Sneakin' in the Back Door

dingojazz · Post #1 » by **dingojazz** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:50 pm

So I'm trying to hold out some hope for this season, and I've come up with a way to stay positive.

Look at the NFL the last couple of years. The team that is hot and healthy at the end of the season can make some noise in the playoffs, regardless of seedings and regular season records. Now, I think the division race is over, we have too much ground to make up on Denver, so I've given up on that or having any homecourt in the playoffs. Typically the Jazz struggle against non-playoff teams on the road, so screw home court anyway. When the Jazz are rested they can compete on any court with any team.

At the time of this post, the Jazz are 1 game behind Dallas and 1.5 behind Phonix for the 7 and 8 seeds. Obviously the 7 seed would be better than the 8, to avoid LA in the first round, but what the hell the west will go through LA anyway so if we get a shot at them in round 1 I say bring it on Lakers.

If the Jazz can get healthy for the last 20 - 25 games, get hot and make up some ground who knows what could happen? There are currently 36 games to go. I think a record of 23-13 would get us in the playoffs at 48-34.

The NFL has proven that the team that is playing their best ball at the end of the year has a chance. Hopefully, the Jazz will peak in March and April, sneak in the playoffs under the radar, and surprise the hell out of some people.

Commence the calling me a homer....

The Sheik · Post #2 » by **The Sheik** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:19 pm

Re: Sneakin' in the Back Door

Thats what she said.

tylero87 · Post #3 » by **tylero87** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:25 pm

I couldn't agree more. The playoffs are a whole other season and anything can happen. What we as Jazz fans should hope for is to sneak into the 6 seed to aviod both SA and LA in the first round. The way it's looking right now that would have the Jazz matched up with either Denver or New Orleans in the first round, which is a lot better.

There is a lot of basketball to be played yet, we're still in January and have over 30 games to play. Boozer comes back in a couple weeks and AK should be back soon after. Once we have our regular rotation going we're likely to win some of these close games we keep losing. Once that happens I wouldn't be surprised to see Sloan mix up the lineup, like starting Korver over Miles, or putting AK in the starting lineup for the last stretch of the season. As much as I hate to say it we need Boozer. He's our only player that can create a shot for himself when the shot clock is running down, and we haven't been as dominant on the glass either.

By the time April rolls around we should be playing our best ball and hopefully we don't have to make up to much ground on a 6, 7, or 8 seed. Utah will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs. By now we're used to starting playoff series on the road and hopefully we'll play with a chip on our shoulders.

This is the way I see the playoff seedings going

1. Lakers vs. 8. Suns
2. Spurs vs. 7. Blazers
3. Hornets vs. 6. Jazz
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Rockets

I feel this team has hit rock bottom and it has to get better from here on out. We have too much talent on this team to miss the playoffs regardless of our injury woes. As fans we need to be positive and realize this team should be healthy in the upcoming weeks. Even though we're not as invincible at home as we were last year, as fans we need to bring the energy, passion and drunken intensity every night.

GO JAZZ

seejaydeja · Post #4 » by **seejaydeja** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:43 pm

tylero87 wrote:Even though we're not as invincible at home as we were last year, as fans we need to bring the energy, passion and drunken intensity every night.

GO JAZZ

im not 21 yet, but if you buy me some beer i can do that.

Soul Patch · Post #5 » by **Soul Patch** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:35 pm

Don't sneak in the back door, get permission and tons of lube.

carrottop12 · Post #6 » by **carrottop12** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:09 pm

It's a good way to get your face slapped bro.

Post #7 » by **FJS** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:13 pm

But NBA is not NFL.

2008 Boston Celtics (1st East) over Los Angeles Lakers (1st west)
2007 San Antonio Spurs (3rd) over Cleveland Cavaliers (2nd)
2006 Miami Heat (2nd) over Dallas Mavericks (2nd)
2005 San Antonio Spurs (2nd) over Detroit Pistons (2nd)
2004 Detroit Pistons (2nd) over Los Angeles Lakers (3rd)
2003 San Antonio Spurs (1st) over New Jersey Nets (2nd)
2002 Los Angeles Lakers (3rd) over New Jersey Nets (1st)
2001 Los Angeles Lakers (2nd) over Philadelphia 76ers (1st)
2000 Los Angeles Lakers (1st) over Indiana Pacers (1st)

In that century if you want to arrive to the finals or be the champ, you have to be at least 3rd.

dingojazz · Post #8 » by **dingojazz** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:00 pm

FJS wrote:But NBA is not NFL.

Damnit...quit trying to ruin my optimism. Actually that's a real good point, which sucks for the Jazz.
Well we can still be the first to come from a lower seed. During those years you mentioned, I can't think of a team that was injured throughout the year (didn't play with actual starting lineup until after all-star break), and got healthy and peaked right before the playoffs.

Guys like Millsap, Kosta, and CJ wouldn't have gained such great experience if we'd been healthy all year. Millsap has become a much better player through the Booz injury. We could be scary deep when everyone is back.

For another sports analogy it took the RedSox being down 3-0 to the Yankees to win their first championship in 100 years...Maybe being tested like this and going through a season of hellish, sucky injuries is what it's going to take for the Jazz to break through.

Sloanfeld · Post #9 » by **Sloanfeld** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:51 am

The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals blew a big division lead at the end of the season and made the playoffs as a wild card only to win the World Series. So it can work both ways.

HammerDunk · Post #10 » by **HammerDunk** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:19 am

Wait, I thought we were giving up on this season? Did I miss a memo???

Pai Gow · Post #11 » by **Pai Gow** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:27 am

Whoa, I thought I was in the GOTB when I read the title

idajazz · Post #12 » by **idajazz** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:29 pm

Keep dreaming, It isn't going to happen this year.
I hate to be Debby Downer but you need to look at the schedule.
From March through the end of the season about when we can hope Booze and AK might return,
the schedule id brutal, I do not see them gaining any ground.
9 home games VS. 14 roadies.
A 5 game raodie with 2 back to back sets in 8 days.
After that they still have road games against,
suns
blazers
nuggets
hornets
mavs
spurs
lakers

As for the home games
I could see them winning 7 or 8 of the nine, but that isn't going to be enough.
This team has not played well on the road the last couple yrs, injuries aside.