Update!!!: If you really wanted to see The Koof, I suggest you start banging your head on the wall until you start seeing him everywhere. Because he's inactive for the game today.

Well, it's here. Game 1 of the playoffs for the Jazz. They are currently in LA, looking to spring an unlikely upset.

And they're going to have to do it without Okur, who has been ruled out. (CJ is active, but not starting). That Jazz starting 5...

1. Deron Williams
2. Ronnie Brewer
3. Kyle Korver
4. Carlos Boozer
5. Jarron Collins

So, it took 82 games for j-slow to realize that maybe (just maybe), CJ starting wasn't working. Of course, with Okur out, the team needed another shooter out there to potentially make the Lakers pay if they double Booze, so Korver was the clear choice. A starting line-up containing Flop & KK in the first game of the playoffs... not exactly what the whole season was played for. CJ is active, so the injury seems to have cost him a starting job (a j-slow no-no), because he was a starter before the injury (deserving or not is irrelevant). With the starting 5 as-is, it seems like the first guys off of the bench will have to be AK, 'Sap & one of Fesenko/The Koof (not necessarily in that order).

About Flop... he brings 2 things (other than flopping) that I guess I should mention. The first is height. I think he's only 6'11 (might be 7'0, but not sure)... but that's still more than Booze (6'9) & 'Sap (6'8). And given that the Lakers start to 7-footers, and given that j-slow won't even consider starting Fesenko or The Koof, this is the best the Jazz have. Which is sad, because you might as well be starting Kris Humphries or Curtis Borchardt or Mikki Moore or Tom Gugliotta or Keon Clark or anyone else instead (I'd go as far back as Antoine Carr & Greg Foster & Greg Ostertag and all, but they're all much better than Flop is... though Moore & Gugliotta might fit into that as well). Anyhow, height. The second thing he brings is "defense". He's not the best defender in the world, but he's almost certainly better than Booze, and is probably better than Okur. At least, he is until he decides that the best option on D is to foul people. If he turns to that, we're screwed (if we aren't already). (Note: 'we' refers to Jazz fans, not the Jazz team... though they are probably screwed as well.) Oh, it's also bad if he decides that he has an offensive game, because he doesn't.

If you want a reason to believe... just remember that there were 3 "upsets" yesterday (Bulls, Rockets, Mavs). It's not written in stone that the Lakers will win this (if it is, please let me know, Mr. Stern, and I'll change this ASAP)... there's always a chance. The Jazz just have to play their best game of the season... something they haven't done in a very long while.

Questions of the day... How many minutes does Deron play today (and per game in the series)?

Comments (4)

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written by Sneaky Jimmy, April 19, 2009

Sloan could have used Fesenko and his energy today. Why he won't play him is a mystery. He can defend and rebound. Did anyone see Boozer back away from Kobe so he could score. They are done this year and for 4 more years into the future. oh they will be playing in Seattle by then .

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written by UtesFan89, April 19, 2009

lol.
I'm hoping to be in Seattle soon, so I could live with that.

Agreed though.
No idea why he won't play Fesenko (or Koufos), but it's frustrating.
And stupid.

And if he really thinks Booze brings "toughness," then we need to figure out what exactly he means by toughness.

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written by Hammy, April 20, 2009

Hey Utes Fan, thanks for carrying the TBJ "team" for the last week while all of us so called "starters" have wallowed in self pitty. I for one am here to be opptomistic and say at least they did not lose by 20. They fought back pretty well in the second half and if they can put together 4 quarters like that we might have chance. Of course they have yet to put together 4 quarters in one game since about the third week in the season. Simply put, I actually watched the whole second half, which is saying something considering how they ended season.

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written by UtesFan89, April 20, 2009

No worries... our "starters" are playing like the Jazz "starters".
I kid, I kid...

The 2nd half did have some positives, yes. But I can't remember the last time the team has thrown together 4 solid quarters in the same game. Which is frustrating. The team has the talent, but refuses to put it together.

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