D-Will to the Nets

First off, I'm going to say a lot of things that I had been planning on saying for a while, but my internet went down twice.  Now I'm back and rolling so here we go.

First off, I'm going to abstain from a lot of what I've been thinking about the lack of defense from our point guard position and with one exception.  I think when Jerry Sloan was saying "help the helper," I think he meant to take the guy your guarding into the help defense, not away from it.  That's all I will say about that.

I guess I'm not really going to say all I wanted to say.  It's not conducive to rag on the ex, serves no purpose and only hurts feelings.  So Deron Williams, I raise a glass to your health and wish you well.  Have fun in Brooklyn.

What we gave away was an incredible PG who can create for himself or for his teammates, on his terms.  A big guy who can dominate with his size and strength.  What we got was a little PG who is also a really good facilitator.  He is small, and quick.  I have always liked Devon Harris and am looking forward to see what he can do in a system that is designed for a passing guard (if it stays similar under the Milk Man).  The other piece we got was 6'10", 245 lb. Power Forward Derrick Favors.  This is also a win, kinda.  He is young, (not yet 20) and big.  He is a project that can only get better under the tutelage of Ty Corbin playing behind Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap.  I like the acquisition of another big with actual size, but now we have 3 PF's sharing 2 positions.  Big Al can and does play the 5, however he is really a 4.  Paul can kinda play the 3, but not really.  I would love to see a line up of Harris at the 1, AK at the 2, Paul at the 3, Favors at the 4 and Big Al at the 5, just to see it.  It would rival the Lakers for size, I don't think it would work very well, but I still want to see it just once.

We also got 2 1st round draft picks.  New Jersey's (unprotected) this year, and Golden State's (lottery protected) next year.  So we can use those to trade up like we did to get D-Will, or use them so we have 4 first round draft picks over the next 2 years.  3 really, I mean come on, when are the Warriors not in the lottery.  This is where of Kevin O'Conner shines, or plays.  I can't decide whether or not he likes to just play with "future considerations", or if it's just something that comes up so often with the Jazz that even he shakes his head and laughs.  But we've got a lot of good players from moves like that.  AK for one, Big Al for another.

This is a turning point for the Utah Jazz and I hope that we as Jazz fans can go through a growing pain with these guys because it could work.  I don't like this excuse, but these guys are really young.  Gordon Heyward is barely 20, Favors is the youngest player in the NBA at not yet 20.  The dude is still a teenager for heavens sake.  I'd like to see this same lineup next year with a year under their belt, well, maybe a different 2 gaurd, (love ya Raja), but other than that, no change.  Even resign AK.  Not for 17 mil, but bring him back please!!!!

Go Jazz!!!!!

I love Karl Malone!

Karl Malone is the man!  I love how honest he is about his feelings.  The man doesn't know how to hide his passion and that's a beautiful thing.  In an interview with NBA TV he again said that "my coach has never quit anything."  I don't know what happened inside the organization and I am scared of the implications of what could have happened, but I want this post to be about the Hall of Famer Karl Malone. He said in several other interviews that he wants to continue Coach Sloan's legacy in coaching.  I would love to see him sit on the sidelines for the Jazz.  He knows the system that Ty Corbin is likely to continue, but more than that, he knows how to be tough and won't allow the players he coaches to be weak.  I am going to break down the Jazz players from not only last nights Phoenix game but from what I've seen the last little bit, and a lot of that could be fixed with someone going in and kicking some ass in practice.  Karl Malone could fix a lot of the crap that's going on in the locker room as well as the front office.  My advice to Ty Corbin, BRING IN THE MAILMAN!

End of an era

Today may just be the saddest day I've ever known as a sports fan.  I've lost Super Bowls, bowl games, NBA Championships (damn you MJ) and games to BYU, but I've never lost an institution.  Jerry Sloan resigned from the Utah Jazz today.  I'll get into what I think about the future and circumstances later, but right now I just want to reflect on what Jerry Sloan has meant to us as Jazz fans and to the rest of the NBA as a living legend.  First thing is an incredible statement that the greatest basketball player to ever play once made.  Michael Jordan once said in an interview that if he could play any NBA player in history to really test his skills, it would be Jerry Sloan.  He said if he could score on Sloan, he could score on anyone, ever. Sloan made the all defensive team 6 times and an all-star twice.  The beauty of that is that he doesn't care about that kind of accolade.  Even now, when he has been snubbed for coach of the year, which I believe he earned many, many times, when asked about it, he rolls his head and says "I never really cared about that stuff."  Jerry Sloan was the epitome of hard work.  I love this piece done on him years ago.  It shows who he truly was as an NBA player.

As a coach, if you ask me, there is none better.  Especially none better for the state of Utah.  Jerry Sloan ranks 4th all time among coaches in wins with 1190.  9th all in win % with .604.  He has the most wins with 1 team (941) and his 23 years as a head coach with one team will probably never be matched again.  Jerry Sloan had 1 losing season in his 23 years in Utah.  He even lead a team that was projected to be the worst team in NBA history and win 9 games, to an even .500 record.  He never had a perfect team, but coached them to perfection.  Even in the two years they had championship runs, he had Greg Ostertag and Byron Russell starting for him.  Almost every player he coached played better under him than anywhere else.  He made an all star out of head case Carlos Aroyo and guys like Shannon Anderson, DeShaun Stevenson, Adam Keefe, Chris Morris, all played better as Jazz men than anything else.  Even more recent, Ronnie Brewer's numbers are down, Kyle Korver got better by being here, and even Carlos Boozer was better last year as a Jazz man.

He was hard on his players, but they loved him for it.  Look at his relationship with Greg Ostertag, he was always yelling at him and trying to make him better.  The one year Greg wasn't here, he hated not playing for Jerry.  Jerry Sloan was a perfect fit for Utah and Larry Miller was a perfect fit for Jerry Sloan.  All my memories of professional basketball involve Jerry Sloan.  I am 32 years old and he has been the head coach here in Utah for almost as long as I can remember.  He will be missed greatly and should be remembered by all Jazz fans as a great man with great values who taught us that if we work hard and compete, we can do anything.  Oh, and he was a damn good basketball coach.

As a side note to this, Ty Corbin should be a seamless transition and hopefully fill out his coaching staff with like minded individuals.  I really hope he succeeds and the Jazz continue to succeed under his tutelage and he is given the same opportunity to grow as Jerry was.