"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[CJF]

Siler tweets today:

Has anybody analyzing Deron Williams' future in Utah considered that he might not have been so upset with Boozer leaving this summer?
Repeat after me: Addition by subtraction. Addition by subtraction. Addition by subtraction. Should be Jazz's marketing slogan this season.

Deron and Carlos had lockers next to each other, did playoff press conferences together, played on Olympic team together...but I think that relationship was always exaggerated by people on the outside. Deron's guys: Paul, C.J., Brewer, Korver.

Have concerns about Jazz's depth, but they're a 55-win team this season if Deron, A.K., Millsap and Jefferson stay healthy.

Could be even more since they finally broke through as a .500 road team last season. They will be a 35-win (or better) home team.

Everybody talks about Al Jefferson developing into an All-Star with Jazz. Paul has chance as well, now that he'll finally be starting.

That's a long tweet.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

That's a long tweet.

"Tweets" was a plural noun, not an action verb.

[scottie]

Siler tweets today:

Everybody talks about Al Jefferson developing into an All-Star with Jazz. Paul has chance as well, now that he'll finally be starting.

What is the starting 5 next year if Paul is starting?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

What is the starting 5 next year if Paul is starting?

Al, Sap, AK, Miles, Deron

That is the 5 that should share the most minutes on the court next year. But we'll see how quickly Jerry and Raja pick back up on the love affair that has been lukewarm in Bell's absence.

[MarkGrace]

Al, Sap, AK, Miles, Deron

That is the 5 that should share the most minutes on the court next year. But we'll see how quickly Jerry and Raja pick back up on the love affair that has been lukewarm in Bell's absence.

I'm guessing Bell starts.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I'm guessing Bell starts.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bell start, play 30 mpg, with Miles starting ahead of AK at SF, AK not breaking 27 mpg, and Hayward not getting off the bench much because he doesn't have a good mean face yet and he's yet another player that doesn't look like he's working hard on the court even though he almost always is.

[Jacob]

I agree that Bell likely starts. And so does AK. CJ comes off the bench.

That's probably the way I'd do it, as long as Bell isn't looking old. You really have to have a 3 pt shooter in the starting lineup, and CJ hasn't been that yet.

Also, AK is going to have to play a lot of minutes this year until Memo is back. I hope he's up to it.

[smokymountainrain]

I agree that Bell likely starts. And so does AK. CJ comes off the bench.

That's probably the way I'd do it, as long as Bell isn't looking old. You really have to have a 3 pt shooter in the starting lineup, and CJ hasn't been that yet.

Also, AK is going to have to play a lot of minutes this year until Memo is back. I hope he's up to it.

If old is synonymous with "can't play" Bell has looked old since he was 25.

[MarkGrace]

NBA All-Star Weekend is a time when the League clarifies the status of it’s players. With the Rookie/Sophomore Challenge, we identify the future stars. In the Three-Point Shootout we declare the best shooter in the game (at least for one night). And the main event of the weekend is suppose to gives us a clear picture of who the Top 24 players are in the world. However, every year there are deserving players who are unfairly left off the rosters due to the numbers game. Looking back at history, Mike Bibby in Sacramento was a player who comes to mind when thinking of these scenarios, while Byron Scott was another. With all that said, after being traded out of a bad situation in Minnesota, this will finally be the year that Al Jefferson takes his name off of this list.

Now that Jefferson is playing for a contender, people should respect his numbers a lot more. Before last season, he averaged greater than 21 points and 11 rebounds for two consecutive years, and double-double numbers like that are hard to overlook. However, All-Star voters have unfairly disregarded these stats due to his team’s horrible record. Thankfully, they won’t be able to use that excuse this year.

Big Al finally has a real point guard to feed him the ball in the post. And as we’ve seen through history, a good big man is nothing without a good guard to get him the rock. And Deron Williams is a major upgrade in that department. Also, Utah’s overall ball moment should assist the Jefferson in a big way, meaning the possibilities are endless.

If there’s one thing to be excited about, it’s the fact that Jerry Sloan and the Jazz know how to utilize their power forwards. From Hall of Famer Karl Malone to Carlos Boozer to even Paul Millsap off the bench, the Jazz always get great production from the four spot. With his wide frame, physical play and good foot work, he should fit in quite nicely with Williams in the pick-and-roll game. Without a doubt, Sloan’s system will take Big Al’s game to the next level. And next February, the premiere of a new big star will be the talk of the red carpet in Los Angeles.

What do you think?

http://dimemag.com/2010/09/the-western-conferences-next-all-star/#more-54564

[MarkGrace]

Having a good point guard is a must when it comes to winning a championship. With coaches sometimes getting lost in translation during the course of a game, a good team needs someone to direct the show on the floor during the most difficult of times. Here at the office, we have been in heavy debate over over the past two days who the best point guard is to build a franchise around – right now. Many argue that lead guards like Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo are the best in the field for the position. However, Deron Williams is the ultimate franchise point guard.

When comparing Williams with Rose and Rondo, it seems he is not the level of athlete that the latter two guards are. However, he is more athletic than people give him credit for. He has dunked on Rose in the past, and when it comes to pushing the ball on the break, it is a tossup between the three as to who crosses the finish line first with the ball.

But the main factor that makes Williams a better pick than Rose and Rondo is his jump shot. The lack of a consistent jumper has hurt Rondo in the Finals as the Lakers just backed off and dared him to shoot. With Williams on the perimeter, you have to respect his jumper while still having to watch for his quick first step.

Often, one of the most forgotten attributes of a good point guard is intelligence. D-Will has spent his entire career studying under one of the greatest minds in the game in Jerry Sloan. And Sloan has had a close hand in William’s’ development. The fact that Williams has gained Sloan’s trust, proves that D-Will is battle-tested.

Picking Deron over CP3 is a tough call. When healthy, Chris Paul puts up eye-popping numbers and is an amazing individual stat machine. But what separates the two for me is wins. D-Will is a winner. He’s come out on top in so many more meaningful games in college and the pros that he is rarely rattled. The fact that he keeps his cool as the pressure rises give me the confidence to trust that he will lead my team to the promised land. For me, the ultimate franchise point guard is Deron Williams.

What do you think?

http://dimemag.com/2010/09/nbas-ultimate-franchise-point-guard/

[MarkGrace]

Houston is apparently talking to Fess.

And the Jazz have invited Scheyer to camp.

[YOhio]

Houston is apparently talking to Fess.

And the Jazz have invited Scheyer to camp.

What do you think of the Francisco Elson signing?

[MarkGrace]

What do you think of the Francisco Elson signing?

http://cougaruteforum.com/showpost.php?p=414019&postcount=3999

[Surfah]

Houston is apparently talking to Fess.

And the Jazz have invited Scheyer to camp.

Of course they did. I can't wait until they draft Singler next year.

[Sizzle]

What do you think of the Francisco Elson signing?

How many titles has Timmy D won since Elson left? Just saying...