2.29.08 Jazz @ Hornets

The "Big Easy" isn't so easy.

I could say "Deron was cool and threw Chris Paul a bone tonight", but truth is, they both played great. Chris Paul dominated the first half, and Deron the second half. How fitting.

Jazz were down by 27 in the first half and suddenly people were thinking maybe a Bulls vs. Wizards game wouldn't have been so bad on ESPN. Utah does New Orleans a favor and commits 9, yes 9 turnovers in the first quarter. Game. Set. Match. While most people changed the channel to watch a rerun of Scrubs, I had to force myself to finish it. Of course after one quarter of ESPN, I had all of my "Vote CP3 for President, Mayor, Head of FEMA, leader of Zion" fix and had to turn it to our local talking heads. I think my wife thought my head was going to explode as I watched ESPN lick the dust off his sneakers.

The "New Faces" of the NBA aren't always pretty.

Here are some random thoughts that led to our lackluster performance tonight:

1. AK-47. So the trade deadline passes and suddenly Andrei is back to his 2007 form. Missing jumpshots, dribbling off his legs, and getting bad haircuts. How many times did Mo Peterson block his entry passes tonight? 5. I counted. "Andrei meet Ballfake, Ballfake...Andrei".

2. Booze Hound. Goes off on David West for 10 pts, 9 rebounds. In your face David West. Thanks for making me look like a fool Booze.
Note: There may be a problem in the Jazz offense when Boozer finishes a game taking only 6 shots.

3. CP2. Yeah, 2. One for each of his wins against Deron. He got his team off to a hot start and forced Utah to play catch-up from the opening minutes on. CP2 has officially made me hate the alley-oop. He makes it look too easy and almost like he's cheating. I watch him and go "nice shot idiot...er...pass. Damn." about 3 times a game.

4. Kyle Korver. Where was Kyle tonight? 6 minutes. 0-1. What is Jerry's problem? It's not always the other guys fault Jerry.

Give the Hornets credit. They won a game they needed to win. The Jazz HAVE to figure out how to get a true 4th seed and have homecourt advantage. Winning the division will not get them what they need. I hope they come out tomorrow at Memphis and prove themselves. Hate to say it, but a road win at Memphis would really...(gulp)...look good for this Jazz team.

Here's another really awkward NBA attempt at a photoshoot.

Final Thought:

I'd still take Deron Williams over Chris Paul. Feel free to leave a comment about how I'm a Jazz homer and I'm blind. Well you're a New Orleans homer and you're just trying to clamour to anything that gives you hope in this life. I hope CP3 runs for mayor and builds you (insert comment here).
Links:
ESPN
Basketball John
Hornets 24/7
Hardwood Paroxysm

Larry Brown's take on tonight's game: Jazz @ Hornets

Here is a great link to a great basketball mind and his thoughts on tonight's game.

Can you feel the excitement?

It's game day, and tonight is a big one, for both teams. You now its big when ESPN decides to put the two smallest markets on instead of another Miami crapfest. But before we get to the breakdown of the game between the Jazz and Hornets, I want to make a suggestion. Wouldn't it make more sense for these two teams to change names? The Utah Hornets and the New Orleans Jazz. We are the Beehive state after all and jazz music was born in New Orleans, but what do I know.

Anywho, on to the game. The Jazz come into this one on a super high after taking care of business against the Pistons, but don't forget we just lost to the Clip joint and the T-Wolves as well. If we can somehow make it to the finals, I sure hope its against the Pistons, that series would be over in 5. The Hornets also come into this game on a high of sorts after pounding the Suns, but have losses in the 3 games prior. So the question is what team is going to show up on both sides? The one thing we can be sure of is that D-Will is going to own CP3. He always does, even in meaningless All-Star competitions, in front CP3's home crowd. Deron is even a better dresser than Chris -

Seriously Chirs? A leather sports coat and gold chain that you could rope cattle with. At least he has a matching pocket square for the big bird yellow sweater he has on. I wonder if his IROC Camero is parked out back or if he drove the El Camino today?

As for the other players in tonights game, look for Korver to get more playing time and be a bigger part of the offense. He does not have to gard anyone who is super athletic so he should be able to stay in the game longer tonight. I think AK puts up pretty good numbers tonight as well, just a gut feeling there. As for the Hornets, Tyson Chandler is going to have a field day against all of our drives and get 5 or 6 blocks plus 15 rebounds. Seems like good athletic big men can always do good against us in the block department. The only other player that I would worry about is Peja, he seems to kill us a lot. This should be a classic.

2.27.08 Jazz vs. Pistons

I had to DVR the game tonigth so I could attend my niece's 5th grade play "Calamity James" (not a typo). She was the star of the show. Yes, I put a 5th grade play in front of the Jazz game. Thank the good man above for DVR, it has changed my life.

This match-up has 'Game of the month' written all over it. The Pistons roll into town with the 4th best road record in the NBA and the 2nd best overall record. Utah sits with the best home record in the league. Something has to give.

1st Half:

Just what I expected. The Minnesota Jazz came out ready to help their opponent get on ESPN's Top 10 as many times as possible. The Pistons threw the Jazz off of their game before the opening tip off. The Jazz always warm up on the same side of the floor when at home. Most teams respect this, even though the visiting team gets to choose where they warm-up. As the Jazz are starting their shoot around, out come the Pistons, led by Sheed, and they request the side in front of the Jazz bench while the Jazz are warming up. Move over to the other side Utah. What a great mental move by the Pistons. Come out and act like you own the joint.

The Jazz look lifeless aside from Memo in the first half. He always plays well against his former team. Detroit was definately sad to see him go, but they had to let him go to pay Sheed. Utah could easily lose this game by 30 tonight. Detroit has an 18 point lead and we show no signs of coming back.

2nd Half:

Jazz just can't cut into the lead. It's an 'everything you can do , I can do better' game. Detroit is a mighty good ball club. RIP is having his best game against the Jazz that I can remember. Historically he doesn't play well against the Jazz, especially in Utah. We all remember "The Block" on November 6th last year.



I was a witness from the 21st row. A game that goes down in history to me. Jazz win on a blocked RIP layup. Memo and AK both had their hands on the ball. Sweet memories.

Ronnie Brewer just put together an awesome 30 seconds of basketball. The Jazz look like a different team. I hope it's enough to eat into the lead. Welcome back ESA crowd.

It's over. I am stunned. The Jazz just pulled off an incredible comeback to solidify their dominance in the ESA. Memo hits three 3 pointers from almost the exact same spot. He is soooo streaky this year, good thing tonight was an on streak for him. Memo finished 10-18 and 4-8 from behind the arc. At least 4 of those regular field goals were 2-4 inches inside the 3 point line.

Korver got yanked in the fourth and was banished to the bench along with Boozer. Millsap was playing way too good to come off the court. Kudos to Jerry for keeping the hot hand on the court. It's something you don't see often..or...ever in a world. I thought for sure Korver would come in to seal the deal on the line, but it was Super Sophomore Ronnie Brewer who knocks down two key free throws to put the game out of reach.

Pistons played a great game in the 1st half holding the 5th best scoring team to only 42 points. The 2nd half they gave up 61 with 36 coming in the final period. A total anomoly from a team who prides themselves on their defense.

Keys to the game:
-Sheed goes 2-12 and 0-5 from downtown.
-Deron finally loses the AI/Melo arm band.
-Millsap stops triple pumping and takes it to the hoop on his initial drive.
-Deron is back to his normal self with 14 assists.
-CJ Miles didn't play (Thank you Jerry)
-Jason Shart didn't play (Thank you again Jerry)

MVP: Paul Millsap/Memo Okur
I couldn't give it to either one. They both were the reason the Jazz came back in this one. This game was everything we all hyped it up to be. Great win for the Jazz to get back in town at 4am and pull a come from behind win against the leagues 2nd best record. Ladies and gentleman, you may now re-enter the band wagon...ALL ABOARD!

Final Score: Utah 103, Detroit 95

Links:
ESPN Recap and Box Score
Biased Fan
Detroit Bad Boys

Holy Fetchin Crap

Honestly, the Jazz were about 2 or 3 more bad possesions late in the 3rd quarter from losing me on this game. I had Big Brother just waiting to be watched on the DVR and then Brewer got that dunk. And then he played some good defense and forced a jump ball and then the game was over. If this game was on the road there is no way we can make that comeback. This was one of those games that can propel you to a higher place as a team. I dont know what switch was flipped, but I hope they can remember how to do it again. I was really happy to see Sloan keep Millsap in the game until he ran out of gas, not that Booze was playing bad, but Millsap was a man possesed tonight. Play of the game though has to go to the 91 year old lady busting out the splits during halftime, I pulled my groin just watching. Good win Jazz, now keep that intensity and go kick some Honey Bee ass!

Kyle Korver with Shauna Lake

KUTV's Shauna Lake took a moment out of her extremelly busy day...to interview Kyle Korver. At the end she actually brings her son in and has him deliver a PB & J sandwhich to Kyle. This has to be one of the most awkward interviews ever. Watch how pissed she gets when Mark almost hits her in the face with the ball. He then further gets her pissed off as he dribbles the ball while she is trying to introduce her story...classic.



Hey Kyle, I have two friends that would love to come to your apartment and answer the question "Who am I? Where am I going?". If your interested, just leave a comment in the blog. No pressure though...only your eternal salvation is on the line.

Jazz pick up Jackie Moon of the Flint Tropics

Boozer shaves his armpits so I don't think the eyeliner is out of the question.

Want to be a Jazz reporter? Think again...

This is a great article by SL Trib Jazz beatwriter Ross Silar. I'd like to invite our own Ron Boone to tell us about a day in his life back when he was a sports reporter for the SLCC...uh...Bruins....um...whatever their paper is. Ron? I'd like a full report 1,500 words by tonight. Now get out of my office.

Train Wreck!

why do I even watch?

My hope of the Jazz winning the Western conference is over. I have never been more frustrated with a team that can't win on the freakin road. Is it really that difficult to play on the road when the home teams has 1000 depressed fans in there seats. The Jazz aren't good enough right know to start coasting. They looked so flat I was getting embarrassed with the amount of effort they were playing with. I am even more pissed because, I can't listen to any sports talk radio, espn, fsn, and N.B.A. tv. because my team lost. Sometimes I wish I didn't care so much. But, of course my dumb ass will be watching the game tonight win, lose, or draw.

whistle

2.2.08 Jazz @ Wolves

Jazz let this one slip away.

I'm not sure what to say about tonight's game.
Jazz shoot 42%, but it felt like 30%.

They also pull off a season high 24 turnovers. 10 in the first quarter. Are we trying to make getting homecourt advantage impossible? We've now lost 2 - 3, and both losses came at the hands of really bad teams. Minnesota is not good. That is the truth. And they did this all without Walker, who is probably the best offensive player on that team.

But leave it to the Jazz to give another career night to an athlete (McCants).

I kept waiting for Deron to take this game over in the 4th and it never happened. It is extremely frustrating to me to see us drop a game like this. Denver loses last night and we have a chance to up another full game, and we drop the ball. It's as if nobody told the Jazz that KG wasn't on the Wolves anymore and we thought he'd drop a triple double on us before the game even started.

The Wolves had 4 guys with 20+ pts, and not one of them an All-Star. Besides Jefferson, most people haven't even heard of these guys since their college days.


Al Jefferson: 22
Randy Foye: 20
Ryan Gomes: 20
Rashad McCants: 22


The Jazzers meanwhile had two players with 12+ pts.
Boozer: 34
D-Will: 18


The Jazz have to get some confidence back going into this stretch of games. These teams are too good out West to sit and wait for the Jazz to wipe away their tears. A few more stretches like this, and we'll be in the ping pong ball business.


The one thing that bothered me the most tonight. Jerry Sloan. Father Time didn't get off his dead butt more than twice this whole game. I felt like the Jazz were playing good enough to win this game with a little encouragement from their coach. There was no fire in his eyes at all. Thanks Jerry, this loss goes on your head.


Final Score: Jazz 100, Wolves 111 (28th in Offense, although they looked like the Suns tonight)

We get three more chances to redeem ourselves against Minnie. I want 3 victories by a combined 84 pts just to make me forget this loss.


Links:
ESPN
Basketball John
Biased Fan


T-Wolves Blog (Why are they still kissing KG's long gone arse?)

Are you kidding me?

So I'm doing my daily cruise on Hardwood Paroxysm, and I run into this post from Hoopsvibe.

Is this guy for real? Chris Paul and David West over D-Will and Booze Hound?

I tried to keep a cool head and finish the article without punching my computer. This was just the venom I needed to stay up late and post. I understand that New Orleans is having a great season and I will be the first to say CP3 is an MVP candidate.

NEWSFLASH: So is Deron. I'm not sure why Deron doesn't get the MVP pub. Oh right, it's because he plays with another All-Star in Boozer. And Paul plays with a "good thing the game is in our stadium this year" All-Star in West. So what gives?

I'm done with the All-Star snub, because I really think most people outside of New Orleans agree that Deron should have been in that game.

You know what I want this post to do? Create some comments. We would love to hear what you, our reader, thinks of Paul and West being a better duo than Deron and Boozer. Please leave a comment and state your case. The best comment will win the opportunity to be a guest blogger on any Jazz topic (it's the best I can do). So let's hear it My Utah Jazz fans...and other people wo agree with me.

We have a little work to do

I was just taking a look at the current playoff standings and the Jazz need to move up. I dont want anything to do with the 4 seed this year. As it stands right now we would get the Spurs and then the golf course. I would feel a lot better about the 3 seed or the 2 seed. The good news is we have least amount of games against .500 or better teams - 14 total -than any of the other 7 playoff teams. Our two main rivals for the 2 and 3 seed - New Orleans and Phoenix - have 18 and 19 games left against .500 or better teams and the Lakers have 15. Hopefully that helps us secure our position in the top 3. And then maybe the Warriors can squeak in with the 7 seed so we can have an easy first round series and rest up for the real competition. Speaking of the Warriors, I really wish that they would have traded for Artest. It would have been the highest of comedy to see Jackson and Artest on the same team. Can you imagine the security concerns that the other players would have? We need to find a way to make that happen, I bet they would fight each other during the game.

2.19.08 Jazz vs. Warriors

I hate the Warriors. No, seriously...I really don't like them. I know this is the way I started my McNuggets post, but I really don't like the Warriors and their whining either. Sorry for being blunt Warrior fans, but I just got really burnt out last year by the whole "us against the world" thing. I do think you have the 2nd best fans in the NBA however.

Hey Baron, thanks for the 5 second highlight last year on Kirilenko. Here is an 8 minute reminder of how well the Jazz play as a TEAM!



Ah the good ol' days when Golden State was in the playoffs. Hope you enjoyed it. Look at the bright side, you will have a 0.50% chance of getting the 1st pick in the draft.

1st Half:

This game is lights out. You would think D-Will would have a difficult time matching up against The Beard, but he plays him tough. Deron just needs to stay out of foul trouble. That will be his downfall in this game.

Boozer hasn't missed a beat. This guys is such a beast and seriously punishes the Warriors front line. Golden State will keep the game close thanks to their incredible ability to shoot the outside shot. Is there anyone who can't hit a three on that team?


Did you see the guys with the yellow "We Believe" shirts and the beards? What studs. Good for them for sticking to their guns. Very funny.



Here is a running blog of the game at Golden State of Mind.



At the half we on pace for a 278 point game. I'm speechless.

2nd Half:

What a dominating performance by the Jazz. Deron is playing like the All-Star he should have been. Truth is, he and Baron Davis should have both dressed for that game. Can you imagine a backcourt of Baron Davis and D-Will? Love it. I hate to see Baron get hurt. I think the competition is good for Deron and for the intensity of the game. When these two teams play, there is some serious electricity on the floor. I would love to see another playoff match-up this post season. I just don't think GS will get there.

Deron has elevated his game since December more than any player in the NBA. Not only are his stats up, but his leadership and decision making are stunning. This is his team. I love the Booze Hound, but as Deron goes, so do the Jazz go.

Whew. The GS bench made it a game there at the end. This was a statement game for the Jazz. They needed to carry their winning ways not only to the All-Star break, but over and past it as well.

If I was a ref I would never call a foul on Al Harrington. Dude looks like he could whig out at any given moment. Don't run into this guy in a dark alley (unless you have Booze Hound at your side).

Final Score: Jazz 119, Warriors 109 (and it wasn't that close)

Post of the night on Golden State of Mind: i hate the jazz. they dont show any sportsmanship when they play. they always play their best players until the last second and they always shove people in the back. the nba should look into how the jazz play.

(Why can't I stop laughing? You would die if I posted all of the Anonymous comments I've been getting from Warriors fans. Hey Anonymous, you are the reason we don't like GS)

Postgame interview and Andrei says "this game was over with about 7 or 8 minutes to go". What are you talking about AK? Who do you think you are playing? ESA is a tough place for the Warriors to play. They give a lot of effort, but seem to come up short.

What a great first half of basketball. This was more entertaining than the All-Star game. Good win for the Jazzers. The bad part is that Denver, SA, Houston and LA (73-37 at halftime against the Hawks. Are you kidding me?)

Here is what the rest of the world had to say about the game:

Friends:

Basketball John

Biased Fan

Not so much friends:

Golden State of Mind

Like em when they love on the Jazz, hate them when they don't:

ESPN

The Playoffs Begin on Tuesday

With 29 games left this year, the Jazz need to get into Playoffs mode starting tomorrow. Every game against a western conference team is going to end up being worth 2 wins or 2 losses beause they are all grouped so close together. A loss to a team like New Orleans or Houston could really hurt our chances. Starting tomorrow we have 7 games at home against other playoff quality teams in the west and 2 against quality east teams, but one of those teams is Detroit and we own them so that almost doesn't count as a tough game. So, we have 16 total home games left and 9 are against decent competition, given the dominance that the Jazz have exhibited at home this year I say anything less than 14 - 2 the rest of the way is a failure. 14 home wins puts our win total at 48. I don't think that would be enough to win the division or get into the playoffs this year, it would be close, but not quite enough. That means we are going to have to get some more wins away from the ESA.

Moving onto the road, we have 13 total games left and 5 of those are against the playoff quality teams from the west and only 1 against playoff quality from the east. Lets say we go 2-4 against the tough teams and 4-3 against the others. We should go 6-1 against the others, but we do have that December history lesson to remember. That gives us a 6-7 record in road games and total record of 54 - 28. That should win the division pretty handily, but may not get us home court advantage in the first round and right now that would be against San Antonio, so game over for the Jazz if that happens.

Hopefully for this is what we will see happen from here on out.
- Phoenix is going to struggle for the next 10 games learning how to play with Shaq and go 5-5 bringing them down in the standing a bit.
- New Orleans is going to wilt uner the preasure and none of the fragile players have been hurt yet so look for Paul and Peja to miss a combined 15 games. They will end up as the 6th seed.
- The Lakers are one hard foul on that pinky of Kobe from becoming a .500 team the rest of the way in, I am rooting for Raja Bell on the 20th or Ron Artest on March 4th to "Sweep the Leg" if you will.
- San Antonio is going to turn it on and finish with the best record, they always do at this time of year.
- Dallas is going to go backwards with Kidd, he really is not playing that well this year. 36% shooting percentage is Jason Shart territory plus his turnovers are way up.
- Houston, Denver and Golden State don't matter so we will not discuss any of them. Now this is a big if, but IF all of these things happen the Jazz could end up with the 2nd seed. With home court advantage in the first two rounds you could pencil them into the finals again and then we would get a chance to topple our nemesis for a trip to the finals. If the Jazz are ever going to win a championship now is the time with the East being so bad.

Deron shows his Skills

Deron's record run at the 2008 Skills Challenge.

D-Will beats CP3 Again

I am starting to feel bad for Chris, he just can't beat Deron at anything these days. Deron better in college (got his team to the chamionship game), the draft (any doubt about the Jazz making the right choice now), the regular season games (Deron is something like 8-2 against Paul head to head), the playoffs (Conference Finals for Deron, nothing for Paul) and now the Skills Challenge. Not only did Deron beat Paul, but he embarassed him in front of his hometown crowd by setting the record for the event.

More from the All-Star festivities - apparently when Jerry Sloan is away, Ronnie Brewer will break all the rules. Notice the headband he's sporting for the Rookie game:

Korver is going to get extra minutes in the next 5 games for this little bit of rebellion. Being an imbred white Utahn I am very disasappointed in his thuggery. Maybe we should just trade him to Denver where all thugs belong. Just kidding Ronnie, you can stay here with us choir boys. We can look past your gangsta ways and see the child of God that you really are. Hopefully Sloan can too.

Kyle "K3" Korver

Have you been asking yourself "Why isn't Kyle "K3" Korver in the three-point shooting contest in Old Orleans? I sure have. What if I told you the answer was because he needs to wash his dirty underwear? Well it's true.

Thanks Kyle for representing us...at the laundromat.

Deron's Idol comes out West

Well it looks like Deron Williams will get a few more chances each season to go head-to-head with his idol Jason Kidd.

ESPN Reporting that Kidd is on his way to the Mavs.

Hopefully we won't have to deal with Jerry Stackhouse anymore. There is a guy who I really don't like. He's had his fair share of problems with the Jazz.

Deron needs to bring it when we play Dallas on March 3rd and show the old man how things have changed in the West since he was last here.

UPDATE: I guess not.

I NEED MY JAZZ FIX

Good night, is the NBA season over? I can't remember the last time the Jazz played! (or Horny blogging?)I know this will only get worse after tonight due to the all INTENSE NBA All-Star game. By the way did D*WILL make it??? Anyhow, I need my Jazz fix, it has been way too long! I can only handle so much quality time with the wife watching her favorite TV show "American Idol". Thank Goodness the Jazz are on tonight! I wouldn't even care if they were playing the Utah Flash, anything has to be better than watching that whacked out crazy lady on American Idol! There aren't enough meds to make that lady normal. I would like to see the Jazz go into the NBA All-Star weekend on a roll, they need this game against Seattle. I picture the game being close, but I do see a Jazz victory, with them pulling away at the end.

Jazz 105
Seattle 98

I would like to see a poll on what Major Sports League has the worst All-Star Game? (NBA, NFL, or MLB) I do NOT include Hockey for the fact NO ONE watching it, well until the NHL finals when Booner pulls out his Sid Crosby Penguins jersey.

How to play H-O-R-S-E -by Pistol Pete

Since our own First Round draft pick Morris Almond has been selected to play in the D-League game of HORSE for All-Star weekend, I thought we could provide him with some ideas.

Not from Deron Williams, nor Carlos Boozer. Not even Kyle "K3" Korver can prepare young Morris for this game. To truly get him ready, we give him the master of all HORSE competitions.

Morris...meet Pistol. Keep the Jazz streak alive Morris.

RIP Pistol.




Since we are one the topic of Pete. Hands down he is the best passer to ever dribble a basketball. This coming from a John Stockton fan and a Steve Nash witness. Nobody will ever play like The Pistol. This is in honor of my Father-in-Law, who is always reminding me that Pistol was his favorite player to watch. A video for you Louie.

Jazz crack the Top 10....a few times!

2.9.08 Jazz vs. Bulls

Pregame: The Bulls come limping into the ESA despite a big win against the Golden State Whiners in their previous match-up. Deng-it is hurt and so is Hinrich. I think we all expect Utah to run their home winning streak to 12 tonight. Let's hope Booze Hound gets out of his current slump. Check out Blog-A-Bull for more information on the Bulls and their season. This is the best Bulls Blog on the internet.

1st Half:

This was the ugliest start to a game I've seen this season. These two "professional" organizations start the game a combined 2-15. Nothing better than paying $150 a seat to watch a bunch of millionaires shoot 13% from the field. The NBA, 'Where getting ripped off happens'.

The Bulls are doing a great job of keeping up with the Jazz. Thabo? Thabo? Could this possibly be another mediocre player having a career night against the Jazz? Thabo Sefolosha comes in averaging around 6 points per game and has dropped what feels like 30 pts on us in the first quarter. I actually liked Thabo's game and really wanted him to fall to the Jazz in the draft a few years back. Hey is that THE Joe Smith playing? Always get a laugh with the local crowd (tee hee hee).

After watching Kyle "K3" Korver getting a cherry under his right eye the other night, I was 100% sure he was going to come out with some sort of cover-up or foundation to cover the bruise and maintain his charming image. He will now win over all the women who like "tough guys with bruises". The guy can do no wrong in the eyes of the ladies.

Jazz build a comfortable lead in the 2nd and go into halftime up 49-39.

This is where your $150 seats really get worth the money.
How much does this guy make? Seriously. I need to know. I'm getting the feeling that investment banking was the wrong line of work for me.

Did the Jazz halftime boys just say that he was "banging on his own bottom like a bongo drum"? To keep this blog PG-13, I have no further comments on this.

The Mattness at Hardwood Paroxysm would have a field trip with this guy. They seem to be big halftime show fans over there :)

2nd Half:

I've realized that Deron Williams has elevated his game a lot the past 15 games. Has anyone else noticed his ability to get to the rim and then kick it out or pull a 'Nash' like jump pass? This is new to his arsenal. His court sense continues to amaze me.

Tyrus Thomas is an animal...but an animal who needs a trainer. He is full to the brim of raw talent, he needs a Jerry Sloan type system to instill some discipline in him and then he could elevate to superstar level. I really like watching him play.

Another classic Jazz 2nd half letting the opponent come back and making what should be a blow-out a close game. They better finish strong.

Deron continues to play at an All-Star level. If Kobe is unable to go this upcoming weekend, Deron had better be selected to take his place. Is there a PG in the league playing better ball since the start of the new year? (Don't you dare comment and say CP3 either. Especially after the beat down Deron laid on him earlier in the week.)

Andres Nocioni is the next token white guy I want in a Jazz uniform.

Ronnie Price is playing some great ball the last few weeks. Too bad Jerry has cataracts and continues to play Jason Fart (why have we not been calling him Jason Fart all year?) over Price. Ronnie Price seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the Jazz system. I think they will let Fart go at the end of the year. If I have to watch him shoot the last shot of a quarter one more time I swear I'll find out where he lives. We'll then have a massive My Utah Jazz Fanzz TP party.

Jazz closed the game out nicely. 12 wins in a row at home. The ESA has solidified itself as the best home court crowd and advantage in the NBA. Despite having the worst DJ in the history of basketball. I think I heard Puff the magic Dragon being played at one point tonight.

Final Score: Jazz 97, Bulls 87
Great defensive effort by the Jazzers. Let's finish out Seattle and go into the All-Star break as the hottest team in the league!

ESPN Recap of the Game

Preview: Jazz @ Kings

Jazz will be in Sactown tonight taking on the Kings. Jazz have historically struggled in Arco Arena.

Here is the NBA.com Preview for tonight's matchup.

We invited Tom from Sacto Royalty to join us in a Q/A session about the state of the two teams.

Here are the questions My Utah Jazz asked Sactown Royalty:

1. Who has improved more over the past two seasons and why: Deron Williams or Kevin Martin

*Deron Williams and Kevin Martin have both improved a ton of the last two seasons. I'll give the edge to Martin, though. Why? I'm a homer. Why #2? Everyone knew Deron would be great; he was the #3 pick in a decent draft, and should've been #2. Martin was picked #26 in a good draft, and should've been #5 or so (behind, say, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Luol Deng and maybe Emeka Okafor or Andre Iguodala). Williams has realized his potential; Martin and his sculptors have created something.*

2. Will Sacto move Artest? If you had to make a deal with the Jazz, who would you move?

*Yes, Artest has to be gone soon, if for no other reason than to put the front office's mind at ease. I'm not sure what (if any) deal with Utah would make sense, unless Kevin O'Connor is desperate enough to replace Jason Hart and Ronnie Price in the rotation by giving up Paul Millsap for Beno Udrih. I sincerely doubt O'Connor's that worried, though.*

3. Do you consider the Jazz to be one of the elite teams in the Western Conference? Why or Why not?

*Of course! They were in the conference finals last year, for gosh sake. When you have as lethal a combination as Deron and Carlos Boozer, plus one of the most explosive defenders in the game, possibly the sweetest shooting center in the game, a killer athlete at the two, and now a lethal shooter to swap in for your resident tough-guy jackass? Yes, you're just fine.*

4. Will Sacto ever retire Greg Ostertags Jersey? If no, why?

*The Greg Ostertag era never happened. Do you hear me? It never happened!*

You can read CB Jack of My Utah Jazz respond to the following questions at Sactown Royalty .

Three quickies for you:
1. When your GM signed two point guards who couldn't get off the bench in 33-win Sacramento last year, what was your confidence level on a scale of 1-10?

2. If Malone-to-Stockton couldn't win a title, is there any chance for this core?

3. Which long-term Western contender scares you more heading into your team's prime, the Lakers or the Blazers?

A full recap of tonights game will come as soon as the final buzzer sounds.

(Jazz 100, Kings 92)

2.7.08 Jazz @ McNuggets

Preview: This game has all the makings of a classic. I hope the stadium is sold out and that the crowd gets into it, because this is what NBA basketball is all about. I'm as pumped up for this game as any game this season. As long as we keep Linas' blanket away from him, the Jazz should prevail.

1st Half

Deron should be an all-star. I know it. You, the reader, know it. The coaches know it. The only problem? The game is being played in New Orleans and they had to make room for two hometown heroes. Deron, if you are reading this blog, which let's face it, you probably are because all Jazz men do...you are an All-Star in the eyes of My Utah Jazz (cue "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias). Boozer needs a big game tonight. He's starting slow and needs to attack Camby, without getting blocked 7 times. Jazz up big at the half. Don't worry, Denver WILL be back.

2nd Half

Here are a few of the things I wrote down during the 2nd half:

• Are you kidding me Memo? Shaved pits? Not a good look for you...or any man.












Kyle Korver. K3 as he is being labeled. Dude is incredible. When he gets the ball off the curl, he is already in shooting motion and releasing by the time his body catches up and squares to the basket. Almost impossible to defend. My Utah Jazz 's Kyle...so do our moms.

• Denver is a bunch of thugs. This has been written a million times, but it is true. This team has very little sportsmanship and has ZERO respect for the game. That is why it feels so good when a quality organized group of basketball players beats the street bangers. Proof that running an intriquite offense takes more than "hops and headbands". Martin should get fined for his foul on Brewer.
  
  
• Matt Harpring vs. Kenyon Martin. At what point is Kenyon going to pull out a 'shiv' from the locker room and knife Matty in the neck?
  
  
• Matt Harpring vs. Carmelo. This feud has been going on for years. Matty is a tough trucker that is for sure. He doesn't back down from anyone.
  
  
• Matt Harpring vs. Eduardo Najera. This is a new one. Najera has potential, but his career has been poisoned by playing in Denver with all of the thugs. He could be a great player outside of McNugget-ville.
  
  
• Melo fouling out. My wife pointed out that Carmelo must have thought Harpring was the one bumping into him. It was AK. Had it been Harpring there would have been no foul called guaranteed.
  
  
• Jazz playing with only 1.25 black guys on the court. I love this lineup. Memo, Harp, Korver, Deron and Boozer.
  

OT:

Are you kidding me? Deron is the man.
This guys has superstar written all over him. A Class act that Slick Williams. Jazz missed 3 or 4 easy shots in the final 90 seconds to put this game away.

Where did Kyle's stroke go? 3-4 just turned into 3-9 really quick.

Boozer goes 3-15? Where does this guy go in our big games? Time to bring it back home Carlos. I want at least a 30-15 at Sacto Friday.

What an amazing game. This one will go down in the books. This game did a few things for me, such as reminding me how I absolutely, positively, without a doubt, with every fiber of my being, I HATE THE DENVER McNUGGETS. I feel bad that the good folks of Colorado have to have these classless thugs roaming the streets in their Escalades.


Final Score: Jazz 118, McNuggets 115 (and no, I never get tired of typing McNuggets)

Best game of the season so far. It was as close to a playoff game as Denver is going to get. So I hope you McNuggets fans enjoyed it. Jazz have won 10 in a row and still can't get front page news at NBA.com or ESPN.com . No worries. I hate them both (minus the fact I check out both sites an average of 7 times an hour, keep up the good work boys).


Here is some links to read about how the McNuggets got screwed in this game:

Pickaxe and Roll
The Nugg Doctor
(very bitter McNuggets fan, but a great fan none-the-less)

Other Jazz bloggers

Basketball John
Biased Fan (aren't we all?)

Its the Jazz vs. The Peanuts Gang - part 2

The only thing that could be better than the smack down we put on the Honey Bees would be getting some revenge on the McNuggets. The rivaly is renewed on Wednesday night and I have good feelings that the Jazz will make a better showing.

In honor of the beat down that Linas Kleiza put onthe Jazz, I offer the following player for player comparison of the Nuggies and the Peanut Gang

Linas Kleiza vs. Linus Van Pelt:

Advantage: Kleiza - Van Pelt would trip on his blanket too much.

Allen Iverson vs. Woodstock:

Advantage: Woodstock - Both are very small and very quick, but Iverson might get arrested at any point so Woodstock becomes more reliable.

Carmelo Anthony vs. Peppermint Patty:

Advantage: Push - Both are the best players on their team, but also the dumbest. Peppermint Patty thinks that the Beagle playing shortstop is a "Funny Looking Boy" and Anthony is a "Funny Looking Boy"

Kenyon Martin vs. Snoopy:

Advantage: Snoopy - Martin tries to be "Joe Cool", but Snoopy IS "Joe Cool". Plus Snoopy is more durable, has a better contract and comes through big in the clutch.

Marcus Camby vs. Lucy Van Pelt:

Advantage: Camby - Both are loud, bossy and wine when things don't go their way, but Camby can block shots and I don't see Van Pelt being able to do that.

George Karl vs. Charlie Brown:

Advantage: Push - The matchup here is purely physical as both are round and bald. Both try to lead their teams, but always seem to come up short.

The final tally is 2 for the Peanuts, 2 for the Nuggets and 2 ties. Seems fitting that this matchup would come down to a tie, both teams are merely good on paper. My prediction for the game is the Jazz will exact a portion of revenge and take a close game with more defense than we saw the last time they played. Final score will something like 105 - 99.

Links to the McNuggets fans. These guys love to trash talk, so lay it on thick:

The Nugg Doctor

Pickaxe and Roll

Skills Challenge

At Least D-Will is going to New Orleans for something. Hopefully while he is there the NBA will apologize for leaving him out of the All-Star Game.

http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/Williams_Skills_Challenge.html

Give 'em hell D-Will!

Booner

Any Questions?

I hope that this post comes across as cocky, arrogant and smug because that is my intention. I hope that we get to play the Hornets in the playoffs, it would be an automatic pass into the next round. CP3 is officially Deron's personal ball boy, he owns him and there is no way anyone can argue that fact. It's too bad that we are going to have to keep sticking up for him because he is clearly the better player of the two. The dunk that he threw down on Tyson Chandler put an exclamation point on his game tonight, I would like to see Chris Paul pull that one off.

Holy 3-balls that was a freaking awesome display of shooting for the Jazz tonight. Can Kyle Korver do any wrong? It was nice to see him finally get hot here at home for the "Old Lady Crowd" The best thing about tonight was the Jerry Sloan post game interview. He tried so hard to act like he wasn't pissed about the Jazz jacking up 22 3's for the game, but deep down he was cussing like a sailor. The Jazz set at least 3 franchise records for 3-point shooting tonight - impressive is the only word that comes to mind.

Another feather for Kevin O'Conner's hat, not signing Morris Peterson. How glad are we now that the Jazz decided to not match the offer for him, we would not have Korver if that deal went our way. Instead the Hornets have a 31 year old shooting guard who can't shoot or defend and they get to watch him for the next 4 years. Sometimes the best moves are the ones not made.

Its all good here in Jazz land. I am warning you all now, with a win in Denver on Wednesday might the Jazz might just get translated and taken to heaven because they would have become the perfect basketball team.

D-Will Vs. CP3

Never has one person needed a Jazz victory more than I do tonight. Most of you know I am a die-hard Patriots fan and for the past 24 hours I have had nothing but images of Eli Manning celebrating thrown in my face. I have asked myself a million times, why do we get so attached to one team. It is amazing how your team(s) can make or brake your day, week, month and in my case, most likely the next year. As I drove into work today I drove past a pick-up truck with a Notre Dame Football license plate frame and thought, well, it could be worse. However, then I drove by some jack-ass who just applied his shiny New York Giants decal at 9pm last night. It was obvious because that same guy had decals for the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Red Sox, UCONN's Womans B-Ball Team and Roger Federer.
Anyhow, enough of my whining , this is a Jazz blog, and we are the hottest team in the league right now and there is nothing I need more than the taste of victory. A win tonight would be huge for my moral.....that is until I lay my head down on my 18-1 Patriot's pillow:(



Here's to tonight's battle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM9yheU376Q&feature=related

I really feel we can take these guy's, not just tonight, but anytime. What a matchup though. Look at how similar our numbers are:

http://www.nba.com/games/20080204/NOHUTA/preview.html?nav=scoreboardhome#stats

The starters are nearly a push but our bench is where we have the advantage. Let's hope Korver is light's out tonight and Harpring and the rest of the Bench can hand it to them.
I am sure this game means a lot to D-Will, as it does to all of us Jazz fans. There is nothing we would love more than to see D-Will take it to the Media's Golden Boy.
C.B. Jack will be live in the E.S.A tonight and he better have a full report on the blog tomorrow.

My Prediction: Jazz: 103 Hornets: 99

Oh, and C.B. don't get involved in any of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFagNMB30w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gVoHJ_9_IE&NR=1

Is Gasol really all that

Congrats to the Lakers for being able to get a super soft Euro that could not score more than 19 points as the focal point of a crappy team. Think Memo Okur in 05-06 when Boozer was faking his hamstring injury and Jerry woulld not let the rookie D-Will get off the bench. Personally he reminds me of the giant from the Johnny and the magic bean nursery rhyme. Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, I don't take showers and look like a bum.

If you believe all of the talking heads out there this trade makes the Lakers the team to beat. They might even run off 45 straight wins to close out the season. I just don't see it. Gasol is a nice player for sure, but not enough to put the Lakers into the finals. I have watched him play against the Jazz for quite some time now and in my opinion he is in no way a game changer. To prove my point, lets play the trade game - if you were to swap Memo for Gasol would the Jazz be significantly better? I say no, in fact I think they might be a little worse off because Pau can not hit a big game winning shot when needed. He always seems to fade in the fourth quarter during close games. Time will tell, but I say getting Gasol for the Lakers is worth 2 or 3 more wins this year than they otherwise would have had and at best gets them out of the first round, but no further.