nd quarter. Vujacic is developing into a modern-day Jazz killer, beginning with his last-second heroics against the Jazz in 2005 (a game I attended with Rising Stock, who has yet to post, by the way). 15 points from this guy seems pretty unacceptable considering he averaged less than 9 for the season, and even less than that in the Lakers' previous series versus Denver. On top of this, The Salt Lake Tribune points out that Vujacic's scoring took place while Kobe was on the bench. The Jazz's second-line SGs, Harpring and/or Korver, have to do a better job defensively on Vujacic. If the Jazz are going to win this series, they must take full advantage of the time that Kobe is not on the court.
Nevertheless, these numbers make me cautiously optomistic. This series does not feel like last year's Western Conference Finals, when the Jazz were totally overwhelmed by the Spurs. Despite these numbers above, the Jazz's poor shooting, the less than 48-hour turnaround, and the other numerous reasons that Jazz fans are giving for the loss, the fact is that the Jazz were in a position in the 4th quarter to win Game 1.
These Things I Believe
1. Jack Nicholson knows nothing about the game of basketball - I am convinced of this. I have never sat in the front row of anything, but I have a sense that the front row inhabitants at Lakers games are, too put it nicely, dumb as bricks. I have a premonition that Jack spends the whole game yelling things like "Do a dunk shot, Pau," or "Shoot in a three-point basket, Sasha," or "That Bea Arthur sure was a handsome woman, wasn't she?"
3. Sasha Vujacic is playing despite a severe case of the clap - That's the word on the street at least.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Positives From Game 1
1. The Jazz killed the Lakers on the boards – 58 to 41 – and pulled down an astounding 25 offensive rebounds. Rebounding is a Jazz strength and Lakers weakness, and it kept us in game one despite shooting only 37% from the field.
2. Okur played a great game, scoring 21 points and pulling down 19 rebounds. Although Williams and Boozer had sub par games, the Jazz were able to stay in striking distance because of Okur. When he is playing well, Okur spreads the floor and makes the Jazz tough to defend.
3. The Jazz were not ready for Kobe Bryant. With only a day to prepare, it was clear the Jazz had not effectively schemed for Bryant. Kobe is a much better player than McGrady and the Jazz need to adjust. With a few days to watch and analyze the game film and work out the kinks, I expect the Jazz to be better prepared for Kobe in game 2.
4. The Jazz didn’t let the Lakers bury them. The Jazz had every reason to roll over and die after the Lakers opened up a 19 point lead in the third quarter: they were tired; the calls weren’t going their way; they got some terrible bounces (Williams’s layup?); and they were struggling from the field and the free throw line. But instead of throwing in the towel, the way the Nuggets did, the Jazz took what they were given and slowly chipped away until they cut the Lakers’ lead to 3 with a couple minutes to go. Not only did this show a lot of heart, but it demonstrated that the Jazz can play with the Lakers, even when their stars are having off nights.
Of course I would have rather walked away with a victory, but game one provided plenty to be optimistic about. With a few days to rest and prepare, I predict that Boozer and Williams will return to form, the Jazz will slow Kobe down, and we will take control of the series by stealing game 2. Ultimately, I see the Jazz winning this series in six games. The signs were all there during game one, it just takes a Jazz fan to recognize them.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Quick Hits
20.8 Ppg
8.5 Apg
53% FG
59% 3Pt FG
Astounding!
And speaking of this year's playoffs, it's interesting to note that despite the talk about how closely bunched the Western conference teams were, the top four seeds all won fairly handily. Let's hope that trend doesn't continue through the next round though, as it would be bad news for our Jazz. . .