Official Thread - Wizards vs Jazz (12/14/14)

[pineappleheadindc]

.

___________VS_________

__16-6 Overall (4-1 vs West), 7-3 Last 10__________6-17 Overall (3-7 vs East), 1-9 Last 10
___2nd Southeast Div / 3rd Eastern Conf___________4th Northwest Div / 14th Western Conf

Following a Friday night win versus the streaking Los Angeles Clippers, YOUR Washington Wizards take to the friendly confines of the Verizon Center (11-2 at home) for an early Sunday evening match-up versus the Utah Jazz. Wizards fans going to the game in person should note the early start time, 6:00 p.m.

The Jazz are struggling, winners of just one game in their last 10 PF Derrick Favors limped off of the court with a sprained ankle in Utah's Friday night loss at Miami. There has been no word about his availability for Sunday's game in Washington If he can't play, anticipate addition minute for Wizards alumn and board favorite PF Trevor Booker. Rounding out the Jazz frontcourt are a couple of nice pieces, SF Gordon Hayward and C Enes Kanter who can both put the ball in the hole.

YOUR Washington Wizards employed a game strategy Friday night that has worked well in recent weeks. It's a combination of pace, dogged defense starting with PG John Wall (who stymied Clippers usually surehanded PG Chris Paul into 6 turnovers), and shooting 3s at a high percentage, led by SG Bradley Beal. Head Coach Randy Wittman seems to have found success bringing PF Nene off of the bench to lead a bench mob that has found success versus opponents' reserves. Other key benchmob members include PG Andre Miller, SG/SF Rasual "hello Toronto!" Butler, SF/PF Otto Porter and C Kevin Seraphin.


Let's meet the starting lineups.

_____

_______PG John Wall, 6'4" (Kentucky)___________________PG Trey Burke, 6'1" (Michigan)
________17.8 ppg, 10.5 apg, 4.7 rpg______________________11.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 2.1 rpg


_____

_______SG Bradley Beal, 6'5" (Florida)_________________SG Alec Burks, 6'6" (Colorado)
________14.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.6 rpg______________________13.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, 4.4 rpg


_____

_______SF Paul Pierce, 6'8" (Kansas)__________________SF Gordon Hayward, 6'8" (Butler)
________13.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg______________________18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.8 apg


_____

____PF Kris Humphries, 6'9" (Minnesota)____________PF Derrick Favors, 6'10" (Georgia Tech)
________8.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 0.8 apg________________________15.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 apg


_____

______C Marcin Gortat, 6'11" (Poland)________________C Enes Kanter, 6'11" Kentucky)
________13.9ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg______________________14.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.4 bpg

---------------------------------------------------

What: Wizards vs Jazz
Where: Verizon Center -- Washington, DC
When: 6:00 p.m. EST
TV: Comcast SportsNet, NBA League Pass, Quasi-legal internet streams
Radio: WNEW 99.1 FM / WFED 1500 AM

----------------------------------------------------

After a quality win versus the squad from Lob City, can YOUR Washington Wizards avoid a letdown against the struggling Jazz? All the ingredients are present - come off of a big win, opponent coming in with a losing reord, early start time on a Sunday.

Drop your thoughts, predictions, and opinions below.

Go Wizards!

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

I saw it was a Sunday game and was like dammit, but relieved to seeing it's at 6 and not 1.

[Hypnotizer]

No POTG thread so I post here, Gortat was outstanding yesterday, 80% FG% and great defense.

If they play like this tomorrow we should easily win.

[nate33]

I watched a little of the Utah/Miami game last night. Rudy Gobert is crazy long and is a real defensive presence out there. When Utah gets all capped out trying to hold together the mediocre core of Burke, Burks, Haywood, Favors and Kanter; Gobert might be a nice target to go after once has finished developing on Utah's dime. (That won't be until 2017.)

Either that or we could offer to trade some combination of Seraphin, Webster or Blair for Gobert and filler.

[fishercob]

Jazz are an average offensive team and the second worst defensive team in the league -- only to the Lakers. Wiz need to lock in on D as they have been and not bail the Jazz D out with bad shots.

[RustyMagoo]

My first trip to the Phone Booth this year! We will be having drafts at the Irish Channel watching NFL failure as an appetizer to our glorious Wizards. Come say hi!

[pape]

No POTG thread so I post here, Gortat was outstanding yesterday, 80% FG% and great defense.

Why only 22 min end only two rebounds?

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

On paper, the Jazz starting five matches ours pretty well.

Our big advantage, as it is against any team we play, is that whirling dervish of heart and desire that is John Wall...

Our depth is a big plus too.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

No POTG thread so I post here, Gortat was outstanding yesterday, 80% FG% and great defense.

Why only 22 min end only two rebounds?

For the rebounding I think it may have been a fluke game, I didn't really notice Gortat getting beat or out rebounded by anyone. As for the minutes he picked up two quick fouls in the first and another i think when he got reinserted in the second quarter. At least one of them was a crappy, refs coddling the Clippers calls. I also remember thinking that I yelled out either late third or early fourth for Wittman to put him back in, so its probably the combination of the two.

[dlts20]

I watched a little of the Utah/Miami game last night. Rudy Gobert is crazy long and is a real defensive presence out there. When Utah gets all capped out trying to hold together the mediocre core of Burke, Burks, Haywood, Favors and Kanter; Gobert might be a nice target to go after once has finished developing on Utah's dime. (That won't be until 2017.)

Either that or we could offer to trade some combination of Seraphin, Webster or Blair for Gobert and filler.

they were a pick of mine for a surprise team and boy was I wrong but I big reason why I was so excited about there future was Gobert. I loved him last year and he along with the rest of the team looked very good in the preseason. I made post saying that I think everyone was hyping Drummond but I could see this kid actually being the young stud center to beast in the NBA. Saw him live at the OKC game in the preseason.

Utah still has some scary young talent if they catch fire so lets jump out early and keep their confidence low. Might need to help Pierce because Hayward is a really good ball handler. The funny thing is in the past I use to always fear teams like the Jazz beasting on our bigs. Now I never have those fears anymore and it all starts with Hump. BTW, it just popped in my head that he reminds me of the terminator.......lol

[JWizmentality]

At some point tomorrow, Booker will get Nene on a switch in the post.....LMAO!!

[nuposse04]

I watched a little of the Utah/Miami game last night. Rudy Gobert is crazy long and is a real defensive presence out there. When Utah gets all capped out trying to hold together the mediocre core of Burke, Burks, Haywood, Favors and Kanter; Gobert might be a nice target to go after once has finished developing on Utah's dime. (That won't be until 2017.)

Either that or we could offer to trade some combination of Seraphin, Webster or Blair for Gobert and filler.

They will let Kanter walk I imagine before giving up on Gobert. I wonder how Kanter would do under better PG play. He doesn't have the lateral movement to be a 4, but might have a niche in this league as a backup stretch 5. I would certainly rather try him then Seraphin tbh.

[Wizardspride]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/HayleyMilon/status/543916819082657793[/tweet]

[JWizmentality]

Thank You Orlando!

[Hypnotizer]

Thank You Orlando!

And just like that we have the best W Streak in the East, with 3 wins in a row only.

[Tricky_Kid]

Thank You Orlando!

K.Korver thought **** no !

[Tricky_Kid]

watch at Mil they are crushing Clippers too

[FAH1223]

Looks like the Jazz will have another good first round pick in the summer.

That's an organization that normally is in playoff contention.

[Tricky_Kid]

When D.Will fired Sloane till today they are crappy team without PO spot

[JWizmentality]

Philly win alert!!