Utah Jazz Musings

The NBA Draft Lottery was last night, and my team, the Utah Jazz, lucked out and got the 3rd pick. I was happy, because the last time they drafted that high they ended up with a guy named Deron Williams, who turned out to be a pretty good player- until they traded him. According to all the pundits and experts, this draft is thin and contains few NBA ready players. With that said I am hopeful that the Jazz can get a player that will help them get back on track soon.

The main candidates for  in the early going are Arizona forward Derrick Williams (another D-Will?) and Enes Kanter, a Turkish center who spent last year at Kentucky. The Jazz also have the 12th pick, and many here in Utah (not me) are hoping that they draft BYU scoring machine Jimmer Fredette. If they do, fine, but don't be shocked if he isn't putting up 30 points a game in the NBA. Some guys just don't have games that translate well to the NBA, and I fear that Jimmer is one of them. My hope is that the Jazz don't get sucked into the hype and instead pick the best player available. If it happens to be Jimmer, so be it. With all that said I am glad to see my team getting back on what appears to be the right track. It would be pretty hard for things to get much worse than how last season ended. Yikes, I hope I didn't just jinx us.

Thoughts on the NBA Playoffs

I was admittedly sad when my team, the Jazz, didn't make it to the playoffs this year, but after what has happened in the first round I'm not that sad anymore. The 2011 Playoffs have been wildly entertaining, dramatic and surprising to watch. Even though no series went all seven games, the quality of play has been high and most of the games have come down to the wire. Let's recap a few of the highlights, shall we?

LAKERS/HORNETS
In the series I most hoped for an upset, Chris Paul reemerged as a true star, willing the seventh seeded Hornets to the brink of defeating the defending champs. Alas, for me and other Laker haters, it was not to be. However, there were great moments in this series like when Paul and his boys stole game one in L.A., or when my least favorite player, Pau Gasol all but vanished and Phil Jackson called the team 'punks.' I also loved the moment when Chris Paul took a shot to the eye, and kept playing despite looking like Rocky Balboa. This series was almost perfect, I say almost because Kobe and Co. are still alive, but after tangling with New Orleans they might not have enough juice to make it back to the Finals. Let's hope.

BULLS/PACERS
Derrick Rose is the MVP. That is what we can take away from this series. If he plays poorly, the Bulls don't look very good. Luckily, he played well enough to take out Indiana in 5 games. Four of the five were too close for comfort, and probably left everyone wondering if the league's new darlings have enough to get to the Finals. I don't think they do, especially since Carlos Boozer is doing his usual playoff disappearing act, and Tom Thibadou seems reluctant to use the best bench in the league. Perhaps this series was just a hiccup and the Bulls will right the ship. They better, because what I think is the hottest team in the playoffs, the Hawks, won't miss an opportunity in a close game like the Pacers did.

CELTICS/KNICKS
The oldest team that needed the most rest got it by sweeping the most overrated team in the playoffs. New York stunk and got roundly throttled by a team that looks hungry, complete and dangerous. Boston, despite their advanced age, is my pick out of the East because they play together and know the territory well. They will need every bit of the rest they earned against the Heat, led by those three guys.

SPURS/GRIZZLIES
We saw an era end when Memphis upset the number one seeded Spurs in six games. The series wasn't even that close as the younger, quicker, bigger and hungrier Grizzlies mauled the crap out of the aging former champs. It was kind of sad to see, but all things come to an end. Who knows what lies ahead for San Antonio? I know what lies ahead for Memphis, a date with Kevin Durant and the Thunder, who are my pick to come out of the West.

Here now are my picks for the rest of the way-

LAKERS over MAVERICKS in 6
THUNDER over GRIZZLIES in 5

CELTICS over HEAT in 6
BULLS over HAWKS in 6

CELTICS over BULLS in 6
THUNDER over LAKERS in 7

CELTICS over THUNDER in 6

Remember When?

Despite my best efforts to blot out certain memories, I do recall things. Here are some of my recollections.

Remember when Charlie Sheen was known for being seemingly talented (Wall Street, Major League, Platoon) and not for being a notorious sleaze?

Remember when I wrongly poo pooed shows like Dexter and Mad Men? I admit when I am wrong, and was on both counts.

Remember when the Utah Jazz were known as one of the most stable, consistent franchises in the league? Not anymore. Bye, Jerry and Deron.

Remember getting those wax tubes filled with that sweet, colored juice in your Easter basket, and then chewing on the flavored wax after you drank the juice? That was some good stuff.

Remember when NPR and PBS and other public broadcasting didn't have to fight to be funded? I'm sick about this and this everyone needs to fire off some calls and emails to the jerks in Washington who want to take away our All Things Considered and Sesame Street.

Remember when there weren't so many brands/types of gum to choose from? I go to the store now and there's so many kinds of gum in the checkout area that I get overwhelmed and need to sit down.

Remember when Saturday Night Live was funny? I do. It isn't now.

The Last Game

I went to see my team, the Utah Jazz, play the Chicago Bulls last night. I don't get to that many games, so I was excited- especially to see my team take on former Jazz players, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. The Jazz lost, and we left the arena simply thinking the team had lost another game. This afternoon I learned that the team had also lost its coach.

Jerry Sloan, the only man I have known as the coach of the Jazz, stepped down after 23 years with the team today. I am saddened by the sudden departure, and left to think about the fact that I just happened to be there on the night he coached his last game. The Jazz have had difficulties this year, but still had the cornerstones of a strong team- one of them being Coach Sloan. Now, the team must turn to an unproven, but determined coach, and the player and leader that many now blame for Sloan's abrupt exit. New coach Tyrone Corbin and point guard Deron Williams didn't know it was Sloan's last game, and now, ready or not they are the future of the Jazz. Williams and Sloan clashed in their time together, and perhaps there was something about that relationship that nudged Jerry out the door, but like many, I don't think anyone could push Jerry Sloan out, and I know that even if Williams is secretly happy- he couldn't foresee that last night was his coach's last game.

The last game of his career wasn't anything special, just another February NBA game, but it actually was a nice coda to Sloan's career. It was in Salt Lake, with a sellout crowd and against the team that has retired his number. Maybe Jerry was putting us on today when he stepped down, maybe he knew, unlike the rest of us that it would be the end. I doubt it, but whatever the truth behind it is we Jazz fans know that the last game came too soon, and that a coach like Jerry Sloan will not pass this way again.

Christmas Ornaments

Here are some of my favorite ornaments that I have collected over the years. There are many more, but I have to save something for next year, people.

UTAH JAZZ ORNAMENT

My Grandma Pat and Grandpa Chuck gave me this great basketball themed ornament back in 1995. It was great because it showcased our shared love of the Jazz. I'm always glad to pull this one out of the box, but I was even more glad this year because the team went back to the old music note logo this year. Christmas 1995 never felt so timely.

MOOSE ON WHEELS

I'm not sure where this one came from, but it's been around as long as I can remember. What's that moose got wheels for, you ask? Well, maybe he is like the Six Million Dollar Man and was rebuilt after an accident, or perhaps moose had wheels in prehistoric times and evolved out of them. Whatever the explanation is, one thing is for sure- he looks great on a Christmas tree. Sorry, She. Only the females have red antlers and blue bodies.

MEAN SANTA

This one is from a series of ornaments that we have of Santas from around the world. It depicts Santa forcing a child into his sack against his will. Obviously this kid was on the naughty list, but why is Santa putting him in a sack? My guess is that this country's version (probably Germany) of Santa takes naughty children home to feast on them. I hear that in an early version of The Night Before Christmas, Clement C. Moore had a short scene describing Santa throwing kids in his sack and melting them down in a large vat at the North Pole to use in his sugarplums. It was edited out of the story. I can't imagine why.

RED ANGEL

These angels were made by my great grandmother. At one point there were enough to cover several Christmas trees worth, but over the years they have deteriorated and now there are only a handful left. Notice the pipe cleaner halo and Ivory soap flake hair on her. Pretty cool, huh? I think more people should try to make ornaments like she did.

NAKED SANTA

Don't get all scandalized by Santa's blurry little weenus. This charming ornament was given to me by my Auntie Cher. It's really funny and always makes me giggle when I take it out of the box. I know I'm a child, but I don't care. All I have to say is it must be cold at the North Pole. Zing!

NBA Season Preview

Basketball season is less than a month away, and I couldn't be happier. With all of the hoopla surrounding the offseason moves, I am very curious to see how they all pan out once the games get going. I heard some pretty big name players switched teams- who knew? There looks to be a power shift from the West to the East, which bodes well for my Jazz, but let's break it down team by team to see for sure. Here now are my picks and thoughts for the 2010-11 season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE-

1. HEAT* (The big three do what LeBron's teams always do, win a lot of regular season games- lose in the playoffs)
2. MAGIC (Dwight and Co. are primed for a deep run as they prove the doubters and Heat lovers wrong)
3. CELTICS* (If this team had been assembled in 2004 it would win 72 games and a championship, but its 2010, sorry old timers)
4. BULLS* (Rose, Boozer and this improved group show flashes of championship potential in their deepest run since the Jordan era)
5. BUCKS (Bogut comes back strong, but this team isn't quite on the same level as the top four)
6. HAWKS (Was Joe Johnson worth all that money? No. Hawks were a nice story, but not anymore.)
7. 76ERS (This team surprises the league and gives the big boys a scare, led by Rookie of the Year Evan Turner)
8. PACERS (The time has come for Indiana to return to the playoffs, led by Danny Granger and point guard Darren Collison)
9. BOBCATS (Some key offseason losses prove too much for Larry Brown's team to return to the postseason)
10. KNICKS (If only they had landed LeBron. They didn't, and Amare and Raymond Felton don't get you to the playoffs)
11. WIZARDS (John Wall will have plenty of years of success, but year one isn't one of them)
12. PISTONS (This team is lacking in many key areas, and it will be interesting to see if they try to make some moves)
13. CAVALIERS (Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison are all that remain to build around. Sorry, Dan Snyder, your team isn't good)
14. NETS (Lopez is a great building block and this team has a ton of money to spend in the next few years)
15. RAPTORS (If you remembered that the NBA had a team in Canada, you'll forget it this year)


WESTERN CONFERENCE-

1. LAKERS* (The champs reloaded with Barnes, Blake and Ratliff in supporting roles, and they still have that guy, what's his name, leading them)
2. THUNDER* (Kevin Durant is legit and his teammates aren't slouches either. They'll be in the finals within two years- guaranteed)
3. JAZZ (With a group of new players, Deron Williams gets back to the Western Finals and makes Al Jefferson a star)
4. MAVERICKS* (When you have Dirk Nowitzki you have a chance, but that's not going to be enough this year)
5. SPURS (I like this team's chances with the depth they have- if they can stay healthy. Duncan is supposedly healthy, I guess we'll see)
6. NUGGETS (This pick gets shelved if Carmelo gets traded because they won't make the playoffs without him)
7. SUNS (Nash lost his best target, but he makes everybody else around him so much better that they might make it to the second round)
8. ROCKETS (The return of Yao is big, but the Rockets need a lot from Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks because Yao will only play 24 minutes a game)
9. BLAZERS (Another team with health issues will be okay if Brandon Roy can be the leader he is capable of being)
10. HORNETS (Chris Paul is a great point guard, but this team lacks depth at most of the other positions)
11. GRIZZLIES (This team might be a dark horse for the playoffs with scorers like O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay)
12. KINGS (Sacramento is trying to be like the Thunder by rebuilding through the draft, but there's no Kevin Durant on their team)
13. WARRIORS (No more Nellie is sad, but the team might be better off in the long run)
14. TIMBERWOLVES (Kevin Love and Corey Brewer are studs, but they need more pieces around them if they want to get out of the cellar)
15. CLIPPERS (It's the Clippers, where else would they be but dead last?)

*Divison Winner

WEST FINALS- LAKERS over JAZZ
EAST FINALS- MAGIC over HEAT
NBA CHAMPIONSHIP- MAGIC over LAKERS

Utah Jazz Season Wrap Up

Well, another season has come and gone for our beloved team, and once again we have been ousted by the hated Los Angeles Lakers. I am very sad that the Jazz didn't make it farther, especially when we had such a great streak of games in the early part of 2010. Instead we saw the Jazz limp into the playoffs, a wounded, but resilient group, that was able to knock out a Denver team that everyone, including me, thought we would lose to. Now begins the soul searching and head scratching as we look forward to an uncertain off season and the hope that we will do better next year.

Here is what we KNOW about the Jazz-

Deron Williams is the best point guard in the league, and he can play through injury better than anyone since Malone and Stockton. Any debate about Chris Paul vs. Deron needs to stop because it isn't fair to Chris Paul anymore.

Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are soft and can't be counted on to be there when they are needed most. In order for them to stay with the team, the Jazz need to get solid players at their positions who can step up when they inevitably miss time due to their little boo boos.

Carlos Boozer is a very solid 20/10 guy and plays well most of the time. I was very impressed with him this year, and frankly hope that he stays. There are so few guys who can do what he does on a nightly basis that the Jazz need to try to keep him. Also, he and Deron run the Sloan system really well together- except against the Lakers.

Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles earned a lot of respect this season. These two made huge strides and filled in nicely during Kirilenko's extended absence. I think one of them needs to go so that we can upgrade our wing spots, but because of their strong play, the Jazz can demand someone good in return.

Fesenko and Koufos are not the answer in the post. Get rid of them and get someone who could actually hang with guys like Gasol, Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire.

Here is what I think SHOULD happen in the off season-

We resign Boozer.

The Jazz draft Greg Monroe from Georgetown with the Knicks' pick and he becomes the guy who can do what I just said Fes and Koufos can't. He is a great passer and long enough to be a real shot blocking presence inside.

We package Miles and/or Korver and one of our bigs and trade for a starting swingman to play alongside Matthews. Someone like the Hawks' Joe Johnson who underachieved enough this year to be available to us. Maybe even Andre Igoudala would be a possibility.

The Jazz open the season with a starting lineup of Williams, Joe Johnson, Matthews, Boozer and Monroe and a bench of Millsap, Kirilenko, Ronnie Price, Sundiata Gaines and Okur. That's a team that could be deep enough to give any Western Conference rivals real trouble.

You're welcome, Mr. O'Connor.