I changed the name of my blog from The Perfect Game to Worried Note. Get it? It's clever. Anyway here are my picks for the NBA Playoffs.
THE FIRST ROUND
WEST
SPURS (1) vs. Grizzlies (8)
Would not be surprised to see the Grizzlies pick up a few games against the Spurs (especially if Manu is not healthy, but even still Memphis shouldn't be a problem for the Spurs. Spurs in 5.
LAKERS (2) vs. Hornets (7)
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Hornets will be a challenge in the same way that things that are not challenges are challenges. Lakers in 4.
Mavericks (3) vs TRAILBLAZERS (6)
Upset alert. I don't like the Mavs. I thought they could win the Finals when the crushed the Jazz during their best stretch of the season in the early part of the season. Then Caron Butler went down. While the Mavs have done nice job staying in the top half of the challenging West, I can't take any team that has a wing rotation of Peja, DeShawn Stevenson, Shawn Marion, ? , etc. very seriously. Meanwhile the Blazers pulled a nearly Pau Gasol level heist by swiping Gerald Wallace from the Bobcats and Michael Jordan. He is the perfect defender against Dirk. Think Stephen Jackson. The Mavs also don't have the personnel to expose LaMarcus Aldridge on defense. Blazers in 6.
THUNDER (4) vs Nuggets (5)
Best first round series by far. I was hoping that the Nuggets would get matched up against any other team than the Thunder. I though they would beat the Spurs or Mavericks, and definitely wear the Lakers out. Instead they got the Thunder, who I think is going to make some noise this year. Thunder in 7.
EAST
BULLS (1) vs. Pacers (8)
Nothing to see here. Bulls in 4.
HEAT (2) vs. Sixers (7)The Sixers are a fun team. I love Thadeus Young. I wish he played for the Jazz. Still, the Heat have LeBron and Dwayne Wade. Heat in 5.
CELTICS (3) vs. Knicks (6)
Second best 1st Round series. I found it very odd that the Celtics wanted to play the Knicks over the Sixers in the 1st Round. On paper it seems like the Knicks are the type of team that could get hot and beat anybody in the field in a given game or even series, but then I remembered that the Celtics like to play/defend teams that have a ball dominant player who shoots with high volume in isolation. Hellllloooo Carmelo Anthony. Celtics in 6.
MAGIC (4) vs. Hawks (5)
One of the worst series thus far. Two boring teams. The Magic have Dwight Howard. The End. Magic in 5.
THE SECOND ROUND
WEST
Spurs (1) vs. THUNDER (4)
The Spurs I think are the perfect matchup for the Thunder. They have a quick, good defender in Westbrook to shadow Parker. Lots of length to bother Duncan. Solid team defense. The only wild card is Ginobili who may or may not be healthy. Thunder in 6.
LAKERS (2) vs. Trailblazers (6)
On paper another good matchup for the Blazers. Still I think that the Gasol/Bynum/Odom front court bothers Aldridge. Artest is the perfect type of defender for both Gerald Wallace and Brandon Roy. Here is a dirty secret too, Kobe Bryant doesn't mind being defended by Wesley Matthews. Kobe lit the Jazz up last year. He seemed to take pleasure particularly against Matthews who has a good defensive reputation. Lakers in 6.
EAST
BULLS(1) vs. Magic (4)
This is a kind of interesting series. Dwight Howard causes problems for everybody, but it seems like the Bulls in particular. The Magic have no one to defend Derrick Rose on the perimeter, but he is going to be meeting Dwight Howard at the rim. Similarily, the Bulls only frontcourt scorer, Carlos Boozer, always always always struggles with length at the rim. Korver and the JJ/Arenas combo cancel each other out. I think the thing that tips the balance is Luol Deng. I think he has a big series against Hedo to lead the Bulls. Bulls in 7.
HEAT (2) vs. Celtics
Oh boy. Why do I have the feeling that this series is going to be a classic. I'm speechless. I can't wait. I think LeBron has a little unfinished business from last year. Wade always seems to step up against the Celtics. Home court helps tip the balance. Heat in 7.
THE CONFERENCE FINALS
Lakers (2) vs. THUNDER (4)
Another classic in the making. So good. This year's playoffs could only be better if the Jazz were there to get beat by the Lakers again. Kobe vs. Durant. Westbrook is going to cause a lot of problems for the Lakers. They have no answer. He is much better than he was last year. To me he is the MIP for this season. Thunder this year have enough length and toughness up front to battle Gasol and Bynum this year. Thunder will be more hungry I think. Thunder in 6.
Bulls (1) vs. HEAT(2)
Another good matchup. Kind of a weird series. The best players in the series don't matchup with each other except for Boozer and Bosh. Boozer has classically killed Bosh. I expect that to happen again. I think that the Wade/LeBron combo is too much for the Bulls though. Good series. Heat in 6.
THE FINALS
HEAT (2) vs. Thunder (4)
A series I would pay to see. The LeBron head to head matchup against Durant is going to be wild. The Heat will be more worried about Westbrook. OKC is going to be rocking. Again though I am having a really hard time seeing any team being able to contain Wade and LeBron for 7 games. Heat in 7.
There you have it. The Villains win ... like always.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Derrick Rose is the MVP (Everything I Knew Was a Lie)
It has been a hard NBA season for me.
Watching the Jazz this season was probably like watching that movie Swordfish. It was mostly terrible, but there was that one scene with Halle Berry (the early season Eastern Conference road trip that included the Heat game, and a few fun Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors performances near the end). The only other team that I was at least excited to see play (the Miami Heat) were unexciting, nay boring to watch. The funnest team in the league to watch was the post-Melo Denver Nuggets who are right up there with the Lakers, Rockets, and Blazers as my most hated teams. Finally, Derrick Rose is going to be the MVP of the NBA.
This is particularly hard for me to swallow for two reasons. The first reason is that he is the legitimate MVP. I can't argue against it. He is the MVP. Why does this make it difficult for me to handle? Because it makes me wrong. I work with a couple of Bulls fans. This is a direct quote from me when the Bulls selected Derrick Rose number 1 overall in 2008. "Derrick Rose is going to be a bust." I know that I was in the minority with that sentiment, but I believed it to be true.
I didn't like Derrick Rose. I watched the 2008 National Championship game and though I realize he was the reason that Memphis was in the Championship game in the first place and was in a position to win said Championship Game, I thought that the loss fell on his shoulders. Though he was far and away the best player on the floor, blessed with unbelievable athleticism, Rose settled for jumpers (which he couldn't hit) instead of getting to the rim and pushing the ball. He missed a critical FT in the clutch, and gave up Mario Chalmers' 3 which sent the game into OT. I saw Rose as a talented, but lazy player who was incapable of being a clutch go to player due to lack of shooting touch.
I hated the fact that Rose allowed someone else to take his SAT for him which made him eligible to play college basketball. It said to me that he saw himself as above the rules, more important than others, entitled. He was a cheater. It also said to me that either lacked the intelligence or work ethic to get a score on an SAT test that would make him eligible to play in college.
His first season in the league (in which he won Rookie of the Year), I saw the same player that I did when he played for Memphis. He was a talented player with athleticism and explosiveness that I have not seen in any other point guard ever. He also relied exclusively on his athleticism, couldn't shoot the ball which made him ineffective at the end of games, and most of all did not make his teammates better. He wasn't Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Steve Nash. To me he was a bigger Tony Parker.
Then everything changed. To me, Derrick Rose's elevation to the league's MVP began in the 2009 Playoffs. The Rose led Bulls matched up with the defending champion Boston Celtics in Round 1. It is no secret that Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo are not (to borrow a word from Kobe) fond of each other. It probably started during the course of the season during their matchups. Rondo is famously irritating to opposing players and probably did a poor job of endearing himself to Rose. The dislike continued during Team USA events were the two players were in direct competition with each other for roster spots or in some cases minutes. His dislike for Rondo seemed to unlock something in Rose during that playoff matchup. Rose showed a competitiveness that I had never seen from him. At Memphis, when the game got close and the competition was at its highest point, he shrank. He became a lesser player. The matchup with the Celtics was the first time that the opposite was true.
The next step was again in the first round of the playoffs the next year. The Bulls had regressed slightly falling from the 7th seed in 2009 to 8 in 2010. Matched up against the 1 seed Cavaliers, Rose came face to face with back-to-back MVP LeBron James. LeBron and Rose are similar in the sense that they are the two best athletes perhaps ever to play in the NBA. Their athletic ability is unmatched by any other player that has ever played. Unlike Rose though, LeBron's all-around game was and is nearly flawless. Against the Bulls LeBron unleashed what was probably his 2nd best playoff series ever (Pistons in 2007 being 1st). He averaged nearly a triple double including 31 pts a game. There Rose saw what being an elite player was. It took more than being fast with the ball. You had to have an all-around game. You had to be able to take a game over in the final moments. A lot has been made in the media all season about the work that Rose put in during this summer to get better. I think this series mixed with the rejection of the Bulls by both Wade and LeBron that pushed Rose to undertake that work.
The third thing that helped lift Rose to his rightful spot as league MVP was the hiring of Tom Thibodeau. I think he's a genius. He put Rose in the best position possible to succeed which is what good coaches do. How do I know he is a genius. How can a team be one of the best defensive teams in the league and start Carlos Boozer? Impossible.
Which brings me to the other reason why Derrick Rose being the MVP is so hard. He is better than Deron Williams. I knew that this Bulls season would be an interesting experiment. They are basically the Jazz from 05-10. They switched out Memo for Joakim Noah (offense for defense) , Andrei Kirilenko for Luol Deng (defense for offense),Wesley Matthews/CJ Miles/Derek Fisher for Keith Bogans (nothing for nothing) and Deron Williams for Derrick Rose. I thought for sure that this season would validate Deron's greatness. The Bulls would underachieve and Boozer/Brewer/Korver would be exposed to the nation for what they were: poor defensive players (except Brewer) who were made better by a great system and an elite point guard. Likewise Deron would overachieve with new pieces and have his usual great season.
Instead Derrick Rose carried the Chicago Jazz to what could be the leagues best record. It showed once and for all that the Jazz of the past decade underachieved. They were not coached as well as they could have been, and Deron lacked something to was needed to carry them to the next level. That thing that the great players have where at the end of the game they make something happens ... no matter what. The Deron led Jazz never had that. They won their share of close games, but never the biggest games. They consistenly fell to the leagues elite teams. This was never more clear than in the Jerry Sloan assassination game. The Jazz seemed to be in control for the majority of the game. Then suddenly as the game was nearing its end, Derrick Rose took over. He took Deron off the dribble time and time again. If he didn't have some spectacular layup or dunk, he found a teammate for an open 3.
Then I saw something that I had never seen before. The Jazz got a critical turnover in the final minute Deron took off down the court for a fast break. Suddenly Derrick Rose looked like he got one of those powerups in NBA Jam that makes your guy super fast. Though he was moving as fast as is possible for a human, it was like slow motion. I wanted to call out to Deron. "Watch out behind you Deron!" Rose stole the ball out from his hands. Ball game over. It was one of the single most remarkable plays I have ever seen. Everything I knew was a lie. Deron Williams was not Derrick Rose. Jerry Sloan no longer was able to coach a team to it's full potential.
Sorry Dwight Howard, your offense has gone (on a scale of 1 to 10) from a 2 to a 6, but Orlando is still mediocre.
Sorry LeBron, another brilliant statistical season, but you play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and you didn't even win 60 games. How does that happen?
Sorry Dirk, Kobe, and whoever else.
Derrick Rose is the MVP. And his facial hair is weird.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Top 12 Jazz Games from Deron Williams
Early one morning in February I lost my Deron Williams. After the initial shock wore off, I like all other Jazz fans reached the first stage of grief: denial. "You know he wasn't going to sign with us ... He was going to leave! It's for the best! ... We weren't going anywhere this season anyway ..." Then there was anger. Mainly this was directed at Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor and CEO Greg Miller. "Why would they do this to Deron? Why would they do this to us? They couldn't even try to work it out with Deron?" Then there was bargaining "If Derrick Favors can develop, we are going to be great. Devin Harris is a better fit with AK! We are better off than we would be with Deron. This is going to be awesome!"
Then, suddenly ... depression. The first three stages took about 2 days. I have been in the fourth for weeks. Even now I find myself drifting into the vast archive of Deron Williams highlights known as YouTube. I relive his greatest moments, his greatest ankle breakers, his greatest ugly but awesome dunks. I still can't believe it. Without question Deron Williams has defined the past decade for the Utah Jazz. He has a lot more years left in his prime. I don't know if I will ever be able to accept that the Utah Jazz could not have made it work out with Deron Williams.
Wallow with me: The John Stockton Memorial List of Deron Williams' 12 Best Games with the Utah Jazz
12. November 30, 2007 Lakers @ Jazz
After a surprise and exciting playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, Andrei Kirilenko had demanded a trade from the Utah Jazz. He felt unwanted and under utilized in Jerry Sloan's offense. Once close with AK, Deron had very publicly called him out. Carlos Boozer (surprise) went down in the first week of the season with a semi-broken leg. On the brink of trading for Pau Gasol, the Lakers came to the ESA for Derek Fisher's first game back in Utah after asking out of his contract with the Jazz. With a starting lineup that included Jarron Collins, the Jazz lacked scoring in a big way. With this in mind, Deron Williams put the ball in Andrei Kirilenko's hands as the primary play makers and made himself into a scorer. To augment AK's jaw-dropping stat line (20 pts, 11 rebs, 11 assts, 6, stls, 4 blks) Deron dropped 35 points in the face of his former mentor while holding him to 3 points on the other end in a blowout win.
11. March 14, 2008 Jazz @ Celtics
In the middle of the 2007-08 title run, the Jazz went into Boston to face a Celtic's team which many at the time felt could challenge the Chicago Bulls' record for wins in the regular season. Not to mention that Celtics had been dominant on their home floor. Going up against an up and coming Rajon Rondo who is now looked at as one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA, Deron dominanted the game in every aspect. Deron was relentless in attacking Rondo going to the line 18 times (making 17) on his way to a 32 point, 8 assist, 5 rebound game. Behind Deron the Jazz blew out the soon-to-be champs on their home court.
10. April 21, 2009 Jazz @ Lakers Game 2
The only loss to make the list. In a rematch of the 2008 playoffs the Jazz faced a Lakers team on their way to their first Gasol-era championship. In deja vu of Game 1 the Jazz were getting blown out early (a running theme against the Lakers in the playoffs). All hope seemed lost heading into the fourth quarter. An angry Deron Williams decided to take over. He attacked the rim on the break time after time against a much slower Derek Fisher. Deron eventually brought the Jazz back to a point where they had a chance to win, but it was little too late. Still Deron ended the game with 35 points and 9 assists.
9. May 26, 2007 Spurs @ Jazz Game 3 WCF
After a game 2 loss that included a thunderous dunk on Fabricio Oberto which truly put Deron on the map as one of the best point guards in the league, Deron had his best game of the series against the eventual champion (another theme) Spurs. After returning home after the first two games in San Antonio, Deron was agressive early and often against the smaller Tony Parker pushing the Jazz ahead early in the second half in a blowout win (the only one of the series). Deron finished with 31 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. Included in this game was Deron's infamous ankle breaker on former Jazz-man Jacque Vaughn.
8. May 11, 2008 Lakers @ Jazz Game 3
7. May 5, 2008 Rockets @ Jazz Game 6
In a rematch of the thrilling 2007 series, the Rockets (minus Yao Ming) came into the series against the Jazz as the underdog (even after winning 22 consecutive games earlier in the season). The Jazz were in complete control of the series early on, but the Rockets continued to hang around. Early in Game 6 it looked as though they were headed for another Game 7 as Tracy McGrady was on his way to a 40 point game. However, in the second half Deron Williams brought down the hammer by raining down a series of series clinching three pointers. He finished with 6.
6. May 13, 2007 Jazz @ Warriors Game 4
With George Lucas looking on from the Warriors' band wagon, the Jazz were up against an electric 8th seeded Warriors team that had not lost at home during the playoffs. The Jazz had gotten run out of Game 3 that included Baron Davis' dunk (offensive foul) on Andrei Kirilenko. In Game 4 the Jazz were much more focused a largely controlled the game from the outset. The Warriors became so frustrated that they began throwing dirty fouls all over the court. Deron was a basketball maestro during the game. He was in complete control not only of his team, but the game as the Jazz stabbed the cinderella Warriors in the heart.
5. April 6, 2010 Thunder @ Jazz
In what was easily the best game of the 09-10 NBA season, Deron Williams in engaged in a epic scoring duel with NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant. The Jazz were in control early behind Deron's blistering start. Durant came on late, eventually forcing overtime. Deron and Durant traded buckets throughout the game before Deron hit the eventual game winning jump shot. Game was sullied late by a controversial ending (did CJ foul? I say no). But Deron matched Durant bucket for bucket despite the fact that Durant was hitting 40 footers late.
4. May 7, 2007 Warriors @ Jazz Game 1
An often forgotten game in the shadow of the Derek Fisher game (Game 2), Deron was incredible in Game 1. With only Dee Brown to backup Deron, Deron was the victim of questionable refereeing early in the game. Despite the foul trouble (he had 5), Deron was dominant throughout the game scoring the ball. Behind Deron's 31 points and 8 assists the Jazz won a close game that set a tone for the rest of the series.
3. April 19, 2010 Jazz @ Nuggets Game 2
The Jazz were awful to close the season (as always). They began the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets who had reached the Western Conference Finals the year before and were a favorite to reach them again. The Jazz lost Game 1 pretty handedly in what seemed like a bad omen heading forward, Deron was completely unstoppable during Game 2 in Denver. This may be Deron's most dominant playoff game. He finished the game with an unbelievable 33 points and 14 assists.
2. February 4, 2008 Hornets @ Jazz
A game that I believe encapsulates Jazz fan's love for Deron. Jazz fans have always had a touch of a little man complex. Always slighted, always up against the world. Deron Williams was the same way. He always played with a boulder on his shoulder. He always felt like he never got the credit he deserved. This is why I think he meant so much to Jazz fans. On top of the stellar play, the playoff wins, it seemed like Deron was a perfect representation of the Jazz.
No game showcased this as well as a matchup with Hornets in February 2008. In what was arguably Deron's best all-around season, he was snubbed for a place in the all-star game in favor of Brandon Roy and a Blazers team that would end up comfortably out of the playoffs. In a stroke of serendipity, Deron's chief rival Chris Paul came into town for the first game post the All-Star annoucements. Deron was angry and played with fury. He destroyed Paul, finishing with 29 points and 11 assists in an absolute evisceration of the Hornets. Included in this game was Deron's crossover of Paul finished with a thunderous dunk over Tyson Chandler.
1. May 5, 2007 Jazz @ Rockets Game 7
In one of the best games in Jazz history, the upstart Jazz went into Houston for Game 7 of the first round series against the Rockets. The Jazz had been destroyed in every previous game in Houston. A strong home court helped the Jazz force Game 7. Deron was huge early. He kept the Jazz in the lead early with some difficult and clutch shots. Late in the fourth after the Rockets had taken the lead, Deron was calm and clutch guiding the Jazz to a huge win including the dagger assists to Andrei Kirilenko for the dagger 3.
The Game 7 in Houston, although not Deron's most dominant game, was his greatest gift to Jazz fans. Coincidentally, not only was this Deron's best game with the Jazz, it was without a doubt Carlos Boozer's best game as well. Jazz fans I think are starting to appreciate just how good Boozer actually was. He finished with 35 points and 14 rebounds, dunking on Yao's head multiple times.
Obviously he had more great games than just these. These are the ones that were on the top of my head. I have a feeling that when I think about this trade in 20 years I am going to be depressed. These 12 games are going to be the 12 of the top reasons why.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Greg Miller Pulls a Michael Corleone
The Godfather is one of the 5 best films of all-time. One of the many things that makes it one of the best films of all-time is it's incredible ending. During the course of the film we watch as Michael Corleone struggles to do the right thing. He yearns to live a normal, legitimate, American life. He tries to keep his distance from his troubled, powerful, and wealthy family. In the end though, Michael cannot escape his destiny and succeeds his father as the new Godfather. In the climax of the film Michael stands in a church taking part in the baptism of niece. As Michael recites the holy oath we watch as his henchmen carryout his icy plot to take out all of his competitors and enemies, giving him total control of organized crime in America. This includes the killing of his brother-in-law whose child Michael just helped baptize.
It's an incredible ending to an amazing film. Yesterday, Greg Miller made his Michael Corleone move. He eliminated everything in his path to taking total control over the future of the Utah Jazz. His power play included some Corleone-like icy-ness. Michael's move did not turnout entirely well for him. He lost many family members, and pretty much lived out the rest of his life miserable. No one knows how Greg's will turn out. That hinges on two things: the development of the youngest player in the league Derrick Favors, and what Deron Williams is able to accomplish during the rest of his career. Regardless, this was an attempt by Greg to take control.
Here's what happened as far as I can tell: After the death of his father Larry H. Miller, Greg Miller began overspending to keep many of the Jazz's core players in an attempt to keep the Jazz competitive in the Western Conference. This pushed the Jazz deep into the luxury tax, something that Larry H. Miller vowed that the Jazz would never do because financially it would cripple the team. The Jazz's finances became bloated and the team never could climb out from the middle of the pack and become a true title contender.
This season, Deron Williams' attitude and confrontational nature had been grating coach Jerry Sloan all season. Phil Johnson recently told the Tribune that Sloan had been saying since the beginning of the season that he was so frustrated that he felt like he didn't have the energy to finish out the rest of the season. With the reassurance from Johnson, Sloan quit. I think that this, coupled with Jazz fans' reaction to the resignation and Karl Malone blitzing into town, guns blazing, in an awesome and idiotic series of interviews, deeply troubled Miller. He clearly agreed with one aspect to Malone's country ramblings, the inmates were in his mind running the asylum. The players with the Jazz and elsewhere had proven that they had the upper hand over coaches and management.
As Deron stood glibly next to Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony during All-Star weekend, coldly refuting to talk about what exactly his intentions or desires were, I think the wheels in Greg's head began to turn. I don't think Deron knew whether or not he would resign with the Jazz in two years. He couldn't and didn't give the Jazz any indication one way or the other. Because of this, the next season with Deron was going to be hounded by questions about his impending free agency which always, always, always have negative impacts on teams. No team has ever won a title with such questions floating around all season in the modern era. The Jazz have been watching Denver closely. They saw that a team that had been a top 4 team in the West for the past couple of seasons toil at the bottom of the playoff pack due unquestionably to the lack of passion brought on by Anthony's trade demands. In the end Denver was forced to accept a less than ideal package for Carmelo because of his refusal to accept a trade to the Nets that would bring them a far superior package.
There is also a very important question about how good Deron was going to be in the future. Wrist injuries have begun to become a recurring problem with Deron. He was injured it each of the past three seasons, and every single time he does his jump shooting disappears. Deron's frustrations with the team, coaches, and system were also beginning to effect his play. He lost agressiveness. After the Sloan debacle and getting booed by the same fans that have worshiped him since 2005, I think he was mentally unable to perform to his highest standards. I think there is a fair and legitimate concern that Deron may not ever be the same player ever again.
In the aftermath of the Carmelo-Knicks deal, the Nets' package for Carmelo was sitting on the table. With that in mind Greg Miller decided it was time to take control. There have been a lot of fair questions regarding the timing of the trade. Deron still had one more year left on his deal which hypothetically could have given Deron incentive to stay. The team could continue to develop and turn things around and the Jazz would could become a legit contender. Also with the uncertainty of the CBA, Deron might have favored to optin to his last year of his current deal because the 18 million he was scheduled to make could be well above the max-salary allowed under a new stricter CBA. The CBA also could institute a franchise-tag similar to the NFL, which would have again prevented Deron from leaving. The timing also seemed odd considering Deron's wife living in Utah is due to give birth to their third child in a few weeks.
The reasoning behind the deal is shrewd though. The uncertainty of the CBA could result in Deron sticking around a little longer true, but it also could have prevented the Jazz from gaining anything before he departs. If the NBA loses the 11-12 season, Deron could walk leaving the Jazz without the ability to make any kind of favorable trade to build in his absence. They were also able to capitalize on New Jersey's desperation. The where able to pry away their Carmelo offer, even though Deron seems to have a lot more leverage on the Nets than Carmelo, because he isn't even eligible for an extension until July. The Jazz could not have done better than they did IF they were going to trade Denver.
A lot has fairly been made of both Deron's wife's pregnancy and also the fact that Deron learned of the trade on SportsCenter rather than a phone call from his agent or management. The pregnancy element is unfortunate, but the Jazz had to make a business decision. Sad, but true. The Jazz could not have let Deron know sooner though. If Deron had gotten word before the deal was done, he could have gone to the media to voice his unwillingness to play or later sign with New Jersey which undoubtedly would have given New Jersey cold feet. Deron also could have resisted and tried to convince the Jazz to wait which would have been a great risk to the Jazz. The Jazz were unwilling to do this because there was going to be no better package out there for Deron. Second, it would have put too much power in the hands of Deron. Deron would to a large degree control the Jazz's future. So Miller and Kevin O'Connor pulled a Corleone.
It was cold, calculated, risky, but I it is possible that it was the right move for the Utah Jazz. This doesn't make it any easier to swallow. It was the worst day of my Jazz fan life. Deron was without question my favorite Jazz player since 2005. He is in the prime of his career, though again I worry that his prime may be behind him. Although like a good Jazz fan I will accept the new team, I truly do feel like Jack at the end of the third season of LOST. We have to go back. Back to the island with Boozer, Brewer, Korver, Hurley, Memo. All those guys.
Greg Miller is Michael Corleone. I just can't decide if Deron is Connie's husband, or the Alex Rocco character.
It's an incredible ending to an amazing film. Yesterday, Greg Miller made his Michael Corleone move. He eliminated everything in his path to taking total control over the future of the Utah Jazz. His power play included some Corleone-like icy-ness. Michael's move did not turnout entirely well for him. He lost many family members, and pretty much lived out the rest of his life miserable. No one knows how Greg's will turn out. That hinges on two things: the development of the youngest player in the league Derrick Favors, and what Deron Williams is able to accomplish during the rest of his career. Regardless, this was an attempt by Greg to take control.
Here's what happened as far as I can tell: After the death of his father Larry H. Miller, Greg Miller began overspending to keep many of the Jazz's core players in an attempt to keep the Jazz competitive in the Western Conference. This pushed the Jazz deep into the luxury tax, something that Larry H. Miller vowed that the Jazz would never do because financially it would cripple the team. The Jazz's finances became bloated and the team never could climb out from the middle of the pack and become a true title contender.
This season, Deron Williams' attitude and confrontational nature had been grating coach Jerry Sloan all season. Phil Johnson recently told the Tribune that Sloan had been saying since the beginning of the season that he was so frustrated that he felt like he didn't have the energy to finish out the rest of the season. With the reassurance from Johnson, Sloan quit. I think that this, coupled with Jazz fans' reaction to the resignation and Karl Malone blitzing into town, guns blazing, in an awesome and idiotic series of interviews, deeply troubled Miller. He clearly agreed with one aspect to Malone's country ramblings, the inmates were in his mind running the asylum. The players with the Jazz and elsewhere had proven that they had the upper hand over coaches and management.
As Deron stood glibly next to Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony during All-Star weekend, coldly refuting to talk about what exactly his intentions or desires were, I think the wheels in Greg's head began to turn. I don't think Deron knew whether or not he would resign with the Jazz in two years. He couldn't and didn't give the Jazz any indication one way or the other. Because of this, the next season with Deron was going to be hounded by questions about his impending free agency which always, always, always have negative impacts on teams. No team has ever won a title with such questions floating around all season in the modern era. The Jazz have been watching Denver closely. They saw that a team that had been a top 4 team in the West for the past couple of seasons toil at the bottom of the playoff pack due unquestionably to the lack of passion brought on by Anthony's trade demands. In the end Denver was forced to accept a less than ideal package for Carmelo because of his refusal to accept a trade to the Nets that would bring them a far superior package.
There is also a very important question about how good Deron was going to be in the future. Wrist injuries have begun to become a recurring problem with Deron. He was injured it each of the past three seasons, and every single time he does his jump shooting disappears. Deron's frustrations with the team, coaches, and system were also beginning to effect his play. He lost agressiveness. After the Sloan debacle and getting booed by the same fans that have worshiped him since 2005, I think he was mentally unable to perform to his highest standards. I think there is a fair and legitimate concern that Deron may not ever be the same player ever again.
In the aftermath of the Carmelo-Knicks deal, the Nets' package for Carmelo was sitting on the table. With that in mind Greg Miller decided it was time to take control. There have been a lot of fair questions regarding the timing of the trade. Deron still had one more year left on his deal which hypothetically could have given Deron incentive to stay. The team could continue to develop and turn things around and the Jazz would could become a legit contender. Also with the uncertainty of the CBA, Deron might have favored to optin to his last year of his current deal because the 18 million he was scheduled to make could be well above the max-salary allowed under a new stricter CBA. The CBA also could institute a franchise-tag similar to the NFL, which would have again prevented Deron from leaving. The timing also seemed odd considering Deron's wife living in Utah is due to give birth to their third child in a few weeks.
The reasoning behind the deal is shrewd though. The uncertainty of the CBA could result in Deron sticking around a little longer true, but it also could have prevented the Jazz from gaining anything before he departs. If the NBA loses the 11-12 season, Deron could walk leaving the Jazz without the ability to make any kind of favorable trade to build in his absence. They were also able to capitalize on New Jersey's desperation. The where able to pry away their Carmelo offer, even though Deron seems to have a lot more leverage on the Nets than Carmelo, because he isn't even eligible for an extension until July. The Jazz could not have done better than they did IF they were going to trade Denver.
A lot has fairly been made of both Deron's wife's pregnancy and also the fact that Deron learned of the trade on SportsCenter rather than a phone call from his agent or management. The pregnancy element is unfortunate, but the Jazz had to make a business decision. Sad, but true. The Jazz could not have let Deron know sooner though. If Deron had gotten word before the deal was done, he could have gone to the media to voice his unwillingness to play or later sign with New Jersey which undoubtedly would have given New Jersey cold feet. Deron also could have resisted and tried to convince the Jazz to wait which would have been a great risk to the Jazz. The Jazz were unwilling to do this because there was going to be no better package out there for Deron. Second, it would have put too much power in the hands of Deron. Deron would to a large degree control the Jazz's future. So Miller and Kevin O'Connor pulled a Corleone.
It was cold, calculated, risky, but I it is possible that it was the right move for the Utah Jazz. This doesn't make it any easier to swallow. It was the worst day of my Jazz fan life. Deron was without question my favorite Jazz player since 2005. He is in the prime of his career, though again I worry that his prime may be behind him. Although like a good Jazz fan I will accept the new team, I truly do feel like Jack at the end of the third season of LOST. We have to go back. Back to the island with Boozer, Brewer, Korver, Hurley, Memo. All those guys.
Greg Miller is Michael Corleone. I just can't decide if Deron is Connie's husband, or the Alex Rocco character.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Jazz Fans' Dallas
About 10 years ago, I used to stay up late to catch a series of documentaries that were permitted to be played on the history channel only in the middle of the night. It was called "The Men Who Killed Kennedy". It was a 9 part series. Each examined a different angle of the Kennedy assassination. It was only allowed to be played that late at night because of how controversial many of the episodes were. even now they never include in the DVD sets or re-air episodes 7-9 which are so off the wall bonkers that I urge you to buy them bootlegged off of eBay. Either way I am well versed in Kennedy lore.
The past couple of days have perhaps been the most cataclysmic in Jazz history. I use the word cataclysmic because I think it invokes a level of unpreparedness in those effected. In 2003 when John Stockton announced quietly following a playoff loss to the Kings that he "was done", every at least knew that it was coming. So much infact that when my Dad and I went to the previous home game we both talked about it as his last game in the Delta Center (didn't think that it would also be Karl's). Point is Jerry Sloan abruptly leaving his 23 year old post is the most cataclysmic event in Jazz history followed closely by (in no particular order): selling Dominique Wilkins, getting burned in the 2005 Draft Lottery, and the passing of Larry H. Miller.
Unlike the previously mentioned events however, Jazz fans seem to be frantically looking for a smoking gun and thinking they see them everywhere. Sloan's resignation has already become Jazz fans' Kennedy Assassination. An event so controversial, shocking, and clouded that will be never cease to be discussed. You have Kennedy (Sloan), Oswald (Deron), and the grassy knoll (WHY DID AK LEAVE THE COACHES OFFICE AFTER THE GAME!). That last game against the Bull's has become Jazz fans' Dallas.
I think that there are only a handful of people who know exactly the series of events that led to the resignation of Jerry Sloan and his "Kitty Sanchez" Phil Johnson.
But here is the general idea that I have put together of what happened. The fall of Sloan started in the 2005-2006 season. The Jazz had just drafted prized rookie Deron Williams. Despite clearly being the best point guard on the team, Sloan begins the season by starting Keith McLeod. After a promising start from Deron, Sloan inexplicably begins playing Deron exclusively at shooting guard and then benches him in favor of soon-to-be-out-of-the-league Milt Palacio. Sloan does not being playing Deron again until the second half a mid-season game against the New Orleans Hornets where Deron explodes and becomes the Deron we know. Deron never got this. He has brought it up multiple times throughout his career. The Jazz missed the playoffs by 2 games that year and Deron (and everyone else to be honest) is convinced that he would have been the difference. While Sloan has admitted that it was a mistake on his part, I don't think that made Deron feel any better. The point is Deron has resented Sloan for a long time.
This season the relationship began to completely disintegrate. Most people, but especially Deron and CJ assumed that with Matthews, Korver, and Brewer all gone that CJ would become the starting shooting guard. Sloan opted for Raja Bell citing a need for defense in the starting lineup and scoring off the bench. Deron and Raja never could build any chemistry and it was obvious that Deron wanted to play with CJ, not Raja. Sloan never budged from his position that he thought that CJ should come off the bench and seemed to be throwing it in Deron's face by starting Gordon Hayward at small forward instead of AK and keeping Bell in the starting lineup for a particular stretch. Deron and CJ's inner circle had many tweets around this time stating their displeasure, so it would seem to follow Deron and CJ felt the same.
Deron also this season was very vocal about his feelings that the Jazz were not putting in the necessary preparation before games. He felt that practices were too light and unfocused on helping new players learn the Jazz's read based offense. He also felt that the team would benefit from film study (a regular part of most NBA team's routine) which the Jazz were doing none of. Deron also insinuated that Sloan was unapproachable about adjusting these types of things, though Sloan disagreed.
Finally, Deron has become increasingly frustrated with running a system that many players on the current team seem to struggle with, while the team continued to lose games. Opposing teams have long known every play off the Jazz offense, but it never mattered because every offensive set has multiple options that cannot ALL be defended. If it is executed properly, there will be a good shot. The problem has been that many of the new players do not know how to respond to defense's taking away of main options and how to find secondary options. This has led to missed buzzer beating long jumpers and fast breaks for the other teams. This has been the main reason that the Jazz have gotten down by 10+ in so many games. This instance on running the offense to its full extent has been the major issue between Deron and Sloan. The is also the impetus to the now fabled halftime confrontation that seemingly was the instigator for Sloan to resign.
Deron also needs to take a look in the mirror. Deron is a great player. He is definitely an All-Star, and is one of the best in the league at making his teammates better. However, he is not in the same class as the LeBron's, Wade's, or even Kobe's of the world. Sometimes it seems like Deron see's himself as God's gift to Utah and to basketball. He has limitations. He is decent, but not great shooter, he struggles to stay in front of opposing point guards (Parker, Curry, Westbrook), and most importantly is way too prone to turnovers and bonehead plays. He needs to look in the mirror and find out that a lot of the Jazz struggles has can be attributed to his passive and at times poor play. It's true that he has been a major part of making the Jazz as good as they have been, but the Jazz's system and Sloan have played a major part in making him look as good to the rest of the country.
Like Kennedy, I think Sloan is rightly praised for some of his present characteristics: loyalty, dedication, hard work, and successfully running one of the best offensive systems ever established. However he is also being characterized to be someone he wasn't. The main thing that you heard especially late Wednesday and early Thursday was: "Sloan is not a quitter! He would never just leave a team mid season!" Well ... actually he is. A long standing record of being a quitter. Sloan first was recruited to play at Deron Williams' alma mater (! ... "back and to the left") The University of Illinois. After a very brief stay, Sloan grew too homesick to continue and gave up his scholarship and came home. After a few years of working manual labor jobs with enormous, freakish hands, Sloan decided to give basketball another try at the University of Evansville. After his playing career in the NBA was done, Sloan accepted a job to coach the University of Evansville, but once again Sloan felt the need to quit mid-season. A decision that unbeknownst to him would save his life. Point is he a card carrying quitter. This isn't out of character for him. It is decidedly in character.
The other thing that has been bother me about the way Sloan is being characterized is that people seem to think his coaching has been without flaws. That is not true. Sloan has always been sometimes too stubborn and hardheaded to make changes to coaching decisions which have clearly not worked out (McLeod, Palacio) being a prime example. Sometimes he is too late to make adjustments that everyone else in the world can see, just because he has a hard time accepting that the original decision he made was incorrect. The craftiest of NBA coaches (Jackson, Popovich) have always been able to exploit the Jazz because it has been easy for them to find match-ups on the court where they can go to work. An easy example of this was choosing to start Hayward over CJ against Denver earlier in the week. Now, why would you throw a 150 pound rookie out there to defend Carmelo Anthony, whose entire game is predicated on bully his man to the basket to get a foul. Within minutes Hayward was out of the game and ended up playing a total of about 5 minutes. Though I believe all of this to be true, I am aware that Sloan has been an excellent coach and has been one of the major factors in the Jazz's consistenly being good over the course of the last decades. There is no question. But he wasn't John Wooden or Red Auerbach either.
The bottom line is this. Even though Jazz fans will forever being looking for the smoking guns that knocked Sloan's head back and to the left, there is only one to look at. Sloan is Oswald, Sloan is the grassy knoll, Sloan is Castro, Sloan is Lyndon Johnson and the CIA too. I believe the Jazz when they say that no one forced him out. I truly believe that he no longer had the energy to deal with being an NBA coach. Yes, the conflict between he and Deron was absolutely the impetus for his retirement, but I do believe that a younger Sloan would have had no problems at all. He had no energy left. You could see it. He looked increasingly old the past couple of seasons. Deron was probably right. He didn't have the energy to put in the dilligent preparation that Deron felt necessary for success. He also didn't the same kind of energy to battle Deron like he had in the past with Karl Malone, Greg Ostertag, and to a much lesser extent Gordan Giricek. I think Sloan was right. This is the right time. However, Jazz fans are going to have to find away to wash the blood off of their pink dresses.
The past couple of days have perhaps been the most cataclysmic in Jazz history. I use the word cataclysmic because I think it invokes a level of unpreparedness in those effected. In 2003 when John Stockton announced quietly following a playoff loss to the Kings that he "was done", every at least knew that it was coming. So much infact that when my Dad and I went to the previous home game we both talked about it as his last game in the Delta Center (didn't think that it would also be Karl's). Point is Jerry Sloan abruptly leaving his 23 year old post is the most cataclysmic event in Jazz history followed closely by (in no particular order): selling Dominique Wilkins, getting burned in the 2005 Draft Lottery, and the passing of Larry H. Miller.
Unlike the previously mentioned events however, Jazz fans seem to be frantically looking for a smoking gun and thinking they see them everywhere. Sloan's resignation has already become Jazz fans' Kennedy Assassination. An event so controversial, shocking, and clouded that will be never cease to be discussed. You have Kennedy (Sloan), Oswald (Deron), and the grassy knoll (WHY DID AK LEAVE THE COACHES OFFICE AFTER THE GAME!). That last game against the Bull's has become Jazz fans' Dallas.
I think that there are only a handful of people who know exactly the series of events that led to the resignation of Jerry Sloan and his "Kitty Sanchez" Phil Johnson.
But here is the general idea that I have put together of what happened. The fall of Sloan started in the 2005-2006 season. The Jazz had just drafted prized rookie Deron Williams. Despite clearly being the best point guard on the team, Sloan begins the season by starting Keith McLeod. After a promising start from Deron, Sloan inexplicably begins playing Deron exclusively at shooting guard and then benches him in favor of soon-to-be-out-of-the-league Milt Palacio. Sloan does not being playing Deron again until the second half a mid-season game against the New Orleans Hornets where Deron explodes and becomes the Deron we know. Deron never got this. He has brought it up multiple times throughout his career. The Jazz missed the playoffs by 2 games that year and Deron (and everyone else to be honest) is convinced that he would have been the difference. While Sloan has admitted that it was a mistake on his part, I don't think that made Deron feel any better. The point is Deron has resented Sloan for a long time.
This season the relationship began to completely disintegrate. Most people, but especially Deron and CJ assumed that with Matthews, Korver, and Brewer all gone that CJ would become the starting shooting guard. Sloan opted for Raja Bell citing a need for defense in the starting lineup and scoring off the bench. Deron and Raja never could build any chemistry and it was obvious that Deron wanted to play with CJ, not Raja. Sloan never budged from his position that he thought that CJ should come off the bench and seemed to be throwing it in Deron's face by starting Gordon Hayward at small forward instead of AK and keeping Bell in the starting lineup for a particular stretch. Deron and CJ's inner circle had many tweets around this time stating their displeasure, so it would seem to follow Deron and CJ felt the same.
Deron also this season was very vocal about his feelings that the Jazz were not putting in the necessary preparation before games. He felt that practices were too light and unfocused on helping new players learn the Jazz's read based offense. He also felt that the team would benefit from film study (a regular part of most NBA team's routine) which the Jazz were doing none of. Deron also insinuated that Sloan was unapproachable about adjusting these types of things, though Sloan disagreed.
Finally, Deron has become increasingly frustrated with running a system that many players on the current team seem to struggle with, while the team continued to lose games. Opposing teams have long known every play off the Jazz offense, but it never mattered because every offensive set has multiple options that cannot ALL be defended. If it is executed properly, there will be a good shot. The problem has been that many of the new players do not know how to respond to defense's taking away of main options and how to find secondary options. This has led to missed buzzer beating long jumpers and fast breaks for the other teams. This has been the main reason that the Jazz have gotten down by 10+ in so many games. This instance on running the offense to its full extent has been the major issue between Deron and Sloan. The is also the impetus to the now fabled halftime confrontation that seemingly was the instigator for Sloan to resign.
Deron also needs to take a look in the mirror. Deron is a great player. He is definitely an All-Star, and is one of the best in the league at making his teammates better. However, he is not in the same class as the LeBron's, Wade's, or even Kobe's of the world. Sometimes it seems like Deron see's himself as God's gift to Utah and to basketball. He has limitations. He is decent, but not great shooter, he struggles to stay in front of opposing point guards (Parker, Curry, Westbrook), and most importantly is way too prone to turnovers and bonehead plays. He needs to look in the mirror and find out that a lot of the Jazz struggles has can be attributed to his passive and at times poor play. It's true that he has been a major part of making the Jazz as good as they have been, but the Jazz's system and Sloan have played a major part in making him look as good to the rest of the country.
Like Kennedy, I think Sloan is rightly praised for some of his present characteristics: loyalty, dedication, hard work, and successfully running one of the best offensive systems ever established. However he is also being characterized to be someone he wasn't. The main thing that you heard especially late Wednesday and early Thursday was: "Sloan is not a quitter! He would never just leave a team mid season!" Well ... actually he is. A long standing record of being a quitter. Sloan first was recruited to play at Deron Williams' alma mater (! ... "back and to the left") The University of Illinois. After a very brief stay, Sloan grew too homesick to continue and gave up his scholarship and came home. After a few years of working manual labor jobs with enormous, freakish hands, Sloan decided to give basketball another try at the University of Evansville. After his playing career in the NBA was done, Sloan accepted a job to coach the University of Evansville, but once again Sloan felt the need to quit mid-season. A decision that unbeknownst to him would save his life. Point is he a card carrying quitter. This isn't out of character for him. It is decidedly in character.
The other thing that has been bother me about the way Sloan is being characterized is that people seem to think his coaching has been without flaws. That is not true. Sloan has always been sometimes too stubborn and hardheaded to make changes to coaching decisions which have clearly not worked out (McLeod, Palacio) being a prime example. Sometimes he is too late to make adjustments that everyone else in the world can see, just because he has a hard time accepting that the original decision he made was incorrect. The craftiest of NBA coaches (Jackson, Popovich) have always been able to exploit the Jazz because it has been easy for them to find match-ups on the court where they can go to work. An easy example of this was choosing to start Hayward over CJ against Denver earlier in the week. Now, why would you throw a 150 pound rookie out there to defend Carmelo Anthony, whose entire game is predicated on bully his man to the basket to get a foul. Within minutes Hayward was out of the game and ended up playing a total of about 5 minutes. Though I believe all of this to be true, I am aware that Sloan has been an excellent coach and has been one of the major factors in the Jazz's consistenly being good over the course of the last decades. There is no question. But he wasn't John Wooden or Red Auerbach either.
The bottom line is this. Even though Jazz fans will forever being looking for the smoking guns that knocked Sloan's head back and to the left, there is only one to look at. Sloan is Oswald, Sloan is the grassy knoll, Sloan is Castro, Sloan is Lyndon Johnson and the CIA too. I believe the Jazz when they say that no one forced him out. I truly believe that he no longer had the energy to deal with being an NBA coach. Yes, the conflict between he and Deron was absolutely the impetus for his retirement, but I do believe that a younger Sloan would have had no problems at all. He had no energy left. You could see it. He looked increasingly old the past couple of seasons. Deron was probably right. He didn't have the energy to put in the dilligent preparation that Deron felt necessary for success. He also didn't the same kind of energy to battle Deron like he had in the past with Karl Malone, Greg Ostertag, and to a much lesser extent Gordan Giricek. I think Sloan was right. This is the right time. However, Jazz fans are going to have to find away to wash the blood off of their pink dresses.
Monday, January 17, 2011
NBA at Halfway: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Earl Watson
Are we here already?
Like always the first half of the season has blown by. Unlike most seasons however, it seems like no one has really learned anything yet. Except for maybe Eva Longoria. Which teams are the most likely to reach the finals out of each conference? I don't know. I don't think anyone does. Most of the contenders seem to be all be playing okay, but not great with the notable exception of the San Antonio Spurs. I'm not sure I have even learned anything about my beloved Utah Jazz yet. I have no idea how good they are. They may be terrible. This team seems to be one of those teams that is either going to get swept in the first round or make it to the conference finals. I can't tell which.
There is one thing I have learned though. With no further ado here is my player by player breakdown of the 2010-2011 Jazz at the halfway point followed by comparing my predictions for the rest of the NBA to the actual results have way through.
Returnees
Deron Williams - Deron has been Deron. He was the MVP of the league at the end of November. Without question he carried the Jazz to every single victory they got. Watching him in the Orlando Magic comeback game was like watching a great painter paint. As he got in December though, I think Deron just wore out. He has not looked the same. I think once he catches his second wind, he will be back to normal, but until then the Jazz are going to be a little streaky.
Paul Millsap - Paul has surprised almost everybody with his soft shooting touch and his ability to be the go to scorer during the game. However, his rebounding has left much to be desired. Really it's been a little shocking. When Boozer was out last season he had his streak of double-doubles which seemed to indicate he would be a 10 RPG kind of player. Instead he is at exactly 8.
Andrei Kirilenko - He became a US citizen. Other than that, it has been a quiet season from AK. His blocking ability has never really come back. Andrei always shoots the ball well to start the season, which always prompts the inevitable "Andrei's Offense IS BACK!" blog posts, radio segments, etc. Than he comes back to earth and everyone remembers that he can't shoot. When was the last 3 AK hit? It's been a while.
CJ Miles - Breakout season. Definitely the most confident that CJ has ever been. I (like everyone else) would still like CJ to use his excellent handle more, but this is still the most confident I have been in CJ. He has reached the everytime he puts up a shot I think it's going in level.
Kyrylo Fesenko - I thought Fes has played well when he gets in, but is currently buried behind a deep Jazz front-court. The biggest surprise from Fes has definitely been his much improved offense game. He suddenly has nice touch around the rim. I hope he sticks with the Jazz beyond this season, but I get the feeling he is at the point where he really desires minutes which might now be available at the Jazz.
Ronnie Price - Ronnie seemed to have rediscovered himself when he was paired up with Earl Watson as a SG. It allowed to run around and cause havoc and do what he does best. He has not been able to find his shooting touch though and has fallen off in the past month or so.
Mehmet Okur - Memo gets an incomplete. You can tell that he still doesn't have his legs under him yet which makes a lot of his shots fall a bit short. The good news is his touch seems to have stuck around.
NEW GUYS
Al Jefferson - You can tell that Big Al still hasn't quite gotten the hang of the Jazz offense yet. He goes through long stretches were it seems like he doesn't even see the ball. Also when he does get the ball you can tell he is thinking to much because he is unsure when to pass and when to look for his shot. He still hasn't shook his Minnesota self where he shot every time he touched the ball, and has not learned to pass out of double teams. I think that next season (whenever that may be thanks to the coming lockout) is going to be the season that Al breaks out, ala Richard Jefferson in San Antonio.
Gordon Hayward - I still think Gordon is pretty far away from being a legit NBA player. He needs a couple more years to build up the kind of body you need in the NBA. He also still needs time to figure out how to contribute in the flow of the Jazz offense. He has definitely shown signs though.
Jeremy Evans - Love him. Teams seem to have figured out his "early oop" as Matt Hapring calls it. Like Gordon, he needs to build his body up, but unless Portland has heard of him, he should be around beyond this season.
Fransico Elson - the perfect 11th/12th man. When he is asked to play he always brings good defense and hustle. His shooting touch has been surprising. He won't play as much now that Memo is back, but will be a nice utility player.
Raja Bell - Now that is shooting touch is back he is a lot more bearable. Early in the season I was cursng his name. One of the bigger disappointments of the season early.
Earl Watson - This is what I wrote about Earl Watson right before the start of the season: "The leading candidate of the Milt Palacio Memorial Award for the guy who plays a lot for a guy who shouldn't be playing on a good team. No offense to Earl. He seems like he has a good feel for the system and defends well. However, he is not a good shooter but shoots too much. The Jazz do this every year. Milt, Jason Hart, Brevin Knight, Howard Eisley (2nd stint), etc. Ronnie Price should be playing the backup PG, but I am convinced it will be Earl. He would be a great 3rd PG, not 2nd."
Yikes. I could not have been more wrong. I think Earl has single-handedly won the Jazz somewhere between 5-10 games this season. I fear where we would be without him. He comes in and changes the game. Often times he dominates it. All season I have been trying to figure out which player I would choose for my newest Jazz jersey. I already have Deron, Millsap, AK, Memo. I wanted a new player. If I decided purely on how well they have played this season, I would have to pick Earl right? He is the best backup PG the Jazz have had since Howard Eisely's first stint with the Jazz. He might be the most valuable member of the Jazz this season. Well maybe that's going too far. Still.
THE REST OF THE NBA
Here are some of the predictions I got right:
New York Knicks - Here is what I wrote in October: "This is a classic case of the team that is going to win a bunch of games at the beginning of the year, spinning NYC into a frenzy, before ultimately falling apart as the season progresses. They will be fun to watch. Anthony Randolph could not have gone to a better situation for him. Same goes for Raymond Felton. Amare is going to find life to be a little different without Steve Nash though. I think they will compete for a low playoff seed, but will fall short. " Sound familiar? With the exception of the Amare comment that has been right on.
Miami Heat - I predicted the Heat to meet their sky high expectations heading into the season. Even in November when the Heat were not playing well after getting Millslapped, I never doubted they would be there in the end. Well, they are going to be there in the end. As long as LeBron is healthy, the Heat will be in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Portland Trailblazers - Here is what I wrote in October: "It is beyond me how people keep picking this team ahead of the Jazz this year. NBA commentators keeps saying “if this teams stays healthy this year”, but at a certain point don’t you just have to accept that a team that gets injured every year is GOING TO BE INJURED EVERY YEAR? Andre Miller and Brandon Roy don’t like eachother. Rudy Fernandez pines for the shores of Espana. Still haven’t won a playoff series. No thanks. Playoff team, but nothing more." Thank you, thank you. I will be here all week.
Houston Rockets - A trendy pick for a playoff team before the season. I shook my head and picked them to underachieve. There you have it.
New Orleans Hornets - I predicted that the Hornets would overachieve and Chris Paul would be carried on the shoulders of the media once again and people would forget that Deron's team is much better. Dead on.
Here are some I got wrong:
San Antonio - I claimed their window was closed and were destined for a middling playoff seed. Umm... nope.
Indiana Pacers - I said they would overachieve. This pick looked really good early in the season. It looks awful now. They stink.
Boston Celtics - I said that Boston was too old, and that Rajon Rondo was going to have a tough year. Why do I have this blog.
The Cleveland Cavaliers - I picked them to overachieve and have a little of that 03-04 Jazz magic. They are the worst team I have ever watched with my own eyes. Yikes. Seriously, I do not understand anyone who doesn't say that LeBron is the best basketball player in the world. He carried this exact same team to 60 wins year in and year out. Knowing that now... he has probably been underrated.
Like always the first half of the season has blown by. Unlike most seasons however, it seems like no one has really learned anything yet. Except for maybe Eva Longoria. Which teams are the most likely to reach the finals out of each conference? I don't know. I don't think anyone does. Most of the contenders seem to be all be playing okay, but not great with the notable exception of the San Antonio Spurs. I'm not sure I have even learned anything about my beloved Utah Jazz yet. I have no idea how good they are. They may be terrible. This team seems to be one of those teams that is either going to get swept in the first round or make it to the conference finals. I can't tell which.
There is one thing I have learned though. With no further ado here is my player by player breakdown of the 2010-2011 Jazz at the halfway point followed by comparing my predictions for the rest of the NBA to the actual results have way through.
Returnees
Deron Williams - Deron has been Deron. He was the MVP of the league at the end of November. Without question he carried the Jazz to every single victory they got. Watching him in the Orlando Magic comeback game was like watching a great painter paint. As he got in December though, I think Deron just wore out. He has not looked the same. I think once he catches his second wind, he will be back to normal, but until then the Jazz are going to be a little streaky.
Paul Millsap - Paul has surprised almost everybody with his soft shooting touch and his ability to be the go to scorer during the game. However, his rebounding has left much to be desired. Really it's been a little shocking. When Boozer was out last season he had his streak of double-doubles which seemed to indicate he would be a 10 RPG kind of player. Instead he is at exactly 8.
Andrei Kirilenko - He became a US citizen. Other than that, it has been a quiet season from AK. His blocking ability has never really come back. Andrei always shoots the ball well to start the season, which always prompts the inevitable "Andrei's Offense IS BACK!" blog posts, radio segments, etc. Than he comes back to earth and everyone remembers that he can't shoot. When was the last 3 AK hit? It's been a while.
CJ Miles - Breakout season. Definitely the most confident that CJ has ever been. I (like everyone else) would still like CJ to use his excellent handle more, but this is still the most confident I have been in CJ. He has reached the everytime he puts up a shot I think it's going in level.
Kyrylo Fesenko - I thought Fes has played well when he gets in, but is currently buried behind a deep Jazz front-court. The biggest surprise from Fes has definitely been his much improved offense game. He suddenly has nice touch around the rim. I hope he sticks with the Jazz beyond this season, but I get the feeling he is at the point where he really desires minutes which might now be available at the Jazz.
Ronnie Price - Ronnie seemed to have rediscovered himself when he was paired up with Earl Watson as a SG. It allowed to run around and cause havoc and do what he does best. He has not been able to find his shooting touch though and has fallen off in the past month or so.
Mehmet Okur - Memo gets an incomplete. You can tell that he still doesn't have his legs under him yet which makes a lot of his shots fall a bit short. The good news is his touch seems to have stuck around.
NEW GUYS
Al Jefferson - You can tell that Big Al still hasn't quite gotten the hang of the Jazz offense yet. He goes through long stretches were it seems like he doesn't even see the ball. Also when he does get the ball you can tell he is thinking to much because he is unsure when to pass and when to look for his shot. He still hasn't shook his Minnesota self where he shot every time he touched the ball, and has not learned to pass out of double teams. I think that next season (whenever that may be thanks to the coming lockout) is going to be the season that Al breaks out, ala Richard Jefferson in San Antonio.
Gordon Hayward - I still think Gordon is pretty far away from being a legit NBA player. He needs a couple more years to build up the kind of body you need in the NBA. He also still needs time to figure out how to contribute in the flow of the Jazz offense. He has definitely shown signs though.
Jeremy Evans - Love him. Teams seem to have figured out his "early oop" as Matt Hapring calls it. Like Gordon, he needs to build his body up, but unless Portland has heard of him, he should be around beyond this season.
Fransico Elson - the perfect 11th/12th man. When he is asked to play he always brings good defense and hustle. His shooting touch has been surprising. He won't play as much now that Memo is back, but will be a nice utility player.
Raja Bell - Now that is shooting touch is back he is a lot more bearable. Early in the season I was cursng his name. One of the bigger disappointments of the season early.
Earl Watson - This is what I wrote about Earl Watson right before the start of the season: "The leading candidate of the Milt Palacio Memorial Award for the guy who plays a lot for a guy who shouldn't be playing on a good team. No offense to Earl. He seems like he has a good feel for the system and defends well. However, he is not a good shooter but shoots too much. The Jazz do this every year. Milt, Jason Hart, Brevin Knight, Howard Eisley (2nd stint), etc. Ronnie Price should be playing the backup PG, but I am convinced it will be Earl. He would be a great 3rd PG, not 2nd."
Yikes. I could not have been more wrong. I think Earl has single-handedly won the Jazz somewhere between 5-10 games this season. I fear where we would be without him. He comes in and changes the game. Often times he dominates it. All season I have been trying to figure out which player I would choose for my newest Jazz jersey. I already have Deron, Millsap, AK, Memo. I wanted a new player. If I decided purely on how well they have played this season, I would have to pick Earl right? He is the best backup PG the Jazz have had since Howard Eisely's first stint with the Jazz. He might be the most valuable member of the Jazz this season. Well maybe that's going too far. Still.
THE REST OF THE NBA
Here are some of the predictions I got right:
New York Knicks - Here is what I wrote in October: "This is a classic case of the team that is going to win a bunch of games at the beginning of the year, spinning NYC into a frenzy, before ultimately falling apart as the season progresses. They will be fun to watch. Anthony Randolph could not have gone to a better situation for him. Same goes for Raymond Felton. Amare is going to find life to be a little different without Steve Nash though. I think they will compete for a low playoff seed, but will fall short. " Sound familiar? With the exception of the Amare comment that has been right on.
Miami Heat - I predicted the Heat to meet their sky high expectations heading into the season. Even in November when the Heat were not playing well after getting Millslapped, I never doubted they would be there in the end. Well, they are going to be there in the end. As long as LeBron is healthy, the Heat will be in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Portland Trailblazers - Here is what I wrote in October: "It is beyond me how people keep picking this team ahead of the Jazz this year. NBA commentators keeps saying “if this teams stays healthy this year”, but at a certain point don’t you just have to accept that a team that gets injured every year is GOING TO BE INJURED EVERY YEAR? Andre Miller and Brandon Roy don’t like eachother. Rudy Fernandez pines for the shores of Espana. Still haven’t won a playoff series. No thanks. Playoff team, but nothing more." Thank you, thank you. I will be here all week.
Houston Rockets - A trendy pick for a playoff team before the season. I shook my head and picked them to underachieve. There you have it.
New Orleans Hornets - I predicted that the Hornets would overachieve and Chris Paul would be carried on the shoulders of the media once again and people would forget that Deron's team is much better. Dead on.
Here are some I got wrong:
San Antonio - I claimed their window was closed and were destined for a middling playoff seed. Umm... nope.
Indiana Pacers - I said they would overachieve. This pick looked really good early in the season. It looks awful now. They stink.
Boston Celtics - I said that Boston was too old, and that Rajon Rondo was going to have a tough year. Why do I have this blog.
The Cleveland Cavaliers - I picked them to overachieve and have a little of that 03-04 Jazz magic. They are the worst team I have ever watched with my own eyes. Yikes. Seriously, I do not understand anyone who doesn't say that LeBron is the best basketball player in the world. He carried this exact same team to 60 wins year in and year out. Knowing that now... he has probably been underrated.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
2010 Draft Class: What the Hell Happened?
I fully understand that you can't judge any player a quarter of the way through his first year in the NBA, but ... still. Every year a handful of rookies explode onto the scene with impressive stats or immediately improving his team's record like Tyreke Evans last year.
This year seems different. I know a lot of draft experts said that this years draft was particularly weak, but come on... are there more than a handful of rookies that are even getting playing time? Not a good time for my beloved Utah Jazz to get an incredibly rare lottery pick. How many have they had? Something like 4 in the last 30 years.
I know Hayward is young, and Kevin O'Connor asked for 2 years before the pick is judged, but the early returns have not been promising. With the notable exception of one impressive dunk, and another missed one, he has done little to spark my imagination. Even though Deron supposedly struggled (not really, Sloan just didn't like him look it up), he had flashes of what he will one become. Even the much maligned CJ Miles when given the opportunity in his rookie year out of high school showed flashes (I have that game on DVD, yeah ... I'm that guy).
Lets take a look at this incredibly weak (yeah I know, this far) draft, pick by pick:
1. John Wall - Wizards 16.7 PPG 8.9 APG 3.4 RPG 2.3 SPG 40% FG 33% 3FG 82% FT
It's too bad that the rest of his team is awful, because he is really fun to watch. I have had a chance to see a couple of the rare nationally televised Wizards games and have been able to catch a few of his mythical coast-to-coast attacks. Impressive. No way he could not have been the number one pick in this draft. (15 games played, 13 started)
2. Evan Turner 6.4 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.8 APG
One of the bigger disappointments thus far. I am not afraid to admit I wanted him for the Jazz. I saw him as a bigger Brandon Roy with working knees. Instead he has been benched a couple times for the putrid 76ers. No looking good in Philly. (25 games played, 12 started)
3. Derrick Favors 6.7 PPG 5.6 RPG
You know things are bad when a guy averaging 6 and 5 has thus far been a top rookie. He looked awful during the Orlando Summer League, but was fairly impressive against the Jazz, mainly because he was dominating the boards against a Jazz team which has been led in rebounding in multiple games by PG Deron Williams. Supposedly he will be Denver's crown jewel in a Carmelo Anthony trade. Good luck Denver. (24 games played)
4. Wesley Johnson 9.2 PPG 3.4 RPG 2 APG
I actually like Wes. I thought he would have been a great fit for the Jazz. Ronnie Brewer with a nice jumpshot. Still, everyone knew going in that his ceiling was going to be a role player on a contender. He was the number 4 pick in the draft. Yikes. (26 games played, 22 started)
5. Demarcus Cousins 11.3 PPG 6.8 RPG 41% FG
The Jazz have faced the Kings a couple of times so far and both times, Cousins looked HORRIBLE. Throwing shots wildly towards the rim. How he averages 11 points a game is beyond me. The Jazz supposedly tried everyway possible to move up to get Cousins. I would rather have Big Al. And I'm not the biggest Big Al guy out there. (23 games played, 11 started)
6. Ekpe Udoh .7 PPG .3 RPG
I liked Udoh for the Jazz. Maybe not so much now. He was injured throughout Summer League, Preseason, and most of the season to this point. I happened to be watching when he made his NBA debut, and I didn't think he looked bad. Pretty active, and he knocked down a jumper. This is the 6th pick in the draft. (3 games played)
7. Greg Monroe 5 PPG 5 RPG 20 MPG
Ah Greg. I wanted him so bad for the Jazz. I still think he will be good. Why he doesn't get more of a chance on the disgustingly bad Pistons is beyond me. Or maybe he's just not good. I don't know. Things are not looking good. (24 games played, 2 started)
8. Al-Farouq Aminu 6.4 PPG 3.2 RPG 47%3FG
Another guy I have seen a couple of times this year so far against the Jazz. He doesn't seem to do anything other than shoot 3's. He does it pretty well though! (26 games played, 14 games started)
9. Gordon Hayward 1.9 PPG 1.3 RPG 37% FG 8 MPG
Don't ... it's just too painful right now. (21 games played, 4 started)
10. Paul George 4.9 PPG 2.5 RPG
In Orlando Summer League, Paul George looked like Tracy McGrady. I don't know why the Pacers have only played him in 8 games. Injury? I don't know, but I was surprised about how good he was. For a Jazz team that struggles at times to score, he might have been a good pick.
11. Cole Aldrich 1.0 PPG 2.2 RPG
I thought this was going to be a great pick for the Thunder, and one that would help them out this year. Instead Cole has spent a lot of time in the D-League. (5 games played)
12. Xavier Henry 5.9 PPG 41% FG 11%3FG
Xavier had been getting hype heading into the first Jazz-Grizzlies game, and had found himself in the starting SG spot. During the game you would not have even noticed he was on the floor. For supposedly being a nice shooter, his percentages are stinky wiff. (24 games played, 13 started)
13. Ed Davis 5.8 PPG 5.9 RPG 52%FG
Davis has been injured, but in the handful of games he has played he has done okay. I was hoping that if the Jazz didn't land Monroe, Davis would be the picks. Nope. (9 games played, 1 started)
14. Patrick Patterson 3 points in 1 game played
I am so happy the Jazz didn't pick Patterson. It would have been vanilla. It would have been redundant. It would have been a disaster.
15. Larry Sanders 4 PPG 3.2 RPG 1 BPG
Another player that had been a little hyped and starting heading into a matchup with the Jazz, and like Xavier Henry, was completely invisible on the court. (18 games played, 8 started)
16. Luke Babbitt .8 PPG .5 RPG
Rumor was this was the Jazz pick. When they opted for Hayward, Portland swooped in as they often do with Jazz players. I am happy. (8 games played)
17. Kevin Seraphin 2.9 PPG 3.8 PPG 12 MPG
I did see him get posterized the other night by Lamar Odom.
18. Eric Bledsoe 7.9 PPG 6.1 APG 3.5 RPG 27 MPG
Finally! A good pick. How Bledsoe dropped this far in this stink-pit of a draft is beyond me. GM's scout right? He gave the Jazz problems here in the there during the 2 games played this year. Very nice late first pickup by the ... Clippers?!
19. Avery Bradley 1.6 PPG .8 APG
Good luck finding the court on the Celtics Avery. (5 games played)
20. James Anderson 7.0 PPG 1 APG 1 RPG
Good luck finding hte court on the Spurs James. (6 games played)
Skipping ahead ...
39. Landry Fields 10 PPG 7 RPG 31 MPG
HOW DID THIS DUDE FALL SO FAR DOWN?! He is sort of garbage man for the Knicks. A little Matt Harpring-y. 7 RPG? From a SF? That is value. (26 games played, 26 started)
55. Jeremy Evans 2.8 PPG 1.2 RPG 68% FG and F-ing CRAZY HOPS
This frankly inexcusable. In a draft this bad, somebody, somewhere before 55 should have taken a flyer on this guy. It's been hard for him to find the floor for the Jazz, but when he has he just starts catching alley-oops. He is my saving grace. Sadly, he may just be the Jazz's legacy of the 2010 draft. Here are the highlights:
This year seems different. I know a lot of draft experts said that this years draft was particularly weak, but come on... are there more than a handful of rookies that are even getting playing time? Not a good time for my beloved Utah Jazz to get an incredibly rare lottery pick. How many have they had? Something like 4 in the last 30 years.
I know Hayward is young, and Kevin O'Connor asked for 2 years before the pick is judged, but the early returns have not been promising. With the notable exception of one impressive dunk, and another missed one, he has done little to spark my imagination. Even though Deron supposedly struggled (not really, Sloan just didn't like him look it up), he had flashes of what he will one become. Even the much maligned CJ Miles when given the opportunity in his rookie year out of high school showed flashes (I have that game on DVD, yeah ... I'm that guy).
Lets take a look at this incredibly weak (yeah I know, this far) draft, pick by pick:
1. John Wall - Wizards 16.7 PPG 8.9 APG 3.4 RPG 2.3 SPG 40% FG 33% 3FG 82% FT
It's too bad that the rest of his team is awful, because he is really fun to watch. I have had a chance to see a couple of the rare nationally televised Wizards games and have been able to catch a few of his mythical coast-to-coast attacks. Impressive. No way he could not have been the number one pick in this draft. (15 games played, 13 started)
2. Evan Turner 6.4 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.8 APG
One of the bigger disappointments thus far. I am not afraid to admit I wanted him for the Jazz. I saw him as a bigger Brandon Roy with working knees. Instead he has been benched a couple times for the putrid 76ers. No looking good in Philly. (25 games played, 12 started)
3. Derrick Favors 6.7 PPG 5.6 RPG
You know things are bad when a guy averaging 6 and 5 has thus far been a top rookie. He looked awful during the Orlando Summer League, but was fairly impressive against the Jazz, mainly because he was dominating the boards against a Jazz team which has been led in rebounding in multiple games by PG Deron Williams. Supposedly he will be Denver's crown jewel in a Carmelo Anthony trade. Good luck Denver. (24 games played)
4. Wesley Johnson 9.2 PPG 3.4 RPG 2 APG
I actually like Wes. I thought he would have been a great fit for the Jazz. Ronnie Brewer with a nice jumpshot. Still, everyone knew going in that his ceiling was going to be a role player on a contender. He was the number 4 pick in the draft. Yikes. (26 games played, 22 started)
5. Demarcus Cousins 11.3 PPG 6.8 RPG 41% FG
The Jazz have faced the Kings a couple of times so far and both times, Cousins looked HORRIBLE. Throwing shots wildly towards the rim. How he averages 11 points a game is beyond me. The Jazz supposedly tried everyway possible to move up to get Cousins. I would rather have Big Al. And I'm not the biggest Big Al guy out there. (23 games played, 11 started)
6. Ekpe Udoh .7 PPG .3 RPG
I liked Udoh for the Jazz. Maybe not so much now. He was injured throughout Summer League, Preseason, and most of the season to this point. I happened to be watching when he made his NBA debut, and I didn't think he looked bad. Pretty active, and he knocked down a jumper. This is the 6th pick in the draft. (3 games played)
7. Greg Monroe 5 PPG 5 RPG 20 MPG
Ah Greg. I wanted him so bad for the Jazz. I still think he will be good. Why he doesn't get more of a chance on the disgustingly bad Pistons is beyond me. Or maybe he's just not good. I don't know. Things are not looking good. (24 games played, 2 started)
8. Al-Farouq Aminu 6.4 PPG 3.2 RPG 47%3FG
Another guy I have seen a couple of times this year so far against the Jazz. He doesn't seem to do anything other than shoot 3's. He does it pretty well though! (26 games played, 14 games started)
9. Gordon Hayward 1.9 PPG 1.3 RPG 37% FG 8 MPG
Don't ... it's just too painful right now. (21 games played, 4 started)
10. Paul George 4.9 PPG 2.5 RPG
In Orlando Summer League, Paul George looked like Tracy McGrady. I don't know why the Pacers have only played him in 8 games. Injury? I don't know, but I was surprised about how good he was. For a Jazz team that struggles at times to score, he might have been a good pick.
11. Cole Aldrich 1.0 PPG 2.2 RPG
I thought this was going to be a great pick for the Thunder, and one that would help them out this year. Instead Cole has spent a lot of time in the D-League. (5 games played)
12. Xavier Henry 5.9 PPG 41% FG 11%3FG
Xavier had been getting hype heading into the first Jazz-Grizzlies game, and had found himself in the starting SG spot. During the game you would not have even noticed he was on the floor. For supposedly being a nice shooter, his percentages are stinky wiff. (24 games played, 13 started)
13. Ed Davis 5.8 PPG 5.9 RPG 52%FG
Davis has been injured, but in the handful of games he has played he has done okay. I was hoping that if the Jazz didn't land Monroe, Davis would be the picks. Nope. (9 games played, 1 started)
14. Patrick Patterson 3 points in 1 game played
I am so happy the Jazz didn't pick Patterson. It would have been vanilla. It would have been redundant. It would have been a disaster.
15. Larry Sanders 4 PPG 3.2 RPG 1 BPG
Another player that had been a little hyped and starting heading into a matchup with the Jazz, and like Xavier Henry, was completely invisible on the court. (18 games played, 8 started)
16. Luke Babbitt .8 PPG .5 RPG
Rumor was this was the Jazz pick. When they opted for Hayward, Portland swooped in as they often do with Jazz players. I am happy. (8 games played)
17. Kevin Seraphin 2.9 PPG 3.8 PPG 12 MPG
I did see him get posterized the other night by Lamar Odom.
18. Eric Bledsoe 7.9 PPG 6.1 APG 3.5 RPG 27 MPG
Finally! A good pick. How Bledsoe dropped this far in this stink-pit of a draft is beyond me. GM's scout right? He gave the Jazz problems here in the there during the 2 games played this year. Very nice late first pickup by the ... Clippers?!
19. Avery Bradley 1.6 PPG .8 APG
Good luck finding the court on the Celtics Avery. (5 games played)
20. James Anderson 7.0 PPG 1 APG 1 RPG
Good luck finding hte court on the Spurs James. (6 games played)
Skipping ahead ...
39. Landry Fields 10 PPG 7 RPG 31 MPG
HOW DID THIS DUDE FALL SO FAR DOWN?! He is sort of garbage man for the Knicks. A little Matt Harpring-y. 7 RPG? From a SF? That is value. (26 games played, 26 started)
55. Jeremy Evans 2.8 PPG 1.2 RPG 68% FG and F-ing CRAZY HOPS
This frankly inexcusable. In a draft this bad, somebody, somewhere before 55 should have taken a flyer on this guy. It's been hard for him to find the floor for the Jazz, but when he has he just starts catching alley-oops. He is my saving grace. Sadly, he may just be the Jazz's legacy of the 2010 draft. Here are the highlights:
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