"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[MarkGrace]

Good win. Playing some decent ball lately.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I had less than no expectation for the Jazz this season, I figured I wouldn't watch many of the games. This team is fun to watch and could be growing into a good young team.

One of the ESPN guys compared the Jazz to OKC/Seattle of 3-4 years ago. I didn't believe it, but maybe he was right.

Also I'm not sure what is worse Harpring's hair or his commentary. I'll say it is a draw.

[UtahJazzFan88]

I'm almost getting sold on us getting a playoff spot, only team I could see us getting a playoff spot over us at this point is Memphis.

[Blueintheface]

I had less than no expectation for the Jazz this season, I figured I wouldn't watch many of the games. This team is fun to watch and could be growing into a good young team.

One of the ESPN guys compared the Jazz to OKC/Seattle of 3-4 years ago. I didn't believe it, but maybe he was right.

Also I'm not sure what is worse Harpring's hair or his commentary. I'll say it is a draw.

Harpring took too many shots to the head when he played hockey...or was it soccer?

[LiveCoug]

Say what?

Yeah, he got it going," Denver forward Al Harrington said. "Nothing I could do about it, either. Usually I can cut a guy's wood off. He's a good player and he had a great fourth quarter, so tip my hat off to him. Good job.

[Donuthole]

A pretty decent breakdown of the Jazz's early season recipe for success.

[MarkGrace]

In short: The Jazz have redistributed opponent shot attempts from the most efficient places — at the rim and behind the three-point line — to the mid-range area, which is far less efficient.

Hopefully this is evidence of the new defensive philosophy at work, especially given this:

The Jazz’ size and shot-blocking are also deterring teams from getting close to the rim. Utah has allowed just 19.7 shots per game at the rim, the third-lowest average in the league and a significant drop from the 23 such shots they allowed on average last season, per Hoopdata.

Our size hasn't increased considerably over the last handful of years, but it makes sense that if you stop sending guys to the middle of the floor they're going to get fewer shots at the rim.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I think I'm kind of pissed of at the Jazz for the first two games of this season. I entered this season with almost no expectations of the playoffs, but with Favors and Hayward entering their 2nd seasons and Harris and Jefferson being around the team for a while I thought they could be competitive, would get a late lottery pick, and then would hopefully get another late lottery pick from GS.

But then those first two games came. I'd never seen a team look so bad on defense. It wasn't a team lacking effort, it was a team looking like a high school team trying to make defensive rotations. And after two games my whole outlook for the season changed. I started having visions of Anthony Davis or Perry Jones AND Jeremy Lamb or Michael Gilchrist being added to the team, and it seemed glaringly obvious another move or two would be made to clear out the old guard even more to turn the team over to the young guard a la OKC.

Now at 8-4 I don't know what to think. The team is playing so much better. Howard, and even Bell at times, look like NBA players. Millsap's reb% is back where it used to be after two down years and his total game is better than ever. All of the young guys have shown flashes. Jefferson has a career high blck%, he's rebounding on the defensive end, and he doesn't turn the ball over. The team's defensive strategies have obviously been overhauled and it is making significant differences in areas that used to be severe weaknesses for the team.

But it just doesn't get me excited. This isn't the 09-10 OKC Thunder, that had 21 year old Durant playing 39 mpg, 21 Westbrook at 34 mpg, 23 yo Green at 34 mpg, and 20 year olds Harden and Ibaka coming on strong, with their future and plan clearly mapped out. This Jazz team seems better when its back-up PG is on the court, and he's 32. The starter doesn't fit this system and isn't a young kid that you hope will improve over time. The top two minutes guys are 27 and 26. Favors, Kanter, and Burks combine to play just over 40 mpg. At this point 8-4 makes me feel more like the Jazz pick going to Minnesota and the team fighting for the 7-8 spot in the playoffs while delaying the real potential for the team down the road.

I watch most of the Jazz games with my BIL. He loves Raja Bell. He doesn't have a clue who any of the projected top 14 picks in the 2012 draft are. He thinks CJ is ready to break out any time now and that Burks is a ball hog. And he's loving this 8-2 little run the Jazz are on. He watches the games, enjoys the wins no matter how they come, and doesn't pay attention to anything else. I'm wondering if he's got it right...at least until he says something positive about Bell.

[Jacob]

That's why I still hope the Jazz move Jefferson or Millsap soon. There is still hope for more minutes for the youngs and a nice losing streak.
Tonight will be my first time going to a Jazz game in one of the boxes. I don't hope they win. I just want to be entertained. So far, I've been entertained after those first few games. And when they lose a close one (like the Lakers) I get the best of both worlds.

[LiveCoug]

Are the Jazz pretty good?

[MarkGrace]

Are the Jazz pretty good?

I keep telling myself that they're not, but they keep winning.

[LiveCoug]

Dunk. Dunk. Alley oop. Dunk. Alley oop. Alley oop. Dunk.

[CJF]

They are fun to watch. Completely different from the first week of the season. I still have my doubts about the playoffs, but they will continue to be fun to watch.

[CJF]

Tinsley with a Globetrotter move for his first FG of the season.

I heart Kanter and Evans.

[LiveCoug]

Half court oop to evans. Unbelievable.