With the season just a couple of days away (FINALLY!), why not take a look back at the guys the Jazz 'lost' (arguable... more like let leave) this past off-season. It was decided via unofficial vote on Twitter (by 2-1 count) that Flop was the biggest loss this off-season. If you disagree... I'm sorry. I gave you a chance to vote. So on we go...

08-09 Stats: 26 GP (3 GS), 7.7 mpg, 1.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.1 spg, 0.0 bpg, 45.7 FG%, 72.7 FT%

Jazz Career: 480 GP (206 GS), 16.9 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 45.9 FG%, 70.6 FT%

Jazz Career: Jarron Collins was drafted in the 2nd round (#53) in 2001 by the Jazz. When he was drafted, the team was desperate for big man help... they had spent the previous season with Danny Manning & Olden Polynice backing up Greg Ostertag. Of that terrific trio, only Ostertag returned for the 2001/02 season. Collins spent some time battling with John Amaechi for the back-up spot that year, though he still managed to play in 70 games (starting 68 of them!) and get 20.6 mpg in those games. That pretty much cemented his roster spot... even as he missed 60 games his 2nd season with a knee injury. His 3rd year, for example, he played in 81 games despite having to battle with Greg Ostertag, Curtis Borchardt, Keon Clark, Paul Grant, Ben Hadlogten, Mikki Moore, Greg Ostertag & Michael Ruffin for playing time. He quickly became a Sloan favorite, playing 70+ games in all but 3 seasons. While he didn't start very often, he was always good for 10+ mpg (until this season). The question, based on what he contributed, quickly (relatively?) turned to what exactly he was doing to earn the minutes. I mean sure, he might've outplayed his competition, but seriously... look at that list again. Sure, the Jazz didn't have a better option. But how much of that is on them not looking because Sloan liked Collins?

The Good: Of the few things he brought to the court, one of the big ones was that he was a smart player (he was from Stanford, after all). That didn't make him any better of a player, but at least he could be counted on to not go insane (well... save for the one time he asked for the ball more... seriously). He knows what he can do (like when he announced that his plan to guard Shaq was pretty much to foul) and won't overdo it. He practices hard, which Sloan loves. Smart players are good, especially when guys around him think they're the next Karl Malone (note to Kris Humphries... you're NOT!) or even the next back-up big for the team (note to Curtis Borchardt/Ben Hadlogten/Keon Clark/Michael Ruffin/Robert Whaley/etc... you're NOT!). What else did he bring? Simple... the ability to draw the charge/flop, which is pretty much the same thing in this day and age. As an opponent, you hate it. As a fan, you see everyone else doing it, realize it's okay, and then kinda start to support your guy. Thus the nickname Flop.

The Bad: He brought just a couple of things... and scoring wasn't one of them. With Karl Malone leaving soon after Collins arrived, it became clear the team needed a low-post option... something Collins was not. They did get Carlos Boozer a couple seasons later, but even then, they had no back-up there. Occasionally he'll step back and hit the FT-line jumper. Of course, he's just as likely to brick it. On a 2nd unit that was starved for scoring, Collins' presence & on-court brains did very little to help the team. His career high in points was his rookie season, when he went off for 6.4 ppg. And it times, it really looked like he had hands of butter whenever he entered the low post. Exactly not what the Jazz needed. On the other end of the court, while he was occasionally able to draw a charge, he wasn't (isn't) a shot-blocking presence. Compare that to Greg Ostertag (who averaged 1.7 bpg) and the difference is glaring. The fact that the Jazz haven't really had a shot-blocking big to man the middle since Ostertag is ... depressing really. Especially when one of the bigs had been around for 9 years.

The Outcome: Quite simply, Collins probably overstayed his welcome. Now it's not his fault, of course. But the Jazz seemed to think that his veteran-status and ability to occasionally draw a charge is enough for the back-up C spot, while in reality it's not. Especially not when your starter isn't a shot-blocker either, and when your back-up group could really use either a scorer or a guy who'll alter shots inside... neither of which Collins is.

The Replacements: The Jazz currently have Mehmet Okur starting. Taking Collins place as the occasional back-up will be... well, no one knows. There's 2nd year guy Kosta Koufos. He's young, he has NBDL eligibility left, he got rejected by everyone this preseason, and Jerry Sloan isn't impressed. There's 3rd year guy Kyrylo Fesenko. While he can't be sent back to the NBDL, he averaged 1 foul every 3 minutes/10 seconds in the preseason, Jerry Sloan isn't impressed, and Sloan will only use him against true centers, it seems. There's back-up-paid-like-a-starter Paul Millsap, who's 6'8. And there's 6'9 SF/potential PF Andrei Kirilenko, who's probably not big enough to man the center spot. It'll be an interesting spot all season, that's for sure. Given that Collins didn't get much time as is, it might be easier to replace him with that quartet of seeming misfits (depending who you ask) than if they were trying to replace an actual rotation player. Still, it remains to be seen how Sloan works this rotation.

His Future: He went to camp with the Blazers, and just missed out on their final roster spot. The Suns, desperate for bigs, recently claimed him on waivers & won the claim. It'll be interesting to see what happens there. They have Channing Frye, who is the starter (for now?). Behind him (for now) is Robin Lopez, who is injured (potentially giving playing time to Flop). And there is (I think) Taylor Griffin, a 2nd round rookie. More impressive than their set of bigs (other than Frye) is that the 3 back-ups (for now) all have elder brothers somewhere else in the league... Brook Lopez in New Jersey, Jason Collins in Atlanta & Blake Griffin in Clipperland. He probably won't get a ton of playing time, and his career might be near over, but barring the Jazz deciding they miss him like they missed Greg Ostertag, his Jazz career is over.

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