In my opinion, Kevin O'Connor is now on the clock. Between now and the trade deadline (March 15th), something needs to give.
At this point, with the schedule starting to even out (and it still hasn't yet), I think even the most homer Jazz fans are starting to see that this Jazz team is (at best) a .500 team. And it won't get any better this year or next.
Without any changes, next years rotation will look just like this team's rotation. Most likely the only the exception will maybe be Burks getting Howards minutes. But just like we are seeing with Hayward, it will be a tough learning curve for Burks without getting many meaningful minutes as a rookie. Our young bigs will still be averaging under 20 min. Hayward will improve, but Bell will get slower. I think CJ is who he is (a solid backup). Whatever rookie(s) we pick up will be getting Burks' (lack of) minutes. And the win total will be about the same. And, all of this is assuming Corbin is able to maintain the level of motivation that he has thus far been able to produce.
The year after next will start the rebuilding process. Two years late.
Right now the PG position is the only position that is performing below average (considering all 48 minutes). It is performing well below average. Earl is a great backup, but Harris is maybe the 28th or 29th best starting PG in the league. He should be a backup the rest of his career. But putting Earl in as the starter wouldn't change anything. He can't play that effective for more than 20-24 min/game, and that is what he is playing.
The answer is obvious. We need to trade for a PG. Easier said than done, I know, but if it isn't we are looking at (at least) another 1.5 seasons of a slightly below mediocre team.
So...... I think we will learn a lot about how good (or not) KOC and the front office is on this trade deadline. They have to know that there isn't a great chance of drafting a franchise PG between now and then. They have to know that even if we get Golden State's pick this year (I think unlikely), the best available player at that spot (playing the percentages) is going to be a PF.
We are deep in the front-court, with two #3 picks showing potential but getting slim minutes. Everyone knows this. I know KOC is probably playing the waiting game, as is his m.o.. Wait and see what other teams are doing. Be patient looking for a good, safe play. But now is the time. The offers will be worse by next year.
The Jazz either find a way to turn Millsap or Jefferson (and what ever draft picks needed) into a quality starting PG, or lets get use to being the 10th best team in the West for the next few years.
The clock has started.I love our team right now, but I suspect some changes are coming. The Jazz have a ton of assets, and I believe the trade deadline is going to be very busy this year. This means a lot of teams are going to be contacting the Jazz in order to help facilitate getting deals done. I am by no means saying we should actually do any of these, I just like to look at potential scenarios. I try to keep it reasonable and only target guys that are probably available. Discuss
1. Milsap and Harris for Pau and Morris. We can play Gasol at center, Favors starts at the 4, and we get a young pg with potential. Lakes get an upgrade at the point and an excellent power forward. We might have to throw something else. Bell?
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=88d67hh
2. Jefferson, Miles, Harris, and our Warriors pick for Rondo, Allen and Oneal. Celtics get a decent pg, a young slashing wing, and the down low presence they dont have right now along with a good first round pick. We get an excellent PG. a strong veteran who can hit the 3 which we badly need, and an acceptable starting center who would concede minutes to Kanter.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7bs8l9o
3. We trade CJ Miles for Anthony Morrow. Morrow is an elite 3 pt shooter and the Nets are looking to get rid of him to clear cap space. Miles gives them a nice expiring contract and we get someone who can hit a 3.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7h8k6lt
4. This is a big one. Jazz get Jameer Nelson, JJ Redick, and Quentin Richardson. Orlando gets Stephen Jackson Brandon Jennings, and Josh Howard. Milwaukee gets Devin Harris, CJ Miles and our Warriors pick.
The way I see it, Milwaukee gets rid of the Brandon Jennings headache and gets a draft pick, a decent pg, and a solid wing. Orlando gets a whole lot of scoring firepower in hopes of keeping Dwight. Jazz get a pg of equivalent worth, an elite 3 point shooter in Reddick, and another acceptable wing in Richardson. Not sure if the Jazz would do this unless we could keep our pick. Orlando would do this in a second. Milwaukee would only do this if they got a pick out of it.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=84agbbg
If it's not a trade that we make, then here are my suggestions for people we should look to absorb with our trade exception.
1. Anthony Morrow since the Nets need to clear cap space, and we basically gave them Memo for nothing. They owe us!
2. JJ Redick since Orlando will be cleaning house when Dwight leaves
3. Ray Allen since the Celtics might be blowing it up
Link to complete story here
There's quite a bit to Gordon Monson's column revisiting of the end of the Jerry Sloan era in Utah, none more surprising than the claim from Jazz legend Karl Malone that Malone had to pay for a ticket from a scalper to watch the Jazz on Feb. 11 of last year (a day after Sloan retired) after the team told him they were out of ducats.
It's been almost a year to the day that Jerry Sloan abruptly retired from the Utah Jazz in a move that absolutely nobody saw coming. Following an in-game and then postgame tiff with then-star guard Deron Williams, Sloan apparently felt unsupported by management, and quit despite the organization's attempts to win him back. Just as abruptly, Malone flew to Utah to speak his piece with the media before the following game against the Suns, whereupon he was told that the game was sold out. Whereupon I tell the Jazz that I've seen countless local "celebrities" sneak onto or given good seats on press row, and then tell the Jazz to find Malone's 6-9 frame a folding chair or two.
Monson, in a brief aside toward the beginning of a must-read piece, had this to say:
What happened to Sloan had festered inside Malone for long enough. In the immediate aftermath, he came to Utah to express concern, buying his own ticket to the next game at EnergySolutions Arena via a scalper because the Jazz had told him there were no tickets available for him, and spoke to reporters.
The turn in front of the reporters spoke to Malone's distaste with how GM Kevin O'Connor handled Sloan's frustrations following his back-and-forth with Williams and Sloan's exit, as he told the media he would give the Jazz "a D or F, and I would lean more toward an F."
He's right and wrong. We'll get to that aspect in a second
cont on link above
What does it mean to be a fan and how do we become one? Is it a casual interest that we only allow to fill our free time or is it an obsession that sticks with us every moment of the day? Is it something that we invest money and time into or do we invest all of ourselves to it? What makes a fan, fanatical?
This has been something that has been rolling around in my head the last few weeks. A friend of mine’s girlfriend was trying to decide what basketball team she should root for. Her boyfriend is a Heat fan because he loves Dwayne Wade but he also casually supports the Jazz. She also was considering the Lakers because her boyfriend’s older brother (my buddy) is a Lakers fan. I was trying to convince her that it was silly to pick a team based on who guys in her life were cheering for.
This made me start to think about my fandom. I think I am a pretty extreme fan though. I’d like to think there was a scale or gradient of fandom that ranges from casual observer to obsessed nutcase. I would most certainly fall closer to the obsessed nutcase end of the spectrum. I’m the type of fan which takes everything personal. I refer to myself as being a part of the team. I talk in "we’s" instead of "they’s." I take every win and loss as if my life depended on it. My moods change depending on the outcome of games. On top of that, I spend an unholy amount of time reading, writing, watching, loving my sports teams. I’m the guy that watches games at almost any cost. I bail on friends, family and responsibilities to watch the games as much as possible. My friends actually check game schedules just to make sure I’m free on certain nights to hang out. Then, just to take it one step further, I get myself invested in fantasy sports. Which is really like has turned my fandom into a gateway drug.
So what makes a fan, a true fan, and how does one choose who to cheer for?
My fanhood is a little complicated. In that, Utah, only has the Jazz and Real Salt Lake to cheer for. I had to branch out to other locations to find certain teams to support.
As long as I can remember I’ve always been a Jazz fan. My dad grew up here and also liked the Jazz and I remember watching games with him. I loved Malone, Stockton, and Horny. Those are who I grew up watching. I remember going over to the neighbor’s house with my family to watch them play in the Finals. I remember being so upset that we didn’t win. I remember Stockton hitting the shot over the Rockets while I was at a hotel. I was so excited I ran out and did a front flip into the pool and landed in a belly flop. I was born in Utah and the Jazz have always been my main NBA fix.
Most of you who follow me on Twitter (@JasonFortheLove) probably know I am a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan when it comes to the NFL. It was a complicated journey that started with being LDS/Mormon and loving Steve Young. I was a Niners fan because Young played there. He retired in the late 90s and I found myself wanting to cheer for another LDS member. Oddly, it ended up with me being a fan of the Eagles because of coach Andy Reid. Being 11-12, switching teams didn’t seem like a big deal. As I grew older it just stuck. I love the Eagles and will be a life-long fan now. My love for the city of Philadelphia grew too. With me loving the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and being a casual fan of the 76ers and Phillies as well.
Around the exact same time as Jazz Finals and the Eagles, I broke my Collarbone playing touch football during recess at school. That fall found me in bed for a few days watching the World Series. It was here that I feel in love with the New York Yankees. Players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, O’Neil, and Bernie Williams became my idols. I just loved them. I didn’t know they were hated. Didn’t care. I became a fan of the "Evil" Empire. Just how it was.
The one thing all these teams have in common is that I feel in love with them around the age of 11. For better or worse I am stuck loving these teams for the rest of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I adopted these teams, I also adopted their rivals. I hate the Lakers, Cowboys/Giants, and all Boston sports. I also adopted an addiction that I don’t think I’ll ever recover from. I must read about my teams, I must watch my teams, I must support my teams, I must love them and know as much as I can about them.
The point of all this is to determine how one becomes a fan and what is required of being a "true" fan. Not those fans in the ESA who are Clippers fans, and Laker fans, before they were Bulls fans, etc. You know who they are. The same ones who switch teams by championships or favorite players. I thought it would be fun to make a fan creed or set of commandments on the subject.
I’ll get us started with a few and I’d love to hear about your experiences and have you add your own rules to the list.
Rule 1: Once a fan, always a fan. You stick with your team through thick and thin for life. This goes mostly for teenagers/adults. Children can’t be expected to have the same passion but steering your kids in a certain direction is always acceptable. Fandom that spans generations is the best.
Rule 2: Team always above player and coach. You cheer for the logo on the front, not the name on the back. You can love your players, you can support your players even after they leave, but no one player is bigger than the team. I have a friend who was a 76ers fan for Iverson, then became a Lakers fan because of Kobe, and is now claiming to be a Clippers fan because of Blake Griffin. Drives me bonkers.
Rule 3: Don’t become a fan simply because your boyfriend/girlfriend like a team. Relationships don’t always last. Fandom does. It drives me crazy when people become "rabid" fans because their significant other is a fan of a team, only to have them stop being a fan when the relationship is over. Marriage is a whole other issue.
Ok, there is 3 to get us started. Add your own and tell us your stories! Also, GO JAZZ!!!
...if there is a problem, that is.
Bill Simmons, who I hate but can't not read, believes strongly that point guard play is significant to every team's success. He talks about how we can't pass judgment on NY Knicks until they add a decent pg to Carmelo and A'ma'r'e. (I personally think Carmelo will never again be a champion...)
Mr. Simmons also believes that we're in a golden age of point guards. See his quote:
9. Has there ever been a better year for point guards?
The short answer: No. It's like the quarterback boom in football — and if you want to extend the analogy, some of the NBA's rule changes last decade (dumping hand checks, speeding up the game) helped point guards much like the NFL's rule changes (changing the pass interference rules, protecting quarterbacks) helped passing. But you still need the talent, and fortunately, we're blessed with Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry (although his paper-mache ankles are starting to worry me), Tony Parker (another killer season for him), Kyle Lowry (morphing into a poor man's Fat Lever), Steve Nash, Ty Lawson (one of the fastest NBA players ever), Rubio, Irving, John Wall (coming on), Jrue Holiday (already came on) and Brandon Jennings (finally made a leap this year) … suddenly you're in good hands with half the league's point guards running your team. And we didn't even mention capable veterans like Mike Conley, the Semi-Rejuvenated Jose Calderon, Ray Felton and Andre Miller; The Artist Formerly Known as Jason Kidd; Baron (if he has anything left in the tank); works in progress like Brandon Knight (I'm a fan), T.B.H. Evans,8 Roddy Beaubois (a possible late bloomer???) and Kemba Walker; or even Jimmer Fredette's abundant garbage time skills.9
Look, it's not rocket science: Any basketball game is going to be more entertaining with competent-or-better point guards running the show. (Cut to Knicks and Lakers fans nodding.) Without the right point guard, you won't get fast break points or easy baskets (cut to Knicks and Lakers fans nodding), you won't have good ball movement (cut to Knicks and Lakers fans nodding), it's harder to get your post guys the ball in the right spots (cut to Knicks and Lakers fans nodding), and you might have to rely on one perimeter player shooting 25 to 30 times a game while everyone else stands around (cut to Knicks and Lakers fans nodding vigorously while fighting off tears). More point guards = more fun.10
uhhhhhh, sooo uhhhhhh, which team is conspicuously absent from his list....
Is solid PG the missing link for the Jazz, the difference between barely making/barely missing the playoffs and being a real threat in the playoffs? How much better is the rest of our team with a better PG?
Personally, I'm ready for Earl to start, but I have also noticed (especially when I was at the ESA monday night) that he is not just a pass-first PG, but on a break, he's a pass-only guard. He doesn't threaten to go all the way to the hoop the way Devin-at-his-best plays. Earl's had his moments in the lane, but mostly he stays out because he isn't super effective there ----- in my unscientific opinion.
Where are we with respect to our PG roster? Stand pat? Cross our fingers for the future? Trade assets now? Trade any asset now?
One of the great comedies on TV today is 30 Rock. The comedic minds of Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin make it must watch TV.
In one story strings, Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaughy was carrying on a relationship with two women, the characters played by Elizabeth Banks and Julianne Moore. He knew he had to choose one and was torn on what to do. Eventually he chose...well I'm not going to do a spoiler here. But eventually he did choose.
The Jazz are in a situation right now where we are- eventually- going to be forced to choose between our Julianne Moore and our Elizabeth Banks.
Derrick Favors. Enes Kanter. Paul Millsap. Al Jefferson.
The bain of the Jazz the last decade or so has always been length. It's been our crutch, the mountain we could not hurdle. Now, we have plenty of it. Right now, it's working out great because Favors and Kanter are still relatively raw. But eventually they should develop and command more minutes. And at the end of next season Sap and Al's contracts are up.
Teams have playing time for 3 effective PFs/Cs in a rotation. One of these 4 needs to go (in the long term--not right away, of course)
But how do we make that decision? Who should go?
Millsap is the soul of this club. He has a heart that makes a lion's seem cowardly. He improves every year and adds new facets to his game. He's only 26, he's playing like an All Star and he's getting better.
We gave up our best player for Favors. The kid has all the tools to be an All Defensive monster with an offensive game to complement it. He's still a season or so from exploding onto the scene, but there is every reason to believe he'll be an amazing baller.
Kanter is already one of the best rebounders in the league, rate wise. He shows glimpses of a post game that will become refined and effective with time. He's built like an oak tree. Offenses will struggle when he gets planted in the post just because of all the space he takes up. And he's on a relatively cheap rookie contract for several more years.
Al Jefferson- before the season started I would've traded him to the first team that offered a draft pick. But he has improved every aspect of his game. He scores more efficiently. His passing game has made strides. Even his defense has gone from deplorable to passable (Cs earn degrees) And he blocks shots. The Jazz sorely missed his post game against Toronto. And he's such a like-able guy.
You see the problem? Who do we get rid of?
Luckily, the decision is not immediately before us. Al and Sap don't become free agents until the end of next season. But here's what I would do.
If by next season's trade deadline, Kanter or Favors are showing the chops to play serious minutes, I think it's Al who goes. He'll be more expensive to resign than Sap and he makes almost 3x what Favors and Kanter do. The key, of course, is Kanter. If Kanter's glimpses of post play become regular it becomes easier to part with Al.
Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not hating on Al. It pains me to say he will probably be the odd man out. And I'm not in anyway advocating a trade for him this season or even this offseason. No, no, Kanter needs to prove himself (otherwise I think it should be him who goes- and he's my favorite player)
So what does that make our future look like? Fast forward to when this goes down, the 2013-2014 season. We're assuming Al is gone because Kanter and Favors have proved themselves. You with me?
For one, our balance sheet will be in better shape. I expect Al to get at least $12 million a season, probably closer to 13 or 14. (Of course, things change if he could be had for say 8 or 9- but face it, Kwame got 7.) Sap can probably be resigned for 10-11 million- maybe 12, 13 is pushing it, but I doubt it. And Favors and Kanter will still be on rookie contracts.
On the court, the starting lineup depends on Favors. If he is better suited as a C, than it's Sap-Favors. If he's better suited as a PF, than he and Sap will duke it out for the PF with Kanter at C. Personally, I'm hoping for Favors to pan out as a C. I think Kanter would be ideal as a 3rd big.
That 3 big man rotation would be very versatile. Sap brings the energy and scoring. Favors the defense anchor with the right dose of offense. Kanter cleans the glass, provides solid one on one D with a low post game and some jumpers (if he pans out right he should be able to fill Al's role on offense, or at least credibly resemble it.) We round it off with a backup Center. Someone like Zaza Pachulia, or Jeff Foster or Hamed Haddai. My dream 4th stringer is Ante Tomic. I do believe by 2013-2014 he would be contractually available. 7-10 minutes a night of a 7'2" guy who can score and swat shots- we could do worse. But of course, that is only a dream. The scientific community at large is embroiled in debate over whether the man even exists.
Of course, those 3 might not end up being the 3 that we keep. I could see Sap being given a nice contract and a huge role on another team. I could see Kanter being flipped in a deal ala the way the Nets did Favors. I could see Kanter or Favors not developing into reliable starters/6th men. (Think Anthony Randolph)
At any rate, this kind of decision is still far away. But it is a decision I'm sure KOC is cognizant that he will need to be made. But my money is on Al being the odd man out.
The rockets have announced that they will not exercise their option on thabeet, Jordan hill, Terrence Williams and Johnny Flynn in an attempt to clear cap space for this summer. I think Johnny Flynn would be worth looking at for the jazz. He is young and has a good skill set for the jazz system. It would be nice to let him devolp along side Favors, Hayward, Kanter, and Burks. What does everyone else think? Is he worth going after in free agency or maybe a trade?
These last few years on Twitter have been interesting for me. It creates a whole new dynamic in watching a Jazz game. Before, it was the people at the game, and the people watching at home. Now, there are people who watch it at home and people at the arena who are constantly talking to each other via twitter. I love it! I love Jazz fans. I have gained so much from their insights and analysis.
Anyway, yesterday as you may or may not have seen, I started the #JazzFanWave where I just put "Retweet this if you love the Utah Jazz!". And as the retweets started to pile up, it seemed to me like we were doing the Wave, on twitter.
Now, I thought it would be fun to start it as kind of a tradition, to start off Jazz games. I could tweet out something like "Retweet this if you [robert lund reference] cant wait to send those losin spurs two-steppin back to Texas!" [/robert lund reference] if we were playing the Spurs. Then Jazz fans retweet it.
I am not trying to pick up followers. I just think it would be fun.
So anyway, look for that tonight and play along if you wish. Look for the "retweet this if........." with hashtag #JazzFanWave
So I'm kind of stuck in a Jazz dilema. I want to watch all the games, but thats all I want. I don't want to pay $70 a month for Directv which is what my apartment building is wired for. We can't put in another dish so that rules out dish network. Just wondering how everyone else in the valley watches the team? Are the online streams reliable at all? NBA league pass doesn't work as it blacks out local games. I've tried about all I can think of. Any ideas would be great.
After the hard loss against the Mavericks, sports media exploded with stories and rumors about the Jazz shopping around PG Devin Harris. I personally have never seen Harris as anything more than a temporary PG for the transitioning Jazz and would love to see O'Connor make a good trade right now. The question is what kind of trade will we make:
Bleacher Report posted an article listing three teams that may be interested in Harris. Here are some possible trades involving these teams as well as others that might have an interest in Harris (some may have to involve picks to make plausible).
Celtics - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=8836eb2
Warriors - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=86gdsev
Clippers - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7xowspx
Suns - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6rwxfzz
Nuggets - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7dj5a2s
Mavericks - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=8a9uvsw
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