JazzFan 4 Life

Ohhh, boy. This one was not pretty. A 101-90 loss to the Magic following last night's loss to the Heat means we are in the middle of a 2-game losing streak. Let's figure out what went right and what went wrong.

• Boozer abuses the Magic's defense with a 29-point, seven-rebound night. Sure he shot more than any other Jazz player (24 FGA tonight), but he also seemed to be the only guy playing on a full tank of gas on offense. Defensively, he (nor anyone else on the Jazz) could stop Dwight Howard. But when Howard makes up his mind to take over, there aren't many big men who can tell him otherwise. Overall, Boozer played solid, but he didn't have a whole lot of help.
• Jazz try to pull off a rally. This game looked over in the start of the 4th quarter as the Magic held a 77-64 lead. But some defense combined with some timely 3-pointers by Mehmet Okur trimmed the lead to 92-88 with 2:46 to go. Unfortunately, Howard dunked over two Jazz players a few plays later and that was the end of this one. But at least the Jazz tried to come back.

SOUR NOTES

• Turnovers rule the night. Both teams had 22 turnovers, but it seemed like the Jazz were turning the ball over every time the got some momentum going. Deron Williams had a good night, stats-wise (14 points, 11 assists), but he had six turnovers. He has 11 turnovers and 19 assists in his last two games and has looked out of sync. Most disturbing is that he hasn't been matched up against top-flight PGs in that span (unless you consider Jason Williams and Jameer Nelson to be top-flight PGs).
• Matt Harpring, Gordan Giricek, Paul Millsap, Jarron Collins and C.J. Miles played 55 minutes. What did that get the Jazz tonight? How about 13 points, five rebounds, five turnovers and eight personal fouls. That's about what you'd expect (points and rebounds-wise) out of Harpring, alone.
• Atrocious interior defense. The Jazz allowed the Magic to shoot 55.2 percent from the floor and provided their trademark matador interior defense. Granted, Dwight Howard should score 31 points and have 15 rebounds on a great night, but if that's happening, don't let Tony Battie, Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu play well, too. There were wayyyyyy too many layups tonight.

What is it about these Florida teams this year? The last time the Jazz played the Magic, Orlando wiped the floor with them in an 88-75 loss at Energy Solutions Arena. Utah was never really in that game and came out with zero heart, so the score is a little misleading.

Season series: Orlando leads, 1-0.

What happened last time: Dwight Howard had 21 points, 16 rebounds and abused the Jazz's front line all night long. Jameer Nelson had a good all-around game (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) and Grant Hill hit some key outside jumpers to finish with 16 points. Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 10 rebounds, but didn't get going until late in the game. This might have been one of Andrei Kirilenko's best games of the year, numbers-wise (11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks) but the team looked awful.

What to expect this time: The Magic have lost three straight (including Monday's loss to the Bobcats) and have lost 10 of 12 since the all-star break and 22 of 29 since mid-January. There's an entire Web site devoted to firing Brian Hill, Dwight Howard is kicking basketballs through the roof ... basically it's mass hysteria and craziness in The City Beautiful. The Magic are a game behind the Pacers for the No. 8 spot in the East and have gone from a sure-fire playoff team to a lottery team trying to make the playoffs. Howard, Hill and Nelson are the name players on this team, but keep an eye on Trevor Ariza. He's playing well of late (12.0 ppg, 64.8 FG pct in his last 5 games) and is the athletic X-factor the Magic look to when things bog down.

Prediction: The Jazz played last night like they thought they were invincible and they lost. The Magic always give the Jazz a tough game, but I think Utah gets back on track tonight. Jazz win, 91-82.

A look at what the Orlando media has to say about tonight's Jazz/Magic game at Amway Arena.

• Previews: Orlando Sentinel Yahoo.com
  
• Story on the Jazz still playing well, while the Magic have gone in the tank.
• Magic are considering whether or not to give PG Jameer Nelso an extension this off season or wait until next year. Nelson is a good point guard, but he still has a lot of growing to do. We all know he's better than ex-Jazzman Carlos Arroyo.
  
• Magic GM Otis Smith cites everything from a lack of leadership to the Magic players liking each other too much to this season's swoon. Maybe the team is just young? Just a thought ...
  

It's late and this postgame wrapup is also, so we'll keep it short. The Jazz fell to the Heat, 88-86, in Miami. A quick look at the good (and bad) from Tuesday night's loss.

SWEET MUSIC

• Another solid night from Boozer (20 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists), but he disappeared in the 4th quarter. In the last 1:30, the Jazz ran at least three different plays for him, and he settled for jumpers. Would have liked to have seen him take the ball to the basket.
• Memo goes for 19 points, 10 rebounds, but more importantly, takes the single-season 3-point shooting record from Bryon Russell. Okur was 2-7 on 3-pointers, giving 109 3-pointers this year (passing Russell's 108 set in 1996-97). While Russell was a key player on the NBA Finals teams of 1997 and 1998, he never delivered on his promise to be an all-star and was more or less a disappointing player. Okur has done more in his three years with the Jazz than Russell did in his tenure.
  

SOUR MUSIC

• APB put out for Fisher, Kirilenko, Millsap ... these guys combined for 6 points, 3 rebounds and an assist. While AK-47's season has been a bust, Fisher and Millsap have been two of the more reliable players for the Jazz. Sure, blowing a 17-point lead is never good, but the bench has to show up.
• A 17-point lead is not safe. Utah was up 17 points in this game and 14 points entering the 4th quarter, and still managed to lose. This game reminds me of the Knicks loss and many others this year in which the Jazz had a lead, but couldn't keep it going. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... the Jazz can't keep wilting under the pressure if they want to go anywhere in the postseason.
• ANTOINE WALKER KILLS US?! The guy had 0 points entering the 4th quarter, then scored all 13 of his points to lead the Heat's rally. Walker looked about 7 years younger in this game (driving to the basket, hitting big 3-pointers) and his play combined with Gary Payton's defe
  

The Jazz got worked the last time they played the Heat, a 119-110 loss that was worse than the score indicated. The loss came during the low point of the season, when the Jazz lost 4 games in a row (including one buzzer-beater by Gilbert Arenas and a 54-point game by Ray Allen). The Jazz are humming of late and have won 6 in a row. Wonder how things will go tonight ...

Season series: Miami leads, 1-0.

What happened last time: The Heat's Dwyane Wade had 32 points (21-23 FTs), Jason Kapono had 18 points (on 4-5 3-point shooting) and Jason Williams had 20 points. The Jazz trailed 64-48 at halftime and were led by Carlos Boozer's 29 points and 14 rebounds and Deron Williams' 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. This game was lost on the free throw line, as the Heat went 42-45 from the line (compared to the Jazz's 37-54).

What to expect this time: Miami's win streak is much like Utah's in that the Heat have won against some creampuffs (Atlanta, Minnesota) and beaten some good teams, too (Chicago, Washington twice and Detroit). O'Neal has gotten a lot of credit of late, but Heat F Antonie Walker has played better the last five games. He's averaging 11.8 ppg and has made some critical baskets during the Heat's win streak. The Jazz need to get out on the break tonight and make the aging Heat run. Hopefully they can get Miami in foul trouble because the Heat are injured and don't have the depth the the Jazz have. Finally, Okur has to make some 3s tonight to loosen up the interior for Boozer (and to draw O'Neal/Alonzo Mourning out of their comfort zone).

Prediction: This seems like the kind of game the Jazz will hang around in, but lose. I'm going to go with that feeling ... Heat win, 102-97.

The latest headlines in anticipation of tonight's Jazz/Heat game in Miami. Here's what the Miami media has to say about the Jazz (and/or the Heat):

• The Heat have won 6 in a row, but other East contenders such as Cleveland (5 in a row), Chicago (5 of last 6 games), Detroit (2 in a row) and Toronto (2) are keeping them from moving up much in the standings.
• Miami's been stinking it up from the free throw line lately.
• Insight into the rough season Heat PG Jason Williams has had. This guy has been a pain the the Jazz's butt since that 1999-2000 playoff series.
• Are shorter practices helping in C Shaquille O'Neal's resurgance?

A look at what's happening with the Heat in anticipation for tomorrow night's game in Miami.

• Recap of Miam's buzzer-beating win over the Wizards.
• A column on Udonis Haslem's game-winner over the Wizards.
• Heat coach Pat Riley might actually use his draft pick this year to draft a player. Might be a good idea seeing as how outside of Dorell Wright, the Heat have zero young prospects on the roster.
• The Heat have won six in a row (just like the Jazz), but where will they end up in the Eastern Conference playoff picture?
• Recap of last night's game by Crazy from the Heat.
  

Jazz top the Hornets, 96-86, for their 6th straight win (their second 6-game win streak in the last 15 games). Utah fell asleep in the first quarter, but then took over in the second and coasted the rest of the night. Let's get into what went right (and what could be better) ...

NBA.com coverage: recap box score highlights

SWEET MUSIC

• Another "rally" victory for the Jazz as they trailed 47-45 at halftime and got the win. The Jazz are now 14-12 when trailing at halftime, although I wouldn't exactly put this up there in terms of rallies with the Atlanta win earlier this year.
  
• Mehmet comes through and plays well against the Hornets (29 points, 5-7 on 3-pointers, 5 rebounds) for the second time in less than a week. The Jazz started off slow, as we mentioned earlier, but Mehmet came out of the gate on fire and kept it up all night long. Although the Hornets' Tyson Chandler had six blocks to go along with his 12 points and six rebounds, Okur got the best of this matchup as he and Carlos Boozer punished the Hornets' frontline.
• Deron Williams struggled from the field (10 points, 3-13 FG), so he simply ran the Jazz's offense to precision, found open teammates (13 assists) and played great defense (3 steals). He and Chris Paul (12 points, 4-10 FG, 11 assists) had nearly identical nights, but Paul had to work much harder for his numbers.
  
• Matt Harpring keeps pissing off opponents. Harpring had an OK night from the floor (10 points, 2-7 FG, 7 rebounds), but it's nights like these that Harpring's value is found in his toughness. Harpring had eight free throw attempts (made six) and frustrated Hornets F Desmond Mason to the point of getting T'd up.
  
• Boozer with another solid night (20 points, 10 rebounds). He didn't do anything spectacular tonight, but had another double-double and is making a serious push for All-NBA Second Team honors.
• Kirilenko seems to be finding his niche. The line, as usual, for AK-47 was awful (2 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks). Seems as though since the all-star break, Kirilenko is finding his way on this team (particularly what his role is) and is fitting into a role as an offensive facilitator and defensive stopper.
  

SOUR NOTES

• Utah's lack of energy to start games has been a real disappointment. By my count, the Jazz have trailed at the end of the first quarter in about half of the 10 games since the all-star break. While the Jazz eventually figure things out (they're 8-2 in those 10 games), the slow starts have been a little frustrating. I know you have to probe your opponent and figure out what they're giving you, but the Jazz shouldn't take a whole quarter to determine how their game plan will work.
  
• The interior defense could use a little work. Chandler had six blocks as mentioned before, so that kind of throws things off, but the Jazz still give up some easy buckets at the basket. When Kirilenko was the starting power forward, those interior problems were masked a little better, but now that Boozer has that spot, the problems are evident. How Boozer can finish above the rim on offense all the time and allow layups on the other end amazes me.
  

Some quick notes for tonight's Hornets/Jazz game at Energy Solutions Arena (as well as tonight's preview):

• The Hornets have allowed 100+ points in seven of their last nine road games. Ouch.
• Memories of an ironic collapse for Hornets coach Byron Scott as they ready for tonight's game.
• Hornets couldn't quite complete the comeback last night against the Suns.
• AP's preview of tonight's game.
• A ballboy helped Jazz C Jarron Collins understand exactly how home court in the first round of the playoffs works.

TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

Season series: Tied, 1-1.

What happened last time: Jazz dismantled the Hornets, 108-94, on Sunday. Carlos Boozer had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Mehmet Okur had 28 points and 9 rebounds and Deron Williams put up 20 points and had 6 assists. The Hornets muddled through the game, with only Tyson Chandler (20 points, 19 rebounds) and Chris Paul (14 points, 13 assists, 3 steals) doing anything of note for New Orleans/Oklahoma City.

What to expect tonight: The Jazz had their way with the Hornets the last time around by basically out-executing the Hornets all evening. David West was a non-factor (10 points, 4-12 FG, 7 rebounds) and players such as Bobby Jackson, Devin Brown and Marc Jackson contributed little to nothing. The Hornets are coming off last night's 104-103 loss to the Suns and will no doubt be tired.

Williams often says he doesn't play any harder against Paul and the Hornets than any other team. He says that the matchup is something the media makes up, but that he doesn't view it as otherwise. The numbers say otherwise:

Williams -- 23.5 ppg, 52.9 FG pct, 7.0 assists per game this season in the 2 games vs NOK.

I'd be surprised if Williams doesn't get himself fired up for this game and run the show as well as he has all season.

Prediction: Jazz win, 105-99.

A quick look at today's Jazz-related news/headlines:

• Paul Millsap is thriving this year, despite not having any plays called for him.
• Larry Miller thinks something is wrong if Jerry Sloan doesn't win the NBA Coach of the Year award. You can read my thoughts on this topic here.
• Ronnie Brewer enjoyed the annual Leapin' Leaners charity benefit. I'm sure he'd enjoy some playing time, too (4 minutes the last 5 games).
• A good column from HoopsWorld.com says the Jazz will surpass the Spurs for the Western Conference's third seed. I like the idea, but I don't think it will happen. Utah has played incredible this season, but they're likely a little too young to know what it takes to close out the season strong and finish in third.
• AUDIO: Larry Miller discusses the state of the team, other guys stepping up and Karl Malone's departure on 1280 The Zone.
  
• VIDEO: Finally, some great video of ex-Jazzman Greg Ostertag playing with about as much heart as we're all used to. Except he's playing PING PONG (and getting abused by a kid during the game)!
  

I've always been a fan of Marty Burns' work at CNNSI.com and he has a great column about the NBA's coach of the year award. Everyone knows Avery Johnson won it last year and Johnson would seem to be the favorite for this year's COY award. But here's the rub:

* The Mavs were supposed to be good (and they are ... an NBA-best 51-9 this year).

* No coach has ever won the award in back-to-back seasons (not even the almighty Phil Jackson).

* And, of course, there's this coach in Utah named Jerry Sloan who's done a fantastic job of revitalizing the Jazz.

I've watched the Jazz since I was 14 years old and the way how Sloan has adjusted his coaching style from the Stockton-to-Malone era Jazz to the Raja Bell/AK-47/Carlos Arroyo Jazz to the current incarnation has been impressive. There was a point, probably about two seasons ago, when it seemed that Sloan couldn't relate to today's player. But he's stuck with the young guys on this team, helped them grow and (thanks to the health of Carlos Boozer) has gotten the Jazz back on track.

Sure, Toronto's Sam Mitchell has done a fantastic job getting the Raptors to play an East coast version of the Suns style. You can't discount the work Jeff Van Gundy has done in Houston (mostly getting T-Mac and the Rockets to keep playing hard despite the injury to Yao Ming).

But at the end of the day, Sloan has helped his team go from a playoff hopeful to one that could make it to the West Finals if things go right.

Utah won easily last night, 94-72, for their 5th straight win. What's going on today in Jazzland?

• Andrei Kirilenko was tired yesterday after the birth of his son, Stefan Kirilenko. The Salt Lake Tribune blog has a great post on the whole thing.
• The Pacers were tired last night, but did the Jazz play poor defense, or just take advantage of a worn out team?
• Why hasn't AK-47 been playing more in the 4th quarter? Oh, thanks.
• Audio: AK-47 on the Jazz staying focused.
• Audio: Jerry Sloan, excited about another win.
• Photos: Jazz/Pacers photo gallery from the Indinapolis Star.
  
• Sloan praises the Jazz's bench.
• Jazz have been keeping folks off the offensive glass (probably helps fuel a winning streak, wouldn't you think?)
• On the Pacers side of things, it might be panic time (at least Mike Wells thinks so).
  

The Jazz are rolling, having won 5 straight games with tonight's 94-72 win over the Pacers. It wasn't exactly a pretty game (in terms of high scorers, execution or consistent play by the Jazz), but a win is a win. Let's get into the notes ...

NBA.com coverage: recap box score highlights

SWEET MUSIC

* Deron Williams played well (16 pts, 6 ast, 3 reb), but also had 5 turnovers and banged knees with a Pacers' player and sat out some of the 3rd quarter. It was quite a scare, but Williams came back and played well in the 4th quarter with some nice assists to Harpring and a couple good shots.

* Carlos Boozer was horrid from the field (5-16 FG), but still managed a double-double (14 pts, 16 reb). He has 37 double-doubles this season and has been one of the biggest reasons the Jazz have already clinched a winning record. Where would the Jazz be without him? Probably aspiring to reach 40+ wins and squeak into the playoffs. With him, the Jazz are a possible 50-plus-win team and could squeak into the Western Conference Finals if they get the right breaks.

* What has gotten into Matt Harpring lately? The guy had 14 points tonight (which is about the usual for him), but the team seems to get an extra boost of energy when he and Paul Millsap check into the game. He has 14 or more points in 8 of his last 9 games.

* The Jazz's execution during this little win streak (and pretty much since the All-Star break) has been nearly flawless. Tonight's game was the exception as the Jazz settled for outside jumpers with the clock running down, but unlike earlier in the year, the Jazz aren't getting rattled when teams come back. This look like a veteran Jerry Sloan team; they run their sets, cut to the hoop, get back in transition and just keep working. There were a few sequences tonight when Jazz players were diving on the floor for loose balls and contesting inbounds passes. This is the behaviour of a high school team or an NBA team fighting to make the postseason, not one assured of a spot.

SOUR NOTES

* I would complain about Andrei Kirilenko's line here (9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), as I've done most of the year, but it's finally dawned on me. AK-47 is just having a bad year. It's not going to end soon, so he's just going to have to suck it up and do what he can to contribute to a playoff team heading for the stretch run. I think he can do that.

* Was this just a bad game for Gordan Giricek (8 points, 1-8 shooting) or is he regressing into the Gira-suck of old? It was hard to tell tonight. He tries to play good defense and stay on his man, but he gets too physical, too often and gets himself in foul trouble. I don't have a problem with him bumping T-Mac, Kobe or even Jason Richardson, but is it really that hard to stay with Mike Dunleavy without getting in foul trouble? Dunleavy doesn't have a ton of moves.

* Darrell Armstrong looked like he found a time machine tonight. He had 12 points, 3 assists and a steal and flustered the Jazz's guards at times with his pressure defense. Might be a tactic some teams might try against the Jazz as the season wears on.

Utah won the last meeting, 104-94, when the Jazz played the Pacers in Indiana. What to expect tonight? Let's take a quick look ...

What happened last time: Boozer scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds ... D-Will had 17 points and 5 assists ... Mehmet Okur had 17 points and 7 rebounds. There's more here from the last game, but for the most part, it was Memo and Deron having their way with the Pacers.

What to expect this time: Indiana has lost 6 in a row, and although they played better last night against the Kings, have looked like a team that's in jeopardy of falling out of the playoff race. Danny Granger hasn't played well in his last 5 games, as he's averaging a solid 12.4 ppg but shooting only about 37 percent from the field. Before the season, the Granger/Andrei Kirilenko matchup would have been one to keep an eye out, but Kirilenko's disappointing season takes some luster off this one. AK-47 will have his hands full with Granger and I have a feeling that Darrell Armstrong will provide a spark for the Pacers tonight and maybe frustrate D-Will a little bit.

Prediction: Jazz get their 5th win in a row, 110-105.

The Jazz are getting hot again, after tonight's 105-87 win over the Celtics. Utah has won 8 of its last 9 games and followed up last night's big win over Denver with a drubbing of Boston at Energy Solutions Arena. Let's get into it ...

SWEET MUSIC

Boozer working his way back (16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists in 23 minutes): Boozer played just 12 minutes last night, finishing with 10 points. Tonight he played mostly in the 1st and 4th quarters and doesn't seem to show any signs of rust around the basket. His jumper looked a little off (particularly when he was open), so he mostly banged his way to his points tonight.

Fisher picks up the slack (21 points on 8-11 shooting): Deron Williams had 2 points on 1-10 FGs, so Fisher took it upon himself to take some shots ... and make them. He played more minutes than Williams tonight (31 minutes for Fisher to Williams' 27 minutes) and looked solid. He moved the ball, played defense (2 steals) and was teamed with Gordan Giricek to keep most of Boston's backcourt playing defense on a night when I'm sure they didn't think they'd have to.

Millsap keeps hustlin' (10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks): He got 14 shots tonight (which is like 30 for Boozer/Okur/Williams) and although he only made 5 of them, he kept playing defense, running the floor and not playing outside his role. As Boozer starts to work his way back to his normal 28-32 minutes a night, Millsap will resume his role as the energy guy off the bench. But there's gotta be some thought in Jerry Sloan's mind that Millsap deserves to play crunch time minutes if Andrei Kirilenko can't get it together by late March.

SOUR NOTES

What's up with Okur/Kirilenko? All we know is that these guys missed the game (Okur for his back; Kirilenko for his knee). But how serious is Okur's injury? Will he be back in the lineup soon or will this soon balloon into an injury of Boozer-like proportions? AK-47 is always hurt, but he had knee problems two years ago and has had flare-ups with the injury since then. Maybe this injury will help Millsap and Ronnie Brewer get some more minutes, but the Jazz need to get AK-47 back and get his confidence back up. They won't make a long playoff run if he's not a factor.

The second and final game of this year's series against the Celtics. Here's a quick preview ...

What happened last time: Jazz win, 107-100, at TD Banknorth Garden. The Jazz mostly pulled away in the second and third quarters and were led by Deron Williams (26 pts, 14 ast), Carlos Boozer (24 pts, 14 reb, 4 ast) and Mehmet Okur (23 pts, 4-5 on 3-pointers). The Celtics' Paul Pierce went for 30 points and Wally Szczerbiak chipped in with 14 while Delonte West, Ryan Gomes, Kedrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo all had 10-11 points apiece.

What to expect this time: For one thing, Celtics PF Al Jefferson has gone from an afterthought in the offense (behind Pierce/Szczerbiak/Green/et al) to likely their No. 2 option on offense (behind Pierce). Jefferson is averaging 15.4 ppg and 11.6 rpg this month and has developed into a solid big man in what has been a wasted season for the Celtics. Utah likely won't have Okur tonight (and possibly Andrei Kirilenko), so that might factor into the offense. However, Deron Williams has stepped up this month (21.3 ppg) and Boozer should get more than the 12 minutes he played yesterday in Denver. If the Jazz can stick with Pierce on defense, Jefferson and the rest of the Celtics shouldn't be a problem. Keep an eye on tonight's matchup between Paul Millsap and Jefferson; it could be a preview of two young, talented big men.

Prediction: Jazz win, 105-92.

Utah won the last meeting between these teams, 107-100, earlier this season. Boston was 1-4 at that point and Utah was 5-1, and since then, things have pretty much stayed the same for both teams. Here's a look at what the Boston media has to say:

* Wally Szczerbiak definitely won't play tonight, something that coach Doc Rivers expected.

* The Celtics took a beating last night at the hands of the Lakers and neither Rivers nor Paul Pierce were pleased with the effort.

* Rumor is people won't be surprised if Pierce asks for a trade in the offseason if the Celtics don't make a major trade.

* The Nuggets acknowledge the Jazz are the division leaders, but aren't ready to concede anything yet.

* Nuggets coach George Karl compares the Jazz's road trip to a "pit stop" in this article.

* Jazz vs Nuggets preview courtesy of The Nugg Doctor.

* The Nugg Doctor attended yesterday's practice. Very cool insights from inside an NBA practice.

The Jazz were one of three teams to actually make a trade today, but the move was mostly to move up in the second round of this year's draft.

The Sixers sent Alan Henderson and their second round pick to the Jazz for Utah's second round pick and some cash. The Deseret Morning News says the Jazz will waive Henderson, which shows the only reason the Jazz made the deal was to get another pick in the 2nd round. Given Utah's history of developing second-rounders, this should work out well for the Jazz. Throw in that the Sixers are going to be a lottery team, this should turn out to be a high 2nd-round pick and thus, a player that might help the Jazz next year.

Additionally, the Jazz might parlay the 2nd-round pick and a player like Gordan Giricek into a shooting guard that better fits the Jazz's system. We'll see how it goes ...

JazzFan4Life provides its monthly look at a Jazz player who's been struggling (and what I would do to fix it).

The player: Andrei Kirilenko

The numbers: 9.0 ppg, 45.1 FG pct, 5.2 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.1 bpg.

Biggest problem(s): Offensive inconsistency, defensive trouble on pick-and-rolls and lack of confidence.

Getting back in tune: A typical Kirilenko season (based on career numbers) looks something like this: 13.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg and 46.2 FG pct. As you can tell from the numbers above, Kirilenko has struggled all season and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

First, the issue of offensive inconsistency. In seasons past (namely the last two), the Jazz often used Kirilenko as their starting power forward (a spot currently owned by Carlos Boozer). In that role, Kirilenko flourished as he was able to use his wingspan to get blocks on the defensive end and was quick enough to take most opposing power forwards out on the wing and beat them off the dribble. This season, AK-47 is the starting small forward and given Boozer's relative health, he has not had the same advantages against the small forwards of the Western Conference. Often, Kirilenko's role in the offense is relegated to passing the ball around the wings or making post-entry passes to Boozer and Mehmet Okur.

Part of how the Jazz can fix his offensive problems is two-fold. First, post him up more. Kirilenko has a height advantage over just about any small forward in the league and although he's not super strong, AK-47's wiry frame and wingspan allows him to contort and get off a shot when he might be out of position. Second, Kirilenko needs to hustle more. His offensive rebounding is at an all-time low (1.4 off rpg) and he doesn't crash the boards as he has the last 3-4 seasons. If he hasn't figured it out yet, Kirilenko is not the focus of a Jerry Sloan offense and he has to get the ball himself (off the boards) if he wants a shot.

Defensively, Kirilenko is not fundamentally sound one-on-one away from the basket. He's an excellent post defender, but with players such as Shawn Marion, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony in the West, he's often taken out of the post and forced to play his man off the dribble. Kirilenko has been reaching for steals all season and has been burned more often than he's gotten steals. Additionally, on point guard/small forward pick-and-rolls, AK-47 is often crushed by the pick (leaving him unable to help on the guard) or he doesn't recover quick enough if he gets through the pick to cover his man.

Finally, Kirilenko has not looked confident this year. From the first game of the year, Kirilenko has looked like he wasn't sure what his role was. As Boozer, Okur and Deron Williams have improved or maintained their level of play this season, AK-47 has fallen off dramatically and seems to be the forgotten man for the Jazz. When he's got his game together, AK-47 is easily one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the NBA. But between complaining about his role in the offense and playing poorly, it has been no fun to watch AK-47 this year.

* Nuggets G Allen Iverson is trying to get healthy and he better hurry. He could be the starting point guard as soon as Friday's game.

* SI.com NBA Players poll lists Iverson as the second-fastest player in the NBA (behind T.J. Ford). LeBron James and Shawn Marion are the only non-guards to make the list. Also surprising: Yao Ming is considered the NBA's slowest player.

* TheNugg Doctor laments the loss of J.R. Smith for the next 3-6 weeks as he recovers from knee surgery. Smith's injury is a huge loss for Denver and likely puts them in the race for the 6-8 seeds instead of challenging the Jazz for the Northwest Division title.

* Mavs might try to re-acquire Eduardo Najera today.

Well, so much for that six-game win streak. Jazz fall in Portland, 103-100, to a hard-working Blazers team. The Jazz had a chance to win this one, but my prediction was a little off. Let's get into it ...

SWEET MUSIC

Another solid, Harping-type night from Harpring (13 pts, 3-7 FG, 12 reb):
He only played 29 minutes (almost as many as Gordan Giricek) and looked as involved as he usually does in the offense. This seemed like the kind of game where a few more shots for Harpring might have done some good to loosen up the middle, but Derek Fisher was too busy thinking it was 2000 and he still had game. More on that later.

Millsap keeps getting it done (18 pts, 8-12 FG, 6 reb): Let's get this straight: midway through the second quarter, it looks like he got his hand broken by Zach Randolph. He seems to have tears in his eyes and plants himself on the bench and immediately I'm thinking he's out for 2-4 weeks with a busted finger. Then the second half starts and he's out there by the start of the fourth quarter. He had his usual hustle buckets and the Jazz almost came back on the Blazers thanks to his play.

Okur picks up where he left off (25 pts, 9-20 FG, 8 reb): He only had 4 points in the NBA All-Star game, but Okur showed he fits in best in Jerry Sloan's offense. He had a variety of Blazers in his face most of the night (including Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw) and did a good job of making his shots despite that. He turned it on a little too late and he didn't take any 3-pointers until the second half.

SOUR NOTES

Kirilenko/Giricek are struggling again (combined for 14 points, 5-14 FG, 8 reb and 3 TO): I just read that again ... that used to be an average night for Kirilenko on his own the last 2-3 seasons. Giricek spent most of the night as the whipping boy for Blazers rookie PG Brandon Roy and when he wasn't busy doing that, he was invisible in general on the floor. Kirilenko had scored 10+ pts in 3 of his last 5 games, but looked like the AK-47 of the 2006-07 season tonight: tentative, awful on his jump shot and a step slow on defense. Both these guys complained, complained and complained when they weren't getting shots early in the year. Now that Boozer is out, they have their shot to play more (and shoot more) and they stink it up. I expect it from Giricek, but not from Kirilenko.

Fisher looks for his own number (20 pts, 10 ast, 3 stls): Sure he lead the team in assists tonight and did fill in for injured PG Deron Williams. But there were countless times that he and Okur ran the high pick-and-roll, Okur went to his spot on the 3-point line and Fisher drove to the basket (where he usually missed or charged into someone). For as valuable as Okur's clutch play has been this year, Williams' steady hand at the point guard spot has been key for the Jazz all season.

Awful perimeter defense returns (allowed 7-17 3-point FG): The Jazz allowed the Blazers to shoot over 40 percent from the outside, mostly do to laziness on the defensive rotations. Portland probably should have made 10 or 11 3-pointers tonight given the sorry perimeter defense. The Jazz can't keep sluffing off on the outside because that's what has killed them this season.

Some headlines from the Portland area about tonight's Jazz vs. Blazers game:

* Blazers C Jamaal Magloire missed practice Monday, but not because he was traded. He is expected to be punished, meaning he might not play tonight.

* Blazers GM Steve Patterson says he's seen 'marked improvement' by the team and that no deals are likely.

* Jazz/Blazers preview from Associated Press.

* A little old, but FoxSports.com's Mike Kahn on how the Blazers should try to unload Magloire, Juan Dixon and maybe Raef Lafrentz to shore up their future.

A look at the top 3 non-Jazz games this week in the NBA:

Tuesday, Feb. 19 -- Nuggets at Spurs: A rematch of a playoff series from two years ago, the Nuggets should have Allen Iverson ready to go in this one. The Spurs have struggled of late (lost four of their last seven games) despite having won their last two games. Denver fancies itself as a title contender, but a likely packed house at the SBC Center as well as the Spurs' composed style of play should provide a good test of Denver's playoff readiness.

Wednesday, Feb. 20 -- Cleveland at Toronto: The Cavs were a sexy preseason pick to make the NBA Finals, but the team has looked sketchy this season. Too much of their offense is guys standing around watching LeBron James and the younger players (Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejo) and older guys (Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones, Zydrunas Ilgauskas) have not played as well with James this year. The Raptors have two guys who are legit NBA All-Rookie first teamers (Jorge Garbajosa, Andrea Bargnani) and might find themselves in the East Finals come May. Should be a good one ...

Friday, Feb. 22 -- Detroit at Orlando: Ahhh, memories ... was it really just four years ago that the Magic choked away a 3-1 playoff series lead to the Pistons? If the playoffs started this week, the Magic would have a good chance of repeating their history (at least in terms of a first round playoff series). Orlando is a young team on the rise, Detroit boasts the veterans and the Magic lost the last meeting (87-83). This game kicks off a rough stretch for the Magic and could be a telling sign of the team's playoff hopes.

Game 2 of this year's four-game set against the Blazers is Tuesday. A quick preview ...

What happened last time: Jazz win, 96-86, at Energy Solutions Arena. Mehmet Okur (20 pts, 7 reb), Carlos Boozer (19 pts, 10 reb) and Paul Millsap (11 pts, 6 reb off the bench) led the way for the Jazz. The Blazers Zach Randolph went crazy last time, going for 34 points and 13 rebounds while serving as the only reason the Blazers were in the game.

What to expect this time: Utah has rallied together since Boozer's injury, as they've won 6 straight games. More exciting that that is that the Jazz have only had one blowout win in that span and have played better in close games. Randolph is going to be the big concern in this game as he's going to try to light up Okur (who got an All-Star spot over him). Aside from that, without Boozer, the Jazz don't have anyone that can keep up with Randolph in the post. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jazz let Randolph score his 25-30 points and try to keep Roy/Jarret Jack/Juan Dixon in check.

Prediction: Jazz win, 95-92.

Some headlines from the Portland area about tomorrow night's Jazz vs. Blazers game:

* Cool feature about the 1977 Portland TrailBlazers championship team. This team, along with the 1975 Warriors, 1979 Sonics and 2004 Pistons were probably the biggest underdogs to win an NBA title.

* Blazers G Brandon Roy doesn't wear a headband for the Blazers, but he tried on on during the rookie/sophomore game.

* BlazersEdge predicts Portland (22-32) probably won't win as much in the second half of the season, given the team's inconsistent play. Additionally, they wouldn't be surprised to see Juan Dixon get shipped off to free up time for rookie sensation Sergio Garcia.

* Great story from the Portland Tribune on something I didn't know: The City of Roses has never hosted an NBA All-Star game.

* Imagine how Portland would be this season if the Knicks had pulled the trigger and sent F David Lee there last season? Newsday says that deal almost happened.

Well, this was a letdown. One night after one of the biggest wins of the year for the Jazz, they follow it up with a disappointing performance and a 94-83 loss to New Orleans/Oklahoma City. Lots of bad music tonight ...

SWEET MUSIC

At least Millsap cared ... (15 points, 17 rebounds, 2 blocks) -- Paul Millsap's 15+ rebounds tonight marked the first time since 1977 that a Jazz rookie accomplished the feat. He had a ton of energy tonight and gave us a glimpse of what he can do if given major minutes. I'm not saying he's going to go for 15 and 17 every night, but he could get about 10 points and 8 rebounds a night on just hard work alone. It's too bad Carlos Boozer got injured early in this game, but a night like this probably helps Millsap's confidence offensively.

Slick flirts with a triple-double (27 points, 11-19 FG, 5 rebounds, 8 assists) -- Aside from Millsap, Deron Williams was probably the only guy who seemed to think winning tonight might be a good idea. He was a little slow to start looking for his own shot (he was trying to get the MASH unit he had to play with involved), but once he looked around, he made most of what he saw.

SOUR MUSIC

Boozer's injury (bruised knee) -- Uh oh ... this is what caused him to miss basically half of last season and the second half of his first season with the Jazz. Hopefully everything will be OK, but when he went limping off the court in the first quarter, I was a little worried. Made me remember how spoiled Jazz fans were in the Stockton-to-Malone era ... those guys got hit all the time and never missed games.

Lack of energy overall -- The Jazz looked a little flat without AK-47, but once Boozer left the game with his injury in the first quarter, that was pretty much the end of the game tonight. The Jazz basically gave up the rest of the night, even though they got the Hornets' lead under 6 points a few times. A big let down loss, but hopefully they'll bounce back at home on Monday against New Jersey

This was probably the biggest game of the year thus far (in terms of the division standings and confidence for the Jazz). Looked like it wasn't going to be a good game for the Jazz early on, but they managed an exciting 116-111 win over the Nuggets.

SWEET MUSIC

Young guys step up (Paul Millsap: 6 pts, 6 reb, 2 blocks Ronnie Brewer: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal): Andrei Kirilenko left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and it was looking like Melo was going to light us up. Enter Brewer, who took over for Kirilenko's replacement (Gordan Giricek) and promptly made an alley-oop jam to get the Jazz back into it. Brewer had a key steal of Melo in the 4th quarter and was a factor in the game with his defense and hustle. Millsap did his usual hustling, hard-nosed play throughout the game, but came up with 2 critical blocks down the stretch to preserve Utah's win.

Boozer punches his ticket for Vegas (25 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists): This type of performance wasn't that outstanding for Boozer as he's had bigger stat-type games this year. But it was the way in which he got most of his rebounds and abused Denver's big men of Marcus Camby, Nene and Reggie Evans. Boozer had as many rebounds as Camby, Nene and Evans combined. He's a shoo-in for the All-Star game now.

Bench comes up big (reserves outscore Denver 46-11): We mentioned Brewer and Millsap, but Giricek and Matt Harpring also played big for the Jazz. More than his 11 points, Harpring did a great job of frustrating Nuggets forward J.R. Smith and played physical with Melo to make him get some dumb fouls down the stretch. Giricek had 13 points, but his three 3-pointers kept Denver honest in the middle.

Defending the 3 (Denver: 4-11 on 3-pointers): Utah did a much better job of sticking with Iverson, Melo, Steve Blake and Smith on the long ball. I couldn't beleive Boozer actually ran toward a 3-point shooter with the game winding down (as he did with Blake's late 3). If he did that more often this year, we might have a few more wins. But overall, whatever the problem has been with perimeter defense wasn't a problem tonight.

SOUR NOTES

Where have you gone, Memo? (14 points, 5-17 FG, 0-6 on 3-pointers): A little disappointing to see Okur not step it up in a big game or when the Jazz needed him. Makes me wonder how he'd do in the playoffs if the going got rough. There were stretches last night where he all-but disappeared and if it weren't for Boozer, the Jazz would have lost easily.

Stop starting Fisher (25 minutes, 2-8 FG, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 8 points): On the Jazz's second possession of the game, he couldn't get the ball past halfcourt and had it stolen away by Iverson. He missed all of his open jumpers and had a bunch of stupid fouls. By contrast, the Brewer/Giricek combination played 2 minutes more than Fisher did and scored 25 points. I think Fisher is a great backup PG, but he can't handle the two-guard position at all. Maybe the solution lies in what was done tonight ... play Brewer and Giracek roughly the same amount of minutes?

Kirilenko's injury (14 minutes, 2-3 FG, 1-1 on 3-pointers, 4 assists, block, 7 points): When he went down in the 2nd quarter trying to block Marcus Camby, it looked pretty bad. But he was able to walk off the court on his own. Who knows when he'll play again, but the injury didn't look too serious. It's moments like these in the NBA that give struggling players (Giricek) and young guys (Brewer) a chance they want to prove themselves.

A recent ESPN.com story quotes Yao Ming saying he will "definitely not" play in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.

Yao has been a shoo-in for the all-star team every year of his career because of fan voting, and the folks in China have been more than willing to make their intentions known. With Yao out of the picture, wouldn't this seem to open up a spot for Jazz "center" Mehmet Okur? No one in the West, of late, has been playing as well as Memo has (20.2 ppg in January) and are there any other centers in the West who should make the team? Denver's Marcus Camby has a shot at it, but it is unlikely the coaches will put Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Camby on the team when that group isn't even leading its own division.

Memo has to keep up the scoring streak and the Jazz have a decent enough schedule where he should be able to pull that off.

Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves had their way with the Jazz in Minnesota in December. Not so tonight ... Jazz earn their 4th straight win with tonight's 106-91 victory. What was sweet? What was sour? Let's get into it ...

SWEET MUSIC

Timberwolves can't stop Memo (28 points, 10-16 FG, 4-6 3-pointers, 5 reb, blk) -- He had 19 points in the second half and scored 10 points during a three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter to lock up the win. Timberwolves C Mark Blount came in as the flavor of the month (as he's averaged 16.9 ppg this month), but Memo and the rest of the Jazz defense kept him in check.

Williams getting it back together (21 points, 15 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) -- As Boozer's play has improved of late, Williams has also. Not a huge surprise when you consider the Jazz's offense, but as we addressed in an earlier post, Williams had his struggles earlier this month. Not so much now, as he's gone for 10+ assists in four of his last eight games (and 10 or more assists in 3 of his last 5 games).

SOUR NOTES

Shooting guard problems coming back (Ricky Davis: 32 points, 4-8 on 3-pointers, 2 steals) -- I'm not a huge fan of guys like Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Kobe, Gilbert Arenas or T-Mac lighting us up this year. But man, when a second-rate shooting guard like RICKY DAVIS(!!!) goes for 32 points, we have issues that still are not resolved. Harpring did a good job of playing tough against Davis toward the end of the game, but it is Sloan keeping guys like Fisher/Giricek on guys like Davis that is killing us. AK-47 struggled to fight through Minnesota's picks (as he does with most picks), but he's probably the best choice to guard shooters because he has the lateral movement and wingspan to make up for mistakes.

Lazy board work (Minnesota - 35 rebounds; Utah - 32 rebounds) -- It's only a three rebound discrepancy, but to me, three rebounds is the difference between hustling and blocking out or not doing those things. Mark Madsen shouldn't be offensive rebounding over anyone, let alone a Jazz frontline of Boozer, AK-47 and Okur ... but that's what happened tonight.

Where's Brewer (4th straight DNP) -- What is he doing wrong? Not sitting on the bench with his legs in the right position? If the Jazz aren't going to play him, send him down to Idaho with C.J. Miles and let them get some time together. They're the future of this team, right? Then play them (in this case Brewer) in a game like this where there's a need for them.

Nothing like a visit to the hated Bulls and coming out with a 10-point win. Hey! That's exactly what happened tonight! Let's get into it as the Jazz get their third win in a row ...

SWEET MUSIC

Boozer's quiet double-double (19 pts, 14 reb, 4 assists) -- Boozer was only 5-for-10 on free throws, but he got to work inside and made P.J. Brown, Ben Wallace and fat Mike Sweetney work on defense. Mehmet Okur made noise with his 21 points, 11 rebounds and a few big 3s, but Boozer pounded away at the Bulls' frontline a little each quarter and had some big baskets down the stretch for the Jazz. He just missed his 9th 20-point game in the last 10 games, but has started playing better after a so-so December.

Kirilenko's back? (10 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) -- Who is this tall Russian guy who does it all? Where has he been this season? The last three games could be called the resurgence of AK-47, but let's see if he can keep it going when the Jazz get back home and play the T-Wolves on Tuesday. He had another huge steal tonight (this time Ben Gordon was the victim down the stretch) and has that perpetual movement away from the ball working again.

Fisher sinks key bucket (14 points, 3-11 FG, 4 assists, 3 TO) -- Fisher wasn't impressive tonight and his jumper looked terrible most of the evening. But when the Bulls got it to 80-73 with 1:25 to go, Fisher made a high-arching jumper inside the 3-point line to push the lead back to nine and lock up the win for the Jazz.

SOUR NOTES

"Slick" Willie stumbles against home fans (12 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, 5 TO) -- Williams scored all 12 of his points in the first half and had trouble staying in front of Kirk Hinrich on the pick and roll. His last foul was a little bogus (looked to me like Hinrich elbowed him on the drive), but I think most of all, Williams was trying too hard. There was a large contingent of Illini fans at the game and I'm sure he wanted to put on a show. Too bad he didn't tonight.

The Joy of Jarron (11 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls) -- I know there isn't a lot to expect from this guy, but he's becoming the Walking Foul of the Jazz. His minutes have been a little inconsistent of late, but even when he gets 12-15 minutes, Collins hasn't produced much. I'm guessing he'll be valuable in the slow down pace of the playoffs, but if not, re-signing him has been a small disappointment.

WEEEEE WANT DEEEEE!!! -- The chant from the aforementioned Illini crowd was to get ex-Illinois PG Dee Brown into the game. Yes, the Jazz won by 10 points. Yes, the game was over with a minute to go. But no, Jerry Sloan didn't put Dee into the game. I know Sloan is trying to win games and not convert Bulls fans, but playing him the last 20 seconds of the game couldn't have hurt.

Two in a row for the Jazz as Utah gets a 102-94 win in Toronto. Let's get to the recap ...

SWEET MUSIC

Tempo establishment -- Toronto never really had a foothold in this game, despite the game being close. It was played at Utah's pace and the Raptors never got a lead of more than three or four points before the Jazz would rally and take a 4-5 point lead themselves. It was good to see the Jazz establish and maintain a tempo.

Keeping the lead -- The Raptors cut the Jazz's fourth quarter lead from 10 points to three on a jumper by Morris Peterson with 5:10 to go. Looked like a recipe for another Utah collapse, but a steal by AK-47 with 55 seconds left that led to a Harpring fastbreak dunk sealed up the win. This has to be the first time all year the Jazz didn't blow a fourth quarter lead.

Memo makes his all-star push (27 points, 2-8 on 3-pointers) -- Since scoring 7 points in the blowout loss to the Rockets on Jan. 5, Okur has picked up his scoring. He has scored 20+ points in 4 of his last 5 games and the Jazz are on a two-game win streak (after losing four in a row). Everyone knows Boozer is a shoo-in for the all-star game, but Okur might make a push for a spot if he keeps this up.

Kirilenko on his way back? (8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, game-clinching steal) -- Larry Miller is trying to alienate one of the team's most popular players with his comments, but Kirilenko took it all in stride tonight and gave a glimpse of his old form. He has been much more active the last two games and seems to be growing into his role on the team. I like that Sloan is actually running some post-up plays for AK-47 and his bounce pass between the legs of Chris Bosh to Boozer was just sick!

SOUR NOTES

Giricek wants minutes, Giricek gets minutes, then doesn't deliver (16 minutes, 0 pts, 0-3 FG, 3 steals) -- In a story published in the Salt Lake Tribune, Giricek wondered what his role was on the Jazz and complained about a lack of consistent playing time (haven't we all heard this before?). So Sloan puts him in the game and he does nothing to reverse the current opinion on him. I think the Jazz are better off playing Brewer more minutes so he can develop ... Giricek is a lost cause on this team.

Millsap slowing down (4 pts, 6 reb in 18 minutes) -- Sure, that is a decent line for Jarron Collins or even Giricek at this point, but Millsap hasn't played as well the last month as he did the first two months of the year. He's definitely hit the rookie wall ... might it be time for some minutes for Rafael Araujo?

Great stuff if you haven't seen it ... nice job by YouTube user Boschead

I've neglected my blog just because I've been a little tired, my wife and I were on vacation and it's just been hectic overall. Here are some quick thoughts on the Jazz:

• Deron is struggling -- Sure the scoring average has been around 16.5 ppg each month this year (16.7 ppg in Nov, 16.9 ppg in Dec and 16.8 so far), but his shooting percentage sucks. He went from a healthy 47 percent in November to a steady slide. He's now bottomed out at 38 percent from the field. Worst of all, when he's been open, he doesn't seem confident in shooting a jumper. Not a good sign.
• Giricek is no sharp-shooter -- This guy is supposed to be the 3-point shooter in the starting line-up, right? Then explain to me why he only has made 5 of 19 of his 3-pointers in the last two months! He's a frustrating player to watch (he can't seem to make a pass without doing so off the dribble or, worse yet, jumping in the air). I would love to see him traded ... ANYWHERE! He's gotta have incriminating, naked photos of Jerry Sloan or something ... that has to be the only reason he gets consistent time.
  
• Boozer's production doesn't change -- When the Jazz started 13-4, Boozer was quietly being mentioned as an MVP candidate as he was powering the team's start. The Jazz have been a little better than .500 since then (11-10) and there have been more than a few games in which Boozer hasn't played like the team's best player. Sure, he gets his 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he doesn't demand the ball and take over the game when the Jazz blow a lead and turn a safe lead into a close game. I'm starting to think he doesn't have that ability, but maybe it will come.