The Jazz have reached the halfway point of the 2007-08 year, compiling a first half record of 24-18.
           
Last year at this time, the Jazz were 27-14 and finished the season at 51-31 overall. The team actually had a worse record (24-17) in the second half of the season than the first half, but nonetheless as Jazz fans all know, Utah came together at the right time to make a deep postseason run that ended in the Western Conference Finals.
           
This years’ Jazz squad hopes to make the second half of the season even more memorable than they did last year, a strong campaign would put this ‘07-08 team in pretty good company. The 1996-97 Jazz were 28-13 in the first half of the season before finishing on a blistering 36-5 pace to finish with a 64-18 record, making a run all the way to the NBA Finals. The following year the Jazz started off once again with a 28-13 record before once again rattling off an impressive second half record of 34-7. 
           
To put things into perspective and to compare the Boozer and Williams era to the Stockton to Malone times, it should be noted that Utah did not make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals until Stockton and Malone’s sixth year together. That was in 1991-92 and the team went 26-15 in the first half of the season and finished with a 55-27 record before falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Conference Finals.
           
Boozer and Williams on the other hand made it to the Western Conference Finals in their first full season together considering the Jazz’ All-Star forward missed most of William’s rookie season with a hamstring injury. Also, throw into the mix that Williams was not Utah’s starter for his entire rookie season, allowing Jazz fans to see the two come together in near perfect harmony with limited time on the floor. The rest of the NBA caught notice of the rise of Boozer and Williams and their stock in Jazz country.
           
In Stockton and Malone’s first year together the team went 19-22 through the first half and finished with a 42-40 record before being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. In their second year, the two showed improvement going 24-17 in the first half and finishing with a 44-38 record, though the team was once again eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns.
           
In the final year of Stockton and Malone’s tenure in Utah in 2002-03, the Jazz posted a 25-16 first half record and finished 47-35, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Sacramento Kings.
           
Jerry Sloan, the man who’s the man on the sidelines for both of these star duos, took over the Jazz in the 1988-89 season. His first full year at the helm was in 1989-90, when he led the Jazz to a 29-12 first half record before finishing with a 55-27 record overall and losing in the first round to the Suns.
           
To avoid a first round exit this season, Utah will need to take advantage of a hot commodity in the NBA – momentum. And since the new year has arrived, the Jazz have been gaining some serious momentum winning five of six games and staying unbeaten at home in all of 2008 so far. Overall, the Jazz’ 16-3 home record is the fourth best in the league.

Power forward Carlos Boozer sees that the team is improving and coming together.
“We are playing real well right now and we are taking care of business at home. Now we just need to take that on the road. We’re playing well though and that is the whole point to continue to get better and be playing our best at the end of the season.”
           
If the Jazz end up playing like they did in last year’s postseason then Jazz fans should hold on for an exciting ride in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. ~ Mattson Newell