duncan228
10-15-2009, 02:00 PM
NBA Countdown: No. 13 Utah Jazz (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-nbacountdownnoutahja&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
—> —>Leading into the Oct. 27 season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the NBA teams, counting backward from its Sept. 25 Power Poll. For more great NBA content, order your copy of our Pro Basketball yearbook (https://www.streetandsmiths.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.covers&catid=5), or pick one up at a newsstand today.
By Tim Buckley
Sporting News Yearbooks
It was supposed to be a wild, wacky summer for the Utah Jazz.
Instead, it was a dud, with the only suspense being whether they'd deal two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. That hasn't happened, so we'll have to wait and see whether Utah tries to recoup something for the 2010 unrestricted free agent before February's trade deadline.
The team stayed in house with its transactions, as starting center Mehmet Okur opted in for the final season of his contract, and then signed a two-year extension. Backup shooting guard Kyle Korver picked up his own option for the last season on his current deal too, while No. 3 point guard Ronnie Price was re-signed.
That left the Jazz only to match Portland's offer sheet to backup power forward Paul Millsap, although they waited until nearly the last minute. Millsap was signed to a four-year, $32 million deal that was frontloaded with $10.3 million due by the end of July.
"What we felt was, he's worth it," Utah general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "And he's somebody who's played through some injuries; we've appreciated that. So, we're happy he's back."
It was a no-brainer decision for the Jazz, who see Millsap as their starting power forward of the future. Millsap averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season, but increased that to 16.0 points and 10.3 boards as a starter in the 45 games Boozer missed because of a quadriceps injury and arthroscopic knee surgery.
Coach Jerry Sloan recently indicated that Boozer still could remain the starter, with Millsap coming off the bench, though the decision isn't final. And while Millsap might be a key player for the team's future, he hasn't forgotten whose team it is-for now, Utah's hopes belong to Deron Williams.
Even though long-distance shooter and one-time All-Star Okur is now 30, the rest of the team is young, and O'Connor likes the idea of building the franchise around the 25-year-old Williams.
The general manager says his team's nucleus will be Williams, Millsap, shooting guard Ronnie Brewer and small forward C.J. Miles, who were all younger than 25 last season.
"So I think we can get better from within," O'Connor said. "I think our players can be better this year than they were last year. That's what we hope happens."
The shooting-guard position should stay the same with Brewer, whose outside shooting gets little respect, and Korver, a streaky 3-point specialist coming off minor offseason surgery to repair wrist damage that hampered his shot last season.
Miles started all season at small forward but lost that job in the playoffs. He also will miss the first few weeks of this season after having thumb surgery. Andrei Kirilenko, whose spark was needed off a thin bench last year, is one of the candidates to replace Miles in the starting lineup.
Up front, youngsters Kyrylo Fesenko, who exercised his contract option, and Kosta Koufos will again play behind Okur. It remains to be seen, though, if those two can add toughness-one item on a long list the Jazz feel they need.
"We'd love to have some length and some more athleticism," O'Connor said. "And we'd love to have a little bit more shooting. But so would everybody."
Fast Facts
2008-09 record: 48-34
Last playoff: 2009 (lost in conference quarterfinal)
Coach: Jerry Sloan
Burning question
Will Carlos Boozer be a distraction?
It was a mild surprise that the Jazz opted not to trade Boozer this summer, though they could trade him sometime in the near future. But if they trade him, it will be for basketball reasons, not just to dump him. With his injuries and the frosty relationship with coach Jerry Sloan, Boozer has been a distraction for the last few years. The team has managed to get around those issues and still earn a solid spot in the postseason.
- Sean Deveney
View from the other bench
(an opponent breaks down the Jazz)
"Utah is a talented team, can score the basketball, (but) has had problems playing defense and keeping people from scoring. …
"They have a potential All-Pro in Deron Williams, who I think is one of the best point guards in the NBA. (Williams is) strong and has become a very, very good shooter since leaving Illinois. (He) looks to get teammates involved before he gets shots, though. …
"(Ronnie) Brewer, an athletic (shooting guard) who is a streak shooter, is more of a midrange (shooter) and an at-the-basket shooter than a 3-point shooter. (He is) a good baseline player (and) a good defender, especially off the ball. …
"(Mehmet) Okur is one of the best-shooting big men in the league from 3-point range, a very good pick-and-pop player who needs to work on his post-up moves. …
"(The) general weakness for Utah is one-on-one defense and outside shooting, and they're not a long team or an athletic team."
Rookie to watch: G Eric Maynor
The former Virginia Commonwealth star will battle combo guard Ronnie Price to back up Deron Williams at the point, but won't play more than eight to 10 minutes a game even if he wins out.
Inside the numbers
134: Games Carlos Boozer has missed because of various injuries in five seasons in Utah.
3: Players (Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver) who decided to forgo free agency and remain with the Jazz despite options to skip the final year of their contracts.
.921: NBA-best winning percentage Utah had when holding opponents to less than 100 points in 2008-09, winning 35 of those 38 contests.
Additions: None
Subtractions: G Morris Almond (Orlando), C Jarron Collins (Portland), G Brevin Knight (free agent)
SportingNews
—> —>Leading into the Oct. 27 season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the NBA teams, counting backward from its Sept. 25 Power Poll. For more great NBA content, order your copy of our Pro Basketball yearbook (https://www.streetandsmiths.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.covers&catid=5), or pick one up at a newsstand today.
By Tim Buckley
Sporting News Yearbooks
It was supposed to be a wild, wacky summer for the Utah Jazz.
Instead, it was a dud, with the only suspense being whether they'd deal two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. That hasn't happened, so we'll have to wait and see whether Utah tries to recoup something for the 2010 unrestricted free agent before February's trade deadline.
The team stayed in house with its transactions, as starting center Mehmet Okur opted in for the final season of his contract, and then signed a two-year extension. Backup shooting guard Kyle Korver picked up his own option for the last season on his current deal too, while No. 3 point guard Ronnie Price was re-signed.
That left the Jazz only to match Portland's offer sheet to backup power forward Paul Millsap, although they waited until nearly the last minute. Millsap was signed to a four-year, $32 million deal that was frontloaded with $10.3 million due by the end of July.
"What we felt was, he's worth it," Utah general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "And he's somebody who's played through some injuries; we've appreciated that. So, we're happy he's back."
It was a no-brainer decision for the Jazz, who see Millsap as their starting power forward of the future. Millsap averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season, but increased that to 16.0 points and 10.3 boards as a starter in the 45 games Boozer missed because of a quadriceps injury and arthroscopic knee surgery.
Coach Jerry Sloan recently indicated that Boozer still could remain the starter, with Millsap coming off the bench, though the decision isn't final. And while Millsap might be a key player for the team's future, he hasn't forgotten whose team it is-for now, Utah's hopes belong to Deron Williams.
Even though long-distance shooter and one-time All-Star Okur is now 30, the rest of the team is young, and O'Connor likes the idea of building the franchise around the 25-year-old Williams.
The general manager says his team's nucleus will be Williams, Millsap, shooting guard Ronnie Brewer and small forward C.J. Miles, who were all younger than 25 last season.
"So I think we can get better from within," O'Connor said. "I think our players can be better this year than they were last year. That's what we hope happens."
The shooting-guard position should stay the same with Brewer, whose outside shooting gets little respect, and Korver, a streaky 3-point specialist coming off minor offseason surgery to repair wrist damage that hampered his shot last season.
Miles started all season at small forward but lost that job in the playoffs. He also will miss the first few weeks of this season after having thumb surgery. Andrei Kirilenko, whose spark was needed off a thin bench last year, is one of the candidates to replace Miles in the starting lineup.
Up front, youngsters Kyrylo Fesenko, who exercised his contract option, and Kosta Koufos will again play behind Okur. It remains to be seen, though, if those two can add toughness-one item on a long list the Jazz feel they need.
"We'd love to have some length and some more athleticism," O'Connor said. "And we'd love to have a little bit more shooting. But so would everybody."
Fast Facts
2008-09 record: 48-34
Last playoff: 2009 (lost in conference quarterfinal)
Coach: Jerry Sloan
Burning question
Will Carlos Boozer be a distraction?
It was a mild surprise that the Jazz opted not to trade Boozer this summer, though they could trade him sometime in the near future. But if they trade him, it will be for basketball reasons, not just to dump him. With his injuries and the frosty relationship with coach Jerry Sloan, Boozer has been a distraction for the last few years. The team has managed to get around those issues and still earn a solid spot in the postseason.
- Sean Deveney
View from the other bench
(an opponent breaks down the Jazz)
"Utah is a talented team, can score the basketball, (but) has had problems playing defense and keeping people from scoring. …
"They have a potential All-Pro in Deron Williams, who I think is one of the best point guards in the NBA. (Williams is) strong and has become a very, very good shooter since leaving Illinois. (He) looks to get teammates involved before he gets shots, though. …
"(Ronnie) Brewer, an athletic (shooting guard) who is a streak shooter, is more of a midrange (shooter) and an at-the-basket shooter than a 3-point shooter. (He is) a good baseline player (and) a good defender, especially off the ball. …
"(Mehmet) Okur is one of the best-shooting big men in the league from 3-point range, a very good pick-and-pop player who needs to work on his post-up moves. …
"(The) general weakness for Utah is one-on-one defense and outside shooting, and they're not a long team or an athletic team."
Rookie to watch: G Eric Maynor
The former Virginia Commonwealth star will battle combo guard Ronnie Price to back up Deron Williams at the point, but won't play more than eight to 10 minutes a game even if he wins out.
Inside the numbers
134: Games Carlos Boozer has missed because of various injuries in five seasons in Utah.
3: Players (Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver) who decided to forgo free agency and remain with the Jazz despite options to skip the final year of their contracts.
.921: NBA-best winning percentage Utah had when holding opponents to less than 100 points in 2008-09, winning 35 of those 38 contests.
Additions: None
Subtractions: G Morris Almond (Orlando), C Jarron Collins (Portland), G Brevin Knight (free agent)