(a sorta) League Preview: Utah Jazz

The preview began with the League’s sorriest teams and the lottery likelies, before digging in with the might be somethings. The next tier of teams are playoff locks hoping for home court in the first round. Each of these teams is capable of a first round victory, but none are mighty enough to mess with the contenders. Let’s kickoff with 3rd best in the up and coming Northwest.

Utah Jazz


PG Deron Williams Ronnie Price Eric Maynor
SG Ronnie Brewer Kyle Korver
SF Andrei Kirilenko C.J. Miles
PF Carlos Boozer Paul Milsap
C Mehmet Okur Kosta Koufos Kyrylo Fesenko


Utah has a solid a nucleus as any team in the League. A near super star in Deron Williams, a powerful frontline with the Booze-hound, Okur and Milsap, and skilled position players in Brewer, Kirilenko, Kyle Korver and C.J. Miles. Over the past three seasons, this basic crew had win totals of 51, 54 and 48. They will likely win around 50 again this year. So why does such good team seem stuck in the mud?

The problem is not Deron Williams. The 25 year old point guard is averaging 19 pts and 10.5 assists over the past two seasons—including a significant stretch at the start of last season when he was coming back from an injury. He has a tremendous feel for the game, and a wonderful sense of when to assert himself during the flow of a 48 minute contest. His size, quickness and strength make him very difficult to guard. Williams will be a powerhouse for at least another 7-8 years.

Boozer? Must we blame a Dukie? Yes, we must; at least in part. First, the due praise and full context: Carlos Boozer has been nearly as important as Williams in restoring the Jazz’ as perennial playoff powers. When he is healthy, he has beasted all inferior opponents, giving the Utah needed punch in the paint. On offense, Boozer’s physicality has matched well with Mehmet Okur finesse. Problem is the issue of the under-sized power forward. Booze is strong, but not long. Great scorer, strong rebounder, especially against suckers. The long, athletic bigs that D -- Gasol, Duncan, Aldridge, Sheed, KG – neutralize him. On the defensive end, Boozer is a liability, especially paired with Okur. Neither have the length to intimidate. Boozer is a not a particular strong one on one defender as well.

But to blame Boozer would be to exempt the front office. Boozer is just being himself. When Kevin O’Connor signed the 6’9 big man 5 years back, He chose offense over defense. The arrival of Boozer in effect relegated a one-time up and comer Andrei Kirilenko to a bench player. Kirilenko was a defensive powerhouse from the power forward slot. He also brought a creativity and flair on offense that was pretty fresh. Judging by the way Utah is shopping Boozer, you might think that Utah has learned from the error of its ways. But signing Milsap for starters’ money is the under-sized power forward problem all over again.

Milsap, like Boozer, is a very good basketball player. He plays the hard nosed style that endears him to coach Jerry Sloan. His ceiling is not particularly high, though, so he is no ready to fill Boozer’s shoes as second banana. As for Kirilenko, he seems a different player now, no longer brimming with the confidence of an emerging star. Like Shawn Marion, AK47 is much better suited to be the undersized power forward than a small forward. He is still an effective bench contributor, and if Boozer leaves, his role may dramatically increase. Ronnie Brewer is the other guy whose improvement could significantly elevate the Jazz. Unlike Kirlenko, he is still on his upswing of his career. Like Kirilenko, the shots he would get with Boozer’s departure would suit him well.

The ‘Tah is going to play tough basketball and win a lot of games. They could even secure home court advantage for the first round. Deron Williams on a roll and Utah at home would be trouble for some body. Can they win on the road in the post season? Maybe. Can they beat LA or San Antonio? Nah.