Ten years ago today (3/9/97), Karl Malone became the fifth player in NBA history to register 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in a career during a 115-106 victory at Minnesota … Five years ago tomorrow (3/10/02), John Stockton became the first player in NBA history to dish 15,000 career assists as he posted 13 assists in a 95-92 loss to Houston …

And finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to Brett C. and all the hard-working folks in the security office here at EnergySolutions Arena. You see, utahjazz.com is just about the only website those guys can access at work, so they are some of the Hart Blog’s biggest fans.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on March 9, 2007 at 3:54 p.m., MT

What A Long, Strange Trip It’s Been

After a bit of a hiatus, the Hart blog is back (and no I was not suspended without pay for saying anything outrageous or for inactivity to my blog) …

My apologies to the Grateful Dead, but that line was too apropos to pass up to describe the Jazz’s most recent road trip. I know that it sounds rough to complain about flying on charter planes and staying in Five-Star hotels. And I don’t say anything of the following to complain, just to point out that life on the road is not always glamorous. More precisely, forget me in the whole equation. I am merely the silent observer here to tell you what the players went through, and how impressive it is that they came away with a clean sweep of the three-game trip.

You may look at a three-game trip to Memphis, Minneapolis and Oklahoma City as three pretty good chances at wins, especially since none of these three were on back-to-backs (unless you count playing Sunday at Oklahoma City then flying home to host Charlotte, but that’s beside the point).

TUESDAY, FEB. 27: All started well as we arrive to Memphis pretty much on schedule on Tuesday evening, February 27.An aside … My best friend from childhood, James came to pick me up and went to grab some world famous Memphis barbecue at Rendezvous. I must admit that Salt Lake City has been very good to me, but one of the things I miss the most about home (i.e. Memphis) is the food. BBQ is king in Memphis, pulled pork, ribs, etc. with a little fried okra, fried catfish or mac & cheese on the side. No, health food is not exactly a staple in the South. If it’s fried it’s for me or sort of the motto there.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28: Back to my story … so we arrive to Memphis on Tuesday, and played the Grizzlies Wednesday night. After falling behind 18-2 to start the game, the Jazz rallied to win going away, 104-88. We spent the night in Memphis and were to fly out to Minneapolis Thursday morning. Ordinarily we fly out immediately after the game to come home or on to our next city, but since we didn’t play again until Friday night in Minnesota, we stayed over an extra night in Memphis to get a full night’s rest.

THURSDAY, MARCH 1: So about 11:15 a.m. Thursday morning we get on the bus and leave our hotel for the Memphis airport (busiest airport in the world for cargo by the way, thanks to FedEx headquarters being in Memphis). It is raining pretty hard in Memphis, but we get there close to noon. Upon arrival we waited on the bus for about 30 minutes as the plane was refueled and re-stocked with food and beverage. It actually happened to be the Miami Heat plane we were flying on today, complete with a brand new championship trophy painted on tail. Little did we know that would be our shortest wait of the day. We had heard there was a snowstorm hitting the Twin Cities area and that it may impact our travel. Once we got on board, the pilot informed us of just that, and that we were waiting for permission to take off since we didn’t have clearance to land in Minneapolis at this point. You know weather is bad in Minnesota when school is canceled and flights are canceled as snow is not an unfamiliar sight in the Great White North!

When we arrived around at noon, we could see the Grizzlies’ plane parked next to ours, as they were leaving for Philadelphia where they were playing Friday night. The Grizzlies weren’t scheduled to leave until 3 p.m., but before the day was done we would see their staff arrive, the bags loaded onto their plane and see them depart, all as we sat motionless on the tarmac.

After sitting on the plane for about an hour-and-a-half to two hours, the pilot told us we would be leaving in about 15 minutes and relief filled the cabin. Only more and more time passed and we didn’t budge an inch. Jazz broadcaster Craig Bolerjack, producer Travis Henderson, Salt Lake Tribune writer Phil Miller (who happened to be flying with us) and I sat back and occasionally exchanged wisecracks about the situation and what our status was. Thanks to my trusty wireless card, and several text messages to friends and the newspaper writers in the Twin Cities, I was able to discover that the area had been hit with about 15 inches of snow and they were skeptical of our chances to get in. We later learned that the plane actually had a flat tire by the time we were given clearance to take off. It was apparent we were going nowhere fast that day.

So the bus was called and off the plane we went. Next stop, the hotel we had checked out of five and a half hours earlier. Yes, we sat on a plane for close to five hours and never got off the ground. On the positive side, it did allow me one more night to hang out with friends and go watch my University of Memphis Tigers take it to UTEP on ESPN. On the bad side, Friday would be one loooonnng day.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2: Woke up at 6 a.m. as we had to have our luggage ready to be taken to the equipment truck by 6:30 a.m. Got on the bus at 7 a.m. and left for the airport about 15 minutes later. Upon arriving at the airport, we got right on the plane (not the Heat plane today, which we could see was still there on the tarmac). Flew to freezing Minneapolis where we touched down about 10 a.m. and got to the hotel about 10:30. Worked for a few hours, and before you knew it, it was time to shower and get dressed and head to the arena. Had to luggage downstairs by 4 p.m. and got on the bus a half-hour later.

The bizarreness would continue. When the teams came out to shoot around prior to the game, Matt Harpring immediately noticed a problem with the basket. It was too high. Now it might be tough for you or I to spot a two-inch difference on a 10-foot goal, but you and I don’t make a living based on that 10-foot goal. So Matt reported to Minnesota’s staff that his 10-foot goal was not 10-feet, and sure enough a measurement showed it was more like 10-foot-two. Following about a 45-minute delay as the Target Center staff rolled out the old goal and rolled in the new one, the game got underway and a long day just got longer. The Jazz defeated the Wolves easily, 109-83, equaling the Jazz’s largest win of the season, and marking their biggest win ever in Minnesota. After the game, the players met with the media, showered and changed and we left for the airport to fly to Oklahoma City. We touched down in Oklahoma a little after 1 a.m. and got to the hotel about 1:30. So in a span of little more than 18 hours the team went from Memphis to Minnesota to Oklahoma City.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY: The team practiced at the Southern Nazarene University gym on Saturday afternoon, which was followed by an impromptu slam-dunk competition between C.J. Miles, Ronnie Brewer and Andrei Kirilenko. As far as I could tell, C.J. was the winner with a jump up, switch the ball from one hand to another between his legs, and dunk with his left hand dunk (I believe Vince Carter did a similar dunk when he won the dunk contest several years ago). Sunday morning was shoot around, followed by an ESPN tilt that turned one-sided as the Jazz took care of business once again, posting a 108-94 victory over the Hornets. In six days and five nights, the Jazz had swept the road trip, winning each game by at least 14 points and overcoming several delays and inconveniences.

Would there be a letdown at home against Charlotte the next night, not hardly as the Jazz took care of business, 120-95, Monday to push the streak to four straight and avenge a December loss at Charlotte.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on March 7, 2007 at 2:32 p.m., MT

Oklahoma is O.K.

Not sure if that is still their motto here, but that is what it used to say on their license plates from what I remember. And they are right, Oklahoma is O.K. (at least Oklahoma City). It is flat, and windy, but a nice city filled with nice people. And the Bricktown area is pretty cool. Anyway, I don’t get to spend much time here in the OKC since we played at home last night in the SLC, earning a huge win over the new dynamic duo from Denver, Carmelo Anthony and Allen “The Answer” Iverson. Immediately after the game, everyone made their way to the airport and, after wading through the fog to locate the plane, we all boarded and departed for the land where “the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, when the wind comes right behind the rain.” (I believe that is from the musical Oklahoma which I have never seen and don’t really know the song. I just know that line.

Anyway, once we arrived at Will Rogers Airport (who ironically enough died in a plane wreck) and traveled along Amelia Earhart Road (who presumably crashed her plane into parts unknown) toward the hotel, it was pushing 3 a.m. CT. The Hornets too are on a back-to-back, and some of you may look at their schedule and find it odd they have back-to-back home games (that never happens except in the 1998-99 strike-shortened season). A close look however shows that their first “home” game last night was actually vs. Sacramento in New Orleans, so they are in a similar position having to travel late at night to play a back-to-back.

But back to last night … It was a tremendous game with very much a playoff-type atmosphere. There was not an empty seat in the house and you could just feel the intensity. It was a crucial win too, since the game essentially meant a two-game swing in the Northwest Division race. By the end of the night, the Jazz were either going to hold a substantial 5-game lead, or a slim 3-game lead. In the end, two rookies, one of whom had not even gotten off the bench the previous 5 games would have a huge impact. Obviously that is Ronnie Brewer I speak of, who was great filling in for AK, who left in the second with a sprained right ankle. Brewer tied his career high with 12 points. Paul Millsap was obviously a key, especially in his usual spot of sucking in every loose ball like a black hole, and making the key block when the opportunity presents itself. Another unsung hero was Gordan Giricek, who tied his season high with 13. A big win over a good team.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on January 27, 2007 at 3:37 p.m., MT

Another Coaching Milestone

The "Hart" blog once again would like to take a moment to congratulate Coach Sloan on his latest milestone: win No. 1011, which moves him ahead of Larry Brown on the list of all-time winningest NBA coaches. Though coach wouldn't like to admit it, the win is poetic in that it came in the same city and same team that it all started, Chicago -- both as a coach and player. Even more so that he became the fourth winningest coach in NBA history in the same building that has his jersey retired, No. 4. How often does that happen to a coach? Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on January 22, 2007 at 2:33 p.m., MT

Merry Pre-Christmas Trip

I know, I know. You haven’t heard from me in a while. I realize my promises may be empty at this point, but I promise, promise, promise to do a better job posting more often. Thanks to those of you who have stuck by me despite my inconsistent posts. In the next day or two I will answer some of the e-mails I have received in the last couple weeks.

I come to you from not so sunny, but warm New York City. Sorry to those of you in Salt Lake, but it is in the 60s here in NYC. It was 54 when we got town about 10 p.m. ET last night. We play the Knicks tonight, who apparently will be shorthanded based on the events of their game with the Nuggets a couple nights ago. Still waiting on the NBA to hand down suspensions, as are all the news outlets here in New York it seems.

Gotta love New York. We had to sit on the plane in Indy for 30 minutes before we could take off due to congestion in Newark, N.J., where we were scheduled to land. So we waited 30 minutes, took off got almost all the way here, then had to circle in the air for another 45 minutes once we got about 150 miles out due to more congestion in the area. Did I mention this was a Sunday night?

So, we are one game into a 5-game East Coast road trip that the team makes every year just before Christmas. So far so good as we started out on the right foot with a win in Indiana yesterday in a rare Sunday matinee for the Jazz. Although the Jazz did not shoot that well and committed 21 turnovers, they held the Pacers to an opponent season low of .365 shooting.

I am not sure how well it translated on TV, but the University of Illinois alumni were out in full force to support their boys in their only trip to Indiana. The crowded was dotted with orange and blue as a couple hundred Illini fans came to see Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Roger Powell Jr. The trio met with 150 or so orange clad fans prior to the game to sign autographs and pose for pictures. You know what they say, “Be true to your school.” Anyway, it was odd/refreshing to hear us cheered in an opposing arena, much like the Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Cubs get a lot of places. The loudest cheer came when Dee checked in for the first time. I am very impressed by the loyalty shown by the Illini. I am also surprised by just how widespread their alumni base is. We will have similar (though smaller) meet and greets with Illini alumni groups in 4 of the 5 cities on this trip. Who knew there were Illinois grads in Charlotte?

Back on task. So tonight is game 2 of a 5-game trip. While it is never easy to go on an extended road trip, it appears to line up easier this year than years past. None of the 5 teams on the trip (Pacers, Knicks, Hawks, Bobcats, Grizzlies) are over .500 (Indiana is now 13-13 following the loss to the Jazz) and the teams are a combined 42-80 on the season, an ‘impressive’ .344 winning percentage. Welcome to Eastern Conference basketball, where the Boston Celtics lead the Atlantic Division with a 10-13 record.

So how have the Jazz done on the pre-Christmas trip historically you ask? Over the past 13 years, they are 33-27 (.550) and have only had a losing record on the trip four times over that span. In 1994 (6-0) and 2002 (3-0) they went undefeated. Their longest trip was seven games in 1999 (4-3).

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on December 18, 2006 at 11:40 a.m., ET

Congrats to Coach on 1,000

COACH	W	L	PCT
Lenny Wilkens	1,332	1,155	.536
Don Nelson	1,202	893	.574
Pat Riley	1,160	602	.658
Larry Brown	1,010	800	.558
Jerry Sloan	1,002	664	.601

I want to take the opportunity to congratulate Coach Sloan on his 1,000th victory. Although, I have been witness to just 57 of those wins, I was proud to be in attendance and witness to history. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sloan as both a man and coach, and have been more than impressed with the way he runs the team. He is certainly a man who believes in hard work and doing things the right way and instills that in the team.

A few notes on 1,000: Coach is the fifth coach to reach that milestone (joining Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Larry Brown) … His first win came on 10/13/79, his Chicago Bulls won their season opener at Golden State … Of his milestone wins (100th, 200th, etc.), 7 were at home and 3 on the road, and only Philadelphia was a victim more than once … Now in his 19th year in Utah, Sloan is the longest tenured coach with one team in all of professional sports. Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox is second with 17 … There have been 187 coaching changes in the NBA since Coach was hired on 12/9/88.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on December 12, 2006 at 5:33 p.m., MT

Black Mamba Strikes, Jazz Still Sitting Pretty

So after the best start in Jazz franchise history, the team has dropped three of its last four with the Sonics in town tonight. Don’t worry Jazz fans, a little mini-slump happens to everyone. You didn’t expect us to go 81-1 did you? We are 13-4 and still own the best record in the NBA. We have played more games than just about anyone at this point (17 games in 30 days of November), so we are sitting pretty right now. After tonight’s game, we host Milwaukee on Monday and then don’t play again until Friday in Minnesota so there is finally a little break there.

Unfortunately, despite our unprecedented start and tremendous comebacks against Phoenix (twice), Toronto and Sacramento, the team wasn’t on national TV until the stinker the other night against the Lakers. The rest of the country didn’t see our solid 114-108 win over the Lakers here in Utah. Due to our market size, and the lacking of a nationally known superstar (i.e. LeBron or Kobe), and perhaps to a certain degree flying under the radar as a team, we are only scheduled to be on national TV twice – the Thursday game at the Lakers and a game at Denver on February 23 (ESPN). Therefore, expect to see some knee-jerk reactions since many in the East saw the Jazz for the first time on Thursday. And obviously, with Kobe’s performance, the game drew more attention than an ordinary matchup in the late game of the TNT Thursday night doubleheader might ordinarily receive.

All that said, Kobe’s performance Thursday night was a sight to be seen. I sat next to our beatwriter, Phil Miller of the Salt Lake Tribune, at the game and we were both amazed by his performance. Some are calling the greatest one quarter performance in NBA history. It certainly has to be up there. To go a perfect 9-9 from the field, 2-2 on three-pointers, and 10-10 from the line in a single quarter is quite amazing.

I can remember seeing two similarly dominating performances by opponents during the 2002-03 season when I was in Denver, but they were against a team that finished the season 17-65, tied for worst in the NBA (with Cleveland, who won the LeBron-athon, not that Carmelo was a bad consolation). That year (after doing a little research to refresh my memory) Tracy McGrady (then with Orlando) scored 37 points in the first half, with 25 in the second quarter (3/9/03 in Denver, a 111-98 Magic win). He finished with 43, but that is because – as I recall – he only played sparingly in the second half. Kobe too had a game that year in Denver, scoring 51 points through I believe just three quarters against the Nuggets (2/12/03). Once again, keep in mind that was done against a backcourt that started rookie free agent Junior Harrington, and one year and out of the league, Vincent Yarbrough.

Anyway, it was certainly an amazing performance by Kobe, I’m just sorry it came against us.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on November 17, 2006 at 12:33 p.m., PT

Sleepless in Seattle

I currently sit courtside at Seattle’s KeyArena for this morning’s shoot-around prior to tonight’s game here in the Emerald City. At 7-1, the Jazz have equaled the best start in franchise history (third time, also happened in 1989-90 and 1998-99). Only once, in that ’98-99 season did they win that ninth game and move on to 8-1 (ironically, they beat Seattle to get to 8-1).

Neither Gordan Giricek (right Achilles’ tendon) nor Andrei Kirilenko (sprained right ankle) made the trip with us, so obviously they are out tonight. The real oddity at this morning’s practice is the team’s attire. All 14 guys are wearing black socks and black shoes. They voted and will wear the all black with their road unis for the rest of the season. This will be the first time in the 33-year history of the franchise that the team has worn black shoes. It is not that Coach Sloan is opposed to the all black, his only requirement was that the entire team be unanimous on the decision. Coach wants the team look like a unit and not individuals, which is why you will never see headbands or guys wearing different colored shoes. Who can argue with the results? He’s had these rules for the 19 years here as head coach, and I think it is safe to say it has worked for him.

In other news …
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson was in town this past Monday for a sit-down interview with Carlos Boozer. The interview aired on TNT last night, during “Inside the NBA” following the Kings-Warriors game. The interview, as well as the comments from Kenny, Reggie, Charles and Ernie were very positive and in fact, Charles proclaimed the Jazz the second best team in the Western Conference (behind San Antonio).

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on November 17, 2006 at 12:33 p.m., PT

Four Out of Five Ain’t Bad

Well, the Jazz are 4-1 and certainly seem like they are a threat to make the playoffs. With the Hornets loss last night to Golden State, there are no undefeated teams left in the NBA and we are once again tied for the best record in the league.

The team is very deep, playing at least 10 guys a night, and may have the deepest group of forwards in the league with Boozer, Okur, Kirilenko and Harpring. I think it is obvious how much the veteran presence of Derek Fisher is helping too. All this and Kirilenko and Deron Williams haven’t really gotten rolling yet like they are capable of. It will be interesting to see how they close this road trip, playing a double-double at Boston tonight and in Milwaukee tomorrow before returning home to host a tough Clippers team on Tuesday.

One thing that has been clear is what a monster Carlos Boozer is when he is healthy. Obviously Jazz fans have not seen as much healthy Boozer as they would have liked in his first two seasons here. But I can attest that prior to straining his hamstring last season, he was certainly our most dominant player in training camp last season. He was also the best player on the floor in our scrimmage in Boise last season, then it all came crumbling down. Now he is healthy and hungry to prove his value. He posted double-doubles in the first four games of the season and was leading the NBA in rebounding at that point (15.0 per game). In fact, as many of you probably know, he was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for the first week of the season. He had won Eastern Conference Player of the Week once in Cleveland (1/19-1/25/04), a week in which he posted a 32 point, 20 rebound game in Seattle (on 1/20/04). That’s about as big a game as you will ever see. In fact it was only the fifth 30/20 game in Cleveland history. I just looked it up and it has been done 12 times in Jazz history, last by Karl Malone on 2/3/92 in a triple-OT game vs. Chicago (also the longest game is Jazz history). It is obvious that when healthy and focused, what he is capable of.

In other news, Jazz guard Gordan Giricek was sent home from Boston by the team yesterday and will undergo an MRI on his right Achilles’ tendon today in Salt Lake City. This is not the same injury as last year, as it was his left Achilles’ that forced him to miss 42 games a year ago. Hopefully he will not miss much time as he has been huge off the bench for the Jazz of late. After registering a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) in the season opener, Gira has lit it up when he has been on the floor, hitting 15-23 (.652) shots, including 5-6 three-pointers.

And let’s end on a positive …
The 4-1 Jazz have scored over 100 points in four of their first five games and its 102.6 average ranks sixth in the NBA. Last season, the Jazz averaged only 92.4 points and didn't hit triple-digits until their 12th game. They only scored 100+ points 21 times all last season. The Jazz are now 23-2 over the last two seasons when scoring 100+ points. But more importantly, they are 4-1.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on November 10, 2006 at 10:21 a.m., MT

2006-07 Season Underway

Let me start by issuing an apology to those of you who have checked in with the blog recently and were disappointed to find that there had not been an update. I promise to get better at updating more often, probably with shorter, quicker but more frequent postings. I do appreciate you questions and comments, so keep them coming as well.

As many of you know by now, the 2006-07 season is now underway and the Jazz certainly did not disappoint on opening night. Ten of the 12 active Jazz players saw at least nine minutes of action as the Jazz led big throughout (other than a bit of a late Rockets run) en route to the a 107-97 win in front of pretty nice crowd at the Delta Center.

A couple random notes of interest on the opening night win (Note: I produce the Jazz game notes that are provided to the broadcasters and media. These include news and notes on the team, as well as approaching records and milestones and other odds and ends that you may occasionally see pop up on the TV broadcasts or in the next morning’s newspapers). Anyway, the win over the Rockets improved the Jazz’s all-time record to 15-18 on opening nights (this includes 1-4 in the New Orleans days, so obviously they are 14-14 on openers as the Utah Jazz). It also marked their fourth straight opening night victory. They are 14-8 when the season opener happens to be at home.

Carlos Boozer was a monster for the Jazz, especially in the first half – he already had a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) at halftime. He finished the game with 24 points and 19 rebounds, falling one rebound shy of becoming the first Jazzman with 20 rebounds since Greg Ostertag had 21 vs. Minnesota on 11/3/03. No Jazzman has had 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game since Donyell Marshall had 24 points and 20 boards at Orlando on 12/19/01.

And don’t overlook the impact Derek Fisher had for the Jazz either. D-Fish hit 5-of-7 shots, scoring 13 points and dishing 6 assists in 22 and a half minutes off the bench. And this is a guy who hadn’t played since the opening minutes of the first Indiana preseason game back on October 14. He brings a leadership and confidence factor this team missed last season.

Call me biased (I obviously am) but I think this Jazz team is absolutely a playoff team, barring any major injuries. I believe Larry Miller has predicted on local radio in Salt Lake that the team will win 50 games and advance to the second round of the playoffs. I think there is a very good chance that he is right. I am looking more at the season as a whole than just on the Houston game. You can’t overreact to one game, especially against a fairly mediocre team. Tonight’s game in Phoenix may tell us a little bit more.

Barring major injury setbacks, with a core of Boozer, Kirilenko and Okur, your forwards are as good as anybody in the league. Throw in Harping off the bench too. I also think Deron Williams is poised for a breakout year. Make no mistake, he is no longer a rookie and seems ready to lead this team. He told me in camp that his goal is to be an All-Star every year from this point on. I don’t know if that will happen this year, given the right of passage you have to take to be considered an All-Star, but I do expect big things, and more importantly, so does he.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on November 3, 2006 at 9:32 a.m., MT

Fan Fodder??? (Part Two)

Below is Part Two of the first edition of Fan Fodder (until a better name is chosen). Here are more fan questions with my best effort at answers. If you would like to send me a question, you can email me at hartblog@utahjazz.com. So without further adieu …

Q: I was wondering what the undisputable greatest shooter in Jazz history, Jeff Hornacek is doing these days. I know he worked as a shooting coach for the Jazz for a little bit a while back, but I haven't heard of anything since. Anyway, where is ol' number 14?
--CK-47

Hart: Thanks for your question, CK. I like the play on AK-47. Unfotunately the only other JR I can think is J.R. Rider and I certainly don't aspire to be him. J.R. Ewing perhaps? (if you under 25 or so you probably won't get that reference). Anyway, back on task.

Hornacek did working a shooting consultant for the Jazz in 2003-04, but he and his family moved back to the Phoenix area in the summer of 2004. Hornacek, of course, was originally drafted by the Suns (46th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft) and played in his first six NBA seasons in the Valley before being shipped to Philadelphia in the trade that brought Charles Barkley to Phoenix. Many consider the Jazz acquisition of Hornacek on February 2, 1994 (with Sean Green and a second round pick for Jeff Malone and a first round pick) the greatest trade in Jazz franchise history. Hornacek ended up playing 14 NBA seasons, the final six-and-a-half in Utah, and made one All-Star team (1992 with Phoenix). In his final season in 1999-00, he led the NBA in free-throw shooting, ranked third for three-pointers and was 18th for field goal shooting.

Anyway, Hornacek is currently working a shooting consultant for the Suns, much as he did previously for the Jazz. It is my understanding that he is not at every practice and game, but comes in from time to time to review tape and work with players.

Q: What style of Nikes does Dee Brown wear?
--Michael B.

Hart: Michael, I took your question to our assistant trainer/equipment manager, Brian Zettler, since he handles all the guys shoe orders (in addition to juggling a million other duties). Anyway, Brian informed me that Dee wears Nike Air Huarache Elite TB, size 12.5. Thanks for your question, Michael.

Q: I was wondering if any past players for the Jazz had much to do with the current Jazz. I got really excited when I heard that Karl helped with the scouting of the big men before the draft this summer and when I read about Deron saying how he learned about not worrying about blowing a play from John Stockton this week in an article. Does anyone else from the past have anything else to do with the team now?
--Mark L. from Gig Harbor, Wash.

Hart: Good question, Mark. As you mentioned, Karl Malone spent some time helping the coaches and staff evaluate prospective players during workouts prior to the draft. At that time he mentioned his interest in eventually getting into the coaching side of things and helping out the Jazz more often, but at this point he has several businesses he runs back home in Louisiana. Hornacek did serve as a shooting consultant for the Jazz during the 2003-04 season before he and his family moved back to Phoenix (see question above). After the Jazz drafted Deron Williams last year, they called John Stockton and asked him if he would work with Deron. Deron ended up spending several days in Spokane, Wash., with Stockton working with him and sharing his basketball expertise. For his part, Deron said he got a lot out of it.

Several other former Jazzmen are still in the area and helping out in various capacities. Tyrone Corbin, who played in Utah 1991-94, is now in his third season as a Jazz assistant coach. Ty plays a big part running drills in practice, as well as preparing the game plans for upcoming Jazz opponents. Former New Orleans and Utah Jazz big man Rich Kelley (1975-79, ’82-85) works as a scout for the Jazz, helping prepare scouting reports on upcoming Jazz opponents as well as checking out college prospects.

Thurl Bailey, for whom Corbin was acquired from Minnesota, played for the Jazz from 1983-92 and again in ’98-99 after he was selected in the first round of the 1983 Draft (seventh overall). Bailey lives in Utah and works as a motivational speaker and singer, has his own clothing line of custom-made suits, and works on the Jazz TV broadcasts, co-hosting the pre-game, halftime and post-game shows from the KJZZ set on the Delta Center concourse. One of Bailey’s co-hosts is former Jazzman (1984-86) and ex-Utes star, Pace Mannion. Mark Eaton lives in the area and has worked on the Jazz TV broadcasts in the past. He also owns a popular Salt Lake restaurant called Tuscany and runs a youth foundation called “Standing Tall.” A list of other former Jazzmen still involved with the team in some capacity would not be complete without TV analyst Ron Boone (1979-81), who is now in his 19th season with the organization and 18th working on Jazz broadcasts.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on October 13, 2006 at 3:40 p.m., MT

Fan Fodder??? (Part One)

I apologize for the delay between postings, but apparently my laptop caught a virus toward the end of camp in Boise and unfortunately the blog had to be put on hold until the IT department could perform surgery. The blog is now up and running again, as good (or as bad depending on your opinion) as new. Anyway, since several of you sent me emails while I was in the infirmary, I figured I would try and catch up on your questions with my best attempts at answers. I don’t want to use the term “Mailbag,” out of respect to The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, at ESPN.com’s Page 2. If you haven’t read Bill’s stuff, where have you been? Anyway, you should check it out. So that brings me to this point, my “mailbag” needs a name. I think it should be at least loosely Jazz related (i.e. Jazz notes) or something like that. For now I will just call it “Fan Fodder.” I welcome your suggestions, so email them to me at hartblog@utahjazz.com.

Because of the large volume of questions I received/answered, I will split the first “Fan Fodder” into two parts. Here is Part One:

Q: Just curious about what has happened to Ben Handlogten? Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
--Travis from Minnesota

Hart: Travis, thanks for your question . This is probably more than you wanted to know, but here goes anyhow. I present to you the Ben Handlogten story.

Forward/center Ben Handlogten defied the odds when he made the Jazz roster in training camp prior to the 2003-04 season. At 30 years old, the 6-10, 240-pounder had already played in the CBA, Turkey, Italy and Greece before making his NBA debut. In fact, he had been out of college (Western Michigan) for eight seasons before making the NBA. Handlogten averaged 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 17 games for the Jazz in 2003-04 before tearing his left ACL at the beginning of January.

Handlogten was then dealt to Phoenix with the rights to Keon Clark in exchange for Tom Gugliotta, s 2004 first-round pick (which became Kirk Snyder), a future first-round pick (Jazz still have), a 2005 second-round pick (later traded to Philadelphia) on February 19, 2004. Obviously with a torn ACL, Handlogten was out for the season and never actually wore a Phoenix Suns jersey.

He was out of the NBA for most of 2004-05, that is until the Jazz signed him to the first of consecutive 10-day contracts on March 9 (obviously the second was on March 19) and then for the remainder of the season on March 29. Handlogten appeared in 21 games that season for the Jazz, averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Handlogten attended training camp with the New Jersey Nets in 2005-06, but was waived on November 8 without appearing in a game. He then played briefly in the Korean Basketball League before signing with F.C. Barecelona in January 2006. He was in Spain for only two weeks and never appeared in a game before deciding to retire.

Handlogten, who will be 33 on November 16, appeared in a total of 38 NBA games, all for the Jazz (despite regular season time with Phoenix and New Jersey), and averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds for his career. He is retired, but I don’t know for sure whether or not he is living back in his native Michigan.

Q: Why don't the Jazz broadcast any preseason games? Don't they know that fans want to watch them?
--Bushwickisbeautiful

Hart: Bushwick, thanks for your question. I spoke with our broadcasting department, and this is what I was told. Televising preseason games has not been a part of our marketing and broadcasting strategy in the past partly because the cost of producing a game broadcast is very high and advertisers have not been interested in paying to advertise in those games. But who knows - perhaps it will become part of our plan in the future! Thanks for your interest and for being a Jazz fan!

Q: I just wanted to email you and say what a great initiative your blog is, being a mad Jazz fanatic and living ‘down under’ it will be great to read your blog. I travelled to Utah to see the Jazz last season in 2005; it was an awesome experience and one that I will cherish. I am a huge John Stockton fan, I know you began with the Jazz in 2005 but wondered if you ever got to meet him????? Or had any stories about him that you might wish to share? Good luck with the blog and the team I hope you enjoy the ride I am extremely jealous!!!!
--Jake from Australia

Hart: G’Day Mate!! Thanks for the email, Jake. Glad to see the blog has gone international. You may be jealous of me, but I too am jealous of you. Of all the places in the world, I would most like to visit Australia and New Zealand. Hopefully it will happen some time soon.

To answer your question about Stockton, the answer is no, not really. Since I have been here, he came back for the Karl Malone jersey retirement/statue unveiling (March 23) and then as a part of a motivational speaking seminar that included former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as Zig Ziglar among others. With the Malone retirement, there were a lot of former players in town and I never really got the opportunity to introduce myself. I figured it was his weekend to enjoy being around the old crew and I didn’t want to interfere by stepping in to shake his hand. The motivational speaking thing was held at the Delta Center but was not a Jazz event so I was not really involved with it.

I have heard quite a few stories about Stockton since I have been here, mostly stories showing what a regular guy he was. Things like him downsizing his rental car to get an economy size because it was more reasonably priced, or of him watching his son play at a little league football game. As you would expect, not exactly a bling-bling sort of guy.

I will recap (without the same flair) two stories he told at his motivational speaking event. The first one was fairly early in his Jazz career, about the time Coach Sloan took over the reigns as head coach (late 1988 or early 1989). Stockton, who as you know wasn’t known as a shoot-first guy, had the ball and drove down the lane toward the basket (I think he said it was against Olajuwon and Houston). Anyway, he fires up a little running layup/short jumper and misses. He goes after the ball hard and gets his own rebound. He goes up again and missed. The ball comes back to him and he takes it up again and gets blocked. Finally, he goes up again and misses a fourth time (think Charles Smith of the Knicks in that playoff game vs. the Bulls). Stockton said he was hanging his head as he walked toward Coach Sloan, ready to take a tongue-lashing for taking so many shots and missing. He said he walked to Coach and Coach was applauding and telling him “That’s the way to compete.” Rather than yelling at him for missing four shots, Coach saw his hustle and effort and the fact that he got three offensive boards and put himself in a situation to succeed.

The other story Stockton shared was a quick one. Again, I am not 100% sure of the details, but you will get the gist of it. Prior to the 1987-88 season, the Jazz acquired centers Darryl Dawkins and Mel Turpin from Cleveland as part of a three-team trade in which they gave up Kent Benson and Dell Curry. Turpin had been the sixth overall pick of the 1984 NBA Draft, possibly the greatest draft of all-time. Turpin had been selected 10 picks ahead of Stockton in a class that also included Olajuwon, Jordan and Barkley. The former Kentucky star had a solid first two seasons with Cleveland before falling off his third season, and would become known as “Dinner Bell Mel” due to his ever-expanding waist line and lack of dedication. Anyway, I guess it was early in training camp and Coach Layden was trying to see what kind of shape the guys were in. He had them running at the end of practice and working on their conditioning. Apparently Frank became agitated with Turpin’s loafing and called him out for it, threatening more running. Turpin’s classic response was “You can work me long, but you can’t work me hard.” Not surprisingly, Turpin finished that season with Utah and played one more in Washington and his NBA career was finished. Stockton of course lasted 19 seasons.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on October 11, 2006 at 3:19 p.m., MT

Jazz Alumni Club

With NBA training camps now in full swing, I thought it might be interesting to take a look around the league and see what former Jazzmen are where. Here is what I came up with (years with Jazz are in parentheses):

Recent Alums
The Jazz sent three guards off last year’s squad to Golden State in order to acquire Derek Fisher on July 12. Keith McLeod (2004-06) and Andre Owens (2005-06) are fighting for roster spots at Warriors training camp in downtown Oakland. The other party in that trade, Devin Brown (2005-06), was released prior to their first camp practice on Tuesday. Brown was a salary cap victim as there was a buyout clause in his contract, but I am sure he will end up playing somewhere in the league this year.

Reserve guard Milt Palacio (2005-06) is trying to make the Seattle SuperSonics team coming out of training camp. Should he make the Sonics squad, Palacio will be trying his best to remove his name from a dubious list in this his eighth NBA season. Entering 2006-07, Palacio has appeared in the third-most games of any active player in the league without making a single playoff appearance. Topping that list is career-Warrior, Adonal Foyle, who has appeared in 593 career games and not a single one in the postseason. The well-traveled Palacio has played in 470 games with Vancouver, Boston, Phoenix, Cleveland, Toronto and Utah.

2004 first-round pick Kris Humphries (2004-06) enters a make-it or break-it year in Toronto following two disappointing seasons with the Jazz. Humphries was sent north of the border with the since waived Robert Whaley in exchange for Rafael Araujo back on June 8. One additional Humphries note – the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported recently that the Kris just bought a home and yacht on Lake Minnetonka in Minneapolis for $1.5 million.

James Lang, who attended training camp with the Jazz prior to last season, is trying to make the Washington Wizards squad and finally get his first taste of NBA action. Lang has spent time during the regular season with New Orleans, Atlanta and Toronto the last two years but amazingly has failed to appear in a single NBA game.

More Familiar Faces in Other Places
Former Jazz forward Aleksandar “Sasha” Pavlovic (2003-04) is entering his third season in Cleveland … A pair of former Jazz first-round picks, Scott Padgett (1999-03) and Kirk Snyder (2004-05) now find themselves in Houston. Padgett previously played for the Rockets from 2003-05, before spending last season in New Jersey. Snyder is now on his third team in as many years after playing for the Hornets a year ago … 2003 second-round pick Maurice Williams (2003-04) is entering his third season in Milwaukee where former Jazzman Larry Krystkowiak (1992-93) enters his first season as an assistant coach under Bucks coach Terry Stotts … Minnesota guard Troy Hudson, who is now entering his 10th NBA season and fifth with the T-Wolves, began his career with the Jazz after making the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent in 1997-98. He appeared in a grand total of eight games in Jazz uniform before being waived two months into the season … Carlos Arroyo (2002-05) is entering his first full year in Orlando after he was traded there from Detroit in mid-season last year … Raja Bell (2003-05) is beginning his second season in Phoenix … Former Jazz first-rounder Jacque Vaughn (1997-01) is now with his fourth team in the last six years as he begins his first season in San Antonio … Center Mikki Moore, in camp with New Jersey, finished the 2003-04 season with the Jazz following a couple 10-day contracts … The Wizards feature a pair of former Jazzmen in DeShawn Stevenson (2000-04) and Michael Ruffin (2003-04) … Stevenson, by the way, reportedly ended up with a veteran minimum contract in Washington ($932,000) after opting out of a $3 million contract with Orlando, then rejecting a three-year/$10 million offer from the Magic. He was then disappointed to have to leave the Magic when they went another direction and apparently the Wizards were his best remaining option.

As for local college products around the league, former Ute Andre Miller is entering his fourth season in Denver, while Michael Doleac returns to the defending champion Miami Heat. Last season’s No. 1 pick, Andrew Bogut, also returns for his sophomore season in Milwaukee. Utah Valley State alum Ronnie Price is entering his second season in Sacramento.

In addition to Krystkowiak in Milwaukee, two other former Jazz players are also coaching: former Jazz player (1982-83, 84-85) and longtime assistant coach Kenny Natt is back in Cleveland and ex-Jazz great Adrian Dantley (1979-86) returns as an assistant coach in Denver. Longtime Jazz assistant Gordon Chiesa is entering his first year as the lead assistant in Seattle.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on October 7, 2006 at 10:20 a.m., MT

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover!
Guest Blog by Cindy Edman, Jazz Director of Communications

If you have ever been told “don’t judge a book by its cover,” you were probably in a situation where you found you were wrong about something or someone. I found this to be true at training camp this week while eating lunch with Rafael Araujo at the hotel coffee shop.

As an avid fan of the University of Utah, I will admit I had mixed emotions when we traded Kris Humphries for Hoffa in June. I wasn’t excited to cheer for him, but I was excited for the state of Utah as Hoffa earned a name for himself while in school at BYU and has many fans across the state.

What I learned about Hoffa at lunch is that he is a funny, outgoing guy. We talked about life in Brazil and what it was like growing up there. We talked about his family and that he likes to help those less fortunate. He told me how he met his wife and all about his daughter. The more time I spent with Hoffa, the more I knew I was going to like him and how I shouldn’t have based my opinion of him on the competitive spirit he shows on the court.

I had not planned on talking about the rivalry between BYU and the University of Utah however Jonathan Rinehart, who was eating lunch with us, couldn’t wait to tell Hoffa that I was a Ute fan and not exactly a fan of the Cougars. Naturally as any good PR person would do, I tried to spin the information that had been blurted out across the table but it was too late. Hoffa took the information and ran with it. He accused me of calling him a dirty player (which I don’t believe I ever did) and even went as far as accusing me of being one of those fans that holds up a sign with not so pleasant things written on it. He said he knew my type and was fine with it.

After some friendly banter, I knew that we would be able to tease each other about the rivalry and that it was all in good fun. In fact, earlier today at practice, he referenced our friendly conversation over lunch and wanted to know when the Cougars will take on the Utes in basketball.

I think the most important thing I learned at lunch that day is that Rafael Araujo is a very competitive person on the court and not only the type of person you want on your team, but the type of person that you’d be lucky to call a friend. I never thought I’d actually cheer for a former BYU player but I’m actually excited that Hoffa is on our team and that I will get to cheer him on as he plays for the Utah Jazz.

So if you’re a University of Utah fan, and a Jazz fan, take it from me, Rafael Araujo is someone you will want to cheer for.

Cindy Edman is the director of communications for the Utah Jazz and will chime in from time to time with her own topic or comment on entries “Straight from the Hart."

Posted on October 5, 2006 at 6:39 p.m., MT

Training Camp News & Notes

Since I am here at training camp in Boise, I figured I should probably provide some actual information on who is he here and what has been going on. The Jazz brought 18 players to camp, eight returning players from last year (Boozer, Collins, Giricek, Harpring, Kirilenko, Miles, Okur and Williams), two veterans added via trade (Rafael Araujo and Derek Fisher), the three rookie draft picks (Ronnie Brewer, Dee Brown and Paul Millsap), and five newcomers (Brian Chase, Hiram Fuller, Roger Powell Jr., Tyler Smith and Frans Steyn). The team practices twice each day at the Taco Bell Arena on the Boise State campus. They go from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., then lift weights, have a couple hours free for lunch, naps and what have you, then practice again from 6-8 p.m.

Here is a little background on the five new faces that are fighting to make the team:

• Brian Chase (5-9, 155, Virginia Tech) – A small, quick point guard with deadly three-point shooting and appears to have strong leadership qualities … Can he be the Little Engine that Could? … Played for the Jazz in the Rocky Mountain Revue over the summer, averaging 7.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 16.0 minutes … Is a Washington, D.C., native and played collegiately at Virginia Tech (1999-03), finishing as the Hokies’ all-time leader in three-point accuracy (.409) … Following college, he has played in the ABA (Maryland Nighthawks), the CBA (Gary Steelheads), the USBL (Nebraska Cranes) and in the D-League (Roanoke Dazzle).

• Hiram Fuller (6-9, 268, Fresno State) – A big guy who can rebound and block shots … Appeared in two games for the Jazz in the Rocky Mountain Revue before being sent home with elevated blood pressure … Averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 boards in the Revue … Went to training camp with the Wizards prior to last season … Had a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2003-04 season, appearing in four NBA games and averaging 2.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.8 minutes … Has also played the last three seasons in the D-League for North Charleston and Florida, averaging 11.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.58 blocks in 105 games … Was named to the All-D-League First Team in 2004-05 … Grew up in Tacoma, Wash., but didn’t play organized basketball until his junior year in high school … Played at two junior colleges before making his way to Fresno State (2001-03).

• Roger Powell Jr. (6-6, 225, Illinois) – Visually, looks like a cross between Ruben Patterson and Michael Jordan … A collegiate teammate of Deron Williams and Dee Brown, the three along with Houston Rocket Luther Head led the Illini to the 2005 National Championship Game vs. North Carolina … Went to training camp with Seattle in 2005-06 and appeared in two preseason games … Then played for the Rockford Lighting of the CBA, averaging 21.1 points and 6.7 rebounds en route to CBA Rookie of the Year honors and a place on the All-CBA Second Team … Is a native of Joliet, Ill. (as in ‘Joliet’ Jake aka John Belushi in The Blues Brothers) … Much like the Blues Brothers, Powell may be “on a mission from God” as he is a licensed Pentecostal minister.

• Tyler Smith (6-8, 239, Penn State) – Apparently durable as he appeared in all 128 games over his four year career at Penn State (1998-02), averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds on a couple good and not so good teams in Happy Valley … Was known as smart, team player who shoots for a high percentage, both from the field and three-point range … Since leaving college, the Lake Forest, Ill., native has played in the Netherlands, Italy, Uruguay (twice) and most recently Argentina … He was recommended to the Jazz by Hall of Famer Rick Barry who saw him at a Chinese Basketball Association tryout at the U.S. Basketball Academy’s training facility in Oregon this summer … A jack of many trades, Smith sang the national anthem at several sporting events in high school, is fluent in Spanish, and can juggle … How’s that for inside information?

• Frans Steyn (7-2, 291, Southwest Baptist) – You can’t coach height, and you don’t come across many guys that are 7-2 … His name is pronounced FRANZ STAIN and he is a native of South Africa … Played sparingly in three seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Division II Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri for the 2005-06 season … Averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.08 blocks per game last year at Southwest Baptist … He attended the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, but went undrafted … One note of interest for your BYU fans – his wife, Lori, is the sister of NFL quarterback brothers Ty and Koy Detmer … As soon as I find out how they met, I will let you know.

In a game of Basketball Survivor, we will see which of the players above impress enough to not get voted off the Jazz island. Good luck to all and may the best man/player win.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on October 5, 2006 at 8:22 a.m., MT

Welcome to My World

Welcome to the very first edition of Straight from the Hart, direct from Jazz training camp in somewhat scenic, and surprisingly warm, Boise, Idaho. It’s more than just potatoes!! Actually, I don’t really know if that’s true or not. This is only my second trek to Idaho, both for training camp and with two practices a day we don’t have a lot of time for sight-seeing. All I can say is the people seem friendly and that Boise State’s basketball arena (Taco Bell Arena) is pretty nice.

Since this is my first entry, I figured I would share a little about myself, not because I am vain, but so you’ll know where I am coming from. As you probably guessed, I am a huge sports fan, as you will come to see. I was born and raised in a suburb of Memphis, Tenn., minus two years as an infant in northern Mississippi. I lived in the Memphis area my whole life before packing my bags and heading off to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. While in school, I interned for the Dallas Mavericks about the time Mark Cuban took over the team and turned things around. I also worked a year out of school for the Dallas Cowboys (the mighty 6-10 team of 2001) before heading even farther west to Denver. After two years working as a PR and web guy for the Denver Nuggets (17-65 my first year, then Carmelo arrived), I worked two years for John Elway and the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League. And that’s where Salt Lake City comes into play. In September of 2005 I accepted my current position with the Jazz. I had never been to Utah prior to my move, but have really loved every minute of it. It is such a clean, safe city with so much to do outdoors, it has been a great fit. So there you have it, that’s my life in 215 words.

As a PR guy for an NBA team, I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. My job allows me to be one of the lucky few who gets to slip behind the curtain and get to know the Jazz players, coaches and staff on a personal basis and see the inner workings of the NBA. I also get to travel with the team – flying on the team charter, riding the team buses and staying in the team hotels. I envision this being a place for me to share my thoughts with Jazz fans and answer your questions (please send some). As an outsider in the sense that I am not from Utah, but an insider in the sense that I am inside the Jazz organization, hopefully I can lend a unique perspective to the team. This will certainly not be a place to come for scandal or scathing stories, nor should you expect to find me ripping players, coaches or management, considering my position I am far from objective. That said, I am not a homer and occasionally take off my Jazz-colored glasses. My blog may make you laugh (occasionally?), it may make you cry (well, probably not), but hopefully it will at least keep you entertained, be somewhat informative, and give you an insider’s view inside the Jazz and other stuff. Who knows, it just might make you look at things in a different perspective.

Posted by Jonathan Rinehart on October 3, 2006 at 8:23 p.m., MT