Are The Jazz Really That Good This Year?

[davi78239]

Or are they just on cloud 9 and will come back down to reality?

[freemeat]

As long as they are healthy (mostly Boozer and AK-47), they are for real. I've always thought that any team coached by Jerry Sloan is a playoff contender (and even better if they get there)...but he finally has the pieces to make another shot at a title.

This team is serious. I'm shocked that they were so overlooked in the pre-season.

[boutons_]

Jazz have been playing the best all-around BB this season.
Look at the NBA sortable stats

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html?cnf=1&prd=1#top

tops in PPG diff, tops in FG%, way over the top in RB diff, high in the AST/game.

They've won the last 4 games without AK.

4 players averaging 12+ PPG (balanced offense)

2 players averaging double-double, nearly. (okur 1 shy with 9 RBG)

They hustle, they play defense, they RB, they play team ball, they score efficiently.

10-1 => 72 - 10. They will not win 72, but they could end up around 60.

We'll see if the Spurs bother to show up next Wed @Jazz. I'm sure the Jazz and their fans will be there.

[Extra Stout]

I think the Jazz will win 55 or so.

[MI21]

I don't think they are as good as 10-1, but they are definetly a good team.

Although, against the Spurs, they don't have a player type the Spurs will struggle against defensively, although Okur tends to play well against the Spurs.

[Nikos]

Jazz are an excellent team. If Andrei comes back healthy (huge IF), they can be a 55+ win team.

[MrChug]

Health...a big IF. AK47 is starting to have that tag placed on him like "The oft-injured Kirilenko...". Boozer's a truck but that truck has had flat tires b4.

[Quasar]

...although Okur tends to play well against the Spurs.Okur is indeed a Spur killer... I still remember his 4th quarter shots that never seem to miss. If only Hedo could've had his balls.

I like Jerry Sloan but still can't get over my dislike of the jazz after all the rivalry during the D-Rob era.

The spurs should be OK if Tim/Manu do their magic and put Boozer in foul trouble.

If the opposite happens, then expect the spurs to be crushed.

However, I must admit that the Spurs are starting out this season in surprisingly good shape - they rarely look like a true championship contender until after the rodeo trip.

Winning most of the tight games they've been in must be great for their confidence, especially since they haven't peaked yet.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I don't think they are as good as 10-1, but they are definetly a good team.

Although, against the Spurs, they don't have a player type the Spurs will struggle against defensively, although Okur tends to play well against the Spurs.

they beatened us on fuckn stupid last plays, remember last season fab was on the end of one of the plays where he didnt jump :(

[leemajors]

jazz are a good rebounding team as well, the spurs will have to double their efforts in that department.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Spurs will bring them back to reality faster than Murdoch pulled the plug on OJ.

It's on next Wednesday.

[Texas_Ranger]

Yes they are good. I think that they will have at least 50 wins this season.

[ShoogarBear]

The Jazz started almost this hot I think their first year without Malone and Stockton.

But obviously this team is much better. The key is whether Williams is really this good.

[JamStone]

Boozer has been injured the last couple seasons. He's been a horse so far. They are revolving the offense around Boozer, and he's delivering. And, Sloan always has them playing hard. Even without Kirilenko, I think they are a solid team. They always play hard, aggressive, and they have quality big men starters. That's a good recipe for a solid foundation.

[td4mvp21]

Spurs will bring them back to reality faster than Murdoch pulled the plug on OJ.

It's on next Wednesday.

And if they lose, you probably will give a farewell post and be gone for months right? I guess next Wednesday's a win-win situation then.


The Jazz are for real, besides the Mavs, they are our major competition to get out of the west.

[boutons_]

Spurs @ Jazz will be the Jazz' 5th game in 8 days.

Maybe the Jazz will be tired :)

oops, Spurs @ Jazz will also be the Spurs' 5th game in 8 days. :lol

http://www.nba.com/jazz/schedule/

Spurs play Jazz 4 times this season.

[The_Game]

Jazz scare me purely because of their size and great rebounding

AK, Boozer and Okur are very good and lets not forget their new big guy off the bench

Millsap has been balling lately. Had 18 and 10 vs suns and 20 and 7 vs the raptors....this kid is going to be real good.

Oh yes and that damn Derek Fisher :ihit

[Obstructed_View]

Boozer has to prove to me that he's a winner. He's always had talent.

[Bruno]

Jazz will make the playoffs but nothing more. They lack a go to guy on offense and their paint defense is quite weak.

[nkdlunch]

Jazz will win in regular season and be out on round 2 of the playoffs

[The_Game]

Jazz will make the playoffs but nothing more. They lack a go to guy on offense and their paint defense is quite weak.

They have about 2 or 3 go to guy's on offence. That isn't their problem. I also don't see a problem with their D. Not when Ak is heathly.

Think conference finals could happen for the jazz, depends on the seedings also I guess.

[Bruno]

They have about 2 or 3 go to guy's on offence.

Who ?
Boozer or Okur aren't really go to guy.
The only team that has had lately success in playoff without a superstar was Detroit and Utah is still far from havinhg their chemistry.

[The_Game]

Who ?
Boozer or Okur aren't really go to guy.
The only team that has had lately success in playoff without a superstar was Detroit and Utah is still far from havinhg their chemistry.

Depends what you value by "go to guy" If you mean superstar then no..but they have a few guys who they can go to and hit big shots when it matters. Boozer and Okur have done that alot, Deron Williams is also another guy who has hit huge shots this year and really all his basketball career.

AK47 is as close as the jazz have to a superstar, but you could argue they have 2 or 3 all-star players on their team. Which makes up for not having a true superstar.

Having a superstar doesn't always decide titles, it's the role players and Utah have very good ones.

[JamStone]

Boozer has to prove to me that he's a winner. He's always had talent.


That's an interesting perspective since the NBA viewed Boozer differently when he came out of college.

He was a winner at Duke but didn't have enough talent to be a first round pick.

[Bruno]

Depends what you value by "go to guy" If you mean superstar then no..but they have a few guys who they can go to and hit big shots when it matters. Boozer and Okur have done that alot, Deron Williams is also another guy who has hit huge shots this year and really all his basketball career.

Not having a player that is able to score by himself hurts teams in playoffs because defenses are better than during the regular season.



Having a superstar doesn't always decide titles, it's the role players and Utah have very good ones.

it's true between two real contenders. Utah isn't a contender for the moment.

[The_Game]

having a superstar big man didn't help the spurs last year did It? same goes for lebron and the cavs, kobe .t.c

deron williams, carlos Boozer and Okur are more than good enough to carry an offence honestly.

guess we have different views on the term "go to guy"

[davi78239]

Correct me if I'm wrong but couldn't we have gotten Boozer in the draft a couple of years ago because if I recall, he was still available when it was our turn to pick. I can't seem to remember what draft year that was. I wanna say 2003 after the spurs won the championship, but who knows.

[whottt]

Boozer hasn't been worth his contract yet...even if we'd signed him he'd be gone, overpaid, or about to be gone and overpaid.

The Jazz aren't 10-1 good and they do have a fragile frontline, but they definitely have talent and Sloan teams are always hardnosed and physical...and they will be playing playoff style ball in the playoffs, they are playing it right now.

If we meet them in the playoffs, we'll need to knock down outside shots when they take away Duncan and the middle.


And they've got a bruiser named Paul Milsap on that team backing up their frontline...he might be the best big on their team.

[bull62400]

Even if the Jazz finish #1 in the NBA, they wont get very far in the playoffs. Experience is key. Jerry Sloan has the experience, but not the players. I wouldnt worry about the Jazz even if they win 70 games.

[whottt]

I think how far they go in the post season depends on who they play...they'll make mincemeat of a team like the Suns....experienced or not.


Well now that I think about it...the Suns are probably the type of team that would give them trouble.

But they'll be playing halfcourt ball and executing it well....so I wouldn't count on playoff jitters being an issue.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I agree with Bruno.

Jazz are a very good team and will probably win between 55 and 60 games.
The Jazz are big and do have a great rebounding team.
Jerry Sloan produces good defensive teams.

But, at the end of the day, Jazz<Spurs. When the Jazz have to get a score, can their players create shots for themselves and for others? I don't think that they can do it consistently enough to win a series against the Spurs.

The Spurs have at least three players who can create scoring opportunities for themselves and for others: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
They have no way at all to stop any of them.

They will have to double Tim Duncan. They can't stop Tony and Manu's penetration. Shooters will be left open. Jazz, in the playoffs, will not score for five or more minutes a single field goal against the Spurs in multiple games in a series.

Jazz seem to be better than Mavs though.

[The_Game]

Even if the Jazz finish #1 in the NBA, they wont get very far in the playoffs. Experience is key. Jerry Sloan has the experience, but not the players. I wouldnt worry about the Jazz even if they win 70 games.

I do agree the Jazz need more experience before they can win it all or get to the finals but to say they are nothing to worry about I would disagree. Any team with a great frontline and a team who plays good team defence and rebounds will be a threat. Jazz problem may be they are thin at the SG spot, as only Giricek is their main option. They have been starting CJ Miles who must play good D as he does nothing offensively.

However their frontline is as good as any in the league.

Think If the Spurs meet the Jazz in the playoffs it will be a very tight series.

With the Spurs getting older, in a few years the window of winning titles may fade but for now...this is the time so IMO we need to win now as in a few years the teams with great young talent will be the ones leading the NBA.

[dg7md]

Jazz are good, real good this year. I can tell by how they came back to win many games in the fourth, plus Boozer, AK, Okur, are all top-tier players in their position. None are the best in their position, but they're all in the top 10, if not top 5.

I hope the Jazz do very good this year, same with Toronto, those fans deserve a great season for their fandom to the teams.