The Jazz- The Most Exciting Team in the NBA! Millsap is My Hero!

The Utah Jazz just keep pulling the thrillers out of their hat. Again, in the first half the Jazz played with a lack of energy and rebounding. The Jazz Just didn't seem to want it, at one point the Jazz were down by 22 points. The second half has become somewhat of the norm, they came out with intensity and crashed the boards.     Paul Millsap was pretty much just unstoppable scoring 46 points, tied for the most points in a game in season. He was 3 for 3 from the 3 point line in the 4th quarter, all of them clutch shots that kept them in it. Best of all he made the game tying lay-up at the buzzer to send it into overtime. This is why the Jazz let Boozer walk, they knew that they had Paul Millsap waiting.
    Deron also played well, until he fouled out late in the 4th quarter.
    This game is being called “the miracle in Miami“. I think that truly explains what happened. The game was a miracle, taking down the big three. The Jazz proved that they can play with the big boys! 
    Also, about Elson’s free throws, sometimes when you really want to mess up, life just won’t let you.
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The Great:
Paul Millsap
Deron Williams

The Good:
CJ Miles
Andrei Kirilenko
Ronnie Price

The Bad:
The First Half (again)
Evans still no playtime (only active player not to play in this game)
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My Player of the Game:
Paul Millsap. This guy is insane! As they would say on TNT, “Mamma there goes that man.”
He had 46 points and 9 rebounds.
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My Play of the Game:
Again, tonight I had no choice but to pick Millsap’s game tying lay-up at the buzzer.
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Now If the Jazz would just play second half basketball the whole game they would blow teams out by 20 or 30 points every night. They need to come out ready to play with intensity.

~Jazz4thewin   

Wow! Double overtime thriller vs. the Clippers

     Saturday night’s game turned out to be the opposite of what I was expecting it to be. I usually take notes on the game to help me write my posts but tonight I decided I was too tired and just wanted to watch the boring game. For the first half I was right, the Jazz were down the entire half and played sloppy with no energy. I thought that this would be like the Warriors game all over again. Then came the second half where the Jazz fought back into it and took the lead. The game really got exciting in the last few minutes of regulation. The moment Deron hit that game tying lay-up I was out of my seat shouting for joy. But the game was not over yet. In the first overtime, it was even pretty much the whole way. Jefferson’s back to back blocks were the key to keeping them competitive in the first overtime. Then in the second overtime the Jazz finally broke through to win it.

     Deron Williams had 30 points, 7 assist, and 8 rebounds. He hit some big shots but if he would have just jumped forward a little bit at the end of regulation he would have gotten fouled putting him on the free throw line for some easy points. The Jazz haven’t had a game like that since they played the Thunder last year.  

     Saturday’s game was exciting, keeping you on the edge of your seat for most of the second half plus both overtimes. It was just a great game to watch after you got over the first half.
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The great:
Deron Williams
Al Jefferson
Paul Millsap

The Good:
Raja Bell
Andrei Kirilenko

The Bad:
The First Half
CJ Miles (they took away his awesome three point shot)
Evans still has not played
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My Player of the Game:
Who else could it be other than Deron Williams. He lit it up and made sure that the Jazz were at least tied up with the Clippers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Play of the Game:
Was there any way not to pick this play? Williams’ lay-up at the end of the second overtime to win the game.
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The Jazz played horrible in the first half but redeemed themselves in the rest of the game. I can’t wait to see how they fair against the Heat on Tuesday.



~Jazz4thewin

Jazz retake the test, beat the Raptors 125-108

Wednesday’s game was, in a sense, the real home opener. I look at it as a test in school. You walk into the classroom, look at the board, and see “test today” written in big, frightening letters. You pretty much freak out and fail the test from anxiety. I know you have all been there. But alas, some teacher somewhere had an idea. Why not let them retake the test. This was the Jazz’s retake and I think they passed. They came out in the first quarter making the Raptors look like school girls. Deron Williams had 14 of his 22 points in the first quarter. Heck, he was 2 rebounds from a triple-double.
The Jazz shot a stunning 68% in the first quarter. Jefferson had 27 points and 6 rebounds. He is getting more comfortable in the offence and trusting his teammates more. Millsap had another great night with 21 points and 6 rebounds.
The Jazz however came out of halftime flatter than a pancake. The Raptors got the lead down to 1 point. 1 point after the Jazz lead by 19 at halftime! The last two games the Jazz have had a breakdown in the 3rd quarter. They need to come out with intensity and keep playing defense no matter how big of a lead they have.

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The Great:
Quarters 1,2,4
56% shooting from the field
Williams
Jefferson
Millsap

The Good:
CJ
AK
Price
Bell

The Bad:
3rd Quarter

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My player of the Game:
CJ Miles, 19 points, 3 rebounds, shot 5 for 6 from 3 point land and 7 for 12 from the field.
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My Play of the Game:
CJ’s bank 3 point shot at the 3rd quarter buzzer. The shot changed the pace in their favor and gave them back their confidence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excluding the 3rd quarter the Jazz played a great 2nd home opener.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

~Jazz4thewin

Happy Halloween from the Utah Jazz! Jazz win 120-99. Plus a picture of my Jazz pumpkin.

The Jazz finally showed us what they can do and returned to preseason form. This game was supposed to be one of those close thrillers (ha, ha! You can see how much that worked out). Millsap was amazing with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Deron and Millsap worked perfectly together, especially on the slip screen. Jefferson and Deron need to get that kind of on court connection. Jefferson also played well sinking 23 points and 10 rebounds. Deron did what he does as the best point guard in the league, scoring 16 points and 15 assists. The Jazz shot lights out with 53% from the field and 64% from behind the three. The only part of the game that the Jazz weren’t up to par on was in the middle of the 3rd quarter when they couldn’t get the ball up court for several possessions in a row. If that were to happen in a close game they would pretty much lose almost all of their chances to win that game.

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The Great:
Team Defense
Team Offence
Millsap
Williams
Jefferson

The Good:
Kirilenko (19 points)
Miles (21 points)

The bad:
Midway though 3rd quarter
Evans injured (wrist)
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My Player of the Game:
Paul Millsap 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists
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My play of the Game:
When CJ went coast to coast in the third quarter. (sorry couldn’t find a video)
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Jazz played like the team everyone expected them to be. If they keep this kind of play up we’re headed towards one of the top seeds in the west.

Happy late Halloween from Basketball and All That Jazz. (yes I did carve that)
~Jazz4thewin

Wow… Now that that’s over with…

Ouch… Well what do I have to say about the season opener? Um, that made the 8-0 preseason champs look like they had never seen a basketball in their life. The amount of fouls was amazing and the Jazz had no intensity for most of the game. Looking over the play-by-play for the fist half of the game, you see (insert player name here) missed jump shots or had turnover after turn over. It was a really bad game to watch.
Speaking of bad games, what in the world is going on in the NBA? Jazz lose their first game, Heat lose their first game, Lakers win by 2 after a horrible 1st half, and the Celtics lose to the Cavaliers. It just all seems to be going wrong.
There were a few bright spots in the opener. The rookies played very well. Evans had 11 points total, which was more than Jefferson, Fesenko, and Kirilenko combined. Hayward added to the score with 9 points. Deron played well for being double teamed most of the game, pulled off 19 points, and lit it up at the start of the 3rd quarter. Jefferson looked lost and confused and only had 6 points. Hopefully they get it together by tonight when they play the Suns for their home opener.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Great:
Gordan Hayward
Jeremy Evans

The Good:
Deron Williams

The Bad:
Kyrylo Fesenko (Will he ever learn that he cannot dribble the ball?)
Al Jefferson
Andrei Kirilenko
Intensity
Fouls
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Player of the Game:
The rookies: Gordan Hayward and Jeremy Evans
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Play of the Game:
Deron to Fesenko for the dunk. At 2:09 of this video.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All we can do now is hope that they get back into their preseason form and get a win when they play the Phoenix Suns tonight on TNT.

 ~Jazz4thewin

Jazz Undefeated , Beat Kings 82-71

 Jazz finish the pre-season 8-0, undefeated for the first time in team history. Although it counts for nothing, it still shows that this team can play. Beating the Lakers twice, once without Williams, was the highlight for me and probably the rest of you reading this. 
    Friday night the Jazz played without Deron Williams because he was away due to personal reasons. But even without him, the Jazz played great except for a few minutes near the end of the 3rd quarter. Al Jefferson had some great moves down low and was one of three players with 12 points. Bell and Fesenko were the other two high scorers, and I have to admit Fesenko has really improved. But he still makes me cringe when he tries to take the ball to the hole by himself.  Bell made 3 out of 3 on three point shots and ran the break well. Evans gets better every game and his ally oops are enough to get even an old man to jump out of his seat. Watson ran the floor well and had some good drives to the basket, he was walking all over the Sacramento defense. Elson is looking to be a great back up center and has a rainbow of a jump shot. The Jazz played great and made team history. Lets hope that they make some more history this season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Great:
Undefeated in Preseason
Jefferson (Had some great plays down low)
Bell (I think he is a much better replacement for Korver)
Memo getting better from his injury (On FSN they showed a clip of him shooting some shots and jogging down the court, it‘s good to see him recovering)

The Good:
Fesenko (I think losing some weight has really improved his game)
Evans (This guy just makes you like him)
Elson (His rainbow jumper is awesome)

The Bad:
Miles is injured
15 turnovers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Play of the Game:
My play of the game is when Price threw the behind the back pass to Fesenko and two of the King’s players ended up kissing the court. It starts at 1:37 of this video:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Player of the Game:
Raja Bell (12 points, 2 assist, 1 steal and 100% from 3 point land)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This team is tough with both Jefferson and Bell playing through injuries. It proves that Jazz want to win and they will sacrifice to do it. They have looked good this far, now we wait for Wednesday, when the Jazz play the Nuggets for the start of the regular season.

~Jazz4thewin

Jazz Beat the Lakers in Round Two! No Need for Round Three

Jazz beat the Big boys in L.A. 82-74. Unfortunately, the game was not broadcast on TV so I am unable to write a full article/blog. What I do know is that the Jazz played well enough to beat the Lakers for the second time in a row. Al Jefferson had 13 points and 8 rebounds. He was injured at the end of the 3rd quarter when his hand got stuck in Theo Ratliff's Jersey keeping him out of the rest of the 4th quarter. Deron Williams had 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes. Gaines, Jeffers, and Nichols did not play again due to coach's decision which does not look good for them. Raja Bell was 1 for 1 from behind the three and had 7 points, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds. CJ Miles scored 14 in 29 minutes. Jazz are now 7-0 in the preseason. Let's keep this going into the regular season.

~Jazz4thewin

Gordon Hayward Shows His True Self, Jazz Beat the Evil Lakers 99-94

*This post is uncensored and does mention a certain team in purple and gold. If that makes you feel queasy, please puke in the toilet.

    Last night the Jazz played the HATED Lakers on NBA TV. Unfortunately, my cable network doesn’t offer NBA TV. So, instead of giving up hope of writing a well informed article today, I searched the internet for NBA TV online and to my joyful surprise I found a stream that actually worked. Now for the sad part, the stream was not for NBA TV but for FSN West the home of L.A. Basketball. So the whole night I heard the game from the perspective of a brain washed evil Laker loving announcer. The thing that fired me up the most was that the announcers stated that the Jazz are “an unsuccessful team because they NEVER win on the road.” Last year the Jazz came out at over .500 on the road with a 21-20 road record. This year however is a completely new team. You cannot judge the current Jazz by a team 2 or 3 years ago. That’s like comparing the team now with the Jazz team that made it to the finals in 1998. They are a completely different team with different strengths. Well, enough with my rant lets get to the real stuff.
    Gordon Hayward, ninth overall pick in the 2010 draft, won the 4A Indiana State championship at the buzzer, and came inches from a game winning shot in the NCAA finals. With that list you would think that Jazz fans would be jumping for joy over the pick but many fans were angry that we picked up another combo 2/3. Up until last night, Hayward hasn’t shown us much other than free throws and some nervous play. In the first quarter he played timid, looked  nervous, and was confused on offence. The last three quarters however he showed us what he could do, other than make free throws. What I liked is when he converted a bad pass into two points. That boy has some good hands.  Hayward led the Jazz with 26 points and also had  5 rebounds. I can see a bright future with this kid.
    Once again I have to talk about Jefferson. He worked over Gasol in the post. It was good to see him up against some real power forward competition. He had 14 points and 5 rebounds in 30 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Great:
Al Jefferson (Played well down low against Gasol)
Gordan Hayward (Showed us why he was drafted ninth overall)
CJ Miles(That Ally Oop with Price was awesome)
The Good:
Andrei Kirilenko (threw some nice passes, dived for the ball and got the steal)
Watson ( ran an OK point job, but rushed the offence a little)
Price (Had a nice breakaway dunk; like Watson, rushed the offence)
The Bad:
Point guards need to slow down and run through the offence
Deron is out
Evans is out
Memo is out
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jazz played well overall, but came out to a slow start after halftime and let the Lakers take the lead. The Jazz shot 50.7% from the field and 37.5% from behind the three. They are 6-0 still undefeated in the preseason with two games left until the start of the Regular Season.
~Jazz4thewin

Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter

I have set up Facebook and Twitter accounts for Basketball and All That Jazz. There is a Facebook stream on the right of the blog now and I am looking into a twitter feed. So Like or Follow us or even do both.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BballanThatJazz
Facebook:  Basketball and All That Jazz

~Jazz4thewin

Al Jefferson Is A BEAST! Jazz beat Phoneix 108-97

  



             Last night was the Jazz's first broadcast game of the season on FSN. So, like many of you, this was my first look at the Jazz this season. I was really impressed on how most everyone played. But most of all Al Jefferson, our new big man, really impressed me. I mean this guy was a beast. He had 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. He played really well with Deron, and them talking and laughing on the bench is a good sign of things to come. Heck this whole game was a sign of good things to come. What I really like about Jefferson the most is that his go to move isn't an ugly fade-away behind the head jumper like Boozer's was. He likes to go down low and battle for points. He also has that sweet jump hook that is looking pretty good. Overall I think that Jefferson is a much needed improvement over Boozer and he seems really happy to be here in Utah on a winning team. The Jazz are much better this season on paper but they proved last night that they can play together. Let's just hope that they continue to improve and be ready for a run deep into the playoffs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Great:
Al Jefferson
Deron Williams (I just loved when he broke Nash's ankles)
Jeremy Evans (Looks like a replacement of Brewer for crowd raising dunks)
Paul Millsap
The Good:
Earl Watson (looks like a good backup, much better then Price)
Gordan Haywood (ran the offense well, took some nice open shots)
The Bad:
Back up Point Guard Defense (especially on the pick and roll)
Memo is out
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Jazz 4-0 This Preseason, looks like another good sign to me.

~Jazz4thewin

ARE YOU READY!?

As most of you know the jazz had there first preseason game has come and gone and now everyone is pumped for the season. I'm just here to ask you one question. Are you ready!?

~JAZZ4THEWIN

Jazz Re-Sign Fesenko

After all the waiting it's over the Jazz have officially signed Fesenko.

"SALT LAKE CITY (September 27, 2010) – Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has re-signed restricted free-agent center Kyrylo Fesenko.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

A three-year NBA veteran, Fesenko (7-1, 300, Ukraine) appeared in 49 games (5 starts) for the Jazz in 2009-10, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes.  He also appeared in all 10 Jazz playoff games (nine starts), averaging 3.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.50 blocks in 18.0 minutes.  Fesenko scored in double figures three times on the season, and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals vs. the L.A. Lakers.  Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko’s rights in a draft-night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) to the 76ers.  Fesenko has appeared in a total of 79 regular season games (all with the Jazz) and owns career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game."

All in a days work for the Jazz. Can't wait for some more interviews by Fesenko.


~Jazz4thewin

Possible trade including Kirilenko

Yes you read that right Kirilenko is part of trade talks including Denver, Bobcats, and the Nets.
 Under the trade proposal, the Nuggets would receive rookie power forward Derrick Favors, the third pick in the 2010 draft, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, who has an expiring contract, and two future first-round picks from the Nets. The picks include New Jersey’s 2011 first-rounder and the 2012 pick the Nets own from the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors’ pick would include some kind of a lottery protection.
The Nets would also send Harris to the Bobcats, who would move forward Boris Diaw to the Jazz. Nets guard Quinton Ross also would be sent to the Nuggets.

I don't know how this is going to work out. I hope it doesn't.


~Jazz4thewin

Jazz to sign guard Earl Watson

 Looks like the jazz are getting a possible new backup for Deron. From SpearsNBAYahoo  on twitter.

"Vet guard Earl Watson has committed to sign a guaranteed deal with Utah Jazz, Y! Sports has learned. Terms still being discussed."

Earl Watson usually plays the point guard position. He was waived the Thunder in July 2009 and would later sign with the Pacers. He moved ahead of T.J. Ford as the starting point guard for the Pacers. He is 31 years old and graduated from UCLA. He actually played along side Baron Davis back in 2000-2001 season.
Earl is 6′ 1″ and weighs in at 195 lbs. Last year he averaged 7.8 points per game, 5.1 assists, and shot about 43% in about 29 minutes per game. So he could provide some minutes for Deron and is more of a traditional PG than Ronnie Price. So depending on matchups he could the first backup behind D-Will. I wonder what this means for Sundiata Gaines. Although he could move over to the SG postition he is a little undersized at 6-1.
I'll have more on this as it comes.



~Jazz4thewin

It's offical Jazz sign Francico Elson

 I found this in my email inbox today:

JAZZ SIGNS FRANCISCO ELSONCenter spent 2009-10 campaign with Milwaukee and Philadelphia

SALT LAKE CITY (September 15, 2010) - Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the team has signed free-agent center Francisco Elson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Elson (7-0, 240) owns career averages of 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds over seven NBA seasons with Denver, San Antonio, Seattle, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Elson has also appeared in 30 playoff games (10 starts), averaging 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds. Elson's best statistical season came in 2006-07 with San Antonio when he appeared in 70 games (41 starts), averaging 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 19.0 minutes.

Stay tuned to www.utahjazz.com for more details.

~Jazz4thewin

USA WINS THE GOLD! Highlights

USA won the gold in the FIBA World Championships yesterday. Kevin Durant averaged 22.1 points and 6.2 rebounds over the course of the tournament and won the MVP award. Great job to USA and I can't wait for the Olympics in 2012.



~Jazz4thewin

Game reminder: USA vs. Turkey

USA plays Turkey today at 12:30 MST on ESPN and the re air at 5:00 MST on ESPN2.
 This is for the gold medal so you better be tuning in!




~Jazz4thewin

USA vs. Lithuania highlights

Won't let me embed the highlights for some reason so here is the link


~Jazz4thewin

Durant’s 38 points carry US to title game

Kevin Durant carried the United States into the gold-medal game at the world championship, scoring a U.S.-record 38 points Saturday in an 89-74 victory over Lithuania.
With a special 9/11 message on his sneakers, Durant soared over defenders or stepped away from them for 3-pointers, scoring 17 in the first quarter to stake the Americans to an early lead that was never seriously challenged.
He went on to surpass Carmelo Anthony’s single-game record of 35 points and raise his average in the tournament to 22.1, which would be the best ever by a U.S. player. More importantly, he guaranteed the Americans a chance at their first world title since 1994. They will play Turkey or Serbia on Sunday.  

~Jazz4thewin

Jazz sign Francisco Elson

 Jazz signed Francisco Elson the following is from Utah360.com

"The Jazz have signed Fancisco Elson to a guaranteed contract. This is all according to the the tribjazz on twitter.
http://twitter.com/tribjazz 
His agent told the Trib that he may be 34 years old, but he has a 28 year old body.
It should be interesting how he fares for the Jazz. The tribjazz said he should be competing for about 10-15 minutes a night. All in all this isn’t a terrible signing. Elson is a seven footer and brings a bit of experience. It seems he and his agent are convinced he’s still got some game left. The terms have not been disclosed, but I wouldn’t imagine it’s any more than the vet’s min for a year and player option or something.
Also in other news SLC Dunk posted something about Big Fes being back in Salt Lake now. He embedded the Facebook post that Fes put up. So this might mean he is coming back to really start working on the contract and plan on suiting up for the Jazz this year. Hopefully all goes well with that. Fes really might be some help for us with some playing time and continued growth. Plus who else would make us laugh in the postgame locker room interviews. Maybe Deron can make fun of Steve Brown’s ties more often.
http://www.slcdunk.com/2010/9/9/1678236/the-downbeat-9-september-2010-312"

Still waiting for the jazz to sign Fess


~Jazz4thewin

Greg Ostertag Attempting Comeback in NBA D-League

Thats right you read it right the retired Utah Jazz center is making a comeback on the Frisco Legends.

"Former NBA big man Greg Ostertag has been working toward returning to basketball for over a year now and it seems that a team is finally willing to give him an opportunity. It isn't with an NBA franchise like Ostertag had hoped, but instead with the NBA D-League's newest franchise.

The Frisco Legends, a team owned by Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and coached by Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, is looking at Ostertag to join the team either as a player or an assistant coach -- and possibly both -- according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.

Ostertag has been working toward a comeback for some time, as the first mention of it came a year ago this week when the center best known for his work with the Utah Jazz auditioned with the Portland Trail Blazers following three years of NBA inactivity. At that time, he told the Lawrence Journal-World that he was still attempting to get back into shape. "

Full article here

How will this turn out? Stay tuned.


~Jazz4thewin

USA vs. Russia Highlights

~Jazz4thewin

NBA Summer Report Cards

Every year around this time the NBA summer report cards are posted on NBA.com lets take a look shall we?

FRONTCOURT 

"Carlos Boozer is gone, but Paul Millsap remains and Al Jefferson arrives. Concerns are Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko staying healthy."

B+

I agree with this grade although the jazz did improve with Jefferson, there are concerns about Memo and AK.

My Grade: B+

BACKCOURT

Despite the stacked competition, Deron Williams may be the league's best point guard. C.J. Miles took a step forward in the playoffs, while vet Raja Bell enters the equation.

B

A "B"? Really? We have the best point guard in the league in Deron Williams, a budding C.J. Miles, a vet in Raja Bell, and a lottery pick Gordan Hayward. I'm think that deserves a bit more than a B

My Grade A-

DEFENCE

Solid showings last season in points allowed and field-goal percentage. Jefferson should help rebounding and Bell is a dogged perimeter defender.

B

Yeah, pretty much it but I think the addition of Jefferson and Bell is a huge improvement on the defensive end.

My Grade B+

BENCH

Took a hit with losses of Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver. Kosta Koufos was traded and Kyrylo Fesenko's situation is unresolved. Lottery pick Gordon Hayward steps in. 

C

Although our bench took a hit with the loss of Kyle and Wes. Koufos was not a big part of the bench all he had was garbage minutes. Our bench has is at least better than a C.

My Grade: B

COACHING

Just having Jerry Sloan on the bench promotes stability, even if the roster is in flux. Major challenge is pushing Jefferson, who has All-Star talent.

 

An "A" is an "A" I totally agree that Jerry Sloan promotes stability. He really gets the best out of his players.

My Grade: A+

OVERALL

Made the best of losing former franchise cornerstone Boozer by trading for Jefferson. Bringing on board a 20-10 bruiser hungry for the chance to win should lead to a big payoff for both Jefferson and the Jazz. Bringing back Bell makes sense on the court and inside the locker room.

Money continues to be tight, as the front office maneuvers within luxury-tax territory. The team couldn't afford to keep Matthews, who signed a $33 million deal with Portland after his rookie season. Korver also bolted, joining former Utah teammates Boozer and Ronnie Brewer in Chicago.

Whether or not the Jazz have enough to seriously contend in the Western Conference is uncertain. What's crystal clear is contending for a title is Williams' only priority, and keeping the All-Star playmaker satisfied is an ongoing concern in Salt Lake City. D-Will has two years left on his contract before he can opt-out.

B

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, They could have at least given us a B+ but, I'm not going to waste your guys time with my opinion I'll just give you my grade.

My Grade: A-

This has been a rather long post. I'll post again tomorrow with Team USA game information.

~Jazz4thewin

Shaq to Utah? It almost happend

 From Utah360.com


"I was one of those guys. Yep, one of those “the Jazz should try and bring in Shaquille O’Neal”-guys. I was one of those guys that said “what harm could it do if he is willing to take a role off the bench? Certainly he is better than the Fes/Koof super-combo, and we could probably get him on the cheap”. Yes, I was one of the few. I mean Shaq doesn’t exactly have a stellar record as a solid contributor over the last few seasons, so why would I want him in SLC? Would he really want to play in Utah? He did just sign a deal in Boston for $2.8 mill over two years, and the Jazz definitely could have offered him more than that. Come on, Fes wants more than that, and who would you rather have on the bench as your backup Center, Fes or Shaq? Even a 38 year-old, out of shape, ego-centric Shaq would be better than Fes right? Especially when we have no money to spend and are in desperate need to fill our most glaring roster spot… Shaq would be a no-brainer, obviously; a brilliant move, even. That is if you could get him to come play in Utah, which apparently the Jazz have tried to do before. Yes, you heard (read) that right. According to an interview The New Orleans Times Picayune had with the Big (whatever you want to call him) a deal between the Lakers and Jazz almost went down in ’04. Read on...



All my thoughts on this are summed up in that article/blog post.



~Jazz4thewin

USA vs. Russia Preview

So Russia plays zone, has a cool American coach, and has size and depth. Your up to date.

Tune in Thursday on ESPN 9 A.M. MST or if you feel like staying up late the re air is 11:30 P.M. MST on ESPN2


~Jazz4thewin

USA wins 121-66

USA wins by a commanding 55 points. Chauncey Billups led US with 19 points, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, and Eric Gordan all had 17. With the US coming off with a 121-66 win. USA is now 6 and 0 in the FIBA World Championships. Next game is Thursday US plays the winner of Australia /New Zealand on ESPN 2

Full Box Score Here


~Jazz4thewin

USA Starts 5-0

Game has started if you aren't watching tune in now! USA leads 5-0



 ~Jazz4thewin

Game Preview: U.S. ready for elimination play

Tomorrow at 9 A.M. USA plays Angola. US does have some history with Angola in the Olympics 
2004 Olympics - USA 89, Angola 53
2008 Olympics - USA 97, Angola 76

Offence
Angola is a 1 on 1 offensive team They'll run pick-and-rolls, but mostly to free themselves up for a quick shot or drive to the basket. They recorded assists on only 41 percent of their field goals in pool play, the third lowest in the tournament.

Defence
Angola plays both man and zone, and they will use a 2-2-1 press at times. Angola was above average in two key statistics defensively. They ranked sixth by forcing 20.8 turnovers per 100 possessions. And they ranked seventh by allowing their opponents to attempt just 24.5 free throws per 100 possessions.

Other
Angola was the worst team to qualify for the elimination rounds. They were outscored by 19.1 points per 100 possessions in pool play.  Angola was the second worst defensive rebounding team in pool play, securing just 62 percent of available defensive boards. Witch means more chances for USA witch could be easy baskets.

Key players

Olimpio Cipriano -- The wing was Angola's leading scorer in pool play, averaging 14.8 points in four games. He dropped 30, hitting four of his six attempts from 3-point range, in the big win over Germany. Andre Iguodala will likely get the assignment of containing him.

Joaquim Gomes -- The big man averaged 11.6 points in pool play and had a double-double against Germany. He's a center who can step out and shoot from the perimeter, a contrast from most big men in this tournament who like to roll to the basket. He could be a problem on the pick and roll.

Carlos Morais -- The combo guard doesn't shoot particularly well, but he can get to the rim.

Get ready for elimination play Win or go Home

~Jazz4thewin

Deron to Dallas? Don’t Be Stupid

Check out this blog post from UtahJazz360.com


"As many of you know this article, posted by Dime went viral this week, and it has caused a bit of an uproar in the online Jazz community. The impact of that article was compounded when Mark Stein made these comments in an article for ESPN. Both articles allude to Deron Williams possibly being the next major star to go all Carmelo Anthony on the team that drafted him and demand a trade. And while both have received some major online publicity (for obvious reasons), there is absolutely no reason why Jazz fans should pay any attention to either one of them. First of all, the Dime post speaks with so much generality, that it amazes me that a site with a reputation like Dime would even allow it to be posted. The title “Why Deron Williams will Leave Utah for Dallas” speaks of authority, but, after taking the time to read the body of the post, authority is exactly what this article is lacking. The following is a breakdown of the authors’ arguments one at a time:
Argument 1: ..."


Continued here



~Jazz4thewin

Game reminder

Monday: Angola at United States 9AM MST on ESPN 2 ~Jazz4thewin

A Game to be Rembered

"As he stood on the scorer's table Thursday night in the middle of a delirious EnergySolutions Arena, having hit a shot so spectacular it eclipsed LeBron James' starburst, Sundiata Gaines was evidence that NBA dreams do come true." 

Man I was so mad when I missed this game. At least now you can relive it here in one of the best highlight movies I have ever seen.

~Jazz4thewin

Hello World!

Hello everybody, My name is Jazz4thewin and if you didn't notice by the title I love the Utah Jazz. I have been a fan for over five years. This blog will mostly be about the Jazz but I may also blog on different teams in the NBA. I will be blogging about USA basketball in the off season just because there really isn't any other basketball news at that time.

Let The Blogging Begin!!!




~Jazz4thewin