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Team Name: Utah Jazz
Last Year's Record: 48-34, 3rd in the Northwest, 8th in the West
(Key) Losses: In order of impact... Cap space, Matt Harpring (?), Morris Almond, Jarron Collins, Brevin Knight
(Key) Additions: In order of impact... "Bulk", Eric Maynor, Goran Suton (?), Wes Matthews/Ronald Dupree (?)
1- What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?
Well, the Jazz had a quiet off-season yet again. The biggest move seems to be the move to an even younger team that could cause major problems for Jerry Sloan, who seems to be hating everything (Brewer's D, AK's behind-the-back passes, Maynor's floater, Koufos' play, etc.) associated with this younger team. The team let Jarron Collins go, and will try to replace him (it seems) with a Koufos/Fesenko duo (or maybe the Koufos/Fesenko/Suton trio). All we know of the duo so far is that they can occasionally impress when called upon (Fesenko against the Lakers his rookie season, Koufos early last season when Okur was out). Oh, and they can dance. Unfortunately for the Jazz, this is the NBA, not the next season of So You Think You Can Dance?. Koufos almost has a cult following amongst Jazz fans (just check out SLC Dunk), but has shown nothing so far this preseason except for the amazing ability to have every single shot rejected. Fesenko didn't change his hair this off-season, but instead had issues with the Ukraine national team. Goran Suton is awesome, but will probably not end up with a contract because of Carlos Boozer the team is over the luxury tax limit.
Elsewhere, Jason Hart Brevin Knight was not brought back, and the team drafted Eric Maynor to replace him. Eric Maynor could potentially see some NBDL time... he is a rookie after all... meaning that the Jazz will finally give Ronnie Price (their best back-up PG option the last 2 years) some burn at back-up PG. The problem, of course, is that Price isn't really a PG that fits the system, but whatever. Sloan has been great at forcing players to change their game to fit his system for years, he can do it again. Maynor is a better PG than Price, but again he's a rookie. Plus his floater has not been falling early in his rookie career (summer league, preseason) and needs some work. Hopefully neither guy pulls out the Hart/Knight quarter-ending "move".
It seems likely that the Jazz will turn to Wes Matthews or Ronald Dupree, at least early in the season, with Matt Harpring potentially going to retire and CJ Miles out for a while. The Jazz need wings... and decided that they didn't like Morris Almond enough to keep him around. I don't blame them... I mean, who wants a wing that can score? Dupree's been in the league for a bit, Matthews not so much. Matthews has a solid shot (or has in the preseason) but faces one major obstacle... he's not a veteran.
Where this leaves the Jazz... with Harpring (33) gone, they have one player that is 30+ (Okur, who is 30) and 2 who are 28 (AK, Korver)... 3 if Dupree makes the team. Yeah, Portland & Minnesota & Oklahoma City are young, but the Jazz aren't exactly "old farts" either. Well, except for the coach, who's probably older than everyone on the Thunder added together.
2- What are the team’s biggest strengths?
The team is young, which means they are improving. But they still have a ton of experience. I've heard that counts for something.
The team was solid at the ESA again last season (33-8), though there are questions arising, I'd assume, with replacement refs and all. But still, the team seems to have a different kind of energy at home (nuclear, maybe?) and it carries them.
The offense is very efficient. The team is full of guys that are great at getting to the basket (with or without the ball) and scoring from up close (led by Brewer & AK). For the most part, the players are efficient when shooting, and if not, 'Sap & Booze have their backs.
There is a ton of depth on the team. While back-up PG is up in the air right now, the team is overflowing with wings (Brewer, Korver, AK, Miles when healthy, Matthews/Dupree?, Price). And the big-man rotation (Okur, 'Sap, Booze, AK) is solid, though missing the whole "height" thing. And a couple of them even play defense!
Carlos Boozer can yell "And 1!" with the best of them.
3- What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?
Defense. I don't even wanna get into this again, but I guess I'll give it a shot. The starting bigs don't play any. The wings gamble a bit too often, though they do end up with a couple of steals here and there. What that gives you is a combo where opponents don't face much opposition when they try to drive in, and then face a couple of bigs who's concept of defense seems to have been cultivated by watching Jarron Collins defend Shaq (aka... hack away). And there still isn't a tall guy who seems like he'll be able to get minutes behind Okur.
Also like last year... road play. Consider this... the Nuggets went 21-20 on the road. The Jazz went 15-26. The Nuggets won the division by 6 games. And it's not like it's just good teams. The Jazz will lose to anybody. Too bad they can't act like a D-II school and get paid to come get hammered at your arena. Lakers, Spurs? Of course. Thunder, T-Wolves, Grizzlies, Knicks? Why not. Lose to 1, lose to them all.
Injuries. It's already started again, with CJ out for a while. Hopefully they can avoid them for the most part after the hell that was last year.
Fouls. This team loves to hack on defense. And with replacement refs that call EVERYTHING (literally), it could get ugly if they don't wake up and realize that fouling ≠ defense.
4- What are the goals for this team?
I wish I could say "Championship or Bust!" That's how I feel as a fan, every year, for all my teams. Yes, even the Pittsburgh Pirates. But lets be honest... injuries hurt the team last year, so the 8th spot might've been an anomaly. But still, teams around us improved and the Jazz did very little to their core. So I'm not going to expect a huge jump. But I have to think that the team competes for the Northwest all season, and gets to at least the 2nd round of the playoffs. Anything above that is just extra.
Also goals... finding a solid wing (Boozer trade?) and getting a top pick (via the Knicks, of course). One of them they can control, the other they can't. Lets see how it goes. Maybe someone (CJ? Matthews?) develops into the shooter this team needs?
Oh, and can we find a way to trade for Ryan Anderson? Please? Don't the Magic owe us for taking Gordan Giricek off of their hands?
5- Brevin Knight vs. Jason Hart. Who's better?
With that question, I'm pretty sure I just caused every Jazz fan to throw up a little with the "memories" running through their mind. For that, I apologize. And with that, here's hoping we've seen the end of the "importing ex-Clipper PGs" trend that stuck around for 2 seasons too long. And hopefully Jerry Sloan has finally learned that Ronnie Price needs to play. Maybe not as a PG, but he needs to see the court.
Projected Record: 52-30
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Go Nuggets!