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TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:40 pm
by bballCT
I hope that Brewer continues to get better, he could be an x-factor once he matures his game. I was hoping that he could fall to the Raps somehow:

PG - Deron Williams

Williams is everything a team could want in a point guard: He is a tremendous passer and playmaker, he can score inside and out and he elevates his game in the post-season. He is a fantastic floor leader at twenty-four-years-old and inking him to a max-money deal this summer was about as easy a decision as the Jazz have had to make in a good, long while. Whatever happens to Boozer next summer the Jazz can breathe a little easier because Williams will make any back-up plan work better than most NBA point guards could. He coalesces this team and that is a skill that should only expand as he gets more years under his belt.


SG - Ronnie Brewer

If saying that Brewer had a breakout season last year is an overstatement (and it is) then at least concede that he had a mini-breakout for a team that desperately needed what he brought to the table. After losing two-guard Fisher last summer this team was desperate for a body who could even suit up at the position. Brewer was first in line to try and went from anonymous rookie to full-time starter in year two by playing stifling perimeter defense with his long arms and active hands and combining that strength with a vastly-improved and more efficient offensive game, connecting on 57% of his shots (nearly half of those attempts were jumpers, too). Unsurprisingly well over 70% of his shots were assisted but it was his ability to blend into an offense that already featured Williams, Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko that made him so indispensible. He didn't need lots of touches to be effective and yet by simply looking to be in the right place on the floor he wound up averaging more points per game than Jazz mainstay Kirilenko. His role is pretty well defined and he plays it to perfection, so hopefully the Jazz can simply count on more than the same from Brewer in the future.


PF - Carlos Boozer

The issue of his free agency has been discussed to death, and it overshadows other aspects of his game that require attention. Chiefly, Boozer did his best Karl Malone impression last spring and choked in the Playoffs. His scoring was off by five points per game and his shooting percentages plummeted from 54.7% during the regular season to 41.5% in the post-season. He needs to be a steady rock that anchors this team's post-offense and last spring he simply couldn't be relied on. With guys like Kirilenko and Okur such crapshoots in the springtime the Jazz cannot afford to have Boozer fall off like he did when it matters. Two years ago, when the team made its run to the Conference Finals, Boozer averaged 23.5 ppg on 54% shooting. Where that player was last season is uncertain, but the Jazz will need that player back if they are going to make any noise this April and beyond (it would also make a big-money contract a lot easier to offer).


http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=250783&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nba

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:41 am
by BarneyGumble
I read this earlier. Nice article....

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 2:46 am
by stevebozell
Does anyone really care that we're the class of the Northwest? Its the worst division in all of basketball. Im more concerned about where we rank within the conference, and based on what everyone else did, and more importantly what we DIDNT do, Im afraid we may have fallen in the ranks........we surely didnt move up at all.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 8:45 am
by carrottop12
I'm glad the Jazz didn't make any risky moves this offseason, no reason too really.

At the trade deadline that might not be true, but as of now the only team the Jazz need to worry about catching up to is the Lakers, and there wasn't anything out there that would automatically make that happen so better to not make themselves worse.

First in the NW isn't the greatest thing in the world, but it's better then second.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 3:09 pm
by stevebozell
You really think we can beat San Antonio in a 7 game series, especially without homecourt advantage? No way.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:34 pm
by BarneyGumble
stevebozell wrote:You really think we can beat San Antonio in a 7 game series, especially without homecourt advantage? No way.


Um yeah. If last year's Hornets, whom we own head-to-head, can take the Spurs to 7 games, I think we can beat the Spurs. The current Deron Williams would make Tony Parker look like Jordan Farmar on defense. And Williams would bully Parker offensively when Parker tries to penetrate...

Boozer wouldnt be needed to score as much, just focus 100% on guarding Duncan.

Okur the 2nd leading scorer and leading rebounder. Who will stop him? Obero?? Pffft...

Young, talented reserves/role players vs. old fundamental squeeky vets? Bruce Bowen?? Give me Matt Harpring. Michael Finley? I'll take the slashing high-flying Brewer thank you very much! The three-point threat Barry? I'll take the younger, better three point threat Korver. Fundamental, experienced Udoka? Im fine with fundamental, talented, young, big, and efficient Paul Milsap.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:05 am
by stevebozell
DWill_daShizzle wrote:
stevebozell wrote:You really think we can beat San Antonio in a 7 game series, especially without homecourt advantage? No way.


Um yeah. If last year's Hornets, whom we own head-to-head, can take the Spurs to 7 games, I think we can beat the Spurs. The current Deron Williams would make Tony Parker look like Jordan Farmar on defense. And Williams would bully Parker offensively when Parker tries to penetrate...

Boozer wouldnt be needed to score as much, just focus 100% on guarding Duncan.

Okur the 2nd leading scorer and leading rebounder. Who will stop him? Obero?? Pffft...

Young, talented reserves/role players vs. old fundamental squeeky vets? Bruce Bowen?? Give me Matt Harpring. Michael Finley? I'll take the slashing high-flying Brewer thank you very much! The three-point threat Barry? I'll take the younger, better three point threat Korver. Fundamental, experienced Udoka? Im fine with fundamental, talented, young, big, and efficient Paul Milsap.


^^The blind homer post of the year, everybody!! :clap:

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:08 am
by The Sheik
stevebozell wrote:
^^The blind homer post of the year, everybody!! :clap:


Yeah I actually have to agree with you...and we know that doesnt happen a lot.

"Bruce Bowen?? Give me Matt Harpring."

:rofl: :rofl:

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:11 am
by stevebozell
The Sheik wrote:
stevebozell wrote:
^^The blind homer post of the year, everybody!! :clap:


Yeah I actually have to agree with you...and we know that doesnt happen a lot.

"Bruce Bowen?? Give me Matt Harpring."

:rofl: :rofl:


That was my favorite line too.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:15 am
by The Sheik
stevebozell wrote:You really think we can beat San Antonio in a 7 game series, especially without homecourt advantage? No way.


It really depends, last yrs team I say no because we have this stigma of not winning in SA. If the Spurs continue to decline slowly like theyre and we can win a game there this coming season then yeah I would say I have confidence in the Jazz winning.

I also agree with Bat that there is nothing out there, except perhaps upgrading the backup C position. If we do that and add a guy like Jeff Foster or someone then I think thats the best possible team we could have and its up to them to get it done.

We had two needs this off-season and we addressed one of them. Our needs were PG play and front court depth. We added a solid vet in Knight and made a savvy PR move by dumping Jason Hart. We added a great prospect in Kosta and really we didnt have the assets to acquire a good backup C because I believe we cant trade away a first rounder this year.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:27 am
by Duiz
Holy Toledo... we got Dwill is da shizzle as the new big homer :P

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:15 am
by Phenom415
DWill_daShizzle wrote:Bruce Bowen?? Give me Matt Harpring.


Uhhh.. yeah... I'm probably more of a Matt apologist than most on these boards, and I think that is insane.

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:38 am
by carrottop12
The Jazz will win in San Antonio this year, mark my words. The Jazz will win in San Antonio THIS YEAR!

Re: TSN Season Preview: Jazz are the Class Of The Northwest

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 12:52 pm
by tylero87
Whether we like it or not San Antonio causes match up problems for the Jazz. I think comparing the Jazz vs the Spurs to the Hornets vs the Spurs is comparing apples and oranges. Defensively Boozer and Okur give up a lot more size than West/Chandler. The Jazz don't have a true 7 footer down on the block and I believe that's the Jazz's BIGGEST weakness. Tony Parker is a savvy point guard and I don't think there's a better PG at getting his shot off in the paint. He doesn't stand a chance against Deron defensively but both are equally important to their team's success.

The Jazz do have some advantages over the Spurs and I think this is the year they start to show. For one the Jazz have youth on their side. Their oldest player is their back up PG Knight, granted he can win the job from Price. The same goes for our bench, we have what two 30 year old players in Knight and Harpring; Collins turns 30 this year. San Antonio's avg age is over 30. I'll take Miles, Millsap, Korver, Price, and Harpring over Stoudamire, Finley, Bonner, and Kurt Thomas any day.

I think our biggest advantage will be Manu's health. For years the experts have said his erratic play will eventually catch up with him and it looks like it has. He played hurt in the Olympics and I think he takes a step back this year.

Finally we're due.....This year the Jazz win in San Antonio and also the Jazz will have a better regular season record. San Antonio will still post a respectable record and unless the Jazz do better than the 4th seed we may see our friends from Texas in round 1. Now when the Playoffs start all bets are off but the Jazz with HCA over the Spurs in a 7 game series would have the advantage.

There's my take on the Jazz/Spurs this year.........what say you?