These Things I Believe

Sunday's game was not very helpful. I came away from it less sure of how this series is going to play out than I was before the game. It's obvious that we cannot rely on Sr. Okur's hustle to keep us in games, nor can the Lakers consistently rely on Deron delivering a complete dump of a game. But there are some things I am convinced of after watching Game 1.

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?"

2. Ronnie Brewer is our best version of a "Kobe-stopper" - I thought Brewer actually did a respectable job on the NBA's #1 lady's man. Plus, our other options are truly flawed. When Kirilenko guards him Kobe finishes at the rim because he knows AK can't stay in front of him. AK plays for the late block, which on lesser players is effective, but Kobe just throws it down - plus we lose Andrei's weakside help. Kyle "Kandyass" Korver was actually decent in spot duty on Sunday, but he gets zero respect from the refs (or any male, for that matter). CJ "Frequent Flier" Miles was a total joke, as per usual.

3. Sasha Vujacic is playing despite a severe case of the clap - That's the word on the street at least.

Positives From Game 1

Yes, the Jazz lost game one to the Lakers 109-98, and yes, the team that wins game one goes on to win almost 80% of NBA playoff series, but before we write the Jazz’s obituary, there were several aspects of game one that make me optimistic that the Jazz can advance to the Western Conference Finals.

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.

Quick Hits

As has been much discussed on this blog, D Will's numbers so far in the playoffs have been unbelievable. Here's a quick review of what he did to Houston over the six-game series:

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. . .

Jazz Advance to Face Lakers

It's been 10 years since the Jazz faced the Lakers in the NBA playoffs. And perhaps one of the greatest moments of that series was when Kobe Bryant airballed three clutch-time shots allowing the Jazz to sweep the 1998 Western Conference Finals. It was a great moment to revel in the embarrassment that was Kobe Bryant at that time. He was young, cocky and over-confident.

Since then, much has changed since the '98 season...(Stockton retired, Kobe & Shaq won 3 rings, and even the Mailman joined Kobe for a season in Lakerland). Kobe however, really hasn't changed much in terms of ego and super confidence. Most Jazz fans would probably agree that he may qualify as the most despised player in today's NBA. Unfortunately, he often backs up his arrogance with tremendous scoring outbursts and clutch shooting (unlike his prior, youthful days).

It'll be a challenge for the Jazz to match up with Kobe. As we saw in game 6 last night, Tracy McGrady rolled up 28 first half points to help the Rockets stay within stricking distance of the Jazz. Fortunately for us, the Jazz pulled away during the 2nd half of the game because of tremendous effort and player balance. Kobe, though, is an even better talent than McGrady! And that can be somewhat frightening for Jazz fans, as he's capable of winning ballgames on his own. With that said, I believe that our new age Stockton to Malone (Deron and the Booz) will challenge LA for top dog and a bid to the Western Conference Finals. Go Jazz!

McGrady, the "Perennial LOSER"

Oh T-Mac . . . 7 first round Playoff exits. Ouch! And my favorite part: When asked how it is the that Rockets sometimes win in Salt Lake City, the answer was not "execution, toughness, focus, defense," no it was "WE HATE THEIR FANS." And then he repeated, "WE HATE THEIR FANS." Well after making such a declaration, and then rolling into Salt Lake City to finalize his 7th first round exit, I bet T-Mac feels like a genuine ass this morning.

Have a great summer Tracy!

If History Means Anything...

There need not be any description on how big tonight's game is. Many, including yours truly, are nervous about how this series has turned as of late. The comforting thought I return to is that this game is at the arena formerly known as the Delta Center (now known, at least to me, as the Tox Box). To ease my nerves, and to fill the time of an extraordinarily slow Friday afternoon at work, I did a little historical statistical analysis to see how good home court has been to the Jazz in this situation.

My question was: How effective are the Jazz at closing a series on their home court?

The answer is somewhat comforting. Over the last 19 years, the Jazz are 13-4 (.764) when they have the opportunity to close out a playoff series at home. Yes, most of these games were played with Stockton and Malone at the helm. The Williams-Boozer era team is 1-0 in this situation, last year's Game 5 against Golden State. The one constant that draws this together, however, is soon-to-be Hall of Famer Coach Jerry Sloan, who has been the head coach for each and every one of those battles.

Game 6 Is For Heroes

The Jazz Celebrity Fan List Grows

A few months ago, before the establishment of the greatest Jazz blog ever, local newspaper stories reported that rap artist, Lil' Jon, had performed at a birthday party for Ronnie Brewer and CJ Miles, then sported a Deron Williams jersey at a Jazz game. As captured by the video above, we can now count tween sensations Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron as the latest celebrity Jazz fans. Once thought of as the most un-hip NBA team, the Jazz have had a meteoric rise in popularity among those with serious celebrity status. No longer do Jazz fans need to hang their hats on the fame of crazed Jazz fan and Cocoon star, Wilford Brimley. Who will be next to show their Jazz allegiance? Alex Trebek? Drew Lachey?

Here are some tips and other observations regarding this video:

1) We know Zac and Vanessa are new to being Jazz fans, but if they are handing out T-shirts for everyone to wear during the game - wear the damn shirt! They need look no further than the woman behind them who is wearing nothing but the shirt. Now that's a Jazz fan!

2) My wife frequently tries to convince me that not everyone that is a BYU fan is a dork. Yet somehow, most of the fans from that school who I encounter, either in person or otherwise, contradict my wife's assessment. The guy next to Vanessa, complete with his Y hat (no, it doesn't stand for Yale) at a Jazz game, is Example A. What a tool!

3) To all who still say that the Jazz are uncool, I ask you this: What other team has played Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire!" for the last 25 years?

Ostertag lauches second career!

Andrei Kirilenko - Uberdork

Everyone who reads this blog knows Kirilenko is my boy. But something has happened to him in the past two years. He has gone from a fearsome Ivan-Dragoesque All-Star, averaging over 3 blocks and 16 points per game to a nice role player with a bloated contract. Well, I think I've figured out what that something is.

The internet.

When Kirilenko came into the league he looked like that scrawny dork you knew in high school who loved World of Warcraft, fantasy novels, expensive watches, non-alchoholic cocktails, and animals that combined speed and grace. Then, out of nowhere, that high school loser started putting up 5x5s on the league, and denying Kobe and Wade at the buzzer, and everyone in the NBA thought he was a vodka-fueled badass with radical left-leaning social beliefs.

But, thanks to Kirilenko's love of the world wide net, he has exposed himself for what he really is: a dork who loves World of Warcraft, fantasy novels, expensive watches, non-alcoholic cocktails, and animals that combine speed and grace. From his blog:

He loves ligers: "I adore dogs and horses. But my favorite animals are from the cat breed, but not cats. These are panthers, lions, tigers, pumas, jaguars, leopards… these animals combine strength, power, speed and grace."

No man, not grace. Say something like ferocity or virility, not grace.

Who's up for some simcity: "I can play [video games] a lot and for a long time. It even happens that I forget about sleep and food. Sometimes I even set an alarm clock to remind me to stop. My favorite games: Diablo, various simulators of city and park constructions and strategy. For example, Age of Empire, Warcraft, Starcraft, Heroes of Might and Magic."

Oh, Andrei, don't admit that. Even Luke Jackson makes fun of those games.

His drink of choice: "As for drinks, I prefer milk, milkshakes and non-alcoholic cocktails."

Hell no, Andrei! Hell no! No milkshakes! No damn milkshakes!! You are f*&^ing Russian!!!