Jazzbot Auditions 2008-09 Round 2 Finalists

ESSAY 2:
Growing up a Jazz fanatic in the land of Lakers feels like you’re always about to have a Juicy Juice thrown at your head.  I received more mockery about being a Jazz fan than I ever did about being short, hairy, sounding like Gilbert Gottfried’s bastard child, or having the last name “Wank.”  I remember in school having to ignore shouts like “Stockton Sucks” or “Malone cheats.”  I knew that the guy that was the all-time leader in assists and steals didn’t suck and that Karl didn’t cheat.  He did kick his leg out more than a Rockette, but I would call that creative license.  After all, the Mailman has to deliver in rain, sleet, snow, or when Ewing is blocking the door.  What’s this have to do with the current team?
With the exception of one fat coworker with a pimple on his nose, who says anything to annoy me, I don’t hear “Williams sucks” or “Carlos Loozer” anymore.  Somehow, Jazz players actually gained, dare I say it, respect.  Don’t misunderstand me, the media, with the exception of Charles “Debt-Free” Barkley, undervalues the team and NBA fans still love to hate and hate to love the Jazz, but there seems to be some modicum of respect for this crop of players.  Even Lakers’ fans’ mouths drop when Deron hammers in that fourth-quarter dunk, Boozer hits a shot with the highest arc ever, or Millsap rebounds like the ball is a hot dog with mayo and he’s hungry.  Having two players on the USA Olympic team proves the point even more. 

ESSAY 2:
Welcome to Mr. Bytheway's Jazz roster review for the 2008-2009 NBA season.  This roster is not perfect, but if you squint right, it looks like it might be championship caliber.

The Jazz roster at this point is full, an uncommon occurrence around these parts.  Usually Kevin O'Connor likes to keep a open roster spot to maintain flexibility as the season goes along.  Also, there seems to be a glut of players that can be off-guards or small forwards - I would not be surprised at all to see a trade happen sometime before training camp opens.

I will be grading each position according to how they sit in the NBA food chain.  You cannot look at a roster in a vacuum - that's how teams talk themselves into drafting guys like Rafael Araujo.  The only proper way is to compare them to their competition.

Point Guard: Deron Williams, Ronnie Price, Brevin Knight
Animal:  Panther
Deron is proving himself this offseason as a world-class point guard, and many have been advocating for him to take the starting role on Team USA from Jason Kidd.  D-Will is smart, fast, and has the complete confidence of Jerry Sloan and the Jazz Fanbase.  Ronnie Price provides a different look off the bench with his speedy athleticism, and trading Jason Hart for Brevin Knight was one of those small trades that improves the team slightly.  If Deron gets hurt, all bets are off.  But if he's healthy, the rest of the NBA needs to watch out.  

Shooting Guard: Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Morris Almond
Animal:  Cobra
These guys all have their strengths.  Brewer is an inside guy, while the other two are outside guys. Personally, I say trade Mo while his value is high, and keep KK for the t-shirt sales.  Ronnie is basketball truth.  I have no problem with what they bring to the offensive end, but when can a cobra stop the mongooses of the NBA like Kobe, T-Mac, and Lebron?  Hopefully they are all spending the summer working on defensive drills.

Small Forward: Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, C.J. Miles
Animal:  Kangaroo
Andrei is the bounciest guy in the NBA, and he just wants to play.  Somehow Jerry Sloan has figured out how to take a lot of the joy from AK47's game, but if he gets let loose, the rest of the league needs to watch out.  Harpring is also like a kangaroo in that he looks kinda like a bowling pin.  He's a kangaroo without the hops.  As a note, I love the C.J. resigning.  He is the future.

Power Forward: Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap
Animal:  Tyrannosaurus Rex
Carlos Boozer is a great offensive player, with spin moves galore.  He knows when to take his game outside and when to switch to a power game.  He makes his opponents tremble in fear when they consider how to defend his game.  The only way to stop him is to send a bunch of tiny guys at him and take the ball away.  Also, Carlos plays defense just like a T-Rex.  That is to say, none.  Millsap is a great energy guy, he just needs to work on his foul rate so that he can get more burn.

Center: Mehmet Okur, Jarron Collins, Kyrylo Fesenko, Kosta Koufos
Animal:  Hippopotamus that likes to shoot threes
Memo is one of my faves on the team.  I hate it when Bolerjack says it, but he truly is the money man.  But he gets me livid at times when he gets lazy on the defensive end.  Having an Eaton-esque force to back up Okur and patrol the paint is essential.  It won't be Collins, as the new flopping rules will render his special charge-taking abilities useless this season.  Here's to hoping that Fes brings his size and antics to the big stage, so that Koufos gets the big seats on the Flash bus.

So while the Jazz are not at the top of the NBA food chain at every position, they have the chance to win every night, which is more that what most teams can say.  The exciting part about every season is waiting to see how players change and get better.  I have great hope for this roster and am very excited for opening night.

ESSAY 2:
82 days till October 29th. My daughter and I spent the morning making a paper chain out of baby and navy blue construction paper. “Don’t worry sweetie,” I said as we stretched the paper chain down the hall, “It’ll come faster than you can say Fesenko.” See when it comes to the Utah Jazz, in our house Basketball’s a family affair and we can’t wait to see what mastermind Jerry puts together with this year’s team.

Exciting to me about this season is the depth of our roster, not only statistically but for the good men that are on our team and the love they have for children in need.

Take our new addition, NBA veteran Brevin Knight: with a career average of 7.9 points, 6.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.77 steals per game, his stats bring a lot to the table. More impressive however is the Assist by Knight foundation (www.assistbyknight.com ) started by Brevin and wife Deena whose mission is to help the youth of today to “…rise above life’s challenges…in order to live out [their] dreams.”

Knight’s just one example in a roster full of service oriented athletes. As important as it is to win on the court, the real winners are those who benefit from the integrity of these men who have used their means and skill to change the lives of children. You see, that’s the great thing about the style of this season’s roster. We not only have the stats, we have the substance.
SOURCES: UTAHJAZZ.COM ASSISTBYKNIGHT.COM ESPN.COM

ESSAY 2:
Jazz fans know this upcoming season is a critical one in the history of the franchise, and it's easy to understand why. Many players on the current roster either have option years after 08-09 or are outright free agents. What does that mean for the upcoming season? Some speculate that NBA players play better in "contract years", due to the spectacular sums of money sometimes received if they perform well. One can certainly point out individual examples, but is it true for a team as a whole?

I looked at all 52 NBA teams who had 6 or more free agents in a single offseason since the year 2000. I found their average win percentages 2 years before, one year before, and the year after the critical offseason. If there is a contract year effect, there should be a boost in the year before the decisive summer. So what happened?

Indeed, there was a small contract year increase. Before the contract year, the teams averaged a .526 win percentage, while in that season, the teams averaged a .537 percentage. The contract year boost seems to be 11 percentage points, or about 1 win. The year after the studied offseason, the teams averaged a .519 percentage, a loss of about 1½ wins.

Fans certainly know the playoff implications 1 win can have; it can easily determine who has the all-important home court advantage. The contract year phenomenon is just one more reason to be optimistic about Utah's chances this upcoming season.

ESSAY 2:
Dear Staff at Jazzbots.com

On July 23rd the Jazz made a move that sent shockwaves across the National Basketball Association, switching back up point guards with the Clippers, as they sent Jason Hart to LA in return for Brevin Knight. Although not an epic change that many Jazz fans have hoped for, this trade will have more of an impact then one might think at first glance. Jason Hart had more DNP’s then changes in Andrei Kirilenko’s hair style at 25, and Brevin Knight will add much needed experience, intelligence, and depth at the point guard position.

As many Jazz fans clamor for improvement from last year’s roster with many teams around getting better, it might not be necessary for a talented young team that continues to develop. Offensively they will be a force to be reckoned with, bringing back a team that was ranked fifth in the NBA in points per game, and second in field goal percentage. Deron Williams continues to get better every time he steps on the court, and fellow Olympian Carlos Boozer serves as a worthy partner in this dynamic duo. Also, the Jazz have one of the deepest teams in the league, allowing Jerry Sloan to implement his regimented substitution schedule that will allow him to keep the team fresh.

As much as the Jazz dominate on the offensive side of the ball, they struggle immensely defensively and have failed to improve. Although Boozer and Okur are goliaths in terms of offense and rebounding, they struggle keeping up with more athletic big men like Amare Stoudemire, and are not physical enough to present an impediment to skilled forwards like Tim Duncan. The Jazz’s struggles defensively can be seen in the amount of fouls they average per game, dead last in the league at thirty. Being physical and intimidating can be a good thing, but although players know that driving in the paint against the Jazz is like driving a VW bug into an oncoming Mac truck, they also know they can get their points from the charity stripe. The jazz need a defensive minded big who has the tenacity to pin an opponent’s shot against the glass, instead of pinning the opponent themselves to the floor. Their only hope in this area comes from Andrei Kirilenko, who has the potential to alter the game with his length and hustle when motivated. Hopefully, the Jazz’s offensive ability and projected improvement in chemistry on both sides of the ball will be enough to propel them deeper into the playoffs.

ESSAY 2:
Here's my dribble drive to the angle left leaping leaner on the current Utah Jazz roster:

Never in the history of the Jazz have they had so much talent on the 15 man roster.  Flash back to three offseasons ago. The complete lack of perimeter athleticism on the Jazz roster had fans fondly remembering the days the Louisiana Leaper himself, David Benoit. Enter the Arkansas Alley-oop, D-will and C.J. miles and now the Jazz can get above the rim with the best of them. Three offseasons ago the Jazz's best post player was known more for his hamstring than for his post play. Two subsequent years of "Karl" Boozer-like production have Jazz fans making legitimate comparisons to the big postal worker. With the emergence of Paul Milsap, the erratic brilliance of AK47 and the 20 feet and away mastery of Mehmet Okur, the Jazz have their deepest and most balanced frontcourt since….well…ever. And that's the point: Though people might groan at a lack of interior shot-blocking, this year the Jazz are more talented than at any other time in franchise history.  But collections of talent on their own don't win championships in the NBA, and it remains to be seen if the Jazz can find a way to make all their talent work together.  It's a difficult to juggle so many talented players (and their contracts), but if Jerry Sloan can find a way then the Jazz can have their most rewarding season ever. So forget about the opt-out free agent worries of next offseason and lets enjoy a few Hammer Dunks.

ESSAY 2:
Which Jazz player is the key to Utah’s improvement in 2008-09?

What about Fes? Kyrylo Fesenko’s Rocky Mountain Revue performance showed that the only legitimate expectation this year is that he shows up in better shape with a better attention span. Getting big help from Fes this year would be like winning the jackpot in Vegas. OK, maybe more like winning the raffle at the local PTA meeting.

Kosta Koufos? Better shape better attention span than Fes, but he’s still very green.

Brevin Knight? Who are we kidding!? Ronnie Price? That’s a possibility, but it’s hard to see him getting impact playing time. Ditto for Miles and Almond.

Boozer, Harpring, Memo, Korver, or Collins? Veterans don’t improve much. Deron or Millsap may improve a bit, but they’re already close to their ceiling.

We can hope the Sloan/AK relationship continues to improve. But what more can we expect from AK as a fourth option on offense and with ever-older legs on defense?

So it’s Brewer once again this year. His effective field-goal percentage for jump shots rose from 27% to 41% (82games.com) last year. If he can make at least enough of an improvement this year to take (and be guarded on) more jump shots, his whole offensive package will open up. There’s still all-star potential. Same thing defensively: he can go from a decent to a great defender. So cross your fingers for Brewer. It’s hard to see that much potential improvement from anyone else.

ESSAY 2:
Thank you for this opportunity! Here is Shana & Curt Hamilton's entry:
Instead of writing about the starting line-up – we're guessing you might not want to read another 250 words about them right now – we want to note three remarkable back-up players.

Paul Millsap: For the past few seasons, he's been a major player coming off of the bench. Undersized for a power forward (where else but in the NBA could a 6'8", 258-pound giant of a man be called undersized?), he provides some of the most solid rebounding in the league. The only caveat is that his potential seems to have peaked. Nevertheless, the Jazz may have a hard time holding on to Millsap when he's on the NBA market next season.

Ronnie Price: What local couldn't love this guy? He played for (née) Utah Valley State College – Curt's alma mater, Shana's employer, and a school with which most residents have a connection – and Curt remembers seeing him play on the courts at our workout haven, Gold's Gym, before Price was drafted to play for the Jazz. His high-flying dunks and stellar athleticism belie his somewhat normal size.

ESSAY 2:
Defense? We don't need no stinking defense . . . wait, that's what the Jazz have, a stinking defense. When Utah plays team defense they are tops in the league, the problem is buying "Defense wins championships."

Team philosophy is staying in front of your man, contesting shots, keeping your man from going baseline while forcing him to the middle, to what though? An open space? Utah has lacked a shot-blocking big since the days of Mark Eaton. While Ostertag could have filled the role, he never wanted to. The best shot-blocking big on the roster plays in Croatia, Ante Tomic. Kirilenko is a help defender when it comes to shot blocking. Memo can be solid, but extending to block a shot isn't happening. Collins' best contribution to defense is bodying-up his man while playing mind games. Millsap's athleticism helps but his body type is a tweener, too big and thick for a small-forward but too small for a legit power-forward/center. Let's not talk about Boozer's want for a defensive skill set. Koufas and Fes are projects.

The Jazz' best option for defense starts on the outside. D-Will, Brewer, Price, and  Brevin Knight's addition gives Utah four quick, handy guards that must keep their man outside. Harpring is slowing down after his 300th knee surgery, but he's still "crafty." "Kutcher" Korver tries, and we'll leave it at that. Questions remain for Miles and Almond, both are above average offensively, but if either could guard a dead horse they'd be starting.

ESSAY 2:
The acquisition of the Jazz’s most desperate need; a ten rebound pulling; ten point scoring seven footer will be difficult because of the overpaid Jazzman AK-47.
Despite this glaring problem, I have confidence in the Utah Jazz roster.

Cornerstones Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer will continue to be one of the most prolific one-two punches in the NBA.

Morris Almond performed well at the Rocky Mountain Revue this year. I was convinced beyond doubt he is ready to contribute for the Jazz. Almond, playing behind the high-flying Ronnie Brewer, will make the Jazz strong at shooting guard.

The position of concern for the Jazz is at small forward. I believe the resigning of C.J. Miles indicated two things. The Jazz feel that Matt Harpring’s body will not hold up forever and that sharp-shooting Kyle Korver is a defensive liability that does not fit into the Jerry Sloan philosophy of basketball.

The 2009 off-season will be a busy one considering the campaign to keep Carlos Boozer from the beaches of Miami. Additionally, Andrei Kirilenko’s future with the Jazz will most certainly be in question next offseason.

However, with players like Andrei, Mehmet, Kyle, and Matt’s futures with the Jazz in question, the Jazz may have enough cap room to chase a quality big man in the next two years.

Amare Stoudemire anyone?

ESSAY 2:
When it comes to the Jazz roster, it seems as though the fans are perpetually unsatisfied. Ever since the mid-1990s, most Jazz fans have spent every off-season lamenting about the reasons why the Jazz, as constituted, are not “championship material.” It's a sickness really, likely caused by a combination of bad parenting and the fact that we still have to watch Michael Jordan push off on Bryon Russell in countless Gatorade commercials.

The latest fad in the Jazz fan lamentations has been to blame Carlos Boozer for all the team's ailments, real or imagined. Complaints range from his mediocre performance in this year's playoffs and his questionable defense to persistent, yet unconfirmed, rumors that he once admitted out loud that he wished Salt Lake had an In-and-Out Burger, clearly implying that he wanted to leave the Jazz.

Strikingly enough, the Jazz are the only NBA team with two members of Team USA on its roster. Yet, I'm fairly certain that Boozer is the only Olympian whose fans are constantly suggesting that he be traded for players that, while they are only slightly above average, we can be absolutely certain that they don't have a secret agreement with Pat Riley to sign with Miami after next season.

Let me throw out some numbers: 21 points and 10 rebounds a game, 55 percent from the floor, and two consecutive All Star game selections. Yet, despite these numbers, too many Jazz fans talk about Carlos Boozer the same way they did Greg Ostertag. Does that seem odd to anyone else?

ESSAY 2:
With the current roster looking almost identical to that of last year when we fell disappointingly short, it looks like something from within will have to propel us to the next level of claiming an NBA title. Here are "our" family’s Cingular Wireless “Keys to Winning Big” in 2008-2009:
(Enter Jason Hart Brevin Knight tossing a Blackberry phone.)
--McCall loves Deron-to-Brewer alley-oops, but she acknowledges that Brewer must return with a jumper. We can’t have defenders leaving him to clog the lane.
--Mom’s focused on the shooting consistency of her two crushes—Memo and Korver. Memo should be healthy from his summer off, and Korver should benefit from an Idaho training camp.
--Hugh’s still upset with Boozer. He’s got to start the season strong so he doesn’t lose his game and his confidence.
--Meg wants everyone to get along. She’s onto something as team chemistry is huge. Is Boozer okay this is Deron’s team? Can AK accept his role for 82 games? The entire roster must believe that THIS IS OUR YEAR.
--Mallory’s putting pressure on Sloan to utilize our talent at the two and three spots. He favors consistent rotations, but within-game adjustments are critical for fully exploiting our strengths (i.e., Harpring’s toughness, CJ’s speed).
--Dad isn’t satisfied. Miles needs minutes and we’re still lacking a defensive presence. KOC is key in obtaining an off-the-bench defender for Almond and Harpring.

Will the team take our suggestions? 79 days ‘til we find out…

ESSAY 2:
Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Entering the 2008-2009 season, Utah Jazz brass hope to prove Mr. Einstein wrong on this front. Rather than mixing up one of the youngest teams in the NBA, they opted to keep a talented core intact. It’s hard to fault them as these Jazz youngsters have back-to-back 50-win seasons and deep Playoff runs under their belts. It doesn’t take a genius to see Utah’s untapped potential.

All hopes and aspirations center around unquestioned leader and franchise player Deron Williams. With his Jazz future secured, his focus is bringing a title to Utah. The Jazz boast a talented front-line in Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur. Boozer’s low-post ability, Kirilenko’s versatility and Okur’s outside shooting prowess are integral to a Williams-run team. Athletic Ronnie Brewer was a complete revelation and will only improve.

Equally important to Utah’s success is a strong bench featuring Kyle Korver, Matt Harpring, Paul Millsap, Ronnie Price, C.J. Miles, Jarron Collins and newcomer Brevin Knight. They bring a strong blend of hustle, defense, shooting and veteran leadership to the table. Unproven players Morris Almond, Kosta Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko also wait in the wings. Above all, never underestimate the steady hand and presence of Coach Jerry Sloan. Each piece is a vital part of the Utah Jazz equation.

ESSAY 2:
After college, kids, and growing up, I’ve had a little catching up to do on the Jazz. I walked straight through a time warp from the Stockton and Malone short-shorts era into the Williams and Boozer diamond earrings era. The roster looks promising. I never liked Giriceck—he seemed to lack some sense of ‘team’ with Williams and Kirilenko. Now, he had a couple of good moments at the end of the prior season, but a couple of good moments don’t do much to affect the scoreboard. Korver is definitely worth more than just his good looks, and his rapport with Kirilenko had me excited from his first game in a Jazz jersey.

I agree with trading Hart and keeping Miles—Hart was fizzling with the competition from Price, and Miles is still young enough to put his all out on the court in an effort to prove himself to the men. But what’s going to happen when such a stellar roster means that none of these hot-to-trot players get many minutes? I think that most professional athletes are like only-children—they don’t like to share. If Sloan keeps some of the players with energy on the bench through the season, I hope it’s because he plans to use them as secret weapons in the playoffs.

ESSAY 2:
Ok, let’s cut straight to the point, or point guard, as in soon to be fourth-year phenom Deron Williams. On June 26 of this year, Deron turned 24 years old, and after another stellar year, signed a massive extension that will keep him in blue and white at least until 2012. So why start here? Because D-Will is the anchor that is holding down what may eventually be the best backcourt Utah has ever had (I can already hear the Stock and Horny faithful screaming blasphemy, but here me out). Let’s take the 1996-97 squad, which arguably had the best backcourt in Jazz history. Of course #12 and #14 were a little past there primes at that point, but Anderson, Russell, and Eisley picked up their fair share. Take out Brooks Thompson and Ruben Nembhard (who only played 10 games), and the Jazz backcourt shot roughly 48%, averaged 9.98 ppg, and 3.92 apg. The 2007-2008 squad of Williams, Brewer, Korver, Miles, and Price, minus Almond and Hart (to make things even), shot 48%, averaged 3.16 apg, and 9.88 ppg. Not too bad, eh? Not bad at all when you consider that the average age of the five guards mentioned going onto the 2008-09 season is 24!

So, the point is, starting with Williams, Utah’s backcourt is young and stacked like a pancake breakfast at IHOP. If we could strengthen our perimeter defense a little, Utah could have the best guard front in the association. But hey, that’s just my take.

ESSAY 2:
Here's what I came up with: 
[You can start counting now...]
Looking over the Jazz's roster leaves me with a sense of déjà vu, which should be expected when the biggest offseason news is the matching of Oklahoma City's offer sheet to C.J. Miles.  So far, the only changes from last year's 54 win, second round playoff team are the swap of Jason Hart for Brevin Knight, and the drafting of 19-year-old 7-footer Kosta Koufos.
 
Last year, the Jazz "addressed" their biggest need - shooting guard - by passing on the free agent market and drafting prospect Morris Almond.  This year, the Jazz head toward opening day with only Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko to fill (arguably) their biggest need: size and athleticism in the front court.
 
But even more than last year, the Jazz seem brimming with talent.  The starting lineup is anchored by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, All-NBA and Olympians both, and includes the eclectic mix of Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, and Ronnie Brewer.  The bench features proven sharp-shooter Kyle Korver, brawler Matt Harpring, and the energetic Paul Millsap.
 
Where last year's team struggled behind Williams, this year's team can look to young but explosive Ronnie Price and veteran Knight, with 11 years and 400+ starts on his resume.  And should a big guard or small forward falter, Miles and Almond seem ready. 
 
Only Okur has no clear backup, and if this year is to continue last year's pattern, look for something to happen by late December, hopefully with the same positive effect as the swapping of Giricek for Korver.

[...and you can now stop counting.]
 
Yes, I know Collins is still on the roster...I'll leave it at that.
 
Thanks so much for this opportunity, and I hope to hear from you soon.

ESSAY 2:
After only a few years since Stockton to Malone, and Jazz fans feeling things were hopeless, along comes Polly. In this case Polly being Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Currently in China helping the US on their way to a gold metal, Williams and Boozer have revitalized Utah’s faith in Larry H Miller’s prized possession.  

Deron has brought leadership to a team that really needed it and Boozer’s consistant all-star playing made them a large factor in recent post seasons (just ask Tracy McGrady). But it’s takes more than two to tango in the NBA. Next we come to Money Man Mehmet Okur, one of the largest men who consistently knocks down clutch 3 point shots. Bring in the muscle with Matt Harpring, who gives Bruce Bowen a run for his money (minus all the whining). Then, of course the heart, Ronnie Brewer who chases more rebounds and loose balls than any other on the team. Many times over looked in the big picture Brewer appears to be giving it his all an more all the time. I’d say keep an eye on him, he’s got bigger things coming. After a shakey start in the Rocky Mountain Revue Kosta Koufos, has a ways to go. Welcome to the most physical team in the NBA, goodbye Ohio State.

Gaining in experience, knowledge, and confidence the Jazz again will play long into the post season and as long as they can keep the team together I can see rings in their future.

SSAY 2:
I'm sure Kevin O'Connor & Walt Perrin (and the rest of the Jazz front office) are feeling very comfortable about the current Jazz roster for the upcoming NBA season. With nearly all of their nucleus in their mid to late-twenties, there is a lot to be said for them growing a year better rather than a year older. While this year's team may be ready for a deep playoff run, there has to be some trepidation at the same time about what the next off-season will bring when Okur and Boozer both likely opt out of their current contracts and hit free agency. It's pretty clear that the Jazz will not be able to avoid hitting the NBA's luxury tax threshold while holding on to their all-star foursome of D-Will, Booz, AK, and Memo. So how long will this group stay together? I think re-signing CJ Miles is somewhat indicative of what the team might be thinking about their future. If Miles, Brewer, and Almond all continue to develop into starter quality off-guards, think about what sort of interest there might be from another team if one of them was paired with AK (or possibly Booz?) in a potential trade. There could be billions of amazing scenarios as a result! Maybe not billions, but you get the picture. But all things being equal, lets keep these boys together for another 4-5 years and see how Almond, Fes, Koufos, and the other young guys pan out. And maybe get 4-5 rings along the way.

ESSAY 2:
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen so little offseason movement on the Jazz roster. With at 3 of the starting five entrenched in their spots, the battle for time will once again fall to the shooting guard/small forward positions:

A literal glut of talent at this position is a nice problem to have. While Ronnie Brewer and Andrei Kirilenko held the starting spots last year, it could be possible one or both of them could come off the bench. If Matt Harpring’s legs can’t hold up this season, either player could be a valuable commodity off the bench.

When the Jazz acquired Kyle Korver, it was said that he wasn’t brought in to take up a roster spot. Kyle was brought in to play. Can his shooting touch return after struggling in the playoffs? Jeff Hornacek said that the offense is much easier to understand after going through a training camp.

Being through training camp hasn’t been solidified C.J. Miles’s position on this team. With the new contract comes new expectations. Can C.J. come to camp in shape and make a statement or will he disappoint?

D-League scoring machine Morris Almond is relegated to the end of the list. With so much competition, sitting him at the end of the bench doesn’t make sense when the Flash offer more playing time. If Mo could even offer a bad imitation of defense, he’d get solid back-up minutes on this team. Without it, he’s starting for Brad Jones in Orem.

ESSAY 2:
As a kid I remember seeing the Jazz play for the first time in the Salt Palace against the Knicks. My Dad told me to keep on eye on the big rookie from Georgetown. Sitting in my eleventh row seat felt like an eye-to-eye staredown with the monster Patrick Ewing. He was a giant, a behemoth, a god disguised as a human to clash like a gladiator in the basketball arena. Ewing spelled hope for a struggling Knicks franchise and spent his career making them a legitimate contender. His newly acquired presence proved an exciting time for Knick's fans. Big men like Ewing prove to be season changing forces. Like Ewing, Greg Odom, Dwight Howard and Yao Ming supply immediate impact for struggling teams. In contrast, Utah's history with big men is like a who's who of potential promises turned disappointments. With more than a decade with Ostertag in slot 5 Utah fans know a thing or two about being disappointed. But early last season while perched in an ESA box suite—scarfing a piled plate of chicken wings and nachos—I saw a ray of hope at center for Utah. During pregame warm-ups the bad news hit. Boozer and Okur would be sidelined against the Lakers. This spelled trouble even against the pre-Gasol Laker squad. But out-of-nowhere, soon to be D-league All-star Kyrllo Fesnko crashed the offensive boards with explosive bravado. His seventeen minutes seem to be a subtle plot twist for Utah's future: foreshadow of things to come. Jazz Talk on the ride home was bombarded by excited fans bursting with hope. And now with a rookie season in the D-league under his belt, Fesenko and fellow baby-faced seven footer Kosta Koufos promise that big-man, season changing impact so many other fans and teams have experience outside of Utah. It's an exciting time to be a Jazz fan.

ESSAY 2:
Throughout the history of the Jazz in Utah, I have been critical of the Jazz’s player selections. I feel let down at times. Not always; I look back a few years to when Deron Williams was taken #3 over Chris Paul. Perfect decision!

Do you know why it works out? Do you know why I remain optimistic? Two words: Jerry Sloan. He has the unique ability to put the right players in HIS system and magnify THEIR strengths. Take the Williams selection; he is the perfect piece for the Jazz system, big body, superb basketball smarts and Sloan’s trust. What about Boozer? He played well in Cleveland but flourished with Sloan’s offense. He is one of the last true post-up power forwards. Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap would not have been able to excel the way they have elsewhere.

ESSAY 2:
There are two camps inherent to any NBA roster; genuine and mechanical. We notice the genuine characters as they're built to evoke emotion, thereby existing as polarizing, fascinating figures by nature. We see ourselves not only in their candid opinions expressed toward the media, but figuratively within their vibrant, distinctive styles of play.

We don't notice the mechanical characters as much, though they receive their due credit when their effect on the court is undeniably apparent. They are primped by media relation crews to maximize their marketability, using whatever hue within reach to paint their permanently attached wooden masks an inhuman shade of complacency. Genuine players are real and maligned; mechanical players are towering, arid cliché trees whose fruit is plentiful and always in season.

There is an ongoing pull for the soul of this Jazz roster. The mechanical Carlos Boozer and his spotted history wait in one corner as he plays coy with reporters regarding his future in Utah; the genuine Andrei Kirilenko stands opposite, defeated by the jeers of previous admirers, but with eyes glittering faintly when his shackles are intermittently loosened. In the center stands Deron Williams, who has shown flashes of being a genuine basketball player along with potential for transforming into a money reaping husk. He leads with two key cohorts in tow, but there's only room for the attitude of one. Love and greed are where the two parallel paths lead, and where Williams goes, all others will follow. Who's your starting power forward?

ESSAY 2:
Any fan who has met Thurl Bailey will tell you that he is one of the most genuine individuals to ever don a Jazz jersey. For this reason I would like to honor him by describing this year’s roster using titles to songs on his music albums.

First on the list is “On The Up”. This Jazz roster is young and talented. It’s hard to watch the team without feeling like things are only going to get better, and that’s saying a lot considering the level they are already playing at.

Next in the jukebox is “I Don’t Want to Stop”. This hungry squad has advanced to the later rounds of the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, but it was clear that Deron, Jerry, and others were far from satisfied.

Our next song is “A Game”. Some seem to overlook his influence on the win column, but with a coach like Jerry Sloan the Jazz are going to mean business in every game. Jerry is starting to look more and more like Orville Redenbacher with a personality disorder, but he still knows how to get his players to bring it.

And finally,“It’s Gonna Be Alright”. This team is loaded with All-Stars, Olympians, and talented role players. In three consecutive seasons Kevin O’Connor has traded junk parts for players who can contribute. It’s a comfortable feeling to know that with a roster like this, Jazz fans are looking at fifty wins at worst. It’s gonna be alright indeed, Thurl.

ESSAY 2:
The pick and roll, half- court sets, tenacious defense. That will always be Utah basketball, but the current Jazz team does it in a special, entertaining way.

Unlike the plays of Stockton to Malone, the Jazz now have many more options on offense.  Deron Williams, obviously one of the top point guards in the league, led the Jazz to have one of the best offenses in the NBA. Whether he is passing out to Memo or breaking ankles with his killer crossover, Williams is leading the Jazz offense. And with Brewer slashing, AK's dunks, and Boozer in the low post, the Jazz's starting five is one of the most exciting in the league.

Along with its electrifying starting line up the Jazz have one of the deepest benches in the NBA. Price with his quickness and athleticism gets the 2nd unit into its sets, Millsap brings rebounding and defense, Korver spreads the floor with threes and seals games with his pressure free throws, and Harpring makes opponents pay with his football-style play. Add in young players with potential and seasoned vets and the Jazz have the perfect mix to win a championship.

ESSAY 2:
A Force of Nature
With the Utah Jazz, GM Kevin O'Conner and Coach Sloan have quietly pieced together a team so well balanced and powerful that they seem more concerned with creating a perfect storm than a simple basketball club.  At the eye of this blue and white hurricane stands Deron Williams, who, weighed with the responsibility of guiding Jazz fans to the promised land, has quickly grown into his role as the brave young leader (think Moses with serious ball handling skills).  Williams' freakish ability to streak a ball through a passing lane for an easy layup before defenders can say "Dude, that wasn't a passing lane... that was the space between my legs" has given many of his fellow Jazzmen the confidence needed to rise to even greater heights.

Exhibit A: One Ronnie Brewer, an acrobatic wunderkind that seems to have found a cure for gravity and is now the remarkable oop to D-Will's alley. 
Exhibit B: Carlos Boozer, having already claimed ownership of the pick and roll he now looks to complete his personal mission of putting the "power" back in power forward.  Rounding out the cast is that Russian multi-purpose weapon AK47, Memo "Moneyman" Okur, Matt Harpring, Paul "I'll Get That" Millsap and Kyle "The Closer" Korver who must have spent at least one previous life as a sharpshooter.  In short, the perfect storm has arrived and the rest of the NBA can only baton the hatches and hope to ride it out.