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Utah Jazz (3-5) @ Philadelphia 76ers (4-4)
Probable Line-Ups:
Jazz: E3, Brewer, Matthews, Booze, Okur
76ers: Louis Williams, Iggy, Young, Brand, Dalembert
Coming In:
Like the Jazz, the Sixers are pretty much the same team they were last year. They made a minor trade (Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono), drafted a PG in the first round (Jrue Holiday) to replace outgoing vet Andre Miller and decided to hope that the youngsters would develop around Andre Iguodala (& a healthy Elton Brand).
Louis Williams was thrust into a starting role. Jason Smith, after missing all of last season with injury, is getting some playing time. There are high hopes for Thaddeus Young, who starts alongside Iggy. Marreese Speights has been a force off of the bench for the team. Willie Green, Jrue Holiday & Rodney Carney have all been getting minutes as well.
Speights playing so well, and getting 4th quarter minutes, is also doing something else. It's making one of Elton Brand & Samuel Dalembert a 4th-quarter bench-warmer (if not both). That's a lot of money to put on the bench late in games. Something the Jazz would rather not do, it seems at times.
The Sixers have done about as expected so far... losing @ Orlando, v. Boston, @ Detroit & v. Phoenix while beating the Nets twice (one at home, once on the road), Milwaukee (at home) and New York (on the road). They are coming off of a road win in NJ a couple nights ago (the same day the Jazz were hammered by the Celtics).
What We Know About The 76ers... Through 8 Games
(AKA: Overreactions & small sample sizes be ****ed.)
- They're beating the bad teams and losing to the good ones. Where do the Jazz fall?
- They're 6th in the league, shooting 47.4% from the floor.
- They're in the bottom half of the league in 3-pointers attemped, and 25th in 3PT% at 29.9%.
- Iggy, Speights (off the bench), Williams & Young are all averaging double-digit points.
- Williams & Iggy are each averaging right around 5 assists/game.
- Williams & Young are both shooting under 20% from downtown.
- Jason Kapono, acquired for his shooting, is shooting 42.3% from downtown.
- To compare, the Jazz are 29th in the league in treys taken, and shooting just 30.9% from downtown.
- Iggy, Speights & Dalembert all have over 50 rebounds so far on the season.
- Brand is at 45, so he'll probably get there today.
- Biggest shot-blocking threats: Dalembert, Speights, Smith.
- Dalembert averages 3 fouls/game, most on the team.
- To compare, 'Sap is at 4 fouls/game, and Booze & Deron are at 3.5.
- The Sixers are at just under 100 points/game (but more than the Jazz).
- The Sixers give up 102.3 ppg (102.8 ppg for the Jazz).
Other Stuff To Know/Consider/Think About/Ignore
Deron is almost certain to be out this time. I know, same thing last time, but this time, he left the team for personal reasons. He could fly back in, but it's doubtful. Price is also out. Meaning Maynor might get his first career start today. Up next: D-League demotion (a la The Koof last year)?... Wes Matthews will also be starting tonight, taking the place of AK. Because when slow said he wanted to change things up, he meant removing the lone 'big' defensive presence that started (and still complaining about how easily players drive in afterwards). I don't think slow has the balls/guts/whatever to bench Booze... Jazz beat Philly both match-ups last year, 93-80 in Philly and 112-95 in Utah... Booze & Okur combined for 5 rebounds against Boston. slow might blow a fuse if that happens again, but the chances he benches Booze is hovering somewhere between 0% and 1%... The Jazz have won 30 of the last 37 against the Sixers, but 5 of the 7 losses have come in Philadelphia... Koufos & Fesenko both looked good in garbage time minutes against Boston, but I get the feeling slow doesn't care. They should've been playing more minutes (or at least Fesenko should have) weeks ago... What's Wrong With The Jazz? To note the conclusions, Fesenko should play more. And AK47 & 'Sap lead our defense. Great. So now when the bench comes in after falling behind by 40, we'll finally be able to stop people... If you look at the numbers, the best +/- line-up is the normal starting line-up, with Booze being replaced by 'Sap. Telling, no? 24 point swing when you go from Booze to 'Sap. Though slow probably doesn't care. He'll just tell everyone to try harder, and then sit on the bench with a blank stare... Brand v. Booze. Who gets hurt first?... slow's bench is now 2 players deep! ('Sap & AK). Party!!!... Thad Young is a game-time decision... The Hornets fired Byron Scott. That's coaching change number 234 since Jerry Sloan was first hired by the Jazz. I wonder how many of those coaches had championship rings...
Keys For The Jazz
What the Jazz have to do to win the game.
- Defend the paint. The Sixers don't shoot a lot of treys, so I expect they'll drive in a lot.
- Don't let the guards drive in freely. Need to protect the basket with our 6'9 "shot blockers".
- Defend the perimeter. I'm sure everyone knows you can shoot freely on the Jazz.
- Rebound the ball. Especially Okur & Booze. And don't give them 2nd chances.
- E3 has to avoid making turnovers. Just find the open guy (and let him blow the play instead...)
- Don't get your shot blocked.
- Run-and-shoot like the Suns. You have the offense to match it. Kind of.
- Score more than the Sixers. It's that simple.
Sleeping With The Enemy
... Or at least fraternizing with them.
... Because they're better than watching another player drive into the paint uncontested
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