Jazz player preview: Jarron Collins

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Stats
Height/Weight: 6-11/255 lbs
Games played: 79 (41 starts)
PPG (2005-06 season): 5.6
RPG (2005-06 season): 4.2
Blocks (2005-06 season): 27

What he's good at
Jarron Collins has made a niche for himself on the Jazz as a hard-working player who tries his best to get the most out of his ability. You can pretty much figure that out when a guy has career highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds. The fact Collins has managed to get two different guaranteed NBA contracts during his career is a testament to his willingness to play within his limits and improve himself enough each season to make his paycheck worthwhile. Although Collins had only 27 blocks last year, it was a career high and he posted career highs in rebounds (333) and assists (97). Jarron won't block a lot of shots, but he plays good position defense and doesn't back away from a challenge. He gives the Jazz a different look at center when Okur falls asleep on defense each night.


What he's not-so-good at
Anything overly athletic or quick is pretty much lost on Collins. He's an out-and-out banger in the post and a bit clumsy with the ball (although more graceful than Ostertag ever was). Since Collins is the at times the only guy who will battle on defense in the post for the Jazz, he gets in foul trouble often (252 fouls last year - 2nd on Jazz).


What to expect in 2006-07
It wouldn't be a stretch to expect another Collins-like season this year (6.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), but I'm thinking he might get closer to 7.1 ppg and 5.5 rpg this year. The Jazz rewarded him with a new contract and the Spurs showed interest in him, so there is talent there that Collins can still use. He always shows up to camp in shape, does what he can do on the floor and has always been on of Jerry Sloan's favorites. If the Jazz are to make it back to the playoffs, either he or Rafael Araujo will have to provide decent scoring when Okur is out of the game.

Posted by Jeff at 2:37 PM 0 comments  

Starting 5 with Kevin Garnett

Monday, September 25, 2006


If you haven't heard this at SlamOnline.com, it's funny. Kevin Garnett gives his thoughts on why some college players suck, cooking, yard work and direct deposit ...

Posted by Jeff at 1:48 PM 0 comments  

NBA ramblings -- Sept. 22, 2006

Friday, September 22, 2006


A quick rundown of what's new in the NBA today:
Shane Battier: When you PEAK, you win ... Allan Houston, welcome to Bristol (maybe) ... Ron Artest takes his "other" show on the road ... After reviewing the Knicks train wreck roster, Isiah Thomas realizes he might need some help ... Tyronn Lue (aka MushMouth), take those warm-ups off ... The Suns' resident shot doctor is working with new PG Marcus Banks ... Keep an eye on Delonte West, I think he's going to have a great year

Posted by Jeff at 12:55 PM 1 comments  

Buy low, sell high

Today's story by the Salt Lake Tribune indicates that Dwight Manley, the agent for former Jazz PF Karl Malone, purchased Malone's home in Utah for roughly half of its original price. The house, described as a "17,230-square-foot trophy home," has everything you'd need, such as a pool and water slide, indoor shooting range, basketball courts, home gym and a five-car heated garage and five fireplaces!!

How much did Manley pay for this little treasure? Though the house was appraised at more than $5 million, Manley shelled out a mere $2.75 million to purchase it at an auction. Manley is expected to turn around and sell it for a big gain.

I'm coming for you, Dwight Manley

Posted by Jeff at 12:14 PM 0 comments  

Breakout guys

Thursday, September 21, 2006

ESPN.com had an interesting article about which little-known players will have a breakout season much like the Suns' Boris Diaw did last season.

First candidate: Carlos Arroyo (Orlando)

As a Jazz fan, I feel like I've heard this one before (say around the start of the 2003-04 season). Arroyo has great offensive talent and has some of the best moves with the ball that you'll find in the NBA. The problem with Arroyo is he struggles to do things without the ball and he often will spend so much time trying to break his man down one-on-one that he forces up a bad shot or makes an even worse pass. His defense is also nothing to write home about. He's generally healthy each season (and should be this year), but how he fits in with PG Jameer Nelson and how Brian Hill divides minutes between the two will be a question. Arroyo, like most NBA players, is at his best when he's starting or playing major minutes.

Second candidate: Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)

What an exciting young player! But he's much like AK-47 in that he is athletic and a defensive menace, but he doesn't have a go-to move or a dependable jump shot (career 47.8 FG pct and 25.6 3-pt FG pct). Throwing out my Jazz bias, I'd have to say Gerald is probably not at AK-47's level as far as all-around ability, but you can see the Bobcats have a team that could allow Wallace to showcase his talents if Sean May is healthy, Adam Morrison isn't a bust, Raymond Felton develops ...

Third candidate: J.R. Smith (Denver)

I am not a fan of this guy, but then again, I'm not a huge fan of his team, either. He falls into that Arroyo category in that he was supposed to be a "surprise" player (except his surprise season was supposed to be last year). Problem was, he did a great job of taking himself out of the Hornets playing rotation with bad practice habits, worse defense and a bad attitude. While his former coach in New Orleans, Byron Scott, is no NBA rocket-scientist, I feel that Scott did the right thing in benching a player that was exhibiting his behavior. Denver needs 3-point shooting and Smith shot 37 percent from outside and is already boasts a career 31.6 percentage from 3-point range. If he matures and can co-exist with a volatile coach like George Karl, who knows what could happen.

Fourth candidate: Hakim Warrick (Memphis)


Has anyone actually seen this guy play? We all know he was exciting to watch back at Syracuse, but he appeared in 68 games last year, played about 10 minutes and averaged 4 points. That's not too shabby and with Pau Gasol's injury, Warrick should see a little more production. But you've gotta think that Mike Fratello would go with Eddie Jones, Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal as his top scorers than Warrick.

Fifth & Sixth candidates: Raymond Felton (Charlotte) & Beno Udrih (San Antonio)
The guy who wrote this section for ESPN.com says Felton was second on his rookie of the year ballot?!!! Felton had a great finish to the season (16.6 ppg the last three months of the season) and showed improvment, but I don't think scoring a ton on a bad team means you're poised for a breakout season. I like Felton and he's a key part of what Charlotte's trying to build, but he needs some work on his shot selection.

Beno Udrih (aka Beno Uterus) is another one of those international Spurs players that seems to be able to do it all. Problem is, he can't get consistent minutes. When he did play last year (10.9 mpg in 54 games), you could tell that the drop in minutes from his rookie season (14.4 in 80 gms) had gotten to him. He seemed to think a little too much on the court and was more concerned with making plays to keep him on the floor rather than just making good plays.

Seventh candidate: Luol Deng (Chicago)

Giricek's killer defense strikes again

One of my co-workers, Dan, is an unabashed Duke fan. So, once every few days, I hear about how great Deng is going to be this season with Chicago. While Dukies have been more garbage than gold in the NBA, give credit where credit is due. Deng has improved each season and has a decent jumper and plays good defense to go along with his athletic style of play. After Kirk Hinrich's strong play in the World Basketball Championships, Deng may be fighting off both Hinrich and Ben Gordon for top billing. But make no mistake: If Deng averages over 20 points this season, the Bulls could be on their way back to being a championship contender.

Posted by Jeff at 12:33 PM 1 comments  

Starting out

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Well, this is my first attempt at joining the blogosphere. I hope to follow in the tradition of several NBA blogs that I enjoy, such as The NBA Source, Basketbawful and others that I'm sure I'm missing. Stay tuned to see how well this goes ...

Posted by Jeff at 6:08 PM 0 comments