By God There is Still Hope!

[tylero87]

Ok so things look really bad right now. The Jazz are finally healthy but it seems like instead of progressing, we've gotten worse. That 12 game win streak seems like forever ago and we still have some tough games to play.

However, depending on how the playoff seedings end up the Jazz could have some favorable matchups. At this point we know the Jazz will not win the division and will not have HCA but they've proven they can win on the road in the playoffs.

As long as we hold off Dallas I think we've cemented ourselves as the 7 seed. What we need to hope for is that Houston takes over San Antonio for the 3rd seed and the west seedings end up looking like this.

1. Lakers

2. Nuggets

3. Rockets

4. Spurs

5. Hornets

6. Blazers

7. Jazz

8. Mavericks



The Jazz would start out playing in Denver, which isn't that bad of a matchup. The Jazz shot the worst percentage of the season last night and they still almost won. JR Smith and Chris Anderson played out of their minds and if the Jazz had gotten better production from Williams, Boozer, and Okur; we very well could have taken the season series 3-1.

I would expect Williams to turn it on like usual in the playoffs and if we can get a Boozer from the 07 playoffs I would say the Jazz have a good chance at upsetting the Nuggets.

So in the playoffs you would have:

1. Lakers over 8. Dallas

7. Jazz over 2. Nuggets

3. Rockets over 6. Blazers

4. Spurs over 5. Hornets

So in the 2nd round the Jazz would face a familiar foe in the Rockets, which would be another favorable matchup. On the other side of the bracket the Spurs and Lakers would be a tough physical series for both teams which the Lakers would come out on top.

Jazz and Lakers in the WCF anyone? I think it really depends on the matchups that are put into place. We know the Jazz have struggled against LA and SA. We also know Portland is tough at home, and we have great sucess against Houston as well as New Orleans. It's hard to tell at this time how we match up against Denver given the Billups trade; but I would be more worried if we played the Lakers or Spurs.

Now maybe I'm being too optimistic but the playoffs are a new season. It's a time to get your ducks in a row so to speak. The Jazz have proven they can win on the road in the playoffs, as well as win a series without HCA. I'm not ready to give up on this team I just hope the Jazz finally gel and prove to everyone they're not going to roll over.

So granted the Jazz get favorable match-ups in the playoffs and show they can steal one on the road I think this is reasonable possibility.

Who's with me?

[carrottop12]

The next three games are absolutely huge games for the Jazz.

vs. Minnesota (Chance to get back to winning ways)
@ New Orleans (A team the Jazz match up very well against, a good opportunity to get a road win)
@ Dallas (The team seperating the Jazz and the Lakers in the first round, an absolute must win.)

After that the Jazz play @ San Antonio, a win there could really help drop San Antonio into a 4/5 match up, forcing them to play the Lakers in the second round!

Come on Jazz, lets finish this season right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[erudite23]

Guys, guys...I love the optimism, but this team has jumped the shark. I'll never stop cheering them on, but at some point in time you have to give it up and look at realities. The future of this team is figuring out how to get one defensive minded big man and retooling our nucleus. It was a fun ride, but this team has run its course.

[seejaydeja]

Guys, guys...I love the optimism, but this team has jumped the shark. I'll never stop cheering them on, but at some point in time you have to give it up and look at realities. The future of this team is figuring out how to get one defensive minded big man and retooling our nucleus. It was a fun ride, but this team has run its course.

true that...but like you said...can't stop cheering

[carrottop12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNB1EUJg1-w

[JDubJazz]

I'll be rooting for the Jazz, but it kind of feels like rooting for the Titanic not to sink. The Jazz did an admirable job of buiding a very competitive team, but not a championship caliber one. The Jazz need to break up the core (Deron, Booz, Memo and AK) and do what it takes to get a post player who can play both ends of the court. Jerry's schemes just don't work without it.

If the Jazz could somehow miraculously draw Denver in round one, I think they would probably win that series. In my opinion, though, thats the WORST thing that could happen, because then the Jazz management will think they are only a couple of tweaks away from greatness. There is, however, a gigantic chasm between where the Jazz are, and where teams like the Lakers, Cavs, Celtics and Spurs are.

Tweaks aren't enough. Maybe this is Jazz-board blasphemy, but I don't think the Jazz can win an NBA title with Deron Williams as our number one option. We need another player who can create a shot on his own. There's not another single player on the entire Jazz roster with that ability. Until we fix that, we are just another playoff also-ran. Its not like the Jazz don't have any assets though. The jazz are in as good a position as any team in the league for making major moves in the offseason. I'm jsut hoping we don't spend all summer sitting on our hands and then wonder why we are underachieving next year . . . again.

[FJS]

I'm sorry, but I don't have faith in this team.

We can at best to go to a 7 game, but we lack of mental toughness to win on the road. We are losing games before play, because every player think it's normal to lose on the road.

[Sloanfeld]

Ok so things look really bad right now. The Jazz are finally healthy but it seems like instead of progressing, we've gotten worse. That 12 game win streak seems like forever ago and we still have some tough games to play.

However, depending on how the playoff seedings end up the Jazz could have some favorable matchups. At this point we know the Jazz will not win the division and will not have HCA but they've proven they can win on the road in the playoffs.

As long as we hold off Dallas I think we've cemented ourselves as the 7 seed. What we need to hope for is that Houston takes over San Antonio for the 3rd seed and the west seedings end up looking like this.

1. Lakers

2. Nuggets

3. Rockets

4. Spurs

5. Hornets

6. Blazers

7. Jazz

8. Mavericks



The Jazz would start out playing in Denver, which isn't that bad of a matchup. The Jazz shot the worst percentage of the season last night and they still almost won. JR Smith and Chris Anderson played out of their minds and if the Jazz had gotten better production from Williams, Boozer, and Okur; we very well could have taken the season series 3-1.

I would expect Williams to turn it on like usual in the playoffs and if we can get a Boozer from the 07 playoffs I would say the Jazz have a good chance at upsetting the Nuggets.

So in the playoffs you would have:

1. Lakers over 8. Dallas

7. Jazz over 2. Nuggets

3. Rockets over 6. Blazers

4. Spurs over 5. Hornets

So in the 2nd round the Jazz would face a familiar foe in the Rockets, which would be another favorable matchup. On the other side of the bracket the Spurs and Lakers would be a tough physical series for both teams which the Lakers would come out on top.

Jazz and Lakers in the WCF anyone? I think it really depends on the matchups that are put into place. We know the Jazz have struggled against LA and SA. We also know Portland is tough at home, and we have great sucess against Houston as well as New Orleans. It's hard to tell at this time how we match up against Denver given the Billups trade; but I would be more worried if we played the Lakers or Spurs.

Now maybe I'm being too optimistic but the playoffs are a new season. It's a time to get your ducks in a row so to speak. The Jazz have proven they can win on the road in the playoffs, as well as win a series without HCA. I'm not ready to give up on this team I just hope the Jazz finally gel and prove to everyone they're not going to roll over.

So granted the Jazz get favorable match-ups in the playoffs and show they can steal one on the road I think this is reasonable possibility.

Who's with me?

This is exactly what I've been preaching. Last nights loss was GOOD. Keeps Denver ahead of SA. I hope NO beats us also. NO is up 2-1 on SA with their last game @ SA, and NO has 4 division losses compared to 6 for SA, so they would get the tiebreaker provided they don't blow it for their remaining division games. NO has a tough schedule though, I don't expect them to pass SA with their injuries. But get this, Houston and SA are 2-2 so far, both have 6 divison losses and 31-15 conference records. That tiebreaker could go either way. Could Portland do it? They have a mediocre schedule, two tough road games and they are good at home. They could possibly only lose two more games.

We really need to beat the Spurs. It's the biggest game of the season.

[Denizfeital]

The season is over for The Jazz.

No way we can win a series without HCA against SA, Lakers, Portland and of course, Cleveland.

I am a huge Utah Jazz fan, but I was coming home today and thinking about this.

This was one of the most disapointing seasons for a long time, may be even more disapointing than that one when we won only 26 games (at least, at that time, we didnt have a good, healthy team).

I am really sad writing this down, but thats how I feel.

Regards,

[kebutah]

This team is disappointing because they have talent but don't show up every night. The 26 win team had no talent but never quit trying. Last night's end of first and second quarter were horrible. It was as if every mistake they could make they did.

[bballboy44]

Of the playoff teams, besides Dallas, I would rather play no team more than Denver. Personally, they are somewhat overrated, D-Will can dominate their best player in Chauncey, and Carmelo is a great player, but not a huge threat, IMO.