Jazz beat Sixers 102-99

Thoughts on the Jazz's 102-99 victory:

- Raja Bell is in the doghouse with the fans right now, and he wasn't great on offense (1-4 shooting), but he was good on defense. Sixer's starting Jodie Meeks was held to five points.

- I liked Tyrone Corbin's coaching last night. When Devin Harris was trading scores with Jrue Holiday, Corbin yanked Harris early for Earl Watson. It allowed for Harris to play the entire second quarter. Harris was much more aggressive on offense last night, and while he's not going to get D-Will numbers in assists, he can rack up the points from the free throw line with his ability to sprint to the basket and draw fouls.

- I'd said I wanted to wait to see how this team plays at home, and they did great. Philly was a playoff team last year and they haven't made any changes. Jazz did play as a team. The assist numbers might not look great, but I counted at least four more assists Hayward would have had if the Jazz players hadn't been fouled or just missed the shot.

- Lots more movement tonight. I think part of it was Al Jefferson not being on the floor, as guys tend to stand around when he gets the ball, but also the hyper-extra effort guys tend to give when one of their star players is out.

- The Sixers are an athletic team. Very impressed with Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday.

- After scoring 15 points against the Nuggets, Alec Burks was a CD-DNP tonight.

- Jeremy Evans was -12 in 5 minutes of play. Josh Howard was +16. I think the starting wings are going to be hayward and Howard eventually.

- One stats I always look at is blocks + steals compared to turnovers. The Jazz had 11 turnovers but 17 blocks and steals. The Sixers had 12 turnovers with 10 blocks and steals.

- Paul Millsap's shooting was off (4-16) but he made up for it elsewhere (14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks).

- Derrick Favors had 20 points and 11 rebounds. He also had the most floor time at 39 minutes.

Jazz fall to Nuggets 117-100

- In the first two games, the three players with the worst PER are veterans: Earl Watson, Raja Bell and CJ Miles.

- Against the Lakers, the Jazz defense was fine but their offense was awful.  Against the Nuggets, their offense was fine but their defense was awful.  If the Game 1 Jazz D can merge with the Game 2 Jazz O, they'll be a decent team.  It's up to coach Tyrone Corbin to figure out how to marry the two.

- Alec Burks had a mere two minutes against the Lakers, but he took full advantage of the nine minutes of garbage time he got against the Nuggets, finishing with 15 points and 2 steals.  If the Jazz are going to lose I'd much rather see Burks start at 2 than Bell.

Jazz lose ugly to Lakers

LAKERS 96, JAZZ 71

- No one on the Jazz could hit a shot.  Paul Millsap led the Jazz with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, but the Jazz shot 32.2% as a team and were 1-of-13 from 3-point land.

- Al Jefferson had 10 rebounds but was only 2-of-16 shooting.  2 of 16?!

- The Lakers were playing their third game in three nights, and yet the Jazz didn't run.  They didn't look prepared.  What was the game plan?

- Rookie Enes Kanter looked like he has a vertical jump of two inches.  Several layup attempts were short.  He finished with 5 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.  Rookie Alec Burks had 0 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 5 minutes of play.

- Millsap was +3 in 27 minutes.  Derrick Favors was -26 in 18 minutes.  He did have 8 points and 6 boards.

- Devin Harris is not old.  He's only 28.  He is fast.  But he didn't run much tonight.  This team looked lost, like they need a leader and no one was stepping up.  I include the coaching staff in that.  Actually Paul Millsap showed why he could be that leader.

- Jazz now need to go play the Nuggets in Denver.  I will be shocked if the Nuggets don't win by at least 20.  Meanwhile, I expect to see a completely different team when the Jazz have their first home game.

NBA Day 1 results

KNICKS 106, CELTICS 104
- Carmelo Anthony was unguardable.
- Iman Shumpert was impressively assertive for his NBA debut.  Too bad he's now out for a month.
- Celtics are still in the hunt.  They only lost by two and they were playing without Paul Pierce.

HEAT 105, MAVERICKS 94
- Mark Cuban needs to find another defensive-minded big man.  Unless he finds one, the Mavs will not repeat.  Having said that, Brian Cardinal was +16 in 14:27 of play.
- LeBron looked like a man on a mission.  37 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.
- The Heat bench is still thin.  I don't get why they brought Juwan Howard back, but it says something about their bench that he's in their nine-man rotation.

BULLS 88, LAKERS 87
- Plenty of off-season speculation that this might be the year Kobe Bryant slows down.  Didn't look like it.  If anything it'd be those nagging injuries he should be worried about.  And the lack of help from his supporting cast.
- Bulls won on a 7-0 run.  When the offense gets spotty, their defense can keep them in the game.

THUNDER 97, MAGIC 89
- First of all, it's the Thunder.  I wouldn't start speculating Stan Van Gundy's getting fired just yet.  But with every loss, Otis Smith has to be that much more concerned he's not going to be able to talk DWight into staying.
- Might just bide their time and hope Brook Lopez is healthy before the trade deadline.

CLIPPERS 105, WARRIORS 86
- This game was close until the fourth quarter.  The Clippers might have been able to put this away sooner if Blake Griffin (4-8) and DeAndre Jordan (4-12) could make free throws.
- The Warriors had 8 blocks.  DeAndre Jordan had 8 blocks.

Utah Jazz go 1-1 in preseason

Having watched both preseason games, it's difficult to peg where the Jazz are going to be. The first few games are going to be rough, and their saving grace is many other teams are going to have a rough going too.

The Jazz don't have a superstar. They have three former All-Stars, and maybe up to four future All-Stars, but right now they're a deep roster of average players. Had they a full off-season, I could hope they could outshine the 42-40 post-Stockton-Malone team, but that team still had coach Sloan and a full summer league, training camp and preseason schedule. 1 thru 14, there's more talent on this team than that, but that team had cohesion. It'll take a while for this squad and this coaching staff ot figure out what they're going to do.

And that's okay. I would say I'd rather have this team land in the lottery than get the 8th seed in the playoffs. Jazz fans will be watching all year hoping Golden State lands exactly 8th in the lottery seating, and that the Jazz finish around 30-36 but miraculously land in the top three again. This 2012 draft is going to alter the trajectories of a handful of franchises for the next decade.

My impressions on the rookies are that Alec Burks is going to be as good as we hoped, and that Enes Kanter isn't as far away as they say. Yeah, he's rough and raw and will need a year or two, but I envisioned him having a Kosta Koufos rookie year the way they've been downplaying expectations. I do believe Derrick Favors will be a multiple-year All-Star and Gordon Hayward could be, but he still has a ways to make his April an every-month effort.

Jazz outrebounded Portland in both games. That's a vast improvement over last year.

NFL Power Rankings 12-19-11

NFC

1. PACKERS (13-1) - The injuries to Greg Jennings and James Starks have hurt their chances at a perfect season. Now they can just focussing on winning their second Super Bowl in a row.

2. 49ERS (11-3) - Their win over the Steelers was the bounce-back victory they needed. They have the best defense in the NFL.

3. SAINTS (11-3) - They've won six in a row and found their rhythym where they can score at will. Seems wrong that at least one of these top-three teams won't be in the NFC championship game.

4. COWBOYS (8-6) - They're going to limp into a division championship, but I don't see them actually winning a playoff game.

5. LIONS (9-5) - After a midseason stumble, they've regained their footing.

6. FALCONS (9-5) - Their defense has kept them in some games, and Matt Ryan's returned to form.

7. GIANTS (7-7) - Brandon Jacobs had done an admirable job but they really need Ahmad Bradshaw in full health for these last two games.

8. SEAHAWKS (7-7) - Marshawn Lynch covers many sins.

9. CARDINALS (7-7) - Their defense is just a little bit worse than Seattle's.

10. BEARS (7-7) - They need a lot to make the playoffs, including Jay Cutler's miraculously healing.

11. EAGLES (6-8) - They were underpeforming before Vick's injury.

12. REDSKINS (5-9) - Doesn't matter if it's Rex Grossman or John Beck.

13. PANTHERS (5-9) - Cam Newton will be better next year.

14. BUCCANEERS (4-10) - The second-worst defense in the NFL.

15. VIKINGS (2-12) - The worst defense in the NFL.

16. RAMS (2-12) - The worst offense in the NFL.

AFC

1. PATRIOTS (11-3) - Remember when the Patriots were 5-3 and looked very very vulnerable? It's a credit to their offense and the soft back-end of their schedule.

2. STEELERS (10-4) - Despite their loss to the 49ers, they still look like a team that can get back to the Super Bowl and avenge last year's loss.

3. RAVENS (10-4) - Joe Flacco still makes questionable decisions sometimes, but they're still one of the best defenses in the league.

4. TEXANS (10-4) - The injuries keep coming. We'll see how well Arian Foster can prop up this team without Matt Schaub.

5. BRONCOS (8-6) - Tim Tebow's now 7-2 as a starter. Yes, when they face a real team like the Patriots, they can only do so much, but at least he has them believing. Doesn't hurt to have Matt Prater and the entire defense working miracles with him.

6. BENGALS (8-6) - It's be something for rookie quarterback Andy Dalton to get his team to the playoffs. Cam who?

7. JETS (8-6) - Mark Sanchez is who we thought he was.

8. CHARGERS (7-7) - They have won three in a row.

9. RAIDERS (7-7) - They have lost three in a row, and it's not all because they don't have Darren McFadden. See the play-calling of the last five minutes of the Lions game.

10. TITANS (7-7) - They need to upgrade their receiver corps next year.

11. CHIEFS (6-8) - Terrible offense but hey, they beat the Packers.

12. DOLPHINS (5-9) - This is one bipolar team.

13. BILLS (5-9) - They've lost seven in a row.

14. JAGUARS (4-10) - They're going nowhere.

15. BROWNS (4-10) - A full-time Peyton Hillis would've made for a very different season.

16. COLTS (1-13) - If they win a second game, they risk losing the #1 pick.

Chad Ford on the Jazz's offseason moves

UTAH JAZZ

Key additions: Enes Kanter (draft), Josh Howard (FA), Alec Burks (draft)
Key subtractions: Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Price

Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor never gets the credit he's deserved all of these years in Utah. No one has figured out how to completely rebuild a roster as quickly and thoroughly as O'Connor has. O'Connor made the boldest move of anyone at last season's trade deadline when he abruptly traded Deron Williams to the Nets for Derrick Favors and draft picks.

O'Connor used one of those assets to draft Enes Kanter with the No. 3 pick. Then he used his own pick to bring in Alec Burks. Put those two players together with Favors and last year's lottery pick Gordon Hayward and the Jazz suddenly have one of the best young cores in the NBA. All four players have the ability to be All-Stars if they live up to their potential.

What makes O'Connor one of the best in the business is that he's doing the rebuilding while still putting a respectable team on the floor. He has solid veterans like Devin Harris, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson still on the roster and added more depth by getting Josh Howard on a super cheap deal.
It's rare that you'll find a team that can compete for a playoff spot and be developing four excellent prospects at the same time. O'Connor has pulled that off this year.

GRADE: A

NBA Pre-Season Power Rankings

So much can change in the next few days, but here's my gut on where things are right now.  And the top two teams from the East and West are head-and-shoulders above everyone else.

EAST

1. MIAMI - They went to the Finals last year, and with Shane Battier, they'll be a better team. Seems like they'd be able to get a better point guard, but they really don't need much improvement to put them over the top.

2. CHICAGO - Rip Hamilton helps them shore up that 2-spot, considering their weak spot with revolving-door work by Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. Derrick Rose and company will be ready to stand in Miami's way. Bulls fans just need to hope this squad stays healthy.

3. BOSTON - They may be old, but Brandon Bass was a nice pick-up for them, and I can see their experience helping them rack up a lot of early season wins. Losing Jeff Green for the season really hurts.

4. ATLANTA - This strikes me as a team that needs a major change before they start seriously declining. I would expect a trade before the deadline.

5. NEW YORK - Tyson Chandler will help shore up the defense of Mike D'Antoni's team, but they still have a very shallow bench and desperately need to shore up their backcourt. But let's see how Carmelo and Amare do with a full season together.

6. INDIANA - David West is a tremenedous pickup for them. Add that to the mix of Darren Collison, Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert, and they should finish with a higher seed than they did last year.

7. ORLANDO - They still have Dwight Howard, and Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, and company are decent supporting pieces, but for them to win, Dwight's still going to have to shoulder the majority of the load.

8. PHILADELPHIA - Coach Doug Collins made believers of this team, and there's no reason why the good times can't continue to roll, but they needed to make a bigger splash in this oh-so-brief off-season.

9. MILWAUKEE - Maybe a full season with Stephen Jackson improves this team. They'll also need improvement from Brandon Jennings. Otherwise it comes down to health. The more games Andrew Bogut can stay in, the better they'll do.

10. NEW JERSEY - The pressure's on this club to get some support for Deron Williams. Part of me still thinks they'll figure out a way to swing a Dwight Howard trade. If they can't, they're screwed.

11. WASHINGTON - John Wall should make the leap this year, and they had two good draft picks (on paper) with Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. Still seems like they're a year or two away from the playoffs.

12. DETROIT - They got rid of Rip Hamilton, but Tayshaun Prince decided to stay. Greg Monroe was one of last year's best rookies, and Brandan Knight was the first point guard taken in the draft. They've still got the overpaid Ben Gordon and Charlie Villenueva, but coach Lawrence Frank has proven to be able to do more with less, so they could surprise some people.

13. CLEVELAND - Yes, they got Kyrie Irving, but it's going to take a lot more than him to think about the playoffs.

14. CHARLOTTE - In rebuilding mode. Let's give Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo some court time and see what happens.

15. TORONTO - Should be flat-out awful this year, but at least next year they'll have Jonas Valanciunas paired with what will surely be a high draft pick in a deep draft.

WEST

1. OKLAHOMA CITY - The way they've been playing I expect them to be the best in the West. Kevin Durant will be a favorite for league MVP. The Kendrick Perkins-for-Jeff Green trade looks even more genius with Green's unfortunate heart condition.

2. DALLAS - The defending champs may have gained Lamar Odom but they lost Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea. I really don't get why they gave Vince Carter a three-year deal, but hey, Dirk is Dirk, and he'll surely want to repeat.

3. SAN ANTONIO - I think the championship window has closed for them, but Pops will keep them competitive, and they have some intriguing rookies in Kawhi Leonard and Gani Lawal.

4. MEMPHIS - The gang's back together, including Rudy Gay. They have confidence, and once you have that, you can go far.

5. L.A. CLIPPERS - As long as Chris Paul stays healthy, I do expect Lob City from CP3 and Billups to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. It'll be interesting to see how Caron Butler fits in. But they also have Eric Bledsoe and Randy Foye and Mo Williams. They should really trade a point guard or two to get a shooting guard.

6. L.A. LAKERS - They gave away Lamar Odom for nothing, but Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy are decent long men to serve as stop-gaps. But what is this team going to look like under Mike Brown, and how distracting will Kobe's divorce be, and what will happen when Andrew Bynum gets his annual injury? I could actually see this team miss the playoffs.

7. DENVER - It hurts to have Wilson Chandler tied up in China (not so much Kenyon Martin and JR Smith), but the Nuggets had a great draft in Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton, and Nene's back, and Ty Lawson can run this team as fast as he wants. Have they tied up Aaron Afflalo? That needs to be #1 priority.

8. PORTLAND - It's been bad news for the Blazers with Brandon Roy retiring and Greg Oden getting injured again, and LaMarcus Aldridge being out for the first few games of the season. But Jamal Crawford was a decent pick-up and once LaMarcus is able to join them, they should win more than they lose.

9. UTAH - Mehmet Okur's back to full health, Derrick Favors should make a big leap between his rookie and sophomore year, and all indications are that rookie Alec Burks will be able to contribute right away. Conventional wisdom would be that this is a rebuilding year, but with vets like Devin Harris, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Josh Howard and Okur there, they'll do whatever they can to win. And oh yeah, based on the last month of the season, I expect big things for Gordon Hayward too.

10. NEW ORLEANS - They would have had a stronger team under the Laker trade, but they're better set for the future with the Clipper trade. They got a future All-Star in Eric Gordon, some youth, draft picks, and cap space for this, Chris Kaman's last year. This team could do some damage in the West.

11. HOUSTON - Having the CP3-to-Lakers trade get vetoed really screwed them over. I expect they'll make a trade mid-season. Somehow, for something.

12. PHOENIX - Any team with Steve Nash will get some wins, but there are just not enough pieces around him. Markieff Morris isn't enough, and they have Aaron Brooks stuck in China.

13. MINNESOTA - They've been bad forever, but they have Rick Adelman as their coach now, and now Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams are there. No, they won't make the playoffs but they should be fun to watch.

14. GOLDEN STATE - It all depends on how good a coach Mark Jackson is. They have a pretty good starting five, but not much on the bench. They'll have to hope rookies Epke Udoh and Klay Thompson will be able to contribute quickly. (I don't know if you count Udoh as a rookie or not. I'm pretty sure he missed all of the 2010-2011 season.)

15. SACRAMENTO - Tyreke, DeMarcus and Jimmer will be very interesting to watch in several lost-cause games.

Jazz sign Josh Howard

I would have been over the moon for this deal two years ago.  It's still a good deal.  A lot can change the next few days, but this is how I see their rotation:

PG - Devin Harris
SG - Gordon Hayward
SF - Josh Howard
PF - Paul Millsap
C - Al Jefferson

Bench:
PG - Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley
SG - Raja Bell, Alec Burks
SF - CJ Miles
PF - Derrick Favors, Jeremy Evans
C - Mehmet Okur, Enes Kanter

That's 14 guys.  I've heard Paul Carter might make this team too, and they could still decide to cut Tinsley (non-guaranteed) and still with Harris & Watson, as Burks can play some point too.

I think it's just as likely Bell will start at SG and Hayward at SF with Howard coming off the bench.  I'd like to see Favors start over Millsap, but he has to earn it.  Fans are viewing this as a development season for Hayward, Favors, Kanter and Burks, but the coaching staff isn't going to approach it that way.  They want to win.

Thoughts on the Jazz schedule

Some thoughts on the Utah Jazz schedule:

- Of the 66 games, they play 11 on national TV. Not bad for a small-market lottery team whose biggest draws are Al Jefferson and its rookies and sophomores.

- Their opening game is against the Lakers, but for the Lakers, it's their third game in three nights.

- Deron Williams will come home on January 14. By the way, when you look at the flurry around Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, it's clear that the Jazz did the right thing in trading D-Will. At least they got Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and the Warriors' 2012 first-round pick for him. And the Nets will sweat all year that they've done enough to have Deron re-sign.

- Jimmer's coming to town twice. I expect it will be the loudest ovation since Derek Fisher showed in the third quarter to help advance the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals.

- The Jazz have plenty of home games to start off. For such a young team, it'll be good for them to get that experience in front of friendly crowds.

Current Roster:
PG - Devin Harris
SG - Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell, Alec Burks
SF - CJ Miles
PF - Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Jeremy Evans
C - Al Jefferson, Mehmet Okur, Enes Kanter
Likely re-sign: Earl Watson

That's 12 right there. I'm intrigued if they can work out a mutually beneficial deal to bring Andrei Kirilenko back. My guess is not. So they'll see who gets amnestied, which free agents will get ridiculously overpaid on the first day of free agency, and if they get a trade offer worth making.

Tyrone Corbin wants to win, but the future of this teams is the Fresh Four (Hayward, Favors, Kanter, Burks). If they're somehow good enough that this team can get to the playoffs, I'm shocked and impressed, but for this 66-game season, it may be more beneficial in the long run to develop the youngsters, and take advantage of two lottery first-round picks in the deep 2012 draft (the Warriors pick is Top 7 protected, but I see them being about 11th in the West.)
I'm intrigued, intrigued, intrigued.

NBA Christmas

No one can put it quite like Bill Simmons.

I'm thrilled the NBA is back, and with Chris Paul already demanding trades, doesn't look like much has changed after all.  Ah well; don't care.  This is going to be one of the fastest, most furious NBA Decembers ever.

My Top 5 Utah Jazz memories

5. Deron Williams' debut game - There was general shock around the fanbase when Jerry Sloan decided Keith McLeod would be his starting point guard, and the #3 pick in the draft was going to come off the bench. Williams came into the game with a chip on his shoulder, and the highlight was in the final second of the third quarter, he put up a 3-pointer from 60 feet away and nailed it. It was a sign of perennial playoff-appearances to come.

4. The first game after Stockton retired and Malone left, the Jazz were predicted to be the worst team in the NBA. Jerry Sloan had a patchwork team of Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, Carlos Arroyo, DeShawn Stevenson, Jarron Collins, and a bunch of other leftovers and scraps. They opened against the Blazers, and this rag-tag group played as a team and won, and went on to an imporbable 42-40 season. It's the closest Sloan's come to winning Coach of the Year.

3. The Jazz are down by two in the final seconds to the best team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James and company are providing lockdown defense and the only guy who can get a little space is D-League signee Sundiata Gaines. At the buzzer, over LeBron's outstretched fingers, Sunny-D nails the 3. Most players can go their whole careers without feeling that burst of joy Gaines felt.

2. The Jazz's two point guards are both in foul trouble in the third quarter in the playoffs against the Warriors. We keep hearing that Derek Fisher is on a plane heading back to Salt Lake, and Jerry Sloan left an active roster spot for him in case he made it back to the game in time. CJ Miles and Andrei Kirilenko are valiantly assuming point-guard duties, but it isn't really their position. I was at that game, and I'll never forget the ovation we gave Fisher when he showed up at courtside and entered the game. Combine that with him drawing the crucial offensive-foul on Baron Davis at the end of the game, and it was magic.

1. The Shot. That's what we call it in these here parts. Stockton-and-Malone have been a power duo for over a decade, but the Utah Jazz had never made the NBA Finals. I can still hear Greg Gumbel's call when John Stockton hits the game-winning three over Charles Barkley to finally get them there. The usually stoic Stockton jumped in the air for joy.

NBA Owners Deserve Most of the Blame

I acknowledge that the players may have become too powerful.  You look at how LeBron James left Cleveland in tatters, and how Toronto received nothing for Chris Bosh's departure.  Carmelo Anthony held Denver hostage while pushing for a trade to New York, and Utah traded away Deron Williams for fear he'd bolt in 2012.  Better get something for him now.  And the fanbases of New Orleans and Orlando have to be depressed about the odds of keeping Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, respectively.

But the primary reason there are no NBA games on tonight are the owners.  This is a lockout.  They are the ones forbidding their players from competing.

Here's a few columns I've found I agree with:

Money quote from the Boston Globe:

"In his memo to NBA players imploring them to make a deal, commissioner David Stern asked players to focus on the compromises owners have made. Then he mentioned backing down on a hard salary cap, roll-backs of existing contracts -- you know, the ones owners negotiated -- and the abolition of guaranteed contracts.

"How can you concede something you never had? It’s logic more twisted than a bread tie.

"NBA stars such as LeBron, Kobe, D-Wade, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose aren’t just employees. They’re the product, and that’s the irony here. The NBA is trying to slay a monster it created."

Money quote from Sports Illustrated:

"If Jerry Buss, Jim Dolan and other big-market owners had been willing to share their revenues earlier and more comprehensively for the greater health of the league, could the division among owners have been headed off?

"Or look at it from the other side of the owners' room. If so many of these small-market owners had operated their teams more wisely and efficiently, might the bigger-market teams have been more willing to share money with them on good faith that they were investing in the health of the league?

"And then could the owners together have not inched forward on a few points of contention here and there in order to ensure agreement with the players?"

There's still time to get a shortened season, while the majority of the remaining fans don't hold the players to equal or greater blame (which was not true in the shortened 1999 season).  But the owners are willing to lose a full season, and many of them are, then they need to be prepared for the NBA to fall behind the NHL and MLS in attendance averages.  Do they really want that?

NFL Power Rankings 11/11/11

Going into the weekend.

NFC

1. PACKERS (8-0) - They look like they have a great shot at finally killing dethroning the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Aaron Rogers is the best quarterback on Earth.

2. 49ERS (7-1) - Alex Smith had been declared a bust by many, but with a better coach and an upgraded offenive line, hey, he's finally putting up the number that behoove a #1 pick. Frank Gore is able to do more damage when the passing game works, and they have the #1 defense in the NFL.

3. GIANTS (6-2) - Eli Manning's been up and down, but Brandon Jacobs is playing like his 2008 self with Ahmad Bradshaw out. Victor Cruz has been a great find.

4. LIONS (6-2) - They need Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford to stay healthy, and if they do, I foresee a Conference Finals in their future. Not the Super Bowl; sorry you're in the Packers' conference.

5. SAINTS (6-3) - They can put up the points, but Drew Brees needs to get his interception count down. Not to mention the Saints' D has allowed more points than the Dolphins.

15. RAMS (1-7) - They have the worst offense and defense in the NFC. Nuff said.

AFC

1. RAVENS (6-2) - Yeah, I'd have to say they're the favorite in the volatile AFC right now. They step up to the plate in the big games.

2. BENGALS (6-2) - They've been playing great, but can their star rookie quarterback/receiver combo keep it up down the stretch?

3. TEXANS (6-3) - The one-two rushing combo of Arian Foster and Ben Tate has covered for the absense of #1 receiver Andre Johnson.

4. JETS (5-3) - The ship appears to have been righted, but the real test is if they can knock down the wobbling Patriots. But the Jets tend to be the one team that can knock off the Pats when they're good, let alone when they're on a losing streak.

5. PATRIOTS (5-3) - I do think the Jets are going to beat the Patriots, but when you look at their schedule, I see them ending the season at worst 10-6, but after the Jets they could just as easily finish on a 7-0 run.

15. COLTS (0-9) - Peyton Manning hides a lot of flaws, but this goes beyond that. Their defense is porous, their running game is ineffective, and Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie can't do much if they don't have a quarterback that can get them a ball. Miami is praying they somehow find a place to win.

NBA Players must give in

I recognize that between the owners and players, the owners are on the more side of wrong than the players. But that doesn't matter. The powerful billionaires will win out against the less-powerful millionaires every time. Even if the owners are going to contradict themselves in the very-near future with free-agent signing frenzies, they can afford to lose a season. The players can't. Oh, LeBron James might be able to. But how many mid-level guys spend like Antoine Walker? So the players should take the deal. It's only going to get worse. They're still going to get guaranteed contracts. They just won't be as long for as much.

End the NBA Lockout Now

They'll lose billions if they grouse over how to split hundreds of millions.

Kiley & Booms

From 2000-2002, Fox Sports Radio had the Kiley & Booms show, a sports-talk radio show that was part Mike & Mike, part Hannity & Colmes, part Abbott & Costello. Kevin Kiley & Chuck Booms had chemistry like no sports duo I've heard before or since. I just read that they're reuniting to host a morning sports-talk show in Cleveland. So in these post-LeBron days, at least Cleveland gets Kyrie Irving, and Kiley & Booms.

NBA - Millionaires v. Billionaires

Here's an article that swung my sympathies much closer to the players.

"Purchased by Peter Holt in 1996 for $76 million, the Spurs are now (according to Forbes) worth $404 million. The Spurs lost $4.7 million in 2010 (again, according to Forbes), which was an aberration -- it was the first time in eight years that the team lost money. But Mr. Holt must have found solace in the fact that if he had sold his team at market value, he would have cleared around $300 million. On a 14-year investment. Or a little over $21 million per year. Even if his team had lost $4.7 million every year, Mr. Holt would not soon have been caught toting his bindle down the highways of America.

"NBA owners are like investors who want their stocks to provide them with dividends and gain value over the long run, but who won't admit to such lofty desires. Instead, they focus public attention on the fact that this year's dividend hasn’t been up to snuff. (Which, as I established at the outset, may or may not even be true.)"

NBA Off-Season Power Rankings II

The playoff teams

16. INDIANA (37-45) - The disparity between East and West will continue. I don't see Indiana doing much better next year, but it'll still be enough to make the playoffs. They made an interesting trade for George Hill to boost the back-court with Darren Collison.

15. PHILADELPHIA (41-41) - I don't envy their salary situation, but at least they believe in themselves again. I'd be surprised if Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala both stay with the team all year. They hope Evan Turner lives up to his draft status and Thaddeus Young continues to improve.

14. HOUSTON (43-39) - With the Yao Ming era officially over, the Rockets need a new center, but they seem pretty comfortable at power forward. Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson, now Marcus Morris and Donatas Moteijunas. Jonny Flynn gets a second chance to play back-up, now to Kyle Lowry. Kevin McHale should continue positively what Rick Adelman had going.

13. NEW YORK (42-40) - I'm surprised the Knicks kept Billups another year. Can't underestimate veteran leadership, though you can overpay for it. They have Chauncey, Melo, Amare, Toney Douglas, Landry Fields... and that's it. Can't do much in free agency when they already have $60 million committed and the salary cap coming down. But... big stars can overcome a lot and so I see
the Knicks returning to a first-round exit.

12. PORTLAND (48-34) - Brandon Roy and Andre Miller never really meshed, but now Andre's gone and Brandon's a shell of himself. Now it's the LaMarcus Aldridge-Wesley Matthews-Gerald Wallace-Nicolas Batum show. Raymond Felton should take the year to make Charlotte,New York and Denver regret passing on him.

11. ORLANDO (52-30) - Dwight Howard could be the league MVP if he had a better team. Last year's mid-season trade made them worse, and if Dwight leaves, Orlando could easily become the wreckage site that Cleveland and Toronto became last year. Gilbert Arenas's contract prevents them from being able to do much. The Magic have to ask themselves: do they want to have the future of the Nuggets and Jazz, or the Cavaliers and Raptors?

10. MEMPHIS (46-36) - This team has a lot of questions. Will Zack Randolph, Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay all be back? Will OJ Mayo be traded? Now that they've tasted winning, I expect them to continue, after some answers.

9. ATLANTA (44-38) - Kirk Hinrich has a chance to be the starting point guard again, and I expect the team to remain steady, but their cap situation is atrocious. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford alone with make over $42 million next year.

8. DENVER (50-32) - Usually when a superstar gets traded away, the team that loses the superstar loses. Not so in Denver's case. They're now brimming with affordable talent. I expect them to try to get Nene back, but they're adding Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton to a team that already has Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler (maybe), Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo.

7. BOSTON (56-26) - Salary-wise they're handcuffed this year, and the cupboard's looking bare behind the Big 4. Hard to question the heart of champions, but can KG, Allen, Pierce and Rondo rally past the Heat or the Bulls in the playoffs? They traded away Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green who so far hasn't justified it, and they could lose him anyway. Glen Davis might not be back either. They need Jermaine O'Neal to reach way down and become his 2005 self. Rookie JaJuan Johnson will get hsi chances.

6. SAN ANTONIO (61-21) - Somehow they were the best in the west, but they crashed and burned against the Grizzlies. Sure, the match-ups were a problem, but they never should have doubled-down on Richard Jefferson. But the rich get richer: they got Kawhi Leonard for George Hill. Wouldn't surprise me if the ever-slower Tim Duncan retires after this year.

5. L.A. LAKERS (57-25) - It was glorious to watch the Lakers implode against the Mavericks, but it was the Conference finals; it wasn't like a first-round embarrassment. With Mike Brown in and Phil Jackson out, I can see the egos rising. Ultimately though, somethng will happen. Wouldn't surprise me to see the Lakers trade Odom & Bynum for Dwight Howard.

4. CHICAGO (62-20) - Derrick Rose may have been the MVP, but he can't do it alone. The Bulls will desperately try to move Boozer or Deng to get that elusive magical all-purpose two-guard. They should still be great, but somewhere int he playoofs, probably the EC finals again, they'll fold.

3. DALLAS (57-25) - I'm happy for Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban, and they should be really good again, but I don't see them repeating.

2. OKLAHOMA CITY (55-27) - I expect this to be the year the team makes their move and goes to the NBA Finals. Durant is the Tim Duncan for the new decade, humility-wise.

1. MIAMI (58-24) - Okay, they got embarrassed in the Finals, but I expect LeBron, Wade and Bosh to be surrounded by a better team next time around.

NBA Off-Season Power Rankings I

Off Season Power Rankings
Assuming we get a full NBA season. I'm an optimist.
Here are the likely lottery teams, with their 2010-2011 records.

30. TORONTO (22-60) - They lost Chris Bosh and got nothing for him. They had the third worst record last year. They overpaid for the services of Amir Johnson. Their first-round draft pick probably won't come over for a year or two, so for now their hopes rest in hoping Ed Davis shows significant improvement his sophomore year. I don't see any reason why they can expect to win more games next year than last year. If Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani are your two best players, you are a lottery team.

29. MINNESOTA (17-65) - They finally got rid of Kurt Rambis, but really, could any coach succeed under Kahn? We'll see. Ricky Rubio hasn't been impressive in Europe, so I doubt he's going to be the savior they hope he can be. But they do have a decent young core. Now if they can swing a decent trade involving Michael Beasley, they'll have Rubio, Wes Johnson, Derrick Williams and Kevin Love who can grow together.

28. CLEVELAND (19-63) - They still have some bloated veteran contracts (Antawn Jamison, Baron Davis) but there's reason to hope again in LeBron's old town. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson should be a solid one-two injection of life and excitement. That'll fade by January when they're .333, but at least they'll feel like they're only a year away from the playoffs.

27. NEW JERSEY (24-58) - They have Deron Williams, one of the best point guards in the league. Then what? They might not get Kris Humphries back, they have Travis Outlaw stealing for them through 2014, they don't have a lot of tradeable assets, and unless they can land a big free agent this summer, D-Will will walk next year. Brook Lopez hasn't hit his ceiling, but one would hope he becomes a better rebounder.

26. DETROIT (30-52) - There is reason to hope now that Lawrence Frank is there. He should have more credibility with this squad, which openly revolted against their coach last year. Still, they're not going anywhere, and Rip Hamilton knows it. Between him, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villenueva, they're not getting their money's worth. But they do have Greg Monroe, they now have Brandan Knight to learn from and likely replace Rodney Stuckey, and if they can reboot with a big trade this season, more power to them. They need it.

25. WASHINGTON (23-59) - Jan Vesely's supposed to be a great dunker, but I'm not fully sold on this Euro. I still see John Wall trying to be the next Derrick Rose and trying to do too much. Hopefully they can keep Nick Young, and Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee continue to improve. They'll get what they can out of Rashard Lewis, and I do see them improving slightly over last year, but playoffs? No.

24. GOLDEN STATE (36-46) - I see them being a little worse this year. Why? Their new head coach has no coaching experience. Mark Jackson's a smart guy, but he's too big a question mark. Steph Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee sounds like a solid enough group, and maybe Klay Thompson will live up to his hyped shooting ability, but where's the defense going to come from?

23. SACRAMENTO (24-58) - The Kings should be on national TV the first week. Maybe they are, I haven't looked, but the Jimmer has injected life into a great basketball city that hasn't had much reason to cheer lately. I hope they do well, and I hope they start selling out games again. I see the West as too tough for them to get back to the playoffs this year. I think they're going to regret taking back John Salmons. But just watching Jimmer, Tyreke and DeMarcus on the floor at the same time will be worth tuning in for whenever we get to see them.

22. CHARLOTTE (34-48) - By trading away Stephen Jackson, they went into reboot mode, and by drafting Kemba Walker, they're sending a signal to DJ Augustin. They overpaid for Tyrus Thomas and they still have some other undesirable contracts (why did Boris Diaw making so much again?), and this is a franchise that has a history of underperforming.

21. L.A. CLIPPERS (32-50) - Yes, Blake Griffin is awesome, but they're the Clippers. Maybe a full year of having Mo Williams and Eric Gordon on the perimeter will give Blake more space. Maybe they'll make a valuable trade for Chris Kaman. Has to hurt they lost out on Kyrie Irving just to get rid of Baron Davis.

20. MILWAUKEE (35-47) - I think they got the better deal in the Sacramento trade, but it's up in the air if a full season of Brandon Jennings, Stephen Jackson and Andrew Bogut will get you back in the playoffs.

19. PHOENIX (40-42) - Jason Richardson, Grant Hill and Vince Carter are gone, and Steve Nash has one more year, but really this team is going nowhere. Josh Childress was a disappointment. Aaron Brooks, Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez are good pieces, but this franchise needs a good free agent signing to have a prayer at the playoffs. And even then they'd be an easy first-round exit. They traded several draft picks over the years so saving money and now they're paying for not growing their own stars. It's also curious they went with Markieff Morris when Marcus Morris and Kawhi Leonard were still available.

18. NEW ORLEANS (46-36) - I put them here because the Sword of Damocles is going to hang over them all season. They probably won't get David West back and if he doesn't get injured, they'll probably trade Chris Paul. I therefore see this team imploding.

17. UTAH (39-43) - Sure they would have made the playoffs if they were in the East, but 1.) they're not, and 2.) they had a winning record before Jerry Sloan retired and Deron Williams was traded. The team fell apart a bit there in the end. Now this season they hope Devin Harris stays healthy, and their lottery-pick rookies (Enes Kanter, Alec Burks) and sophomores (Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward) pan out. Free agents Andrei Kirilenko, Kyrylo Fesenko and Francisco Elson won't be back, but they still have a logjam of big men with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Mehmet Okur there. They might do a medical buyout of Okur, or more likely, use him as trade bait. Power forwards Millsap and Jeremy Evans will try some time at the 3 spot, but this will CJ Miles make-or-break year to prove he's a starter. With Miles and Raja Bell playing erratically on offense, they could really use another shooter. Plenty of questions surround this team. Do they trade Jefferson or Millsap as well to get Favors and Kanter more minutes? Can Corbin coach with an offseason under this belt? How will team chemistry be? My bet is they end up around 44-38 and miss the playoffs.

Whose NBA contract would they cut?

Fox Sports asks the question: if owners of NBA teams were allowed to get rid of one contract on their team, who would they pick? These were their answers:

Player - Team - $ in million owed / how many year left on deal

Atlanta - Joe Johnson - $107 / 5
Boston - Jermaine O'Neal - $6.2 / 1
Charlotte - Tyrus Thomas - $33 / 4
Chicago - Carlos Boozer - $60.6 / 4
Cleveland - Baron Davis - $28.8 / 2
Dallas - Brendan Haywood - $34.9 / 4
Denver - Al Harrington - $27.5 / 4
Detroit - Rip Hamilton - $25.2 / 2
Golden State - Andris Biedrins - $27 / 3
Houston - Hasheem Thabeet - $5.1 / 1
Indiana - James Posey - $6.9 / 1
LA Clippers - Chris Kaman - $12.2 / 1
LA Lakers - Luke Walton - $11.8 / 2
Memphis - Rudy Gay - $68.3 / 4
Miami - Mike Miller - $24 / 4
Milwaukee - Drew Gooden - $24.3 / 4
Minnesota - Nikola Pekovic - $9 / 2
New Jersey - Travis Outlaw - $28 / 4
New Orleans - Emeka Okafor - $40.6 / 3
New York - Renaldo Balkman - $3.4 / 2
OKC - Kendrick Perkins - $32.6 / 4
Orlando - Gilbert Arenas - $62.4 / 3
Philadelphia - Elton Brand - $35.2 / 2
Phoenix - Josh Childress - $27 / 4
Portland - Brandon Roy - $49.1 / 3
Sacramento - Francisco Garcia - $11.9 / 2
San Antonio - Richard Jefferson - $30.5 / 3
Toronto - Amir Johnson - $25 / 4
Utah - Mehmet Okur - $10.9 / 1
Washington - Rashard Lewis - $45.9 / 2

Can't say I disagree with any. As far as the Jazz go, Okur is at best a trade piece. In fact, I think most Jazz fans would rather trade Raja Bell, a fan favorite during his first stint here, but since the big re-signing, he proved to be the one guy that dragged down the rest of the starting line-up, and that would give more time to rookie Alec Burks, sophomore Gordon Hayward and CJ Miles.

I asked one local radio producer, and he said Al Jefferson. Big Al may have been their leading scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker last year, but the Jazz are a lottery team, and they have Favors and Kanter now. Al has two years and $29 million left on his deal.

The Utah Jazz draft Kanter/Burks

#3 Enes Kanter - C
#12 Alec Burks - SG

Overall, I think I'm good with this. Would've liked Walker or Fredette to fall to #12 so the Jazz could get that dynamic backup point guard, but Burks has athleticism, and hopefully he can improve his outside shot. Kanter is a big question mark. High risk/high reward thing. There were intriguing guys available - Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Chris Singleton - so now time will tell if they made the right choice. Gordon Hayward's panning out, so the Jazz seem to know what they're doing with lottery picks.

Dallas Mavericks win NBA championship!

In the past 27 years, only the Lakers, Bulls, Pistons, Spurs, Rockets, Celtics and Heat have won the championship, but now you can add the Mavericks.

It was a team win vs. 3 stars and their role-players.

Some thoughts on Game 6:

- LeBron James may have led his team in scoring but he was -24 on the floor. With a final score of 105-95, LBJ did more harm than good on the floor.

- Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Brian Cardinal were +18.

- Despite his terrible shooting this game, Dirk Nowitzki really was the MVP of the series. He did have 11 rebounds this game, but this game, Jason Terry was the MVP. 27 points on 11-16 shooting.

This was a very satisfying Finals. My favorite since the 2008 Celtics-Lakers series anyway.

Mavericks tie series at 2-2

No thoughts on Game 3 cuz I didn't watch it. But Game 4...

- On the Heat, Dwyane Wade played like a champion. His teammates played like Finals participants.

- It's unfair to compare Dirk's flu game to Michael Jordan's flu game because MJ is the best player in NBA history. Dirk still had 21 and 11 and his team won.

- Dirk's teammates stepped up. Tyson Chandler was a rebounding beast, Jason Terry was making his shots, JJ Barea had his spurts, Shawn Marion got his points. Good team effort.

- The defense of the two teams is what makes this the best finals in years, even if Miami winds up winning.

- These playoffs were one possession away from Dallas being up 3-1, and two possessions away from Miami sweeping the series.

- LeBron James led the Heat in rebounds and assists, but that 3-11 shooting line is what everyone's going to pounce on.

- One reason Udonis Haslem plays such good defense on Dirk in the fourth is the refs are giving him a lot of leeway. There were some slo-mo replays where Haslem's draped all over him as Dirk was running to the basket. I get the feeling on those if Dirk missed, whistles would've blown.

Mavericks beat Heat in Game 2

Some thoughts on Game 2:

- The "celebration" by Dwyane Wade that put Miami up 88-73 wasn't something I haven't seen a hundred times this year from players hitting a big shot, putting their team up that much more, that prompts the opposing coach to call time out. Jason Terry's done it many times. BUT if that motivates the Mavs to dig in, and it spurs them to close the game on a 22-5 run, more power to them.

- When the score went to 88-75, Jeff Van Gundy pointed out that Dallas is very capable of fourth-quarter comebacks.

- Few people can guard Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Bosh is not one of them. But Udonis Haslem was late on the help defense for Dirk's game-winning lay-up.

- A stat I hear on ESPN afterwards: whichever team in the NBA Finals wins Game 3 when it's 1-1 always wins the championship.

Heat beat Mavericks in Game 1

Some thoughts on Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

- Great defense from both teams. The coaching staffs did their homework and then some on each other.

- Heat outrebounded Mavs 46-36. I think that was as big a factor as anything.

- Dallas needs more from their bench. They can't afford to have Jason Terry, JJ Barea, Peja Stoyakovic and Brendan Haywood go 4-22 shooting. By comparison, the Heat bench was 8-22. Again, good defensive night, but Dallas's bench is more important than Miami's bench.

- Dirk did everything he could. He was relentless in attacking the rim, and Dallas overall had the free-throw-attempt advantage. Shawn Marion was good too, but Dirk needs more help.

- I don't know why Mike Bibby starts. He should be a DNP-CD. Just start Mario Chalmers and be done with it.

- Udonis Haslem is a glue guy that was key tonight.

- Game 2 will really test Rick Carlisle's mettle as a coach. If he can make the adjustments and steal one on the road, he's a stud.

- I'm rooting for the Mavericks. For the past 27-ish years, only seven teams have won the NBA Finals. Which is just one reason why the NFL is better than the NBA. If you're not a fan of the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Spurs, Rockets, Pistons or Heat, why watch the NBA? I'd like someone else to break through, and the Dallas Mavericks have Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stoyakovic, i.e., hard-working veterans who've earned their places in the NBA.

- Since Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1998, only two teams have won the NBA Finals without Shaq, Kobe or Tim Duncan. (The 2004 Pistons and the 2008 Celtics). And both of those times, Kobe was on the other team in the Finals. If the Heat win, you can swap Shaq for D-Wade and that statement will still be true.

- The Heat are going to dominate the NBA for the next five years. Ring-hungry vets are going to fight to get on to the Heat bench every year.

Utah Jazz land #3 pick

I'm thrilled. Sure, landing #1 or #2 would have been more thrilling, but I'm relieved they got this pick. My hunch is they use it on Brandan Knight, unless someone else really impresses them in the next month, or David Kahn of Minnesota (with #2 pick) gambles ahead of them for Knight, and the Jazz have Derrick Williams fall to them.

With Knight at #3, my guess is they hope Jan Vesely or Alec Burks or Bismack Biyombo or Kawhi Leonard is still there at #12. I could also see them packing #12 in a draft-day trade.

Hours before the Ping-Pong Balls Bounce

The Utah Jazz have never won the NBA draft lottery. Granted, they're rarely there, but the last time they were in the top four, they fell to #6. They made some deals, though, to move u to #3 and were able to pick Deron Williams, who in two years had the team in the Western Conference Finals.

Williams is gone, and the Jazz got for him Devin Harris, last year's #3 Derrick Favors, this year's #6 (if nothing changes), and next year's Golden State pick Top-7 protected.

Now next year's draft looks like it will be one of the deepest in history so even if the Jazz wind up around #11 with that pick, they can still get a potential All-Star out of there. This year, however, is projected to be the weakest in a decade, and if the Jazz don't land in the top 2, I think the best they'll get are two role-players.

Now there are always surprise players who fall to late first-round or second-round who become stars, but history bears out that the lower the pick, the greater the odds the player won't pan out. And even then, the #1 pick has included players like Kwame Brown and Michael Olowokandi, the #2 pick has included Darko Milicic and Marvin Williams, etc.


I do think Kyrie Irving (PG) and Derrick Williams (SF/PF) will be legitimate stars in this league. I think Brandan Knight will be a top-ten point guard. Everyone else in this draft to me is a question mark.

So if the Jazz wind up staying at #6 and #12 (or worse, #7 and #12), then luck's going to have to be a major lady. Is it possible for a franchise-changer in this weak draft to wind up there? Sure. Is it likely? No. And without a returning All-Star on the team and a Hall of Fame coach walking the sidelines, there's also no guarantee the Jazz won't be back for many years to come.

ESPN's Around the Horn watch

I watch more of this show than I should, as I only care about football and basketball. Don't mention baseball to me until the playoffs, and I'm not about to pretend I care about hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, etc. So it's to these guys' credit that I still watch 3-4 times a week.

The show hasn't missed a step since firing Jay Mariotti with a deep roster of old and young pros.

Of the older types, I like Bob Ryan, Bill Plaschke, Woody Paige and Jackie McMullan. As for the rest, I enjoy JA Adande, Michael Smith, Kevin Blackistone and Tim Cowlishaw.

Gordon Hayward is a stud

The rookie out of Butler scored 34 points in the Jazz's final game of the season. At least they didn't have a losing home record.

So between him and Favors, and two lotto picks this summer, things aren't looking so bad. This really isn't a good year for the Jazz to have a looming lockout. Coach Ty Corbin needs to be able to work with his staff, develop schemes, work the summer league, etc.

My NBA Awards

MVP
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are co-MVPs. Kobe's having another great year but the support he's been getting from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom is invaluable. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are another great one-two punch out there. But...

Dwight Howard is a machine in Orlando, and Stan Van's rightfully pumping him up. Also, Dirk showed just how vulnerable his team is when he's not playing. But Derrick Rose has pushed the Bulls to be the best team in the East when his two best supporting players - Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah - each missed significant time.

1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
3. Dwight Howard, Magic

Coach of the Year
Jerry Sloan did a great job covering up a lot of holes. He retired when the Jazz were 31-23, and the subsequence collapse of the team showed just how valuable he was. Erik Spoelstra got things under control after a 9-8 start for the Heat. Doug Collins (76ers) and Lionel Hollins (Grizzlies) got their teams to the playoffs, when no one expected it. And of course, the boytoy Phil Jackson (Lakers) is keeping the most expensive team in the NBA afloat. But...

The Spurs have the best record in the NBA when they're supposed to be getting too old. Tim Duncan's older and slower maybe, but really, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are not that old. And Thibodeau's defensive schemes are really paying off. But when I look at the turmoil in Denver, the Melo drama, the mid-season trade, he successfully coached two turbulent rosters.

1. George Karl, Nuggets
2. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls
3. Gregg Popovich, Spurs

Rookie of the Year
There's zero - ZERO - question who the winner is.

1. Blake Griffin, Clippers
2. John Wall, Wizards
3. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

Sixth Man of the Year
Let's face it. Odom starts on at least two-thirds of other rosters in the NBA.

1. Lamar Odom, Lakers
2. Jason Terry, Mavericks
3. CJ Miles, Jazz

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Joakim Noah, Bulls
3. Grant Hill, Suns

Most Improved Player of the Year
1. LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
2. Kevin Love, Timberwolves
3. Derrick Rose, Bulls

NBA Rookie Watch

Rookie Watch
The Per 36 Minutes stats.

1. JOHN WALL
PER 15.2 / pts 15.3 / rbs 4.2 / ast 8.2 / stl 1.5 / blk 0.4 / fg% .405 / 3p% .290

2. EVAN TURNER
PER 10.2 / pts 11.0 / rbs 6.2 / ast 2.0 / stl 0.6 / blk 0.2 / fg% .419 / 3p% .275

3. DERRICK FAVORS
PER 13.4 / pts 12.3 / rbs 9.6 / ast 0.8 / stl 0.6 / blk 1.5 / fg% .515 / 3p% ---

4. WESLEY JOHNSON
PER 10.0 / pts 12.4 / rbs 4.1 / ast 2.6 / stl 0.9 / blk 0.9 / fg% .401 / 3p% .356

5. DEMARCUS COUSINS
PER 14.3 / pts 17.9 / rbs 10.9 / ast 3.1 / stl 1.3 / blk 1.1 / fg% .428 / 3p% .176

6. EKPE UDOH
PER 9.7 / pts 8.6 / rbs 6.3 / ast 1.4 / stl 0.7 / blk 2.9 / fg% .446 / 3p% ---

7. GREG MONROE
PER 17.5 / pts 12.0 / rbs 9.6 / ast 1.5 / stl 1.5 / blk 0.7 / fg% .548 / 3p% ---

8. AL-FAROUQ AMINU
PER 9.9 / pts 11.6 / rbs 6.6 / ast 1.5 / stl 1.5 / blk 0.7 / fg% .391 / 3p% .321

9. GORDON HAYWARD
PER 9.2 / pts 10.2 / rbs 4.4 / ast 2.3 / stl 0.9 / blk 0.7 / fg% .452 / 3p% .434

10. PAUL GEORGE
PER 13.4 / pts 13.7 / rbs 6.6 / ast 1.9 / stl 1.9 / blk 0.8 / fg% .450 / 3p% .270

11. COLE ALDRICH
PER 7.1 / pts 4.6 / rbs 8.9 / ast 1.0 / stl 1.3 / blk 1.8 / fg% .533 / 3p% ---

12. XAVIER HENRY
PER 7.0 / pts 11.3 / rbs 2.5 / ast 1.2 / stl 0.8 / blk 0.2 / fg% .406 / 3p% .118

13. ED DAVIS
PER 15.7 / pts 10.8 / rbs 10.6 / ast 0.8 / stl 0.9 / blk 1.6 / fg% .576 / 3p% ---

14. PATRICK PATTERSON
PER 17.0 / pts 13.5 / rbs 8.7 / ast 1.8 / stl 0.8 / blk 1.6 / fg% .557 / 3p% ---

15. LARRY SANDERS
PER 10.9 / pts 10.8 / rbs 7.3 / ast 0.7 / stl 0.9 / blk 2.9 / fg% .427 / 3p% ---

16. LUKE BABBITT
PER -0.6 / pts 8.3 / rbs 6.5 / ast 0.7 / stl 0.7 / blk 0.4 / fg% .286 / 3p% .091

17. KEVIN SERAPHIN
PER 9.0 / pts 9.3 / rbs 8.7 / ast 0.6 / stl 0.9 / blk 1.7 / fg% .452 / 3p% ---

55. JEREMY EVANS
PER 19.6 / pts 15.2 / rbs 7.7 / ast 1.6 / stl 1.3 / blk 1.4 / fg% .673 / 3p% ---

Now I threw in Evans because I'm Jazz-centric but also to give some perspective to the Per-36 stats. Evans' numbers look great, but they don't take into account he's averaged only 8.7 minutes a game this season. When Evans does enter, he's a burst of energy and scores quickly via alley-oop dunks or mid-range jumpers, but he's often quickly yanked because he's the lightest power forward in the league. I think the most minutes he's ever played in a game was 22.

But it still brings out revealing things when comparing to each other. I remember on draft night, just about every fan in our 1320kfan.com chatroom was upset over the Jazz taking Hayward at #9. There was hope against hope that Jazz brass might be able to swing a trade up, or that Greg Monroe or Al-Farouq Aminu might slip to #9. Most on the blog wanted a big man, as Boozer was leaving, Okur was injured, and no one had any idea of an Al Jefferson trade.

To evalutate the draft, it's best to look at the guys that were drafted after him. I remember more than one guy was clamoring for Luke Babbitt, and had that been the pick, Kevin O'Connor would likely be fired this summer. But I was in the Ed Davis or Cole Aldrich camp. Davis is doing about as well as I thought he would, whereas Aldrich has had a disappointing year. One of the knocks on Patterson was that he's an undersized power forward, and after watching Pau Gasol dwarf Boozer and Millsap in the playoffs, the Jazz did not need any more undersized players.

So plusses for Hayward, he's the best shooter of the 1-2-3's. He's certainly doing better than Henry and Babbitt, whose draft stock at the time were about even with Hayward. And as the Jazz have been getting more and more injuries, Hayward's been getting more time, and his per-game numbers are improving. I think he'll have a solid sophomore year, to the point he'd have a shot making the sophomore squad during the All-Star break.

Thoughts on Jazz loss to Wizards

- Since Feb. 1, the Jazz are 7-19, one of the worst teams in the NBA. Al Jefferson came from Minnesota only to see his new team become just as dysfunctional as his old team.

- John Wall got whatever he wanted in the first half and it didn't matter who guarded him. 24 points in the first half. Jazz played mostly zone in the second half and Wall went scoreless.

- As wounded as the Jazz are, the Wizards are equally injured. They didn't have Blatche or Nick Young or Rashard Lewis and yet they still won. The Jazz have annually been one of the best home-courts in the NBA and they lost to the worst road team in the NBA.

- I was there in the upper bowl cheering my team on, but it wasn't really until the fourth quarter with the line-up of Ronnie Price, CJ Miles, Gordon Hayward, Jeremy Evans and Derrick Favors that the crowd came alive and were on their feet. For the first three quarters we watched a lot of stagnant offense and lapsing defense.

- As much as I appreciate coach Ty Corbin sticking with the youngsters in the fourth, I really wish he'd recognized that after a while Ronnie Price was doing more harm than good. I'm pretty confident that if he'd put Earl Watson back in with five minutes to go in regulation, the Jazz would've won that game.

- They were five seconds away from winning it anyway, but alas, Jordan Crawford's step-back jumper went in.

- CJ Miles is 12% from 3-point land over the past five games.

- I'm convinced the Jazz need to draft a point guard and a wing. They're solid with big men (Jefferson, Favors, Millsap, Okur, and maybe Ante Tomic) but Raja Bell is a black hole of production. He's good enough to be on the court but bad enough to kill your chances of winning. He's at an 8.2 PER right now, one of the least productive starters in the league. They should trade him or buy him out this summer.

- Despite all the woes, the ESA was pretty fully. I'd bet at least 85% of seats sold.

Jazz back to .500

The Jazz started out 27-13 and have since gone 9-23. It's been one of the most unusual team collapses in the NBA in several years. The Jazz are now 11th in the West (they'd be 6th in the East.)

Looking at their remaining schedule, and based on the way they've been playing, the 36-36 Jazz will be lucky to hit 40 wins. So where does this franchise go?

Let's pretend there will be a season next year and explore their options.

Current roster, and how much time's left on their contracts:
PG-Devin Harris - 2 years
PG-Earl Watson - FA
PG-Ronnie Price - FA
SG-Raja Bell - 2 years
SG-CJ Miles - 1 year
SF-Andrei Kirilenko - FA
SF-Gordon Hayward - rookie contract
PF-Paul Millsap - 2 years
PF-Derrick Favors - rookie contract
PF-Jeremy Evans - 1 year
C-Al Jefferson - 2 years
C-Mehmet Okur - 1 year
C-Francisco Elson - FA
C-Kyrylo Fesenko - FA

This is a team that needs to rebuild, and yet they'll want to win while rebuilding. last time this process was quick. When Stockton and Malone left, people looked at the rag-tag roster of Kirilenko, Bell, Matt Harpring, Carlos Arroyo, Mikki Moore, etc., and said the cupboard was bare. And yet Jerry Sloan managed to coach that team to 42-40, barely missing the playoffs. Next year they sign Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, but a slew of injuries resulted in that team stumbling to 26-56. BUT that allowed them to draft Deron Williams, and two years later they were in the Western Conference Finals.

Sloan is gone, Williams is gone, Boozer is gone. My guess is the rebuilding will take longer. Tyrone Corbin wasn't able to stop the skid when Sloan retired; we'll see how he does when he has time with his team.

First is the draft. They'll likely have the #6 and #12 picks. If they land in the top 3, they should consider PG Kyrie Irving, SF Harrison Barnes or SF Derrick Williams. It's too soon to really know; there's still an NCAA tournament going on and some of the top prospects might stay in college due to the lockout. If they get Irving with their top pick, they should get the best wing available at #12. Conversely, if they get a wing with their first pick, they should see who's left of Brandan Knight, Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette and Alec Burks at #12 and pick their favorite.

Next is free agents. I honestly don't see any of them returning. Kirilenko will take the mid-level somewhere else. I also see them seeing if they can work trades to ship out Raja Bell and/or Mehmet Okur. Bell's been a disappointment for his second go-around with the Jazz. He was brought on for veteran leadership and perimter defense, and while he's by all accounts a good voice in the locker room, the Jazz are one of the worst perimeter-defending teams in the league. Sloan should have exchanged Bell for CJ Miles in the starting line-up three month ago, but hindsight's hindsight. Meanwhile Okur was never able to return to a fraction of his former self pre-injury. Okur is in the last year of his deal, so that might be worth something to other teams.

The future is Jefferson, Favors, Miles, Hayward, Millsap, maybe Harris, and their draft picks. Maybe if Sloan was still around I might believe they could pull something off. Now we're entering the wide unknown.

Why Donald Sterling and David Stern Are Scumbags

That's the bottom line here anyway. Makes me side a little bit more with the players, a lot more with coaches.

Depleted Jazz beat Raptors

I wouldn't blame too much on injuries usually, but considering the Jazz were missing Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, Francisco Elson and Ronnie Price, they've been pretty thin. Tonight was a night for the rookies to show what they can do, and they didn't take full advantage.

Gordon Hayward was pretty good on his man, and he had one great sequence where he blocked a shot, recovered it, then threw an assist to Al Jefferson for an easy lay-in. Otherwise Hayward went scoreless.

Derrick Favors will get there, but tonight wasn't his night. He ended with 3 points.

This was a night where Al Jefferson (34 pts/8 rbs), CJ Miles (23 pts/7 rbs), and Devin Harris (23 pts/5 asts) showed up and few others did. Who was next in scoring? Raja Bell with 5 points.

Jazz win 96-94 with a thrilling tip-in by Big Al at the buzzer. Jazz probably have to go 12-5 to end the season if they want to make the playoffs. Looking at their remaining schedule, I'd say they'd be lucky to go 9-8.

Jazz go 1-2 in Harris/Favors era

- I didn't think the Jazz were going to beat the Celtics. It wound up being frustrating that they came so close only to have a couple bad calls and miracle Ray Allen shots help the Celts squeak out the 107-102 win.

- I do think this team still has a chance to make the playoffs. They're now 10th in the West at 32-29, but two teams above them - Denver and Memphis - could falter. I think Portland getting Gerald Wallace for nothing will keep them in the playoffs, and Phoenix has been playing too well of late.

- Harris isn't going to be the assist machine that Deron Williams was, but when I look at D-Will's box scores in New Jersey (0-3 in their D-Will era), his shot is still off and I don't think the Jazz's record would be any better. Harris seems more willing to run an up-tempo offense.

- Raja Bell has been a disappointment all year. They signed him as a veteran to contribute to a team fighting for home-court advantage. His skills are diminished, and the Jazz should recommit to the youth movement and trade him in the off-season. Part of me hopes they sign another 2-guard, one more consistant than Bell or Miles or Price. Such a 2-guard is likely not available.

- In tonight's loss, Gordon Hayward looked good and Bell did not, and I was disappointed when coach Corbin put Bell back in in the fourth. I say start Miles at the 2 and give Hayward serious time at the 2 and 3. I'd also like to see them find a way to get Favors more time but it depends on which of Jefferson or Millsap is having the off-night.

I guess my ideal would be Harris, Miles, Kirilenko, Millsap, Jefferson, with the bench minutes going to Hayward, Watson, Favors and Bell. Nine-man rotation. I don't foresee a reason beyond foul trouble to play Price or Fesenko again. (What will they do when Okur's healthy enough to return?)

- Sad to see Al Jefferson's 28-point 17-rebound night go to waste.

Jazz trade away Deron Williams

In the end, Greg Miller felt like Deron Williams was going to bolt for a bigger market in 2012, so he pulled the trigger, sending away the best player the Jazz have ever had since Stockton and Malone.

The Jazz get in return Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and two 1st round picks from the Nets.

The numbers:

D. Williams 37.9 mpg 21. ppg 9.7 apg 3.9 rpg 1.2 spg .23 bpg .458 / .345 / .853

D. Harris 31.9 mpg 15. ppg 7.6 apg 2.4 rpg 1.0 spg .11 bpg .425 / .300 / .840
D. Favors 19.5 mpg 6.3 ppg 0.4 apg 5.3 rpg .32 spg .71 bpg .511 / .000 / .612

In the long run it might pay off. In the short run it sucks.

Jazz 0-2 in Ty Corbin era

The Jazz narrowly lost to the Phoenix Suns 102-101 last night. They only had nine healthy bodies on the roster, but they had good enough games out of everyone that if Deron Williams or Paul Millsap could've just played their average stats they would've won.

The Jazz started 15-5, and have since gone 16-20. They're now only a half-game ahead of Memphis for the 8th spot in the playoffs. They went 15-5 without Mehmet Okur, so him still being injured isn't to blame. Andrei Kirilenko's been in and out of the line-up with injuries, and I get the feeling he's going to stay injured until the trade deadline passes. Raja Bell and Ronnie Price's injuries don't help, but Earl Watson, Gordon Hayward and CJ Miles have been stepping up.

But what to make of the Utah Jazz this season? Jerry Sloan said he doesn't have the energy he used to, and that's why he turned the team over to Tyrone Corbin. Is it too late for Corbin to figure out what ails this team? And by "ail" I don't mean injuries. Overall the Jazz's top seven players have more talent than the Suns' top seven, so what gives? What can they do?

Corbin needs to figure out how to get good games out of Millsap and Al Jefferson on the same night. The pick-and-roll worked early with Jefferson and that's where they went. He also needs his guards to get their shooting touch back. CJ Miles went 8-for-19 and D-Will went 2-for-11 last night. Either of those guys makes one more shot and they win it.

My understanding is the 2011 first-round pick the Jazz sent to Minnesota for Al Jefferson (along with a Memphis first-round pick and Kosta Koufos) is lottery-protected. Kevin O'Connor was probably comfortable it wouldn't be necessary, but right now he's got to be glad he at least had the foresight for a "just in case."

Maybe the Jazz will be able to integrate Al Jefferson more efficiently next year, but right now some of those players must miss Carlos Boozer.

Jerry Sloan resigns as Utah Jazz head coach

I was at the Jazz-Thunder game where Russell Westbrook torched Deron Williams, and the Jazz lost 121-105, the first time I've ever attended a Jazz loss.

After the Jazz lost to the Bulls, I realized that after the Jazz's 15-5 start, they'd gone 16-18. Something needed to change.

But I was thinking trade. I never thought Jerry Sloan would just resign mid-season. Now Tyrone Corbin is the new head coach, and it's his job to get the Jazz a higher playoff seed than seventh, which is where they'd be if the playoffs started today.

I'm glad Ty Corbin was there in th wings to take over; I'm looking forward to see what he can do with this team. At the same time, it's strange. I moved to Utah in 1989, and Jerry Sloan has been the coach the entire time.

Jazz beat Bobcats

The Jazz have won 2 of their last 3 games, and have done so without Deron Williams.

I attended the Monday night game and this is what I saw.

- The Jazz started 11-0 in the first quarter and 11-0 in the third quarter with Earl Watson at point guard. Due to foul trouble he only played 19 minutes but he was +26 for the night. I remember at one point turning and saying 'Earl has to be a +30 right now."

- With Earl in the game, the offense seemed to flow fluidly. The bigs knew they had to step with DWill out and they showed the effort. AK, Jefferson and Millsap each had double-digits rebounds.

- It wasn't solely Price's fault they looked bad. AK47 had 7 turnovers. They were several times they overpassed, guys looking afraid to be the one to actually take the shot.

- The Jazz have never lost a game I've attended. In twenty years. My streak remains.

Al Jefferson's defensive deficiencies, etc.

With the Jazz losing six in a row, trade rumors are starting to increase, and they should. The Jazz looked poised to take the #2 seed a week and a half ago, but after losing six games, they find themselves in 7th. If they started the playoffs today, they'd be on the road against the Lakers and they'd get swept again.

Carlos Boozer was criticized for this soft defense when he was here, but rebounding is a big part of defense, and they really miss him in that regard. Al Jefferson may be taller than Boozer and get more blocks, but he's slower, not as good at rebounding, and has yet to look comfortable in the Jazz system. The Jazz offense depends on movement, and Jefferson tends to plant himself in the block and turns to face his opponent once it's thrown to him. When Big Al gets the ball, the offensive flow just dies, and four guys watch to see if Al's going to shoot a jumper or spin in for a push-shot.

The Jazz defense depends a lot on help defense. How many times have we seen a wing get by the guard, only to see the big men down low be too slow to fill the lane and prevent the layup? And there has to be a reason why the Jazz are allowing more offesnive rebounds from their opponents than just about any season in Jerry Sloan's 21 years?

The thinking was that Jefferson was just stuck on a really bad team (the T-Wolves) and on a winning team with an All-Star point guard, he'd blossom into an All-Star himself. It hasn't worked out that way.

The Jazz gave up two draft picks and went deep into the luxury tax to acquire Jefferson, proving they want to win. But since starting 15-5, the Jazz have gone 12-14. They're on pace to fall into the lottery, and if Kevin O'Connor didn't put any protections on either first-rounder he gave away, he may regret it.

Al Jefferson is not the main problemn, but he is the most expensive one. He's signed through the 2012-2013 season, the last year of which he'll make $15 million. You get paid like that, you should be an All-Star.

Then there's Andrei Kirilenko. He was an All-Star once, and he hasn't played like it ever since he got his All-Star payday. He tries, he hustles, but my guess is he leads the team in missed layups. He's in the last year of his deal, owed $17 million. Excellent trade bait, wouldn't you think?

Then there's Raja Bell, a free agent signing. He's up there in age, but in his prime he was a solid outside threat and a great perimeter defender. The thought-process was that since he's been largely injured the past two years, his legs are younger. But a look at his on-floor, off-floor numbers show he's one of the weakest links in the Jazz chain.

The starting lineup is one of the worst in the NBA in efficiency. Deron Williams may be the best point guard in the NBA, but he doesn't have running-slashing-stealing Ronnie Brewer anymore, or most-improved-player candidate Wesley Matthews. He has Raja Bell. Bell is not the defender he used to be, and while his shooting percentages look fine, they don't seem to go down when it matters. Bell's a great voice in the locker room, but it baffles me why he still starts.

Last year's 4/5 pair - Boozer/Okur - complimented each other. Boozer did the work down low while Okur forced one of their bigs out to the perimeter to defend him. If they double-teamed Booz, he could kick out to Okur, or Williams, or anyone moving. Millsap and Jefferson are both around the 16/8 mark - good on paper, right? - but Millsap offensive efficiency increases when Jefferson's off the floor. It's also clear Mehmet Okur is not the player he was before last season's injury.

What kept the Jazz in the division champion spot for so long was their bench. Earl Watson and Ronnie Price bring energy. If Price was an accurate shooter, he'd be an incredible asset. Jeremy Evans, on the rare nights he plays, can rack up points in a hurry with his leaping/dunking skills. Gordon Hayward, who looked like a bust early, has slowly been showing promise.

More on Hayward. The 2010 draft looked like eight players, and then everyone else. Sure Landry Fields and Eric Bledsoe have been better than projected, but really, the Jazz tried to move up in the draft but could find no takers, so of what was left, they took the kid from Butler. At least this kid showed he knew how to win. he still may. He's shown glimpses of craftiness on defense (he has more blocks than I expected) and as he gains confidence, his shot improves. He won't be an All-Star, but he should be a rotation player.

Every time the Jazz lose, the fanbase thinks, "Crap, we're going to lose Deron Williams to free-agency in 2012." D-Will is the best thing to happen to this franchise since the one-two drafting of Stockton and Malone. John & Karl have two NBA Finals appearances. D-Will wants at least the same thing, the chance at championships, and there's no Michael Jordan standing in his way. The Jazz as presently constituted will not get him there.

So I hope the Jazz are looking at trades. I hope Jerry Sloan swaps Raja Bell for CJ Miles in the starting lineup. CJ Miles has improved every year. D-Will is great; he did have 39 points and 9 assists against the best team in the NBA last night. They should be like that 15-5 team at the beginning, not the 12-14 of late.

Jazz lose ugly to Celtics 110-86

The Utah Jazz are in more than a slump. Since starting 15-5, they've gone 12-11. The Jazz are 9-33 in the first quarter. If they don't have any trade plans in the works, it's clear they need to change the starting lineup. They need something to get them to quit playing like a first-round exit team. My hope is that Jerry Sloan watched this game and decides to start CJ Miles or Gordon Hayward over Raja Bell.

Jazz start 2nd half of season 0-1

Going into New Jersey the Jazz (27-14) should have beaten the Nets (10-31). Instead the Jazz now find themselves 27-15, with their second straight loss to an Eastern Conference lottery team. What's going on?

Hard to say, but the Jazz are now 9-33 in the first quarter. The Jazz had bad first and third quarters again against the Nets. For some reason the starting lineup just can't seem to get it done, and if I look at the 82games stats, the statistical weak link is Raja Bell. I would encourage Jerry Sloan to try Gordon Hayward or CJ Miles in the starting linup and bring Bell off the bench.

Deron Williams got his 20 points and 10 assists, Al Jefferson had his 21 points, 8 rebounds and a block, but the Jazz were outrebounded 44-31 and Paul Millsap was limited by foul trouble. Francisco Elson (-13) and Mehmet Okur (-10) couldn't pick up the slack. There were several missed lay-ups. The energy just isn't there.

But the Jazz are also known for playing up to their competition, and they're going to need to in order to defeat the Boston Celtics and prevent their first three-game losing streak of the season.

Gordon Hayward lives!

When they're picking the NBA rookie squad for the All-Star break, Gordon Hayward needs them to ignore the first 31 games of the season. His season began three games ago. Here are his last of the past three games:

LAC - 43 min, 17 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast, 0 blk, 1 TO
POR - 25 min, 11 pts, 4 rbs, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 TO
MEM - 29 min, 13 pts, 4 rbs, 1 ast, 0 blk, 0 TO

Now those are numbers for a rookie who was ninth pick in the draft.