With the Jazz struggling through the 1st two months of the season, it’s amazing that our record resembles what it does… 18-14. It could definitely be worse, especially with the crazy things we’ve had to face this year. I want to share some of those things that amaze me about the Jazz, up until this point. I’m amazed that…
The Jazz have suffered so many injuries.
We’ve been ravaged by injury. Carlos Boozer has missed 20 games and counting. Deron Williams missed 13 games with an ankle sprain. Paul Millsap is out with a knee injury. Kirilenko has missed a few games here and there. Memo has missed 8 games, 3 recently with back spasms. Matt Harpring has missed 12 games with his ankle issues. And the unforgettable Jarron Collins has NOT even played a game yet this season (perhaps that’s a blessing).
We’re still in the playoff hunt.
Yes, I know… we’re currently resting outside of the playoff eight (sitting at #9). But, considering the players who’ve been out for us, it’s fantastic to see that we’re still playing above-.500-ball. Hopefully, time will heal our injuries and we’ll get back on the floor healthy soon.
Paul Millsap has nearly matched Boozer’s production as a starter.
It’s awful that big Paul had to suffer from the Jazz injury bug. He was on such a roll! Millsap racked up 15 double-doubles in a row until the Milwaukee game where he had 11 and 9, and suffered a hyper-extended knee. His averages were suberb!… 15 and 9.
Our wings are stepping up when we need them.
Perhaps this might be a good stretch to have our stars injured on the bench… it just may force some of our younger players to grow up and develop. In particular, Ronnie Brewer and CJ Miles have been forced to play more minutes and increase their production. The other night, while not having the option of going to Boozer, Okur or Millsap, Ronnie Brewer produced for a 23 point, 7 rebound night against Dallas and then backed that up with a 21 point, 7 rebound outing versus Houston. In similar fashion, CJ Miles scored 14 and 15 points respectively over those two nights.
Koufos enjoyed a break-out game & Fes has a pulse.
We’ve heard a lot of praise regarding Koufos and his work-ethic. It’s great to see that it’s paid off on the court. Koufos exploded the other night against Dallas, scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. He’s proving that he could be the steal of the 2008 draft (when getting picked so late in the 1st Round), while providing some much needed quality minutes on the floor. His counterpart, Fes the giant, awoke this weekend. He shocked the very core of Jazz fans by playing extremely well (8 points, 4 rebounds & 3 blocks vs. Dallas; 12 points, 11 rebounds, & 3 blocks vs. Yao). One thing is for certain… he doesn’t lack for talent or size. It’s just a motivation & “mental makeup” question (if we could just work on this aspect…).
The Jazz remain competitive against the elite teams despite being short-handed.
We very easily could have won that game against Houston. Infact, we should have. If only Ronnie would have hit those foul shots… Regardless, we’re playing tough against the elite teams like Dallas and Houston without Boozer, Memo or Millsap in the line-up.
It’s amazing…
And I’m sayin’ a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight.
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3 comments:
The season has been a disappointment in a lot of ways, but a pleasant surprise in others. We're competitive every game and have been able to blow teams out of the water (i.e. Dallas) when we're not a full strength. If we can get everyone healthy -- or even everyone healthy except Boozer -- we are definitely an elite team.
Didn't Collins play in the game against Phoenix?
Or did you mean that even though he played, he didn't play. That must be it.
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