Utah Jazz 98, Denver Nuggets 94
Both teams were without their best players (Gold-medalists Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony), but I never doubted the Jazz wouldn't pull it out, even when it was tied in the fourth. Carlos Boozer started strong and didn't let up. Andrei Kirilenko seemed to enjoy his new role of leader of the second unit. Meanwhile the energy of the Nuggets was unfocussed at times, leading to turnovers and missed shots after each burst of scoring.
This game bodes well for the Jazz, in that they should be able to hold down the fort until D-Will rejoins them next week. Their next two games are against the Clippers.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
NBA Preseason Rankings - West
Western
1. L.A. LAKERS - The last time the Lakers lost in an ugly Finals, the team blew apart. This time, Phil and Kobe aren't going anywhere. Their only off-season loss of note was Ronny Turiaf, and they'll be getting back a healthy Andrew Bynum. Kobe's the reigning MVP, and who's going to knock him off the mountain? The question is going to be chemistry. How will Bynum, Gasol and Odom all play together in the front-court?
2. UTAH - They went 38-16 after getting Kyle Korver, and since they only lost third-string point-guard Jason Hart for slight upgrade Brevin Knight, they should be able to keep that chemistry. This is still a young team, and all indications are that Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer can still get better. They need Mehmet Okur to start well, and they need CJ Miles to be a stable backup at the 3 until Matt Harpring gets back. They have two 7-foot projects in Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos who will probably spend a lot of the season in the D-League unless the Jazz get a few more injuries.
3. NEW ORLEANS - They picked up James Posey and only lost PJ Brown. They have playoff experience. Chris Paul's the most explosive point guard in the game, and Tyson Chandler's one of the best defensive centers. They will have a good combo of outside shooting (Paul, Posey, Mo Peterson, Peja Stoyakovic) and inside scoring (Chandler, David West). But they need to find a consistant big-man player off the bench and hope that their frontline stays healthy.
4. HOUSTON - Ron Artest may be a head-case but he definitely improved Sacramento when he was there. Now that he's with a contender in Houston, I see him using this as his last real shot at a title. Not that he's that old, but really, if Yao and T-Mac still can't get out of the first round with him, what use is he? Brent Barry is there to provide outside shooting and a veteran example. Luis Scola's been a lucky pick-up. The question mark with them is health. Can all the main players stay healthy?
5. SAN ANTONIO - Four championships in seven years, and all those rings were in odd years. They can never be counted out until they lose in the first round. They won't have Manu Ginobili for a while with injuries, and that will affect their wins, which will ultimately affect their seeding. The main three are still solid, with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, but their surrounding cast is a year older without much youth on the bench.
6. PORTLAND - I see them making the jump. They faded a bit last year, but Greg Oden is here, LaMarcus Aldridge is a year better, Brandon Roy's a stud, they had a another great draft night. They'll love the playoffs but they have so much potential, I don't see them settling for a first-round exit.
7. PHOENIX - This will be the year the Suns set. I think this will be the year Steve Nash loses a step, and Shaq's not getting any better. However, if Amare Stoudamire and Leandro Barbosa are healthy, they should still get to the playoffs. But that will be it. They traded away a ton of draft picks to stay under the cap, but their cupboard's getting more and more bare.
8. DALLAS - Jason Kidd showed he could keep up with international competition, a crucial cog to getting the gold back for the USA. Now he'll get a full year to make sure he knows where Dirk Nowitzki likes the ball. They got DaSagna Diop back for defense. Their other pieces are still in place. Buuuut, there's no doubt in my mind the Kidd trade slammed the lid on Dirk ever getting his ring.
9. DENVER - I don't see how getting rid of Marcus Camby is going to make their chemistry or defense any better. They'll win a lot of games, and maybe even make the playoffs if Phoenix or Dallas falls faster than anyone thinks, but anything less than the second round will probably result in letting Iverson walk, or a George Karl firing, or both. But I think they'll need at least 48 wins to get to the playoffs and I don't see them quite getting there.
10. GOLDEN STATE - They lost Baron Davis, and they won't have Monta Ellis for a chunk of the season. They did get Corey Maggette, but he can't be The Guy. He's great if he's your third biggest star. But there's enough intriguing parts still there (Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Marcus Williams, Marco Bellinelli) to do some runnin' damage.
11. L.A. CLIPPERS - Time for Al Thornton to be the man, now that Elton Brand is gone. Baron Davis is an upgrade at point guard, but I don't see the Clips being any better than last year.
12. MINNESOTA - Randy Foye, Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes, Brian Cardinal... is it enough to make a jump? I doubt it.
13. MEMPHIS - Another team in that youth rebuilding mode. OJ Mayo should be a star, and running aside Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, it could happen in his rookie year. But outside that one neat year under Hubie Brown, this has been a losing franchise.
14. OKLAHOMA CITY - The fans will be there the first year, but even if Russell Westbrook is as good as they hope, how good can this team be? Two years from now, sure, but this year?
15. SACRAMENTO - Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia will keep them an occasional threat in games, but Brad Miller's declining and they don't have Bibby or Artest or Abdur-Rahim.
1. L.A. LAKERS - The last time the Lakers lost in an ugly Finals, the team blew apart. This time, Phil and Kobe aren't going anywhere. Their only off-season loss of note was Ronny Turiaf, and they'll be getting back a healthy Andrew Bynum. Kobe's the reigning MVP, and who's going to knock him off the mountain? The question is going to be chemistry. How will Bynum, Gasol and Odom all play together in the front-court?
2. UTAH - They went 38-16 after getting Kyle Korver, and since they only lost third-string point-guard Jason Hart for slight upgrade Brevin Knight, they should be able to keep that chemistry. This is still a young team, and all indications are that Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer can still get better. They need Mehmet Okur to start well, and they need CJ Miles to be a stable backup at the 3 until Matt Harpring gets back. They have two 7-foot projects in Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos who will probably spend a lot of the season in the D-League unless the Jazz get a few more injuries.
3. NEW ORLEANS - They picked up James Posey and only lost PJ Brown. They have playoff experience. Chris Paul's the most explosive point guard in the game, and Tyson Chandler's one of the best defensive centers. They will have a good combo of outside shooting (Paul, Posey, Mo Peterson, Peja Stoyakovic) and inside scoring (Chandler, David West). But they need to find a consistant big-man player off the bench and hope that their frontline stays healthy.
4. HOUSTON - Ron Artest may be a head-case but he definitely improved Sacramento when he was there. Now that he's with a contender in Houston, I see him using this as his last real shot at a title. Not that he's that old, but really, if Yao and T-Mac still can't get out of the first round with him, what use is he? Brent Barry is there to provide outside shooting and a veteran example. Luis Scola's been a lucky pick-up. The question mark with them is health. Can all the main players stay healthy?
5. SAN ANTONIO - Four championships in seven years, and all those rings were in odd years. They can never be counted out until they lose in the first round. They won't have Manu Ginobili for a while with injuries, and that will affect their wins, which will ultimately affect their seeding. The main three are still solid, with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, but their surrounding cast is a year older without much youth on the bench.
6. PORTLAND - I see them making the jump. They faded a bit last year, but Greg Oden is here, LaMarcus Aldridge is a year better, Brandon Roy's a stud, they had a another great draft night. They'll love the playoffs but they have so much potential, I don't see them settling for a first-round exit.
7. PHOENIX - This will be the year the Suns set. I think this will be the year Steve Nash loses a step, and Shaq's not getting any better. However, if Amare Stoudamire and Leandro Barbosa are healthy, they should still get to the playoffs. But that will be it. They traded away a ton of draft picks to stay under the cap, but their cupboard's getting more and more bare.
8. DALLAS - Jason Kidd showed he could keep up with international competition, a crucial cog to getting the gold back for the USA. Now he'll get a full year to make sure he knows where Dirk Nowitzki likes the ball. They got DaSagna Diop back for defense. Their other pieces are still in place. Buuuut, there's no doubt in my mind the Kidd trade slammed the lid on Dirk ever getting his ring.
9. DENVER - I don't see how getting rid of Marcus Camby is going to make their chemistry or defense any better. They'll win a lot of games, and maybe even make the playoffs if Phoenix or Dallas falls faster than anyone thinks, but anything less than the second round will probably result in letting Iverson walk, or a George Karl firing, or both. But I think they'll need at least 48 wins to get to the playoffs and I don't see them quite getting there.
10. GOLDEN STATE - They lost Baron Davis, and they won't have Monta Ellis for a chunk of the season. They did get Corey Maggette, but he can't be The Guy. He's great if he's your third biggest star. But there's enough intriguing parts still there (Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Marcus Williams, Marco Bellinelli) to do some runnin' damage.
11. L.A. CLIPPERS - Time for Al Thornton to be the man, now that Elton Brand is gone. Baron Davis is an upgrade at point guard, but I don't see the Clips being any better than last year.
12. MINNESOTA - Randy Foye, Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes, Brian Cardinal... is it enough to make a jump? I doubt it.
13. MEMPHIS - Another team in that youth rebuilding mode. OJ Mayo should be a star, and running aside Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, it could happen in his rookie year. But outside that one neat year under Hubie Brown, this has been a losing franchise.
14. OKLAHOMA CITY - The fans will be there the first year, but even if Russell Westbrook is as good as they hope, how good can this team be? Two years from now, sure, but this year?
15. SACRAMENTO - Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia will keep them an occasional threat in games, but Brad Miller's declining and they don't have Bibby or Artest or Abdur-Rahim.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
BYU over UCLA 59-0
I had a chance to take my 14-year-old son to the 59-0 clobbering of UCLA by BYU. It was amazing. It was 7-0 after one quarter, but in the second quarter it felt like there was a turnover on every Bruin possession. Even the receiving team fumbled it to BYU. Four touchdowns in six minutes by the Cougars. I had to pass on the chance to go to the BYU-Wyoming game, where I missed a 44-0 shutout, because we were going to the Real Salt Lake-Chivas game.
It was my first chance to see an MLS game in person. I enjoyed the atmosphere. There were more people there than I thought would be. I didn't hear the final call, but I would've guessed 10,000 people in attendance. Real Salt Lake lost the game 1-0. They lost on a major miscue between the goalie and a defender, where they wound up colliding, leaving a Chivas player all alone to kick the game's sole goal.
Pretty much every sport is better when you see it in person.
It was my first chance to see an MLS game in person. I enjoyed the atmosphere. There were more people there than I thought would be. I didn't hear the final call, but I would've guessed 10,000 people in attendance. Real Salt Lake lost the game 1-0. They lost on a major miscue between the goalie and a defender, where they wound up colliding, leaving a Chivas player all alone to kick the game's sole goal.
Pretty much every sport is better when you see it in person.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
NFL Week 1
Based on the first week, I'd say no one knows nothing. Colts look bad, Eagles and Cowboys look great, Patriots lost Brady for the year.
Super Bowl prediction after Week 1: Dallas Cowboys over Pittsburgh Steelers.
Super Bowl prediction after Week 1: Dallas Cowboys over Pittsburgh Steelers.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Boozer Dilemma
I would say many, maybe not most but getting there, many Jazz fans are resigned to the fact that Boozer will be bolting the Jazz in 2009. It's his M.O. If that's the case, that may be why the Jazz aren't trying too hard to trade AK47 away. (Kevin O'Connor tried to work out a sign-and-trade for Luol Deng, but that didn't go anywhere). I'm wondering if the Jazz in 2009, once Boozer leaves, decide to wait until the Class of 2010, or try to get a big trade going then. Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh, plenty of big power forwards in that class.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Ron Artest to Houston
The Rockets just got better. Their starting line-up will now be Rafer Alston, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Ron Artest and Yao Ming. Now that should be a team that can get to the second round.
In exchange the Kings gets Bobby Jackson, Donte Green and the Rockets' 2009 1st round draft pick. With Kevin Martin, Quincy Douby, Jason Thompson, etc., the youth movement continues in Sac-Town.
In exchange the Kings gets Bobby Jackson, Donte Green and the Rockets' 2009 1st round draft pick. With Kevin Martin, Quincy Douby, Jason Thompson, etc., the youth movement continues in Sac-Town.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Jazz match offer for CJ Miles
The Utah Jazz have agreed to match the 4-year, $15 million deal for CJ Miles, amove that makes no sense ot me considering they already have Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and Morris Almond at that position.
THe only way I can conceive it making sense is if they move Andrei Kirilenko or anticipate Matt Harpring's knees breaking down, and they move one of those guys to the 3 position. Now if the Jazz sign Kosta Koufos instead of sending him overseas for a year, the Jazz have all 15 roster spots filled.
If you don't improve, you get worse, and I can't say that swapping Jason Hart for Brevin Knight is enough improvement. Then again, none of the Western Conference playoff teams have really improved yet. Denver lost Marcus Camby. The Lakers may lose Ronny Turiaf and Sasha Vujacic. The Spurs lost Brent Barry. The Rockets gained Brent Barry, so that's a little bit of improvement. Dallas got DaSagna Diop back; that's nice. Midseason is a more likely candidate for when we'll see Pau Gasol-level moves.
THe only way I can conceive it making sense is if they move Andrei Kirilenko or anticipate Matt Harpring's knees breaking down, and they move one of those guys to the 3 position. Now if the Jazz sign Kosta Koufos instead of sending him overseas for a year, the Jazz have all 15 roster spots filled.
If you don't improve, you get worse, and I can't say that swapping Jason Hart for Brevin Knight is enough improvement. Then again, none of the Western Conference playoff teams have really improved yet. Denver lost Marcus Camby. The Lakers may lose Ronny Turiaf and Sasha Vujacic. The Spurs lost Brent Barry. The Rockets gained Brent Barry, so that's a little bit of improvement. Dallas got DaSagna Diop back; that's nice. Midseason is a more likely candidate for when we'll see Pau Gasol-level moves.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Will Childress go to Greece?
It's becoming more commonplace for foreign players to dabble in the NBA and then go back overseas. Jorge Garjabosa, Primoz Brezec, Sarunas Jackisevicius, and Bostjan Nochbar are all headed back overseas. Guys like Travis Hansen are finding they might as well stay overseas since they can make more than any NBA team would be willing to offer. Draft picks like Fran Vasquez and Tiago Splitter are signing mutli-year deals to stay away rather than come to the NBA. Now word has it Greece has offered Josh Childress a three-year $20 million deal. That will be really interesting. It will mean that the NBA has real competition for the talent.
It may mean next time there's a bargaining over the collective bargaining agreement, the players will have a little more leverage. "Hey if you don't want to lose all your sixth men to Europe, we need more leeway and cap space here." Owners may not like it, and some teams are losing money as is, but their paradigm is in for a big shift soon. If Childress takes the midlevel to stay rather than the extra $2 million a year to go to Greece, the NBA's bought it self a little time (and with no taxes and a weak dollar, the money's worth more over there).
It may mean next time there's a bargaining over the collective bargaining agreement, the players will have a little more leverage. "Hey if you don't want to lose all your sixth men to Europe, we need more leeway and cap space here." Owners may not like it, and some teams are losing money as is, but their paradigm is in for a big shift soon. If Childress takes the midlevel to stay rather than the extra $2 million a year to go to Greece, the NBA's bought it self a little time (and with no taxes and a weak dollar, the money's worth more over there).
Rocky Mountain Revue - Two games, two Jazz losses
I've watched both games on TV of the Utah Jazz going against different opponents. Right about now they miss Dee Brown, a point guard familiar with the offense to make everyone else look better. I would say Morris Almond is still looking good, and with CJ Miles getting a 4-year, $15 million deal with Oklahoma City, it looks like the Jazz now have an opening for their third-string shooting guard.
The two big men, rookie Kosta Koufos and 2nd year man Kyrylo Fesenko, don't look as ready as Almond to permanently occupy an NBA roster. I imagine unless the Jazz see serious improvement this fall, they'll keep Jarron Collins as their backup center, play a lot of Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap together as the 4 and 5, and let Koufos and Fesenko take turns playing for the Utah Flash, the Jazz's D-League team. It may also mean the Jazz look at Kurt Thomas or another veteran big man who can play the 4 or 5 to fill the 15th spot on the roster with a one-year mid-level deal.
The two big men, rookie Kosta Koufos and 2nd year man Kyrylo Fesenko, don't look as ready as Almond to permanently occupy an NBA roster. I imagine unless the Jazz see serious improvement this fall, they'll keep Jarron Collins as their backup center, play a lot of Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap together as the 4 and 5, and let Koufos and Fesenko take turns playing for the Utah Flash, the Jazz's D-League team. It may also mean the Jazz look at Kurt Thomas or another veteran big man who can play the 4 or 5 to fill the 15th spot on the roster with a one-year mid-level deal.
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