Utah Jazz Broadcaster Blogs

11/19/09

By Craig Bolerjack
Great win in San Antonio.  Critics will say Parker and Ginobili didn't play, but the Jazz didn't have Memo, Korver, CJ or Ronnie.  From my chair,  the pieces are coming together, but can they, will they play with this same team like, share the ball mentality over a long period of time ? Stay tuned...the upcoming home stand will provide the answer.  And how will Sloan blend CJ and Korver back into the lineup ?  Talent is a good thing  as long as minutes don't become a locker room problem.  How do you not give minutes to Maynor and Matthews ?  Balance will be Jerry's next challenge as we head into December and the pre-Christmas road trip....Boone..put a shine on those shoes !  We expect better ........... 

11/18/09

The team played well and now have some momentun coming home, where they will play six of the next seven to round out the month.

Wesley Mathews and Eric Maynor took advantage of extended minutes and boy did they put on show. Averaging over thirty minutes a game each, the both of them put up numbers that can't be ignored; Maynor played under control and made good decisions that led to a victory in Philly - we just might see Deron and Eric on the floor alot this season with Williams playing the two position.

I love New York and Boston has the best sea food so Boler, Travis and i went to a no name restaurant, no the name was no name oh hell I'll fiqure it out; Hot Rod turned me on to it so now you understand. I had sea food chowder, Boler and Travis stuff there face as well, then we were off to Philadelphia where they have a crack in a bell they won't fix.

The sun was shining in Cleveland for the first time in twenty years - I didn't visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the city is rockin' because of the baseball team, and now LeBron James is jumping over people.

I worked with Steve Brown for two games because Boler was away doing college football.. and Yes, when Steve sits down his feet do touch the floor, and he does shine his shoes.

11/17/09

by Patrick Kinahan
Now or maybe never for the Jazz

Seven out eight at home, against some of the NBA’s dregs. In other words, it’s now or next season for the Jazz.

Between now and Dec. 4, the Jazz leave Utah only once, briefly stopping down around San Antonio to play the Spurs. The other seven games are all at EnergySolutions Arena, where the Jazz absolutely must re-establish homecourt dominance.

If the Jazz have any intention of making a serious playoff push - and getting smoked in five games in the first round doesn’t count – they must beat up on the likes of Toronto, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. No matter that they aren’t at full strength, the Jazz are done with excuses.

At 4-6, the Jazz rank among the league’s most disappointing teams. And it means nothing.

The NBA’s track record shows that many elite teams have struggled over the first month, most notably the Spurs and Mavericks in recent seasons. But eventually all strong teams take advantage of favorable schedules.

Coming off a 2-2 road trip, the Jazz vibe has changed dramatically. Two weeks ago, this was a team that lost to Houston and Sacramento at home in the same week.
Now, the thinking goes, this is a team that has discovered two promising rookies to mesh with a solid nucleus, which is still missing two injured rotation players in C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver. With Wesley Matthews and Eric Mayor proving capable, suddenly expectations have dramatically risen.

Why?

When Deron Williams had to return home for his daughter’s medical reasons, the outlook appeared gloomy. But the Jazz regrouped to beat the lousy Philadelphia 76ers and could have beaten the LeBron James Gang if Andrei Kirilenko had taken his one-year exemption of ignoring the offense.

With Williams out, we saw a group of veterans raise its collective level of play, rallying around two rookies who didn’t know any better. So now the assumption is that reincorporating an elite-level point guard into the mix, combined with great play from Carlos Boozer and friends, will make this team awfully difficult to beat.

Hold on a minute.

For better or worse, this is D-Will’s team. His return could lead to more stagnant play, although it wouldn’t be necessarily his fault; the other players simply could fall into a pattern of standing around, thinking that Williams will find a way to create something.

For this team to win, it must maintain the same attitude it had the last two road games. Anything less, as we saw against the Kings at home, and these two weeks will be nothing more than wasted time.

At worse, the favorable schedule should result in 6-2. Since it seems like Jerry Sloan was in his 40s the last time the Jazz won in San Antonio, it’s reasonable to conclude this Thursday’s game is a loss.

Plus, it comes on the second night of a back-to-back. Two games on consecutive nights usually don’t lead to winning streaks, as we saw last week when Phoenix won at home and then got drilled by the Lakers the next night, only to have the Lakers lose big at Denver on the second half of their back-to-back.

But other than the Spurs game, the Jazz don’t have any reason to lose. For more than two years, they’ve been blowing winnable games, and now it’s got to stop.
If the disturbing pattern continues, then maybe management should seriously consider wholesale changes.

Follow me on Twitter: @DJPKkfan

11/13/09

Change is coming, warns Jerry Sloan.

by Patrick Kinahan
The morning after the Celtics embarrassed the Jazz, who didn’t compete much in the second half Wednesday, their Hall of Fame coach indicated he and his staff are pondering changes to the rotation. This weekend – starting Friday night in Philadelphia - could be interesting, if Sloan follows through and revamps the starting lineup.

“It’s not too early,” Sloan told reporters, including 1320 KFAN’s David Locke, at Thursday’s practice. “We’ll see what happens.”

Beware Carlos Boozer, you’re on notice.

The whipping boy for most of his time with the Jazz, Boozer could suffer the humiliation of starting the game on the bench. Boozer got a taste of what may come during the game in Boston, when Sloan replaced him early in the first quarter with Paul Milsap.

From my vantage point on the couch, the Jazz big men repeatedly allowed the Celtics to stroll down the lane for lay-ups. The next hard foul they commit might be the first one this season.

“Defensively is where the effort comes in,” Sloan said. “I don’t think there’s a player out there that didn’t get beat.”

As Jazz fans continue to pile on Boozer, who deserves a lot of the grief for multiple ill-advised comments the last year, they need to spread around the blame for a 3-5 start. As Sloan says, there are many culprits.

By benching Boozer, Sloan would send a strong message that would sweep through the team. But he shouldn’t stop there.

Defense starts from the inside and extends out. In other words, look at the center in addition to the power forward.

In the last game, Mehmet Okur had more turnovers (4) and rebounds (3) in 25 minutes. He had a total of one measly rebound on defense – the same number little Eric Maynor managed.

Granted they played in garbage time, but Kosta Koufus and Kyrylo Fesenko each had four rebounds. That’s not to say Okur and Boozer are bums, but there’s nobody else to bench, at least not until C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver return from injuries.

If Sloan is interested in getting the team’s attention, he needs to go bold. Starting Milsap only manages to irritate one player. Time to put everybody but the ballboy on alert – you hear me, assistant trainer?

It’s not like the Jazz have anything to lose beyond what they’re already losing. As fan base, we’ve got to see more spirit.

Even Deron Williams would agree.

“We’re not putting up much of a fight against good teams,” he said.

As a side note, having Locke cover the Jazz – in addition to his play-by-play duties – is a major benefit for the team’s fans. Expanding his duties to include being a reporter, Locke is side-by-side with beat writers.

Only difference is he can post the interviews on 1320KFAN.com and the Jazz website within minutes of talking with players and coaches. Forget the middle man.

Really, there’s no need to go anywhere else for the most relevant and timely Jazz news.

11/11/09

by David James
"No rebounds, no rings."

If Pat Riley said it once, he said it a thousand times. Magic Johnson's Lakers were very talented, but they couldn't beat the Celtics unless they did the dirty work. The Jazz need to learn the same lesson.

In New York the Jazz out-rebounded the Knicks 50-37 and won the game. Two nights earlier, at home against Sacramento, the Jazz and Kings split the rebounds 38-38 and the Kings won 104-99. The Jazz out-rebounded the Spurs 41-36 and won 113-99. Is anybody seeing a trend? No? Keep reading.

The Mavericks out-rebounded the Jazz 50-37 and won 96-85. The Rockets out-rebounded the Jazz 46-38 and won 113-96. The Jazz out-rebounded the Clippers 48-35 and won the game 111-98. The Nuggets out-rebounded the Jazz 42-39 and won 114-95.

If you are scoring at home, the Jazz are 3-0 when they out-rebound opponents, 0-3 when they are out-rebounded and 0-1 when they are tied in rebounding. It would be easy to say, "Boozer, Okur, Millsap, get in there and rebound", but it isn't enough. In the win over the Knicks, Deron Williams and Ronnie Brewer combined for 11 rebounds and they had 13 in the win over the Spurs. Against Sacramento they combined for three rebounds. Conclusion... the guards MUST rebound if the Jazz are going to win.

Of course, Deron Williams has calf and back injuries and he didn't particpate in the shootaround this morning, so the Jazz maybe doomed in Boston tonight. Captain Obvious reports the Jazz can't beat the Celtics on the road without him. Still the message for the long run is clear, this team has to rebound well, as a group, or they aren't going to win.

11/10/09

by Tom Nissalke
What do you think? Are they any good or not? How about Boozer? Are there leadership problems on the floor? Locker room? I get asked these questions everyday in the gym, lunch, at prison ministry or at the movies!

1. Are they any good? They have the potenial to be a play-off team or even advance a couple of rounds if they can improve their defense to just be average. Right now its very poor but shows flashes from time to time. You can play "D" if you listen to scouting reports, your coaches and have a Desire to play. The biggest problem is running their offense under pressure late in games. If this phase improves,other parts of their game will follow.

2. How about Boozer? I would be happy he came back. He has flaws in his game as all players but is the only Jazz player who can play with his back to the basket and over power people inside. Sure he has problems with top bigger players[Garnet]but so does everyone else. A plus!

3. There is a leadership problem on and off the court and it shows. Williams is the guy who will be as he continues to mature. The foreign players are good guys but its hard to take over. Think if you were playing in a different country, would you be the leader? Probably not. The plus is that there are no guys trying to lead in a negative way.

They do need Korver and Miles back for fire power reasons. Maybe they won't be zoned so much. Everyone needs to be patient until the 2nd {season] starts in January.

11/9/09

by Pace Mannion
Tonight the Jazz take on the New York Knicks. What team will show up? The team that played so well against the Spurs or the team that looked like they had never seen a 2-3 zone defense before with the Kings? This is an ongoing problem for the Jazz, a team that has played up to its competition as well as down to it!

We all know that the Jazz have the talent to compete with anyone in the league. Yes, I said anyone! From the Lakers to the Knicks. The Jazz often struggle to get ready for the weaker teams and find a way to play well against the best teams. Why? It is easy to play against Kobe, Lebron and Garnett but playing the Kings, Knicks and Warriors is when a team shows its mental toughness. Those weak teams need to be put away early and never let back in the game. I know that every team has some good players (This is the NBA) but the Jazz have talent and a great system in place to succeed. Tonight is a game where the Jazz need to blow out the Knicks and rest some of the starters for the Celtics tomorrow night. Also, as David James has pointed out, the Jazz have the Knicks pick this year so every loss they have only helps get more Ping Pong Balls. One last thing. D-Will needs help leading this team. Who will step up and help him?

Will the real Utah Jazz please stand up!!!!

11/6/09

by Thurl Bailey
Winning has always been the cure for pretty much anything that ails a basketball team and the Jazz at least for one game found a way to bounce back from two sickly performances against the shorthanded Rockets and Dirk Nowitzski (okay, Dirks teammates helped a little)

The Jazz were nothing short of Outstanding on defense against the talented San Antonio Spurs. Kudos to Carlos Boozer for leading the attack both defensively and offensively. Tim Duncan never knew what hit him.

11/5/09

The Dallas meltdown is a new Jazz low.
By David James

I can’t remember the Jazz getting outscored 44-18 in a 4th quarter. I can’t remember the Jazz getting outscored 36-9 in the last 8:10 of a game. They led by 16 points with 8:10 to play in the game and didn’t even have a chance to win at the end. How did they blow it, let me count the ways.

Nowitzki v. Okur- Dirk came into the game shooting 41.4% on the year. He was 3-7 shooting in the first half and he didn’t attempt a free throw. By the end of the night he had 40 points on 12-22 shooting and he was 15-16 at the free throw line. It seemed like Dirk scored on every possession at the end of the game. The truth is he only scored on 12 out of 17 possessions as the Mavs rallied to take the lead. Jerry Sloan said he didn’t double more because the other players are so good, but I would have given moved Okur to Dampier and put Millsap into the game in place of Boozer and his horrendous help defense.

Jump shots- The Jazz became a passive jump shooting team down the stretch. Boozer and Brewer launched shots that were so bad they might as well have been turnovers. Boozer did make a couple and score the Jazz last 8 points, maybe helping him emerge from this shooting slump, but the Jazz needed some one to drive to the hoop and get a lay-up or some free throws to take the steam out of the Mavs run.

Rebounds- Dallas outrebounded the Jazz 50-37. Somebody isn’t working hard enough. Okur had 14 rebounds and Millsap had 6 in 22 foul plagued minutes, but after that, no one else came through. Two years ago this was one of the NBA’s better rebounding teams and the roster hasn’t changed much. Guys just aren’t working as hard.

Confidence- This team has none. They may think they can be a good team, but they don’t know it and until they cross the line between hoping to win and expecting to win, there will be more of these games. Don’t we all expect the Jazz to lose again Thursday to the Spurs?

If you are looking for a silver lining, try these. The Knicks blow too, so the Jazz could be working on two lottery picks and I have always thought this team could be very good, but as currently constituted, they aren’t going to win a championship. The organization has a history of moving very conservatively when it comes to personnel matters, but they need to make some deals, and with Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Matt Harpring, they have expiring contracts. If the team continues to play like this, it will be easier to shake up a roster that I believe needs to be changed.

11/4/09

STYLES MAKE FIGHTS
By Steve Brown

At the height of his career, George Foreman loses to an aging Muhammed Ali, Ali has his jaw broken in a loss to Ken Norton, a guy Foreman destroyed just months earlier and Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson. Its an age-old adage in boxing, styles make fights.

I thought about that Friday as the Jazz struggled at home to put away the Clippers. Watching Aaron Brooks carve up Jazz defenders confirmed what we all know but rarely articulate, there are no perfect teams.

I don't know how good this Jazz team will be, but I do know the high-octane point guards of the league are going to be a problem night in and night out. Deron Williams brings a lot to the table, size and strength among them, but there is a trade-off. Lightning quick guards are always an issue, and Jazz fans may as well prepare for those nights of frustration right now. That doesn't mean you pencil in an automatic "L", but recognize there are no 82-0 seasons to aspire to equalize.

Styles make fights, and speed kills, two of the eternal truths. Now, about blowing a 16 point second half lead in Dallas.... well, thats another blog entry.

11/2/09

By Craig Bolerjack

Big week for the Jazz...first back to back test of the season. Houston then Dallas. Its a point of needed improvement if the Jazz want to win the Northwest and beyond. I liked the play of Paul Millsap against the Clippers. Always concerned how a player responds to a new contract and Millsap answered after a mediocre night in Denver with 23 and 9 in 25 minutes on the court...

By the way. have you noticed my partner Ron Boone likes to make fashion statements with his suits and ties....Booner...so far I'm giving you a B....I know you can do better !!

By Ron Boone

I'm scrambling getting ready for start of the season. Without preseason games you feel behind and not in the flow. Also sixty degree weather means you still have golf fever but the first freeze and a couple of excedrin will cure that.

Having the right neck ties and shine shoes make you feel good. So every man in clean clothes or a nice suit should shine his shoes.

PASS IT ON

10/27/09

By Pace Mannion

Well, its that time of year again! Yea, you know, when we all try to figure out how the Jazz will do and where will they fit in with elite teams in the Western Conference. Will they stay healthy? Will Boozer, (in a contract year) play better defense? Will D-Will become an allstar and lead this team back to the Western Conference Finals? Will Memo always be open because bigs just can't stay home? (I'll let Thurl answer that one.) haha!

In my opinion, if the Jazz stay healthy they will once again be in the top teams in the west. Right now with Korver, CJ, Price and Ronnie Brewer not healthy the SG position is the biggest question mark the Jazz have. Coach Sloan will have to be very creative with his line-ups and move some players around to fill roles while he waits for the return of one or all of his shooters.

As for Boozer, I believe the answer is yes!!! He will play hard at both ends of the floor. Without an option for him, he has to perform this year if wants to demand big money next year in the free agent market. Carlos has the ability to be a great player in this league. I'm not talking about being an all-star. Numbers alone will get guys on the all-star team. I'm talking about helping your teammates become better players, giving up your body on certain plays at both ends of the floor and helping D-Will as one of the leaders on this team. (Like Karl used to do for John) D-Will can't be expected to handle that role all by himself.

I believe this team has enough talent and has a proven system to be very good if they play hard and together. We all know that the west is difficult but we have seen this team rise up and play well and compete with anyone. So, watch Dwill and the Jazz Wednesday night and see for yourself where you think they will end up this year. Make your predictions!! I'm sure we will!

Big T, get back to us about all those big guys leaving Memo when you get a chance......please.

By Craig Bolerjack

The Jazz start their 82-game season with much of the same core of players. Health, defense and road wins will be key to the Jazz success.

Back court looks to be stronger with the addition of Eric Maynor. The rookie could have problems with bigger guards on the post ups, but I like his fast rate of development. Memo has worked on his inside game this off season and I hope Ronnie Brewers contract extension doesn't take anything away from this young kids game. Ronnie is jump out of the gym quick and Sloan wants a better defensive effort night in and night out...

I had an in depth interview with Boozer Monday that will air during the pre-game show Wednesday night on FSN....Booze is focused and hints he'd like to reel in some of his summer time radio comments...check it out....see you on FSN..

By Thurl Bailey

If I had a dollar for every time I heard the question, “Thurl, how are the Jazz going to be this year?” I’d be making as much as Paul Milsap. I wish I did have that Crystal ball to look into the future of this year’s Jazz team, although I’d probably only use it to make me look that much smarter than Pace.

In my opinion there really is only one word that sums up what we all should be watching for with the Jazz this season….HEALTH. As simple as that may sound, to me it is initially the biggest hurdle that this Jazz team must get over. I’ll break it down for you in two parts.

Physical health: Last year Jazz fans anticipated that the Jazz’s nucleus (Williams, Boozer, Kirilenko, Okur, Korver & Milsap) would take the Jazz far in the playoffs and possibly to the Western Conference Finals, but never really got to see all of those players play together for any significant stretch of time because of injuries. Although injuries are one of those factors one can never control, let’s hope that the Jazz have better luck this season than last. Having C J, Matt, and Kyle out…is not a good sign!

Mental health: This is really all about individual and team attitude! Everybody wants to know how Carlos Boozer’s attitude is going to be this year. (That’s the second most asked question I get.) Carlos, is going to have his best season ever! Don’t be so shocked by my answer. I mean, wouldn’t you want to if you were him. First of all, regardless of where he wants to be, (or doesn’t) he’s a great player and the Jazz are a better team with him on it regardless of how you feel about his defensive skills. You know what you get with Carlos and what you get is a guys who makes a 20 point 20 rebound night look as easy as any player I’ve ever seen.

The trick will be whether anyone else besides Deron Williams will step up night after night as a leader. Not just with his play but also with his voice and attitude. Whose going to be the guy who leads the rally on the road to knock someone on their ass and set the tone to start living up the legend of Jerry Sloan coached teams? A 15-26 road record just won’t do.

By Ron Boone

Hi, Ron Boone here, this years team should be stronger because of experience. Health will be the key especially in the month of November. With two injuries already to Kyle Korver and CJ Miles the team can't afford another.

A Jazz friendly November will keep the team from getting buried at the start of the season. After starting the season off last year beating Denver 98-94 the jazz posted a 11 and 6 record with Boozer playing in only twelve games and Deron missing ten. The last five years has been good with a november record of 48-32 so they need to keep it going.

10/26/09

Fire the Doctor.com
David James

Why hasn't someone come up with this website? Every coach has to deal with these websites. Players get booed and ripped on talk radio and internet sites (Carlos Boozer currently the franchise leader). Why don't doctors take the same heat?

If I were Kyle Korver I'd be mad at a doctor right now. His knee has bothered him the entire pre-season, but it took a second opinion to find bone spurs. They require surgery ,so although there is no official word on how long he will be out, I expect, like C.J. Miles,Korver isn't playing until after Thanksgiving and maybe longer. Korver is in a contract year, he doesn't need to miss a bunch of time and this could have been handled during the pre-season.

The good news for the Jazz is they have too many guys at the wing position. The Jazz have to play better defense if they are going to advance in the playoffs, and now Jerry Sloan can play his two best defenders, Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer, for 36 minutes a night. Sloan can use Ronnie Price at the 2 guard, Paul Millsap at the 3, or Wesley Matthews at either position, for theother 24 minutes per night.Surgery is bad news for Korver, but the Jazz should be OK unless another wing player gets hurt.

What’s Behind Door #2 ?
Steve Brown

A popular ‘60’s game show, revived this year, tried to get contestants to give up a valuable prize for perhaps a more valuable one behind a door or curtain. Invariably greed prevailed, and the gamble was usually chosen, often costing the contestant all they had previously won.

This summer, I have repeatedly been asked “why don’t the Jazz trade for better players?” Well, maybe we can take a lesson from those game show risk-takers. Healthy, this is a very talented Jazz team that probably deserves a chance to prove itself before we go throwing it away for “Door #2”.