Deron Interviewed by Harpring

Here's a stellar interview conducted by ex-Jazzman Matthew Harpring. Some interesting things I learned:

1. Deron cannot be guarded by anyone in the league.
2. Deron doesn't have a lot of respect for Channing Frye's game.
3. Matt Harpring made the all-NBA rookie team.

Some interesting things that I already knew:

Fast Forward to the 1:40 mark.

Crotty Kid's Offseason Guide: Vol. 5

Ok, kids. Today is offseason D-day. The day we've all been waiting for. Let's do a quick recap of what happens today.

• Boozer must opt in by 5 PM mountain time. Boozer has a player option, which means he has to affirmatively indicate that he wants to stay in order for his $12 million contract for next year to kick in.
• Okur and Korver can do nothing. Okur and Korver both have early termination options, which means that if they don't do anything, they are on the team.

As I've predicted all summer (unlike Pasty Gangster) I don't think anyone is going anywhere. Korver has reportedly decided to stay. Boozer is quickly realizing that there is no money out there for injury prone, defenseless power forwards. And Okur, while rumors still have him opting out, will have trouble finding more money than the Jazz can offer him. Which brings us to the second happening today.

• The NBA's free agency period begins at 10 PM mountain time. That means Mr. Millsap can begin negotiating with other teams (which, in reality, has already been happening). The Jazz can offer Millsap (and Okur if he opts out) a new deal. They can also go after other team's free agents, including Marcin Gortat, Hedo Turkoglu, Glen Davis, and others.

I've covered the free agent happenings of the big four (Okur, Boozer, Korver, Millsap) all summer. After today, we should know what is happening with most of them. So, today, let's focus on the true Jazz free agents. Those players that, after 10 PM today, are no longer affiliated with the Jazz in any sense. Prepare to shed a tear, Jazz faithful.

• Ronnie Price:
  The little man from UVSC won over Jazz fans' hearts in the final blowout playoff loss to the Lakers. While his stats from last year do not impress (37% fg?), even Sloan has admitted that he may have made a mistake in playing Brevin Knight over Ronnie. I would expect the Jazz to try to resign Ronnie to a minimum salary contract to be our third or second point guard.
  
  
• Brevin Knight:
  The trade last year that brought Brevin Knight to the Jazz will forever be remembered as the trade that got rid of Jason Hart. But, in the end, Knight was not much better. Although I didn't cringe whenever Knight dribbled as I did with Hart, we took a huge step backwards when Deron left the game. Brevin's NBA career may be done.
  
  
• Jarron Collins: Oh sweet day. The end of Collins' tenure with the Jazz signals a significant reduction in academic prestige, sweater vests, and citizenship. I don't know how you replace the intangibles that Collins brings to each game, including (1) stoicism, (2) joyless effort, (3) and ESP with his also-not-NBA-caliber twin. Also, I'm not sure who Pasty and Booner will blame for all of the Jazz' failures now that our designated whipping boy is gone. In any case, farewell gentle scholar. It has been an incredible ride. Enjoy your life in Palm Springs or Orlando. You shall not be missed.
  

Third Time's the Charm

Guess who is contemplating an NBA comeback? Here's a hint: Yabba-dabba-do!

I think we found our replacement for Jarron Collins.

More Playoff Commericals

Earlier this week loyal TCG readers were treated to one of the best NBA Playoff-related commercials ever in the form of Teen Wolf definitively answering the oft-asked question, "Where will amazing happen this year?"  Now for the worst.  

For the record:

• Dan Brown's books and movies have absolutely nothing to do with the NBA.  "Angels and Demons" is a particulary poor comparision point, as after Jarron Collins gets cut loose this offseason there aren't going to be any angels left in the league.
• Yes, the commercial opens with a faux basketball court superimposed on the ground outside of the Vatican.
• Yes, there is another portion of the commercial where Rajon Rondo's back is engulfed in flames as the announcer says "Fire" in a deep baritone.
• Yes, at another point Kobe Bryant dives on the floor to get a loose ball and morphs into Tom Hanks swimming underwater in his clothes.  What's weird about that?

I Bring Hope

I've been absent from posting during the playoffs. I apologize. But the Jazz series had a thick layer of inevitability that I couldn't cut through no matter how hard I tried. I watched the games more as an observer than a fan, watching to find some glimmer of hope for next year. I watched without much thought for the outcome of any particular possession or game. It's hard to blog about inevitability.

So, now that the season is over, I feel like there are things to ponder, things to write. Luckily, I am a very stable jazz fan. I don't get caught up in Jazz-are-title-bound hype when we win seven straight at home, and I don't worry about the "state of the franchise" when we lose to a clearly superior team in five games. Thus, in this time of doom and gloom, I am here to bring you hope.

1. What Could Have Been: The thought that continues to needle me about this season is that it was flushed down the toilet by dropping two late home games to lottery clubs. If we beat Minny and Golden State in April, we're playing either the aging Spurs or the Nuggets in round 1. If it's the Spurs, I would be blogging about our second round matchup right now. And, while the Nuggets have looked good against New Orleans, I think that Jazz/Nuggets would have gone seven games. We were very close to being competitive this postseason.
   
2. Talent Level: The Jazz have a lot of talent coming back next year. Our entire starting lineup returns (Boozer and Okur ain't leaving). Most of our bench talent is back, with the likely exception of Mr. Paul Millsap. While Millsap will be missed, his absence won't leave the Jazz bench totally ineffective - we just need Kirilenko and Korver to up the ante.
3. Summer Break: No summer basketball for Williams, Okur, and Boozer means that we should be healthy next year. Along with the contract distractions, injuries killed the Jazz this year. Kirilenko, Fesenko, and Kofous are all playing this summer. Of course, having a summer off only helps stave off injuries if you actually stay in shape. For out-of-shape Euros, like Okur, summer break is more of a mental-health benefit. It allows him to binge on turkish delight and mutton so he can bulk up for training camp.
4. Contract Years: Okur, Boozer, Brewer, and Harpring are all playing for new contracts. Let me predict right now that Boozer plays 75+ games and has a career year rebounding the ball. He's cool like that. I wish I could place a wager on this in Vegas.
   
5. Aging of the West: For years the Western Conference has been brutal. But there is a subtle shift in power occurring. The Spurs and Hornets have been exposed in the playoffs. And I'm not convinced that the Rockets are going to be better next year. The Mavs are getting older as well. That leaves the Lakers, Blazers, and Nuggets as the cream of the crop. The Jazz can easily compete for home court in the first round next year.
6. The End of an Era: Jarron Collins has likely played his last competitive basketball game. While I don't think that fact will improve or worsen the Jazz, his absence will certainly soothe Booner and Pasty Gangster who are convinced that Jarron is the anchor holding the Jazz back. Good bye, gentle scholar. We will miss your sweater vests and your citizenship.

Now, to be sure, there are problems: the Jazz can't win on the road, we are likely to lose our most aggressive post player for nothing, there are obvious chemistry issues on the squad, the luxury tax looms, and we may be trying out a new coach. But, I am optimistic about next year. I think next year's Jazz absolutely will outperform this year's squad and that we have a good shot at making the Western Conference finals. So cheer up, Jazz fans. Hope springs eternal.

Random Thoughts on the Jazz-Lakers Series So Far

• Two players who should see a lot less time in this series going forward: Brevin Knight and Jarron Collins.  Knight is getting killed by Jordan Farmar for hell's sake.  
• Two players who should see a lot more time in this series going forward: D Will and Memo.  Oh wait, one is playing every minute as is and the other one doesn't suit up.
• As Kenny Smith semi-eloquently put it on last night's halftime show, the frustrating part about Jerry's coaching style is that he doesn't seem to try new wrinkles when the old ones are clearly not working.  Our defense was as bad in Game 2 as it was in Game 1.  Collins continues to waddle up and down the court adding nothing of value.  From what I can tell, the big change in last night's game plan was playing Price in the 2nd half instead of Knight.  
• Aamzingly, with all that's gone wrong there are still some slivers of hope.  Kobe hasn't been dominant, partially because Brewer has played tough D on him.  No one on their team -- and certainly not Derek Fisher or Trevor Ariza or Shannon Brown -- can come close to stopping D Will's penetration.  With the home crowd on our side, my predicition is close victories in Games 3 and 4.  

The Stat of Damnation

The one key fact that damned the Jazz last night was their start: They gave up 41 points in the 1st quarter and allowed the Lakers to shoot 86% from the field.

But on a brighter note, Jarron Collins played 13 minutes and had 0 points, 2 boards, and 4 great fouls. Good work Jarron.

And on an even better note, U-92's radio-jockey proclaimed this morning that he is not giving up on the Jazz. So as Jazz fans, we definitely have that going for us.

Double Disappointment

What part of the sentence below is more disappointing?  That Okur probably won't be back or that we're going to start Collins again in a playoff series against the best basketball team in the West?

"If the big Turk and one-time NBA All-Star is not ready to return Tuesday, as it appears will be the case, Jazz coach coach Jerry Sloan indicated this morning that he's inclined to stick with veteran reserve big man Jarron Collins opening at center."

Now, if I were Collins I would be practicing 14-foot jump shots at the top of the key like crazy these next couple of days.  That's there any time he wants it.  But something tells me come Game 2 we're going to see a lot of them clanging off the iron again. . .  

All that glitters is gold

The Salt Lake Tribune offered up this glimpse into the jetset lifestyle of Jarron Collins, friend of the stars who doesn't hurt you on the court. Please Jarron, tell us more about having "a romantic encounter with a woman."

Where's Kosta?

It's hard to complain during an 11 game win streak, but did you see Jarron Collins's line against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 blocks, 1 turnover and three fouls in five minutes of play. Even worse than what Collins did on the court was who he kept off it. Once again Kosta Koufos registered a DNP - Coach's Decision, his ninth DNP in a row. Koufos has the potential to be a major contributor for the Jazz down the road, but that is not the only reason I wish Jerry would play him instead of Collins.

On November 11, 2008, I attended the Jazz victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia. Because Okur was out and Fesenko was resloving a visa issue in Canada, Koufos started and played 20 minutes. He finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, a steal and two blocks. And beyond his stat line, he was active, running the floor on offense and altering shots on defense. I left the game convinced that Koufos was already better than Collins and I still feel that way today. We need a back up center for the playoffs and that center should be Koufos. So let's stop throwing away those five minutes we keep giving to Collins and get Koufos in the game. Koufos's energy and play will help us now and the experience he gains will pay dividends in the future.

Update: We may get to see the return of Kosta sooner than expected. Ross Siler is reporting this morning that Collins may be out tonight with a stomach virus.

Quotes & Questions

For those of you who didn't catch the game last night, our boys looked damn good.  Kyle Korver had nine boards for hell's sake.  But you know who looked even better?  The gents below, who offered up these pearls of wisdom on national television.

• Mike "Czar of the Telestrator" Fratello on Matt Harping: "The thing about Harping in this league is that he eats you alive on the offensive and defensive ends of the court."  These are the comments that shed a little light on why Mike is hanging out in the announcer's booth instead of roaming the sidelines as a coach.  Note on the picture of the Czar below: he's the brosef on the left in the rainbow shirt.  Nice! 
  

• Karl "The Mailman" Malone during TNT's halftime show: "Lamar Odom.  Lamar Odom.  Lamar Odom is my boy.  My boy is Lamar Odom."  Really bizarre.  Abosolutley no context whatsoever.  For the record, Lamar Odom had 20 points and six boards last night.  If that's all it takes to get Karl going he should really check out Andrea Bargnani's game.
• Jason "Old Man" Kidd on Deron Williams: "Damn I'm old and slow.  D Will killed me tonight. . . did you see that play in the first half when he drove right by me and I didn't even try to stop him?  I'm amazed I was even 2-6 from the field -- 1-11 wouldn't have surprised me at all.  How ridiculous is it that I STARTED over him and Chris Paul during the Olympics?"  OK, Jason Kidd really didn't say that.  But he might as well have.  The Mavs are going nowhere this season or in the playoffs with that guy running the show for them.  

Finally, one question.  Lost in last night's blowout is the fact that Collins played twice as many minutes as Koufos.  Seriously?  We're honestly going to throw Collins out there against Tim Duncan or Yao or Bynum in the playoffs?  Come on.  The madness must stop.  

A Difference-Maker

Jarron was ready to play. And when his number was called, he entered the ballgame and made a difference for the Jazz. Jarron scored 6 points for the Jazz and had an offensive board to go along with it. That may not sound like much, but when Jarron entered the ballgame, the Jazz were only up two points, 67-65, and when he left... the Jazz had blown open the game, winning 98-82 en route to a 105-86 victory. Jarron actually made a big difference.

As much as we "rip" on Jarron Collins, I have to give him credit for being ready to play. He played his role to perfection... unspectacular, steady, well-prepared which equaled to becoming a difference-maker. And how about his long-distance jumper (college 3-line extended)? Go get 'em JC! When the Jazz have players like Boozer and Kirilenko out with injury and Memo and Millsap struggling with foul trouble, at least we had someone willing to step up and help get us a victory last night.

Kosta Krush

As regular readers know, a number of us here at TCG have man crushes on Kosta Koufos (question: is the plural of "man crush" men crush or man crushes?).  My personal infatuation only increased last night after watching the Jazz-Warriors game and this morning after checking out ESPN's rookie ratings.  

For those who didn't catch the game, it was not our boys' best effort.  The Warriors were getting wide open looks and we weren't converting as often as we should on the offensive end.  We won because we were hustling at the end of the game, however, and no one was hustling more than Kosta.  This was in stark contrast to say, Memo, who might have boxed out once on the night, or Miles, who has yet to meet a rebound he wants to really go after (best example of this -- in the fourth quarter after the Warriors missed two shots and got the rebound twice, CJ came waltzing through the lane in an attempt to get the board after their third attempt but instead hit it out of bounds and then promptly turned around and signalled "Jazz ball" with an outstreched hand. . . I think he counts this as effort).  KK finished with 11 points, 5 boards, and a block in 19 minutes of play.  

As for ESPN, some quick checking reveals that Kosta has the fifth best PER (the statistical measure the stats gurus there think is the best measure of a player's ability) among rookies.  He's basically tied with odds-on ROY favorite O.J. Mayo. . . not a bad place to be when you were the 23rd pick in the draft.  

In closing, Jazz fans around the world should start salivating at what our bench will look like with everyone healthy.  Kosta replaces Collins permantently and Millsap backs up Boozer (or vice versa for all I care).  We round things out with Korver, AK, and Brevin Knight.  Tough second squad to say the least!   

Kosta!

3-8 from the field with five boards, two blocks, and a steal in 21 minutes!  He's not Shaq yet but it's a decent debut and we got a W on the road.  Here's to Koufos permanently replacing Collins as Memo's backup! 

Who starts at center?

The Desnews is reporting that Memo is out for tomorrow night's game and for the foreseeable future. Apparently a family illness will keep him in Turkey. We wish Memo's family the best.

The article also notes that Fesenko is in Canada working on visa issues. And Collins, aside from not really being a center or a basketball player, is still hurt. So, who does that leave as the starting center in tomorrow's game against the 76ers? Maybe this guy:

That's right. The first round draft "steal" may be an NBA starter before he has posted a single point, rebound, assist, steal, or block in the NBA. Kosta's career stats to this point include zero points on 0-3 shooting and one personal foul in a little over six minutes of action.

Our starting lineup on Tuesday may be Boozer, Ronnie Price, Ronnie Brewer, CJ Miles, and Kosta. That's eastern conference lottery team quality. This road trip just got a whole lot more interesting.

How Good Are the Jazz?

After last night's loss to the Knicks the Jazz no longer have the best record in the NBA.  But how good are they?  We'll know more at the end of this eastern road trip, but I think the answer is "quite good".  Consider the following:

• The Jazz are blowing teams out of the water.  Our scoring differential -- which the stats gurus at ESPN think is a better indication of future success than W-L record (for the record, I agree) -- is +8, which puts us at third in the league.  Only Atlanta and the Lake Show are better.  Sidenote: the Lakers are winning by an average of more than 22 points a game, including a 20-point blowout of an Artest/Yao/McGrady led Rockets team last night.  The Lakers are really, really good this year.  It's scary.
  
• Harpring and Collins, two rotation guys, are still injured.  In my book this is an argument for keeping them out or at least drastically reducing their minutes when they come back.  Brewer had a great game yesterday (seven steals!) and Millsap has been solid all year.  Better to get those young, talented guys more reps than slash their minutes for Harp and Collins.  
• D Will is still out and will be for at least the next four games.  We probably win in New York with him. . . it will be nice to have him back at the point soon! 
• The elite teams in the West aren't looking super elite this year.  Besides the frightening signs out of LA, no team in the conference other than the Jazz has sprinted out of the gates.  Phoenix is 5-2 but it looks like Nash has lost a step.  The Rockets are 4-3.  Chris Paul and Co. are a respectable but not earth-shattering 4-2 and their wins have been fairly close.  Finally, the hated Spurs are 1-4 and Tony Parker is out for at least a month.  Say good night, San Antonio!  

Sloan's Preferences

Anyone who follows the Jazz knows that Jerry Sloan hates rookies, young people, teens, and Russians. It is a commonly held belief that Sloan will not play young players the minutes they deserve. Look at CJ Miles, the Sloan critics say. Or Kris Humphries, or Deron Williams (as a rookie), or DeShawn Stevensen.

But I'm here to tell you that the Sloan-as-rookie-hater theory is wrong. Sloan, like most 80 year-old farmers, isn't hip. He doesn't text, he doesn't listen to the rap music, and he certainly doesn't play unproductive young players over unproductive veterans. But this country boy may be cooler than you think.
Over the past 8 years, Sloan has put his trust in 3 rookies. He has let these three young bucks run for nearly 20 minutes a game, while more veteran, established players languished on the bench.

Deron Williams, 2005-06: There is often a perception among Jazz fans that Sloan was so stubborn that he wouldn't even play Williams, our franchise player, as a rookie. But Deron averaged 29 minutes per game over the course of the year and earned the starting role before the all-star break. Sloan started the rookie even though Deron's numbers were nowhere near what they are now: he shot poorly (42%) and his assist/turnover ratio was high (2.5:1). Consider this: Stockton didn't start as many games in his first three years in the league as Deron did in his rookie campaign.

Paul Millsap, 2006-07: Here's the classic Sloan rookie. Underappreciated (2nd round pick), fighting for a roster spot, undersized (listed at 6"8'), and a perfect gentleman. Millsap came out of nowhere to play 18 minutes a game as a rookie out of Lousiana Tech. The Gentle Bulldog only started one game that year (he has three total starts in his career), but has consistently been one of the first players off the bench since he entered the league.
Jarron Collins, 2001-02: If anyone complains about Sloan not playing rookies, simply point them to the greatest Stanford big man to ever tape up for the Jazz. Collins, an unheralded second round pick, stormed into the league with a rookie campaign that saw him post career highs of 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game (incidentally, those remain career highs to this day). Most amazing of all, however, is that Jarron started 68 of the 70 games he played in that year! And he wasn't playing because of lack of bigmen: the Jazz bench that year included Andrei Kirlenko, Greg Ostertag, and even John Amaechi.

So, what does this tell us about this year? Well, it means that Sloan may turn to Kofous to fill the huge void at backup center. All of the rookies listed above had good attitudes, worked hard, and didn't get in bar brawls (oh wait, scratch that last one). Kofous is destined to be Sloan's favorite player ever and appears to be a hard worker. Whether he is skilled enough to play against NBA bigmen is another question, but if Collins' story is any indicator, talent doesn't factor into the playing time equation.

The Backup Center Situation

While AK's move to the bench appears to be paying off nicely, all is not well with the Jazz' second unit.  Specifically, we continue to have a major problem at backup center.  Koufus is a rookie.  Fes plays like one (last night's double double notwithstanding) and compares his own strength to that of a small girl.  Finally, to pour salt on this open wound for Jazz fans everywhere, Jerry Sloan had this to say when the D News asked him to list Collins' attributes:

• "Tries" to take charges (note that he didn't say "does" take charges).  
• Unafraid to pass the ball.
• Good at setting screens.  
• "Usually" knows his assignment.  

Let's be honest -- an average high school player could get us all of those things for the league minimum.  To top it all off, it now turns out Collins hurt himself in the same golfing accident that's sidelined his twin brother for the first few months of the season.  So, to review, we have a) a rookie b) a "small girl" and c) a guy who gets hurt golfing filling this spot for us.  

Backup center is clearly not the most important position in the NBA.  But it is a huge hole for the Jazz -- at last year's shortened playoff run highlighted -- and is one that doesn't seem likely to get filled any time soon.  

 

Player Efficiency Ratings

That's right, check out Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ratings released today. What a surprise! Jarron Collins has the lowest PER on the Jazz squad. But what is better is that he is also ranked 318th out 321 current NBA players. Hmmmmmm. At least he is ranked higher than his twin brother Jason, who is rated as the most inefficient player in the NBA.

The Collins parents must be proud.

The Next Jarron Collins

As this blog has relentlessly chronicled over the past few months, this season represents the last hurrah of Jarron Collins. After a storied seven year NBA career, Jarron is going to hang up the sneakers this year. No word yet on whether there will be ceremonies in visiting arenas as Jarron makes his last visit, but I'm sure the Jazz crowd will give him a warm reception as he leaves the court for the last time.

If you were to listen only to Booner, Pasty Gangster, and Golden Griff, you would come away with the impression that the Jazz would win an NBA championship, if only we would buy-out Collins' contract. Well, I've got news for you Collins naysayers: we need him. Why, you may ask, do we need an undersized center that averages .2 blocks per game? One word: citizenship.

Look, I know of what I speak; I have my citizenship merit badge. If you don't have citizenship you are screwed. And no team loves citizenship like our Utah Jazz. So when Collins retires this year there will be a huge void to fill in the lineup. Who is going to replace him as Citizen Number 1? Some initial thoughts:

• Lance Allred: Before the web gave birth to this blog, Pasty Gangster claimed that adding the former Leopard/Ute/Wildcat/Stampede/Cavalier in place of Collins would improve the Jazz. Others (myself included) were doubtful of that proposition. Lance's stats with the Cavs suggest that I was right. But what about citizenship? Well, Lance is writing a science fiction novel, and dudes that are into that stuff are normally confined to their basement. There's not a lot of time for community activism and voter registration when you have to come up with names for made-up galaxies and space plants. But, the good news is, he's available. Lance was cut by the Cavs this afternoon.



• Brevin Knight: the newest Jazzman is a class act with an impressive citizenship resume. He graduated from Stanford, he has foundations that benefit youth education and multiple schlerosis, and he golfs. The only negative is that he was an all-star for two years with Memphis, and as Jarron Collins has proven time and again, you can't be a good citizen and a good basketball player simultaneously; it's one or the other. So, Brevin is out....Oh, wait, I guess Brevin was a member of the "All-Star Reading team," not the NBA All-Star team. Much better.



• Kosta Koufos: I'm sure this guy's admissions essay at Ohio State was filled with his exploits as a volunteer at soup kitchens and homeless shelters. The DesNews describes him as "preppy and polite," with a dash of goofy. He addresses the media and referees as "sir." In fact, Sloan has already commented on his admiration of Koufos. Why does Jerry like him so much? Because he "doesn't say anything." Ladies and Gentleman, I think we have our winner!