Locked on Blogs: 2009

11/20/09

We are on the verge of taking off after a great win in San Antonio.

I really believe this win could be a propelling victory for the rest of the season.   This team needed to have some “come together” moments and tonight is one of those. 

he first one happened in Philly where they had to choose between bonding together or getting humiliated without Deron.   Tonight, was a big win for the franchise and they all knew it.

To be tied going into the 4th quarter with San Antonio and in San Antonio is a tough spot and these guys stepped up.   The Spurs never took the lead of the game.  That is the type of fight we have been hoping to see from this crew.

It is hard to throw out individual accolades when the whole group played so well.   Carlos, Deron and AK were all huge in the 4th but Paul and Ronnie Brewer were just as much a part of the team effort.  I am impressed that Carlos wanted the ball in the 4th quarter when he was just 3 of 12 heading into the 4th quarter.  The shot that got him going was probably the toughest of the night.

11/19/09

PREVIEW:

I am just about to head over to the arena but here first here are today’s random notes.

These are all the things that happened nearly immediately after the Jazz last win in SA … 16 days after Clinton acquitted; Jack Kevorkian was preparing for a trial; Dow was working toward 10,000 1st time; Apple had just released the Macintosh G3; Brittany Spears had just released her debut; John Elway one month earlier won his 2nd SB; Sponge Bob would debut 8-weeks later; Windows 98 was released; Napster later that year; George W announced he would run for president; Apple released its first iBook; First version of MSN messenger; Lance won his first tour and the SLC tornado.

The Spurs aren’t quite the Spurs so far this year. They are also a game below .500. They will be without Manu Ginobili tonight and maybe without Tony Parker. The Spurs signature over the years has been their defense but this year they are ranked 22nd. That is unheard of in the world of the Spurs. Most of the Spurs defensive problems are happening on interior defense rather than covering the three pointer so a huge burden on Boozer and Millsap to have big games.

The Spurs are integrating a lot of new players. (As are the Jazz who would have thought we would be playing Maynor, Matthews and Fesenko at the same time) This might explain the defensive problems. It all explains why a bunch of their players are shooting below their usual marks.

Richard Jefferson is shooting 32% from three but is a lifetime 35% three point shooter. Roger Mason Jr., who will get a lot of time tonight is nearly 20% off his career average of 39% and Ginobili is off by 4% as well.

The Jazz are looking for their first two game win streak of the season.

Finally, Danny Hansen wrote a nice piece at Jazzbots about AK lack of block shots. However, I would add one more piece to the equation. The drop in AK’s block shots is directly related to the moment he stop playing any minutes at the power forward and almost all his minutes at the small forward. Therefore, changing where he was on the floor to be able to get to those shots.

What I don’t know but would be interesting is where AK ranks in block shots by small forwards. My guess his 1.3 is high on the list.
Talk to you from the arena.

Sitting on the plane as we get ready to take off for San Antonio.

Let’s hope that the Jazz win tonight at Energy Solutions is the beginning of a home win streak. As PK pointed out well in one of his broadcaster blogs the schedule is here for the taking and the Jazz have to take advantage.

Tonight they did exactly that. The Raptors were playing on the back end of back to back at the end of a road trip. In games of this nature you have to start fast and make them play from behind. It takes more energy to play from behind and the Raptors had none left at the end.

The Jazz have been really struggling to find a shooter without CJ Miles and Kyle Korver. Jerry Sloan may have found him tonight in Deron Williams as a two guard. With Maynor at the point and Williams at the 2 the defense fears Deron and covers him opening the floor for the rest of the offense. Without CJ and Kyle the floor has been really small for the Jazz and offense has been hard to get rolling.

One hope when we left for the East Coast was that Carlos Boozer could get out of the pressure cooker that existed in Salt Lake and find his groove. In the final two games of the road trip he averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds and shot 20 of 32. He continued that in a dominating performance against the Raptors with 22 points and 18 rebounds.

Chris Bosh was relentless in the 1st half but the Jazz zeroed in on the game plan in the 2nd half and held him to 5 of 14. It all started in two of the final possessions in the 3rd quarter when Carlos Boozer forced the left hand dominant Bosh to go to his right and he lost his rhythm, Assistant Coach Tyrone Corbin joined us at halftime and told us they need to crowd him and force him right and when they did that Bosh lost his mojo.

In fact, Bosh didn’t have a field goal in the 4th quarter for the first 10 minutes.

The other player that must get a mention is Eric Maynor. He continues to play cool and unfazed by the environment. He lead the Jazz with 11 4th quarter points. Time will tell if a scouting report can alter his success, but for right now drafting a ready to play point guard looks like a stroke of genius by Kevin O’Connor and his crew.

Talk to you from San Antonio. The plane is about to take off.

11/18/09

As I am getting ready for the Jazz and the Raptors I thought I would share some left over notes from my preparation ……

Last 2 games of the road trip Carlos Boozer averaged 25 pts and 12 rebounds while hitting 20 of 32 shots. In 2006-07 Boozer ripped apart the Raptors averaging 29 pts and 15 rebs in the two games while shooting over 70%. In 07-08 they held him to 18 points and 12 rebounds and just 48% shooting. He missed both of the games last year v. the Raptors.

Ronnie Brewer deserves a mention for his 11 assists in the two games the Jazz played without Deron Williams.

On the 4 game road trip Utah Jazz A. Kirilenko shot over 50% and averaged 15 pts; 6 rebs and 4 asts and was 6 of 15 from three.

Deron Williams is averaging a career high 5 rebounds a game

Wesley Matthews is the leading 3 point shooter on the Jazz at this point of the season.

In his two starts Wesley averaged 14 points and shot 50% he did however have 8 turnovers in the 2 games.

TONIGHT’S GAME
The Toronto Raptors enter the game as the #1 offensive team in the NBA and the #30 defensive team in the NBA.
Power Forward Chris Bosh has been amazing this year but got stymied last night by Nene and the Denver Nuggets. It broke a lengthy streak of 20+ point games. Bosh has not traditionally played great against the Utah Jazz. Last year, Bosh averaged 24 points but he shot just 44% and the Jazz won both match-ups. The year prior he shot just 41% and scored just 14 points per game.

If you have anything you want to know please feel free to email me at dlocke@utahjazz.com; message me on facebook at Locked on Sports or on twitter at @Lockedonsports.

11/15/09

11/12/09

11/11/09

11/10/09

Let’s run a few thoughts leftover from last night.

• Losing a 21 point lead is not good but I like the way the Jazz reacted when the game got in the final minutes and were within 1 or 2 possessions. Boozer scored 5 points in the final moments. Ronnie Brewer had a really nice defensive block. Deron calmed everyone down and controlled the game. The final defensive play by Deron was terrific.
• My favorite play of the night was the game winning bucket by Memo. It is the play good players and good teams make. The play was a pick and roll between Deron and Memo. Deron stopped andpopped from 16 and Memo followed the shot in for the game winner. What I really liked about this play was Memo usually pops instead of rolls but on this play he understood the importance of the moment and he rolled to the basket and finished the shot on the rebound.
• AK was terrific. That was the first time he scored 23 in a game since Jan of last year and only once since then had he scored 20 or more (last night of the regular season last season) I am not sure what spurred what but he was active on all parts of the game. He blocked shots, he assisted field goals and completely took away Gallinari from the Knicks offensive game.
• We often talk about Carlos Boozer struggling against the longer players. Last night he played undersized players and completely dominated. He was quicker, more powerful and a beast on the boards.
• This was not elegant or perfect but a win is a win. The Jazz got a late game close win on the road. It has to start somewhere. It also has to get better if it is going to continue.

11/9/09

11/8/09

11/6/09

One game is not a cure all, but it is a good reassurance that this team can be very good.

Here is a collection of my thoughts from last night’s victory over the Spurs.

• This where having a veteran Coach like Jerry Sloan makes a huge difference. With everyone around him getting close to the panic button he was calmer than ever when I chatted with him last night. He came right out and said, “we have only played two bad quarters, if we had that solved everything would be fine.” Then he went on to say “I have complete confidence that this is a good basketball team.” I am certain this is the message he relayed to the team and we saw the dividends of that.
• The consistency of the effort last night was fabulous. The Spurs never went on a run of more than 4-0. As much as we will talk defense today and it was much more active. The offense was fabulous answering every Spurs score.
• Coach Sloan said before the game if we are in a grind it out half court game then we are not playing defense. It is a great way to point out how much defense starts the offense. This was the most amount of points scored by the Jazz against the Spurs since Tim Duncan joined the Spurs.
• Carlos Boozer was terrific. Jeff Hornacek, who joined for the second half of the broadcast on radio, thought Carlos got spurred on by his defense which is not the usually way that his game gets started. He made numerous strong defensive plays in the first half and the best of the night came when Tony Parker came off a pick and roll going right to left. Boozer popped out and cut off his path and then Parker threw it back to Duncan who had popped out and Boozer got back to Duncan and then when Duncan put the ball on the floor, Boozer ripped it away leading to a steal and fast break lay-up the other way.
• Deron said the third quarter was vital and that is when Boozer went 5 for 5 in the quarter.
• Wesley Matthews was fearless. That is the word for him. The jitters are gone. The uncertainty is gone and he just attacked and played basketball last night.
• The Spurs last year were the #1 defensive rebounding team in the NBA. They only allowed opponents to get the offensive rebound 22% of the time. Last night the Jazz offensive rebounding rate was 41%.
• The Spurs came into the game as one of the most proficient offenses in the early season and the Jazz never let them got on track.

Give credit to Ronnie Price and the back ups they held their own when Deron left the game to open the 4th quarter . Deron commented before the game that playing the entire second half is fatiguing and it is clear that he needs to get some rest to open the 4th quarter each night. The Jazz need to be able to hold court during those moments.

OTHER JAZZ LINKS TO CHECK OUT: Broadcasters Blogs | Korver's Coat Drive | Breast Cancer Awareness Night

11/5/09

This is a tough week for Utah Jazz fans. As the host of the afternoon talk show on the flagship of the Utah Jazz 1320, K-Fan I get the opportunity to hear the anguish first hand.
Part of being a fan is placing blame and finding a reason for losses. The only problem is that often things that aren’t factual take a life of their own and become fact whereas the reality gets lost long down the path.

Today I want to run through some of the most talk about things from the 1-3 start by the Jazz.

Boozer
Carlos Boozer is struggling right now. That is undeniable. Though it is worth noting the Utah Jazz had 4 field goals in the final 8 minutes of the game v. Dallas and Carlos had all of them. In the midst, of the 4th quarter collapse he may have just broken out of his slump.

I have heard from fans that Carlos just doesn’t care. The exact opposite is true. Carlos cares too much right now. He is pressing badly on the floor. He is aiming his shot, which is when it hits the front rim. He is trying to win back an entire fandom and maybe portions of his locker-room in one night.

What needs to be discovered is whether or not the high level power forward is still inside Carlos. It has been a really tough 19 months on the floor for Carlos. From a poor playoff series against the Lakers in 2008, to the injury, to a poor return to the line-up off the injury in 2009 (and a good playoff series) and to the start of this season. The off-season had to be humbling as well. Discovering there was not a free agent market for his services and that the Jazz were not interested in signing him to an extension. Further exasperated by Carlos going public on radio shows with his desire to be traded.

Players are defined by how they deal with failure. What makes this most interesting is most of these guys haven’t struggled on the floor by the time they get to the NBA. So their first struggles happen under the microscope with high beams shining.

Some never recover and their careers drift away. Others use it as the motivator to get over the next hurdle. As Sloan says for some the game can become burdensome others fight. We need this answer to Carlos.

My guess with Carlos is he has a solid two home games and comes back to life on the East Coast road trip. If not this will be a tough year for the Utah Jazz because they Carlos to be at a high level to win.

4th Quarter Tenacity
Deron Williams said it well in Dallas after the loss, “we need to learn how to play 48 minutes not just 40 or 42.”

This is worthy of a much longer post. In a nutshell, this is the progression every team trying to get into the elite has to go through. Look around the league, Portland, New Orleans and Utah are all very similar in where they are along the path to excellence.

Interestingly, three teams that have been built differently are all at the same stage. New Orleans and Utah collapsed at the end of last season and that has carried over into this season with sluggish starts. Portland who broke into the playoffs last year, but got waxed by Houston is being struck by guys forgetting how hard they have to work and no understanding of what it takes to get to the next level.

We are not alone on this island. Someday, I will do a deep look at NBA history and show how the best of players take a long arduous and tumultuous path to reaching the elite.

Sloan Coaching Decisions
The first thing we need to remember is that the other choice doesn’t always work. It is nice to say in retrospect that Sloan should have done such and such, but nothing says that would have worked.

A good example of this is fans were upset that Sloan took Deron out to open the 4th quarter in the Denver and the Houston game. Certainly, the Jazz scuffled with their star off the floor. So the natural instinct is to say the opposite would have worked.

Yet, in the Dallas game, Jerry doesn’t take Deron out of the game it didn’t work either. Deron was unable to covert a field goal for the final 8 minutes of the game was that related to fatigue on a back end of a back to back and not getting a rest in the 4th quarter? That we will never know.

Another issue is whether or not Sloan should have taken a timeout during the Dallas run. This is the most common complaint of fans on my show. Sometimes it has validity, yet more often than not it doesn’t add up. Most of all if we took a timeout every time a fan thought was the time to do it a team would run out.

Next time you watch a game or listen, mark down when you would have used the timeout and then see what happens afterwards. It is an interesting exercise and usually eye opening. Also realize how many you would take in a game.

Back to the Dallas 4th quarter, the Jazz take a 16 point lead when Deron hits a field goal with 8:16 left in the quarter. Dirk makes a field goal at the 6:31 mark to make it a 10 point game. The Jazz could have taken a timeout here. The league rules say that the first whistle after the 6:00 mark a timeout will be called and credited to Dallas. If Sloan takes this time out Dallas keeps that timeout. Nonetheless, that was an opportunity for a timeout.

Two plays later the automatic timeout is called at the 5:31 mark and it is still a 10 point game. If you believe the previous time out should have been called then no harm was done and Dallas was still charged with their time-out.

Within, three possessions of the previous time-out Dirk has scored 6 points and the Jazz have gone empty making it a 3 point game with 4:41 left. Another time-out could have been called here but it is only :50 seconds since the last one so that one didn’t seem to help a lot.

Moreover, Boozer scores on the next possession and the one following so the Jazz are back up 5 with 3:48 left in the quarter. After trading turnovers, Dirk hits a shot and gets fouled with 3:23 left to make it a 2 point game. Here is a chance for a time-out though the league rules say at the whistle after 3:00 the Jazz will automatically be charged with a timeout. Furthermore, this is off a free throw so Jerry is able to call the play he wants.

Nonetheless, Deron misses a three and Dirk scores on the other end and Jerry takes a timeout with the score tied at 2:43 left. So if you want to stick to your guns that a timeout would have changed things you can argue he was one play late with the call.

Nothing was good about blowing a 16 point 4th quarter lead and watching an opponent going off for 29 points in the quarter. However, before we turn some issues into fact let’s make sure we analyze them and really know if they were an issue.

11/3/09

Jazz fall to the Mavericks on the back of Dirk Nowitzki's 29 point fourth quarter. Check out our Broadcaster Recap below ...

It is too early for any of these to have any relevance but that didn’t stop me from checking.

The Utah Jazz currently are the 13th best offensive team in the NBA. On defense they rank 26th in the NBA. Tonight’s opponent the Dallas Mavericks are the exact opposite they are 23rd offensively and 4th defensively.

Side note, with the injuries to Korver and Miles the Jazz are using the second fewest amount of possessions in the NBA to shot a 3 pointer, 10%. In contrast, the Knicks and Orlando are using about 30% of their possessions to shot a three.

I keep my own offensive metrics for an NBA season. My rating system credits players for how they use an individual possession in contrast to the league average and their ability to use a possession.

Once the season progresses the ratings systems is evaluated as follows:
0 = Replacement level (read D-League)
10 = league average
20 = high level offensive starter
30 = elite
40+= out of this world

Through the opening week of the season, here are some of the names on the top and the bottom of the league. (Too early for any relevance)

THOUGHTS: Chris Paul is on fire and his team is scuffling. Interesting to see Bargnani in the top of this list and keep an eye on Ryan Anderson in Orlando. Also, nice to see Gilbert Arenas and Jermaine O’Neal holding up early.

THOUGHTS: Tough to see Carlos in the bottom 10. Kevin Durant makes an appearance as well and the new Laker Ron Artest; Artest is an inefficient player and will hurt the Lakers offensively.

No question that was a bit stunning. I knew that Houston would be tougher than most people think. They are one of the few teams that play the game as hard as the Utah Jazz. However, I never anticipated that the Rockets would blow the Jazz off their own floor.

Energy Solutions Arena, where the Jazz had won 73 of their last 83 games, is where the jazz are supposed to be the team putting the hurt on the opponent not vice versa.

Offensively, the Jazz really struggled in the second half with just 39 points. When playing the Houston Rockets without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady it is hard to mention the missing pieces of CJ Miles and Kyle Korver. Yet, the Rockets sunk into the middle and the Jazz didn’t have the players capable of making them play.

Ron Boone didn’t agree with this in the broadcaster recap (give it a listen) but I thought the Rockets knocked our guys off their primary moves and they were unable to answer with a counter. Both Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap had miserable nights. Deron Williams had a hard time find room to make the moves he wanted to make.

The players that had good offensive games, Memo Okur and AK, did it out of their customary role. Memo became a driver and AK had to become a jumper shooter. This is all part of the Rockets defensive philosophy.

One note statistically is that the Rockets outscored the Jazz by 36 points while Shane Battier was on the floor tonight. Yes, in the 34 minutes he was on the floor the Rockets outscored the Jazz by 36 points, meaning when he was on the bench the Jazz had their way with the Rockets. It is amazing that one player can have that large an impact.

On 1320, K-Fan I complain all the time that this league only accounts for 30 point offensive nights; I don’t what the equivalent to a 40 point defensive night is, but we say that with Battier.

The Jazz performance was most definitely disappointing and leaves us with all sorts of questions about how this team is going to react to adversity this season. It should be noticed that the Rockets are a better team than they are given credit for, with players who perform the non-recognized skills, but winning skills, better than most players in the NBA.

11/2/09

I am reading Seven Seconds or less which is a great book where the writer lives inside the Phoenix Suns coaches life for an entire year.

At one point in the book, Robert Sarver the owner of the Suns, is upset that his team isn’t tougher and isn't fighting back against the Lakers. Assistant coach Alvin Gentry, says "Our guys are who they are, it is either in them or it isn't." This is where the Jazz are right now as well.

This team is not defensive minded, most of the guys aren't fighters in the way that nail biting defensive players would be. Sloan has said this before. These guys all come into the league as offensive players and not until they fail offensively do they switch their focus. Look at the career paths of Raja Bell and Bruce Bowen two of the better defensive players in the NBA.

The talk all year has been the Jazz need to get better defensively. I agree that they need to stay focused defensively, but I would argue that for the Jazz to break back into the elite they need to re-gain their offensive prowess.

Last year, due to injuries, the Jazz slipped from the #1 offensive efficiency team in the NBA (pts per 100 possessions) to the #8 teams.

This league is about differential, how much better one side of the ball is compared to the other side ,therefore for the Jazz they need to get their offense back to the level it was two years ago.

Two years ago the Jazz differential (offensive efficiency – defensive efficiency) was a 7.4 one of the best in the NBA. Last year it was just 2.9. The defensive virtually stayed the same. The offense slipped.

The league average offensively increase a little under 1 point per 100 possessions last year so the Jazz defense was the same, but offensive took a huge drop.

If the Jazz had kept their offense the same (about a 114.6) to have a 7.4 differential they would have been most likely won 59 or 60 games and been the #2 seed in the Western Conference

You can see that if the Jazz had been able to attain the offensive prowess they had a year ago they would have been in the top 4 or 5 in the NBA.

Obviously, this team needs to get better defensively, but historically teams don't make huge jumps and don't make huge jumps without personnel change.

The issue for the Jazz right now is that they don't have Korver or Miles two guys that open up the offense. Therefore, it is going to be an offensive struggle for this team that is not inclined to be great defensively. This will make every game tough for a while.

Against the Clippers, the Jazz offense was amazing. It executed every time down the floor. The focus they had to the offensive task was very precise.

Bottom line, as much as we talk defense defense defense, “guys are who they are” and this team has a capability to be elite offensively not defensively. Therefore, I would argue for the Jazz to return to the elite it will be an offensive issue not a defensive issue.

10/30/09

10/29/09

I am bit delirious after one of the latest arrivals the team has had in years. After trekking our way through the Denver snowstorm to the airport, then a extensive de-icing of the plan we finally arrived in SLC with a 3:25 am touchdown.

The opening night was certainly disappointing. Prior to tip off I was curious to what we were going to see. Would last year’s ugliness rear its ugly head, would we see a different team, etc. were the questions I had.

Winning in Denver is not likely. When you project the season it is not one you put in the win column. Yet, for the first 35 minutes and 58.56 seconds we saw a really solid performance. The Jazz minimized runs with smart intelligent play. When the Nuggets were on a 11-2 run the Jazz answered by taking the next three offensive possessions into the paint for lay-ups and created a 7-0 run of their own.

In the first three quarters the Jazz defensive rebounding was solid, whereas last year the Jazz slipped from 5th to 18th in defensive rebounding last year. Deron Williams showed us how fantastic he can be.

However, with .2 seconds left in the third quarter Deron Williams made an ill-advised foul on Billups when he was shooting a three despite that the Jazz had a foul to give and could have prevented the Nuggets from getting a shot off.

Then when the Jazz went to their bench to open the 4th quarter the wheels fell off and never got replaced. This is where opening night became very discouraging. All of the things that lingered from last season that we hoped wouldn’t resurface came back.

The Jazz got blasted on the defensive glass. They didn’t show the necessary focus to play on the road, see Paul Millsap’s intercepted outlet pass and Carmelo Anthony’s vicious dunk on top of Millsap. Look on the internet it is everywhere.

Most disturbingly, the Jazz seemed to wilt. The Nuggets are very very good and with Nene getting better every game they maybe as good as the Lakers or the Spurs. However, we all would have liked to see more fight out of the Jazz when things started to slip. Instead, the Nuggets played with a personality and an attitude, and they turned the 4th quarter into a highlight real while the Jazz seemed stunned and without a collective personality.

The hope would be this was an ugly reminder to the Jazz of how last year went array and we will see a different team throughout the season. The first 35 minutes were a nice model for the Jazz. The last 13 can be washed away from our memory .

10/28/09

Some quick thoughts from the Pepsi Center...

Storyline for the radio broadcast
1 – Deron Williams v. Chauncey Billups – a great point guard match-up
2 – Minimize the runs – the Jazz have to shorten and minimize opponents’ runs playing on the road
3 – Bench – the Jazz bench played poorly on the road last year and right now it is depleted
4 – Free Throw Line – The Nuggets were the #1 team in the NBA at free throws attempted

A FEW NOTES

• Last year the Jazz allowed 115 pts per game at the Pepsi Center
• Nuggets were 45-3 last year when leading going into the 4th Q -2nd best in NBA
• Carmelo Anthony has been the best late game shooter in the NBA
• Carmelo shot just 39% v. the Jazz last season
• Billups shot only 31% against the Jazz last season
• Last year was the first time ever Denver had back to back 50 win seasons. Think about that and we had a fit that we didn’t win 50 last year.
• Last year the Jazz slipped to 18th in the NBA in defensive rebounding. This would increase the defense dramatically. They were 5th the year prior and that would make a huge difference
• Memo shot just 29% last year v. Denver
• AK had a career low block shot total last season 1.15 – he needs new clients he says.

Let’s break down the Western Conference. In the Eastern conference after Atlanta at #4 I felt as though I could place any team anywhere in the next 10 spots. The West, on the other hand, feels like 5 different categories. The elite, the close but not quite, the hanging on, and the rest.

Here again is each team with the it all goes right when and it all goes bad when

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
It all goes well when: They acquired Richard Jefferson. I see this as a game changer the way the Lakers were when they acquired Pau Gasol. Basketball Prospectus, great new NBA book, has a note that Jefferson hit 46% of his corner three’s last season. That is the exact shot the Spurs design their offense to get. In addition, the Spurs have been the best team in the NBA when they have been healthy. With the addition of Jefferson also lessens then burden on the Spurs other stars. Finally, while Duncan is slowing down he has another year in him before he slips, he will be the best big man in the West.
It all goes bad when: They are asking a lot out of Antonio McDyess and without much front court depth.

2. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
It all goes well when: Pau Gasol is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He is the best power forward in the West. He is very close to top 10 player in the NBA. If Andrew Bynum had a full season the way he has played spurts of his career the Lakers will be the best team in the NBA. I don’t have great confidence that Bynum will be able to achieve this. He doesn’t look engaged when he is on the floor. In fact, he looks vapid.
It all goes bad when: They are not as good a team with Ron Artest. Artest need lots of possession offensively and is less efficient than the players who were using those possessions. In addition, he is not as good defensively as he once was. The real key may be Lamar Odom. Odom is the difference maker on the Lakers roster and he has at times been known to float. With a new contract and new distractions Odom could go south this year.

3. UTAH JAZZ
It all goes well when: Two years ago this was a 54 win team. Since then Millsap, Brewer and CJ have improved. Deron has taken another step as a leader and a start. If the Jazz can build off of two years ago to 55 to 57 wins they become the #3 team in the West. In an economic climate where most teams lost depth the Jazz rolled out the pay check and still have the depth to win games with their bench.
It all goes bad when: Both of the teams perimeter shooters get injured in the pre-season and the team starts the season with no outside threat. If the defense never improves then this team will be stuck at 52 to 54 wins.

4. DENVER NUGGETS
It all goes well when: When they continue to roll off what they did last year after acquiring Chauncey Billups. They take a jump into the top two of the West if Nene has another level to his game. His career has been stricken with a torn ACL and cancer. He bounced back last year to be one of the best players in the NBA. If he takes another step the Nugs can challenge the top two for the title.
It all goes wrong when: The loss of Linas Kleiza and Dahntay Jones leaves the Nugs filling 40 minutes of basketball a night and the addition of Aaron Afflalo and Joey Graham doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain.

5. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
It all goes well when: If Greg Oden becomes a 35 minute a night center and averages 15/11 like he did in the pre-season then it is time to move the Blazers up the list. He looked awkward and terrible at Energy Solutions in the pre-season but everyone else is wowed by what he did.
It all goes bad when: My belief is the first rule to the NBA is that all players want to establish their own personal value before the well being of the team. The Blazers have avoided it thus far but it is not clear how long that will last. This team has great depth, but each player other than Brandon Roy, believes he is better than he is right now. This team will win because of its fantastic coaching staff but it could be a tumultuous season.

6. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
It all goes well when: Chris Paul makes this team go and gets them to six. I feel as though there is a considerable drop from 5 to 6 in the West. Paul is a special talent and according to one player in the league the best leader in the league. Peja has to return to being a threat, unlikely for them to be better than 6.
It all goes bad when: Let me say this if this team goes bad it could go really bad. Fired coach, disgruntled stars, etc. I see this franchise with a chance to really implode. The key may be Emeka Okafor. One person told me in the pre-season that he doesn’t like the game and you have to drag him into the gym. If he doesn’t get inspired by Chris Paul they are on their way down without a parachute.

7. DALLAS MAVERICKS
It goes well when: You turn the clock back about 6 years and then you get a fresher Jason Kidd, a in his primer spring loaded Shaun Marion and a healthy Josh Howard to go along with Dirk Nowitzki.
It goes bad when: The calendar stays on 2009-10. In addition, their bench additions are some of the least efficient players and some of the worst +/- players in the league. Surprising since Marc Cuban hires a bunch of stats based people on his staff.

8. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
It goes well when: The Clippers took advantage of everyone’s cost cutting and built a solid and deep 9 man rotation. The subtle additions of Rasual Butler, Sebastian Telfair and Craig Smith give the Clippers tremendous depth.
It goes bad when: Blake Griffin breaks his knee cap and misses the first 6 weeks. This probably means they don’t finish 8th but this where I would have had them prior to that injury. Griffin is tremendous. He will be a bona fide game changer for the Clippers. The real key to the entire Clippers season is if they get a good Baron or a bad Baron.

9. PHOENIX SUNS
It all goes well when: Amare Stoudamire comes back a full health and dominates the game. But even when he is dominant he is not defending and he is questionable as an influence.
It all goes bad when: If Steve Nash or Amare miss any time. The Suns lack depth and after the big two and Richardson it is a craps shoot.

10. HOUSTON ROCKETS
It all goes well when: The stats based evaluation system of their GM is able to find players the rest of us undervalue and put them all on one team without a start and have them perform at a high level. I think this team will either be 8th or in last really. GM Morey has a unique way of acquiring talent and looking up and down the roster I like every player he has.
It all goes bad when: Each of these players is being asked to do more than they are capable and they are unable to fulfill the role.

11. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
It all goes well when: Rookie James Harden becomes the perfect addition to an already young and talented team. Also look at what LeBron James did year 2 to year 3 and expect Kevin Durant to go nuts this year. Win the scoring title, have 30+ avg for months a time. I mean go nuts.
It all goes bad when: It doesn’t and it won’t for a year or two. Not rule #1 NBA infested their locker-room as well.

12. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
It all goes well when: It doesn’t it is the worst run franchise with the most committed fan base. A really sad combination
It all goes bad when: Don Nelson is your head coach

13. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
It all goes well when: Kevin Love becomes a wonderful complimentary piece. Al Jefferson continues to become a scoring force and Johnny Flynn shows all the signs of being another in the list of very good young point guards.
It all goes bad when: Kurt Rambis puts in the triangle offense and Kevin Love gets hurt. Already happened.

14. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
It all goes well when: The opponent is tired and on a long trip this team has the fire power to outscore people and beat them. OJ Mayo looks like he could be a terrific player and has the rare ability to make other players better
It all goes bad when: you surround a young player like OJ mayo with the likes of Zach Randolph, Allen Iverson and Rudy Gay. Already happened

15. SACRAMENTO KINGS
It all goes well when: It doesn’t this year
It all goes bad when: You realize you are in the real life addition of the movie Major League.

10/27/09

It all gets started tonight and our Utah Jazz will be one of the last teams to open the season at 8:30 MTN time Wednesday night.

With that it is time for the NBA wide projections. Could you please be sure to burn this when you are done reading so no records exist. For each team I will comment on how it goes right and how it goes wrong.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. ORLANDO MAGIC
It Goes Right When: Vince Carter is an amazing addition. He is not a lead dog but he doesn’t need to be with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. The Bench will be remarkable with the strong addition of Brandon Bass and re-sign of Marcin Gortat.
It Goes Wrong When: Injuries to the back court where they lack depth or Vince Carter ends up being a cancer.

2. CLEVELAND CAVS
It Goes Right When: LeBron James. I love the additions of Anthony Parker and Jamrio Moon. Those weren’t talked about a lot but those moves are the kind that leads to a championship.
It Goes Wrong When: I don’t like the Shaq pick-up. They won’t be able to defend any pick and rolls. Shaq has left every team with a bad taste in their mouth. Plus, the Cavs need to run.

3. BOSTON CELTICS
It Goes Right When: Talent overwhelms. They are loaded. Rajon Rondo is improving and they are loaded with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and KG.
It Goes Wrong When: KG has crossed over the 35,000 minute barrier and when he hits 40,000 it is over and that happens 400 minutes into the season. KG goes wrong and he will and the Celtics become regular.

4. ATLANTA HAWKS
It Goes Right When: This team has talent but it is a big drop from 3 to 4. Marvin Wiliams makes a jump this year and that keeps the Hawks in the 4th spot. Joe Johnson needs to become more efficient.
It Goes wrong when: Mike Bibby is not in a contract year and falls off the map. He can’t guard and he may slip in a big way. 31 year old guards are a bag deal.

5. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
It Goes Right When: They hired Flip Saunders he is one of the best coaches in the NBA and he will win games. Mike Miller is a nice addition as an efficient bench player and if Arenas plays correctly they are very good.
It Goes Wrong When: This team plays no defense and becomes all about the offensive numbers. A possibility.

6.PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
It Goes Right When: Elton Brand brings them what they hoped for a year ago. If they still had Andre Miller they would be #4 in the East.
It Goes Wrong when: with a point guard, starting Louis Williams, they become a rudderless ship.

7. CHICAGO BULLS
It Goes Right When: Derrick Rose becomes a more efficient player. He was a stud in the playoffs but his regular season is being greatly overrated. John Salomns is a nice player and getting Hinrich back will help their defense.
It Goes Wrong When: Finishing 7th might be going wrong, they have lots of above average talent and are waiting for Rose to be the star that leads them.

8. TORONTO RAPTORS
It Goes Right When: Jose Calderon has a better year and new addition Jarrett Jack bring a strong change up off the bench.
It Goes Wrong When: We discover Chris Bosh is not capable of carrying a team to wins. Last year put a huge question mark in my mind on Bosh.

9. MIAMI HEAT
It Goes Right When: Dwayne Wade is so good he gets this group of nobodys into the playoffs.
It Goes Wrong When: Even South beach doesn’t keep Wade happy in Miami.

10. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
It Goes Right When: Because Larry Brown is the head coach and he just wins
It Goes Wrong When: They are completely unable to score.

11. DETROIT PISTONS
It Goes Right When: Ben Gordon compliments Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince
It Goes Wrong When: and I mean disastrously wrong when Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon battle for the ball and Hamilton can’t figure out where he fits and you start Kwame Brown, ohh they are doing that.

12. NEW JERSEY NETS
It Goes Right When: Devin Harris and Brook Lopez become a future big man small man combo
It Goes Wrong When: Courtney Lee finds out how nice it is to play off people rather than being the man.

13. INDIANA PACERS
It Goes Right When: They get Mike Dunleavy back and he turns out to be a far better player than anyone recalls.
It Goes Wrong When: You add a bunch of totally inefficient offensive player because you like their intangibles, read Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones.

14. NEW YORK KNICKS
It Goes Right When: They will win games because that is what Mike D’Antoni style does.
It Goes Wrong when: Because it will

15. MILWAUKEE BUCKS
It Goes Right When: It doesn’t
It Goes Wrong When: You lose too much talent in the off-season

If you have anything you want to know please feel free to email me at dlocke@utahjazz.com; message me on facebook at Locked on Sports or on twitter at @Lockedonsports.

10/23/09

As you heard first on 1320,K-Fan Kyle Korver will need surgery on his left knee to remove a spur. This is really disappointing and a bit surprising since on Saturday in Los Angeles I talked to Korver and ran through the idea that something was structural wrong and he believed this to be the last possible scenario. However, when the rehab was unable to alleviate the pain it became clearer that it was a possibility. Now it is a reality.

The timetable on Korver’s return is not clear.

On the floor this leaves the Jazz without any 3 point threat from the wing positions. Entering the season, the Jazz were designed to have CJ Miles and Korver as the outside threats. Now the Jazz are without a consistent threat from outside the arch.

It is always unnerving to have a shooter with a knee issue. Shooting is about balance and Korver needs to be right to be successful. When Korver first joined the Jazz from Philadelphia he was a vital piece to the team’s success. He was banged up with the wrist injury last season and now this knee surgery. The Jazz will need Korver or CJ to be an outside threat to be successful.

In regards to the roster this means it is more likely that Wes Matthews will make the Jazz roster. In regards to other players that are available on the waiver wire, one Jazz person said to me find someone who has played better than Matthews.

In my previous blog entry I mentioned some of the floor combinations that the Jazz will experiment with in the final pre-season game. Now with Korver out I think you will see Eric Maynor as the full time back up point guard to start the season and Ronnie Price, if healthy, as the back up shooting guard. Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap will have to slide over and play the small forward position as a back-up for AK.

This is all we got,” That was the phrase on the bus over to shoot around today. The traveling party of the Jazz has been slimmed down via cuts and injuries. Without CJ Miles, Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer , the Jazz are down to 10 players if Ronnie Price is healthy.

This will allow Jerry to experiment with Paul Millsap playing the small forward with Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur. Millsap has not looked comfortable at this position as of yet. Playing on the perimeter he hasn’t been able to get his garbage plays and he doesn’t quite look completely confident with his outside shot.

One play the Jazz made in the Portland game showed some promise for Millsap playing with Boozer and Okur. The Jazz played Boozer on the high post and Millsap in the low block. The first time Boozer was able to make a nice high low pass to Millsap, who was unable to finish but the play was there. A few trips later the same set up happened and Boozer was able to bury the 16 foot jumper.

The other combination we will see is Eric Maynor playing the point guard with Deron at the 2 guard. Deron doesn’t love playing the off guard, but he is enjoying playing with Maynor. This combination is largely out of necessity due to the injuries, but it also has promise for the future. Anything the Jazz can do to lessen the burden of Deron’s minutes is good for the long term of the season. Deron also is able to use his strength a bit more in the post and coming off pin down screens when playing at the shooting guard.

In tonight’s broadcast I will try to do the best I can at making sure you are aware of what combinations are on the floor together.

10/22/09

In the last two days the Jazz have pared down the roster cutting 5 players. However, what happens next is not completely clear.

Currently the Jazz have 14 players on the roster including Matt Harpring. It is fair at this point to speculate that we will not be seeing Matt Harpring in a Jazz uniform this season. Put the CJ Miles injury, likely out till December, in the equation and the Jazz are down to 12 players. It is never that easy. The Jazz have two players with lingering injuries. Ronnie Price may have avoided a serious hamstring injury, but it is still significant with no certainty that it will not be re-occurring. Finally, Kyle Korver cannot get his knee pain to go away.

Therefore, at this point the Jazz are a week away from the opener with just 10 players. If neither Price nor Korver is able to improve the Jazz are going to have to keep an additional player on the roster.

The obvious answer after the roster moves of the last few days is Wesley Matthews. However, it may not be that simple. The Jazz only have two wing shooters, CJ Miles and Kyle Korver, on their roster. If both of those players are not going to available for any extended period of time the Jazz may need a shooter on the wing.

Moreover, with Korver going for a second opinion on his knee, their is a lingering chance that the Jazz would need a more veteran rotation ready player. Matthews has been a bright spot in camp. He plays with terrific energy. He plays with smarts and fearlessness. At the same time, he is a rookie whose game needs a tremendous amount of development. Matthews has shot well from the three point range in the pre-season, but it not a strength. Considering this final roster spot may need to play some considerable time and considerable time in road games I would suspect Kevin O’Conner and his staff will be watching the waivers around the league closely.

Portland is about to cut veteran Ime Udoka. Udoka has played the last three years in the NBA with Portland and San Antonio. He is a lifetime 37% who at 6’6" - 215 can play a physical game. Udoka is just one option for the Jazz, and there will be others.

10/19/09

We are in the midst of our first road trip and I wanted to share some of the off court things that have taken place or I have observed.

• The rookies all have their special luggage. Wes Matthews and Eric Maynor have pink princess roller suitcases that they have to take on the trip. In fact, Maynor had both last night when he came through the lobby because Matthews went out with friends and for some reason didn’t want to cart the princess around. Ronnie Price seems to be at the core of all this.
• Goran Sutton and Kosta Koufas (still a rookie till game 1) are wearing Jonas Brother backpacks.
• There is a big debate of whether or not Spencer Nelson is a rookie since he has never played in the NBA. He seems to be dodging his treatment for the time being.
• 90210 was filming at our hotel. It was some prom scene at the pool. They filmed until after midnight
• Eric Maynor and Paul Millsap played a mean game of chess in the hotel lobby after the game on Saturday. Millsap felt the always talkative Ronnie Price was giving his fellow point guard a few too many helpful hints. “You talk too much,” said Millsap. Maynor with the assist from Price was victorious and then took his pink suitcases with him to his room.
• Most of the guys eat close to the hotel and as a group. Memo took Goran, Koufas and Spencer to the cheesecake factory. Memo wanted to say it was the foreign group and we decided Idaho was a foreign country so Nelson was ok.
• Fantasy Football was a lot of the talk on the bus to the game on Sunday. Deron was upset he benched Joe Flacco but his team sounds pretty good.
• Ronald Dupree is flying high about his New Orleans Saints but he has to be quiet around both Kevin O’Conner and Kyle Korver who are big Giants fans. Deron is a Steelers fan.
• Worked out today and AK was in their trying to maintain his strength.
• The plane is pretty quiet with the guys napping, watching movies or playing their video games.

10/19/09

On the court it feels as though we have moved past the experimenting and checking players out stage of pre-season and moved into the get ready stage.

Carlos Boozer has gone over 20 points in each of the last two games. The starters scored over 30 in each the 1st and the 3rd quarters. However, transition defense is still not where it needs to be. The defense was not acceptable for the coaches in either of the two games at Staples Center.

AK had a really nice game despite the lack of sleep from going to Russia and back for the adoption of his new baby girl. He said his legs got tired in the second half. However, he also commented that he is noticing his new strength or numerous plays a night. It was really obvious to me on two occasions. Once when he drove to the basket and got fouled he was strong enough to get his shot off. It missed, but in the past he never even got the shot up to the rim. Second time was when he drove to the basket and he and the opposing defender met in mid air and the defender gave way rather than AK. Those are significant moments for AK to believe that the weight is a good thing for his game.

Ronnie Brewer’s shot looks better. Not only is it going in, but it looks smoother. In the past when he shot a three it looked like a heave or a huck. This year it seems to be a more natural motion. The important thing is those shots are falling right now. Last year, his shooting percentage feel 6% points from the year prior. Some of this was because with the injuries to Deron, Boozer, etc he had less air space and had to take different shots. Unfortunately, according to nba.com shot charts his jumper was less accurate overall from the 15 foot range than it was a year ago as well. This looks better right now.

If you have anything you want to now please feel free to email me at dlocke@utahjazz.com; message me on facebook at Locked on Sports or on twitter at @Lockedonsports.

10/17/09

For me the first road trip signifies that the season is really under way. I didn’t join the team so this was my first trip of the season. On a personal note this is the part of the job that is the biggest paradox. Saying goodbye to my son today when I dropped him off for another day of 2nd grade is so painful. Yet, this is also the uniqueness to the job of being an NBA play by play announcer. You get to see cities, you are intimately close to the team and there is a level of excitement to it all.

Many of you have asked me to share how the travel works and what the experience is like. Here is a summation. Without question this is the way to travel. We leave from the executive airport in Salt Lake. We do go through a private security at the airport. From security we walk out on the tarmac to our charter plane that is supplied by Delta.

This year the plane is brand new and everyone loves it. Every seat is a first class seat. The plane is broken into three sections, with a players section in the front , a mid section which has the seats around a table and then the back section where the coaches, broadcasters, trainers, etc sit.

When we come on the plane food is available, everything from wraps, wings and chicken fingers to a fruit and cheese plate. My favorite part of the new plane is that each seat has a outlet. It is a very relaxed atmosphere. On yesterday’s flight almost everyone in our section slept. Usually everyone stays to themselves does their work. It is very low key, but pretty clear you are on a work trip.

Once we arrive in LA we exit the plane onto a bus that is waiting for us on the tarmac. This time the players go to the back of the bus and the coaches take the first few rows. Last year, I was with the team when Deron tried to convince Kosta that he was supposed to sit in the front seat as a rookie. This of course is Coach Sloan’s seat.

We stay at fantastic hotels. Today’s hotel is packed with some conference and the filming of a TV show. When we enter we pick up an envelope with all room assignment. In addition, as a broadcaster I have a packet from the opposing team with all of my information I need about our opponent.

From there we all go our separate ways. The coaches all go to dinner together. Last night, many of the player walked down to a dockside bar and restaurant. Deron Williams went out with Baron Davis of the Clippers according to Baron’s twitter account.

During the season there are a lot of really late nights when we fly after games into our next location.
When I have fun stories to share I will be certain to so, but that is the basic gist to how the travel day works.

10/15/09

A perfect possession is the ultimate goal. For the Utah Jazz it is the goal on the defensive end this year. Yesterday at a season ticket holder chalk talk Tyrone Corbin shared with a loyal Jazz audience that the coaching staff has introduced the “perfect possession.”

The perfect possession means all 5 players fulfill their defensive responsibility of rotating, help and playing as a unit. Hard as it may be for many players often the correct defensive move is to leave the player you are assigned to and help with another player. This takes the ultimate trust. Trust that your teammate is going to do the same and cover your man. In turn, the Jazz will also grade each individual player on each possession.

This season the Jazz coaching staff will be relying on unsung video coordinator Jefferson Sweeney to go through every defensive possession and grade each player on whether or not he fulfilled the defensive perfect possession. During the off-season Sweeney remarkably went through EVERY Jazz defensive possession of last season. While all individual defensive numbers are being kept in house the overall finding were amazing.

The Utah Jazz had perfect defensive possessions 28.8% of the time last year. 80.2% of those perfect possessions the Jazz allowed no score and no free throws.
This season Sweeney will go through every play of every game immediately following the game. The team and each player will receive a grade for their defensive performance. The daily print out will include each players grade for the last game and their grade for the season.

Their will be no hiding this year in the Jazz locker-room. No one will be able to claim they are playing defensive. The daily print out will reveal all warts and show all stars.

Follow David Locke on Twitter: @Lockedonsports

10/14/09

It was great seeing so many of you at last night’s Jazz open scrimmage. Deron’s team won going away and it was fun night filled with being in TV commercials and high flying put back dunks.

Eric Maynor continues to play very well as the backup point guard in camp. He got a bit tired last night and made some more mistakes than usual, but he has shown a strong ability to get where he wants on the floor, to play in control and to get the team into its offense. The coaching staff will have a tough decision on how to distribute the limited backup point guard minutes.

Simultaneously, Ronnie Price continues to show what an impact he can be on the floor with his relentless energy. When Price gets rolling he is the Tasmanian Devil. The question is how does he get time on the floor?

We may have seen some of that answer last night at the scrimmage. Ronnie Price played a good deal of the night as the #2 guard coupled with Deron Williams. The #2 guard in some ways is a more natural position for Price. He can play unencumbered. He can play with pizzazz. Whereas, when he is playing the point guard his job is to be more controlled and get the team into the offense.

Talking to one of the Jazz coaches today at practice he said, “Price is a basketball player.” I read this to mean if Price can play the game with fewer restrictions and in a freer flowing manner he can be more effective. The same coach said, “Maynor is a point guard.” Their is a real difference between these two statements.

10/12/09

I got a chance to talk to the guys today for the first time since they came back from Europe.

It sounds like the trip was mostly business. None of them had much time to sightsee or experience the culture of London or Madrid. Deron Williams got out to some nice restaurants, but otherwise the trip seemed short on experiencing Europe.

I asked Jerry Sloan today if he is still thinking about Paul Millsap as a small forward. Sloan said he could still see that working, but was concerned with what happens when teams go small. When I asked about having advantage by being big against a small team, Sloan said they can just go to a zone and force us to make outside shots.

What is interesting about Millsap playing the three is the rest of the league is going in the other direction. Teams are moving players like Shawn Marion or other prototype small forwards and having them play the 4. I think we might see Richard Jefferson play some 4 this year in San Antonio when they go small.

The Jazz may be heading in the opposite direction with Millsap, Boozer and Okur on the floor. The Jazz offensive execution is so good that they may be able to overcome the zone, but would they be able to defend against a team going small.

Jerry Sloan was very complimentary about Paul about how much he has improved his game and what a different player he is today than when he arrived from Louisiana Tech. Sloan commented that you can see it every day. It would take a big step for Paul to be a viable three man in an offense that is able to stretch the floor. However, if Paul is able to do that it would allow the Jazz to play either big or small with Paul in either line-up.

10/9/2009

What a strange week for a Jazz fan. We got to see the team up close and then they left for a week and we watched from a far. Part of me feels like next week is the real kick off with the open scrimmage on Tuesday, the home game on Thursday and the games in LA Saturday and Sunday.

Here is what I think we have with the team right now.

• In case anyone forgot Deron Williams is amazing. He has been the best player on the floor in every game by far. We will win a lot simply for having Deron.

• We got our first bad blow of the year with the CJ injury. What a bummer he worked so hard this off-season and mentally seemed like a completely different player. It is too bad he doesn't get to discover what he could have done. However, the new frame of mind may be what gets him through the injury rather than being a wasted season.

• With the CJ injury I suspect the Jazz will need to carry another player. With both Matt Harpring and CJ Miles out until at least late November the Jazz need another wing. Wesley Mathews and Ronald Dupree are getting the look. Mathews Europe trips was what you can anticipate from a rookie one very good game and one rather blasé game. You have to like a young guy that impacts the game.

• I think we might have a battle at back up point guard. Eric Maynor has been impressive in how he is able to run the team, get wherever he needs to be on the floor and make confident plays. His floater is not falling right now and his outside shot is not great. He has enough game to push Ronnie Price.

• The only player who I think needs to be given a little jolt is Ronnie Brewer. Brewer has been a stud for the Jazz by having an impact on the game and altering the game not by waiting for the game to come to him. In the opening part of the pre-season he looked to be starting slower than I recall. I am sure that will change.

Please continue to return to utahjazz.com and 1320kfan.com as I will be updating you throughout the season on news, notes and thoughts with the Jazz. Looking forward to the season and see you Tuesday and Thursday at the Arena.