"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[SloanHater]

All fair questions, but I think you have to consider, what is Utah's ceiling as a franchise even if you blow the whole thing up? I think Jazz fans need to be more honest with where they stand in the NBA world: this is a big market league. In the decade prior to Stern, you had something like 7 different teams win championships, including some smaller markets (Portland) and small-to-mid size markets (Milwaukee, Seattle, etc.). Enter Stern, and this becomes a player, not team, driven league. The individual wants to become the biggest reflection of themselves possible, and that means big cities with more potential $ and media attention. The top talents start rejecting teams like the Charlotte Hornets because they can only become the next mega-star in LA.

In the 30 years since Stern, you have what, 7 or 8 teams that have won championships total? And almost universally major market. LA, Boston, Detroit (though they were the closest to the old team-driven model), Chicago, etc. Only one small market team has won a championship in 30 freaking years (basically my whole life time, for crying out loud!), and that's SA, which basically caught lightning in a bottle by drafting possibly the only top-tier star that didn't demand mass attention (maybe OKC can do it again).

With Stock and Mail, you thought it was possible, because they were so close. But the Jazz beat the odds to even get there by making two of the greatest picks in the history of the league. Since their departure, I've never even thought to pretend for a second that the Jazz stand a legitimate chance of ever winning a championship. The way the league is structured is stacked against them, and on top of even that, it is simply one of the least desirable NBA markets in the league. I really think the franchise's ceiling is mid-tier playoffs, and the floor is considerably lower. I'm as much for change as the next guy, but you pull this thing apart and I think the odds are much higher that Utah is a future NBA bottom-feeder than legitimate title contender.

Your basketball analysis is the worst. Though I'd agree it's Stern's fault the Jazz made consecutive Finals appearances and lost.

[cougjunkie]

Your basketball analysis is the worst. Though I'd agree it's Stern's fault the Jazz made consecutive Finals appearances and lost.

Nice reply.

[TripletDaddy]

Has anyone here ever challenged MarkGrace's basketball knowledge, much less in this thread of all places?

I am curious how he will respond to this.

[MarkGrace]

Utah is also 0-2 after an unexpectedly disastrous start to its regular season. The Jazz cruised through the preseason undefeated but have been totally outclassed in their first two regular-season games, to the point that a frustrated Deron Williams snapped at rookie Gordon Hayward late in Thursday night's loss to Phoenix.

In particular, the Jazz's normally exquisite offense appears to have hit a few speed bumps. The past few seasons the Jazz have been primarily an offensive team that played at or just above the league average at the defensive end. Through two games, however, they're averaging only 91 points.

The Jazz have always drawn lots of fouls and have never had a particularly low turnover rate, and those two traits held in the first two games of this year. The difference, however, has been that they can't make shots.

Utah is shooting 40.9 percent overall, but what makes it even worse is that nearly all the shots were 2s. With Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews gone and Mehmet Okur injured, the Jazz find themselves with virtually no 3-point shooting on the roster, making just 6-of-26 on triples in the two games. Raja Bell has been a mild disaster as the starting shooting guard (2-of-9 on 3s, 6-of-20 overall, with six turnovers), while backup C.J. Miles has been worse.

No shooting equals no spacing, so it's not surprising that Al Jefferson has failed to get on track thus far. Similarly, the 38 turnovers in two games result in part from the crowds Utah players face any time they venture into the paint. Between Bell, Miles and Hayward, somebody has to stretch opposing defenses.

Looking at Utah's preseason, it didn't necessarily score in bunches then, either -- the Jazz put up only 82 in their final two exhibitions but defended well enough to win. If they can't either sink more shots or summon up more defense, it could be an unexpectedly long year for them.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...PERDiem-101029

[MarkGrace]

VIDEO HOMEWORK: On Friday, Williams said Jazz players would like to watch more game film, and Sloan admitted Saturday he's hunky-dory with that.
Sloan has players watch some film as a team, but he prefers if they do most of the viewing on their own time.
"I tell guys to buy a VCR or ... whatever you call it now," he said.
That'd be a DVD player, if they're into that fancy new technology.
"We had VCRs," Sloan said, laughing. "Get one of those (DVDs), and that should be your job. Study that."
Watching film, including of other players, and keeping a book of opponents' tendencies is quite beneficial, he said. But it can mean more if a player takes his own initiative to do it.
"That's the best teacher," Sloan said. "If you have to have a handful of candy after every conversation, then you'll have a tough time figuring it out.."

That's just ridiculous.

[LiveCoug]

Jazz playing much better. They even have a lead in a basketball game.

[LiveCoug]

Jazz are running HARD. Great to see. Al needs some cardio. He's the only one that seems to not be running.

[LiveCoug]

Yikes.. OKC starts pressing and the Jazz lead goes from 28 to 15 in no time....

[MarkGrace]

30/16/6.

Beastly game from Sap.

[TheAzzuri]

All fair questions, but I think you have to consider, what is Utah's ceiling as a franchise even if you blow the whole thing up? I think Jazz fans need to be more honest with where they stand in the NBA world: this is a big market league. In the decade prior to Stern, you had something like 7 different teams win championships, including some smaller markets (Portland) and small-to-mid size markets (Milwaukee, Seattle, etc.). Enter Stern, and this becomes a player, not team, driven league. The individual wants to become the biggest reflection of themselves possible, and that means big cities with more potential $ and media attention. The top talents start rejecting teams like the Charlotte Hornets because they can only become the next mega-star in LA.

In the 30 years since Stern, you have what, 7 or 8 teams that have won championships total? And almost universally major market. LA, Boston, Detroit (though they were the closest to the old team-driven model), Chicago, etc. Only one small market team has won a championship in 30 freaking years (basically my whole life time, for crying out loud!), and that's SA, which basically caught lightning in a bottle by drafting possibly the only top-tier star that didn't demand mass attention (maybe OKC can do it again).

With Stock and Mail, you thought it was possible, because they were so close. But the Jazz beat the odds to even get there by making two of the greatest picks in the history of the league. Since their departure, I've never even thought to pretend for a second that the Jazz stand a legitimate chance of ever winning a championship. The way the league is structured is stacked against them, and on top of even that, it is simply one of the least desirable NBA markets in the league. I really think the franchise's ceiling is mid-tier playoffs, and the floor is considerably lower. I'm as much for change as the next guy, but you pull this thing apart and I think the odds are much higher that Utah is a future NBA bottom-feeder than legitimate title contender.

Why do people still consider SA to be small market?

[Surfah]

Why do people still consider SA to be small market?

Because they are.

Is Salt Lake City not a small market? They're #31 in the TV market. San Antonio is #37.

[TripletDaddy]

Congrats to the Jazz for picking up a win! Downtown SLC is buzzing right now. You can feel the energy around the Delta Center.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Congrats to the Jazz for picking up a win! Downtown SLC is buzzing right now. You can feel the energy around the Delta Center.

LOL. Noob. It is called the "RCRA-Compliant Toxic and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Arena".

[TripletDaddy]

LOL. Noob. It is called the "RCRA-Compliant Toxic and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Arena".

Hmmmm....that would explain why I can feel the energy around the arena....

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

That's just ridiculous.

That is putting it mildly.

What do you get paid $10 M/year for? To tell the players to watch film on their own.