Sweet music & sour notes -- Oct. 20

Friday, October 20, 2006

Game 3 of the preseason got underway last night (Jazz/Blazers), with Utah taking a 104-90 victory. Let's hear some sweet music & sour notes ... \

Sweet Music

* The Naked Russian: 15 pts (5-7 FG; 5-5 FT), 6 reb, 7 assists, 6 blocks - Don't try to tell this guy preseason games are worthless. After missing the past two preseason games with lower back trouble (uh-oh), Kirilenko went crazy against the Blazers. When he's playing this well, it's easy to find more sweet music.

* Carlos Boozer: 23 pts (8-13 FG), 7 reb, 4 assists and 2 BLOCKS!! - Nice to see Boozer playing defense and boxing out once in a while. Just stay healthy and AK-47 will make you look like an all-star.

* Mehmet Okur: 13 pts (6-10 FG), 12 reb, 2 blocks - It's nice when the frontline contributes. Okur will probably have more games like this (minus about 3 rebounds and 2 blocks) on most nights provided The Naked Russian and Boozer do their jobs.

Sour notes

* Jazz fall asleep on lead -
Utah led by as many as 17 points before the Blazers closed the gap to three with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter. Not a good sign against any team, but a really bad sign considering it was Portland. The Blazers will probably be challenging for the worst record in the league, so you've got to put them away early.

* Brandon Roy & Jarret Jack - They scored only 27 points combined, but had Juan Dixon found his shot last night (4-13 FG), the crappy Jazz defense in the backcourt would have been exposed once again.

* C.J. Miles struggles - I like that Ronnie Brewer and Matt Harpring played well, but Miles is supposed to be the future, too. A one-for-three night from the floor with 2 fouls in 16 minutes isn't too good. He seems to be having trouble getting into a groove.

Posted by Jeff at 5:00 PM 0 comments  

Sweet music & sour notes -- Oct. 14

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Jazz vs. Lakers -- Preseason Game 1

Well, after a few months of waiting and a little bit of hype, the Jazz finally kicked off the 2006-07 campaign. The results? Disappointing, I would say. Utah fell to the L.A. Lakers, 94-79. During the season, we'll review each game and provide the sweet music (good stuff) and sour notes (bad stuff) from each game. Here's our first go at it:

Sweet music

* Deron Williams: 16 pts (7-13 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, blocked shot) - This guy is proving why the Jazz picked him No. 3 overall. He may not have the flashy moves and crossovers like Chris Paul, but he's looking like the right kind of point guard for this Jazz team. I like that he's taking charge of the offense and he's gradually looking more and more like the Jason Kidd-style point guard many expected him to become.

* Carlos Boozer: 18 pts, 12 reb (9-13 FG, 2 assists, steal) - Six of Boozer's rebounds were on the offensive glass. Any playing time Boozer can get is a plus and if he stays healthy during the preseason, he might be OK when it counts, too.

* Rafael Araujo: 7 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls - OK, he missed all 4 of his shots, but the 7 rebounds are a nice make-up for the 0-fer. He's gotta cut down on the fouls (which is supposedly his biggest weakness), but I think he could be a solid, Greg Foster-type backup center for the Jazz.

Sour notes

* Defense (or lack thereof) - Maurice Evans. I like the guy, he's a solid role player, but he scored 10+ points in only 2 of his last 17 games with Detroit last year. He had 12 points on Tuesday, which, on it's own isn't so bad. But throw in that Luke Walton (11 points) and Sasha Vujacic (13) and we see problems here.

* Slow go for Kirilenko - 12 minutes, 4 points, rebound. Plus, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that Kirilenko's back might be acting up again. Great ...

* Gordan Giricek: 6 points (3-10 FG, 4 reb, 3 ast) - I'm not wild about Matt Harpring's ability to miss layups, but at least he tries to fight for some points and not fall in love with the jump shot. Giricek is supposedly healthy, but he's played awful for the last 2 years and should not be starting. We'll have to see if Brewer develops into a viable option at the 2 guard spot.

Posted by Jeff at 6:57 AM 0 comments  

Starting 5 with Gilbert Arenas

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Posted by Jeff at 5:55 PM 0 comments  

Observations: Sixers vs Suns on ESPN2

Sixers/Suns just ended on ESPN2 with the Sixers edging by, 103-100. It's NBA preseason, but it was a pretty good game, especially the furious comeback by the Sixers. Few things I noticed:

* During the broadcast, multiple points were made about how the Suns have to play better defense in 2006-07 if they want to get to the Finals. Despite all the talk about how Steve Nash has improved on defense and the Suns are making it a priority this year, Nash still looks like he couldn't guard Rick Brunson (and he didn't).

* Rodney Carney tore it up! 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Oh yeah, and the game-winning 3-pointer. Willie Green should watch out, because his replacement might be a few seats down on the bench.

* Amare Stoudemire looked OK. If he gets a consistent 15-foot jumper, he'll be the closest thing to a Karl Malone-Elvin Hayes-Shawn Kemp hybrid we'll ever see. He supposedly worked on his jumper while rehabbing, but all I saw today was a guy trying (unsuccesfully) to dunk on everyone.

Posted by Jeff at 5:48 PM 0 comments  

Get loud, be proud

Monday, October 09, 2006


No, it's not the theme song for a gay rights march. That's is actually the "theme song" for the Jazz in 2006-07. According to the Jazz Web site, "The song will be featured in team advertising and in arena during games." Have a listen and be warned ... it couldn't sound more gay. I know when I hear it, I can only picture a cheesy 80s style music video with former Jazz guard "playing" the saxaphone Jay Humphries and Bobby Hansen on the drums.

Posted by Jeff at 5:22 PM 0 comments  

Welcome back to America, NBA!

After those couple of cute preseason games in Europe, as part of the NBA Europe series, we get some real NBA action back in the USA! Sure, it's meaningless NBA preseason to some, but to me it's the start of another year of headaches and agony. I'm interested to see how the Northern Exposure version of the Suns looks this year (aka the Raptors). Chris Bosh was an all-star last year on an awful team. If he can be a part of the offense in Toronto like Amare Stoudemire was in Phoenix, watch out. I think Bosh is one of the most fundamentally skilled young bigs in the league.

Posted by Jeff at 4:54 PM 0 comments  

Jazz player preview -- C.J. Miles

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Stats
Height/Weight: 6-6/215 lbs
Games played: 23 (0 starts)
PPG (2005-06 season): 3.4
RPG (2005-06 season): 1.7
Blocks (2005-06 season): 16

What he's good at
It's hard to say what C.J. is good at ... he hardly played last year. Sure, he appeared in 23 games, but he only played about 10 minutes a month. Not exactly quality time to get acclimated to the NBA pace. C.J. had a good finish to the season, scoring 32 points in the final 3 games (10.6 ppg for all you math majors out there). Granted, 23 of those points came against the Warriors in the season finale, but scoring 23 points in an NBA game as an 18-year-old ain't easy. The biggest knock on Miles was his confidence (or lack thereof) and him questioning his decision to sign with the Jazz rather than go play a few years at Texas. Miles was helped tremendously, confidence-wise, by playing in the NBA Developmental League from January to February.

What he's not-so-good at
Much like what he's good at, it's hard to say what Miles is bad at. My guess would be playing major minutes for a playoff-type team (aka the Jazz this year). Reports are he's rounded into form athletically, which is good to hear. As long as he's not playing more than 10-12 minutes a night, Miles' flaws shouldn't be too exposed.

What to expect in 2006-07
The skills that Miles has, although raw, are enough to make any Jazz fan salivate. Rare is the player that is both athletic and hard-working that comes through Utah, but it seems Miles may just be that type. You could see him getting a serious look if Gordan Giricek struggles. I'm predicting about 4.5 ppg and 3.4 rpg this year for Miles. The stats aren't eye-popping, but I think his play this year might be.

Posted by Jeff at 9:28 PM 0 comments  

NBA.com fantasy Jazz preview

NBA.com gives the Jazz some love, particularly to Deron Williams. I know I'm keeping AK-47 on my Sportsline league team ...

Posted by Jeff at 10:20 AM 0 comments  

Kirilenko bulks up

Everything I've been reading in the off-season about AK-47 says he's bulked up, worked on his shot and is ready for a breakout year. NBA.com lists Kirilenko as being 6-9, 227 pounds and I can't imagine he's added more than maybe 5-10 pounds of muscle. In addition, Kirilenko has worked on improving his off-season diet and nutrition.

All of this is really great to hear, but my concern is that a heavier Kirilenko may not be a better Kirilenko. AK-47 is one of the fastest baseline-to-baseline players in the NBA. How many times have we seen him miss a shot on offense, the other team gets a fast break, and AK-47 somehow gets back quick enough to block the other team's shot? It's something Kirilenko pulls off at least one or two times a week during the season.

Kirilenko is at his best when he's able to use his wiry wingspan and athleticism on defense and pulls off one of those herky-jerky shots on offense around the basket. My concern is that AK-47's extra weight might not make him as athletic as he was the last few seasons. But hey, if all this work helps him make the All-Star team again and shut down Crymelo Anthony a few times a year, I'm all for it.

Posted by Jeff at 10:11 AM 0 comments  

NBA Ramblings -- Oct. 5, 2006

Thursday, October 05, 2006


Sonics PF Nick Collison is one of the hardest-working guys in the NBA. As such, he's willing to work hard for his big payday. In other Sonics news, Kareem Rush is still in the NBA (sort of) ... Looking for a payday, but not finding it -- Michael Pietrus, Dahntay Jones, Beno Uterus ... Being a Knick has finally cracked Malik Rose ... I took a Spanish class, but I know I couldn't explain what "Jail Blazers" means in Spanish any better. ... Does playing zone defense in the NBA make you retarded? ... The Magic's arena needs a new corporate sponsor. For now, the kids are calling it "The O-rena." How creative!

Posted by Jeff at 10:50 PM 0 comments  

Jazz news du jour - Oct. 5, 2006

Not much happening with the Jazz today ... here's a quick rundown:

* Jerry Sloan doesn't mind the new NBA ball and David Benoit finds a home

* Counting 1,2,3 with rookie Ronnie Brewer

* Derek Fisher
+ 3-pointers = more wins this year?

Posted by Jeff at 10:46 PM 0 comments  

NBA Ramblings -- Oct. 4, 2006

Wednesday, October 04, 2006


Interesting stuff from Portland, namely that Darius Miles and Zach Randolph aren't on the team's tickets this year. Also, Miles finds playing pro basketball tiresome. Everyone together now ... AWWWWWWWW!!! ... We know the Bobcats have had trouble with injuries, but now coaches are casualties? ... It's really hard to hate Chauncey Billups. ... Nellie goes back to basics with the Warriors ... Live, from New York! It's blame the ex-coach! Starring Stephon Marbury! ... KG as part owner? And can someone pick up Eddie Griffin? ... And lets call it a day with NBA Executive VP Stu Jackson talking about his new balls

Posted by Jeff at 9:28 PM 0 comments  

Jazz news du jour - Oct. 4, 2006


A quick rundown of what's happening with the Jazz today:

* Matt Harpring is trying not to do anything stupid ... always a good plan

* Two different takes on Dee Brown: 1. Go out there and work hard and 2. Just get your butt kicked by a better player/former college teammate

* Jerry Sloan cleans out his closet

* Stop me if you've heard this one before: Carlos Boozer is healthy and he likes playing for Utah

Posted by Jeff at 9:18 PM 0 comments