Jazz Wagon

AK Please Bring This Attitude To The Jazz

2007-09-18T12:19:00.001-07:00

AK needs to remember how this feels and bring this attitude back for the next season.

Milsap Should Play More

2007-08-20T08:56:00.001-07:00

Although the Utah Jazz have not made that many off-season moves, I still think the team will improve and be better than last year. The improvement of Milsap and D-Will should help the Jazz move on up the Western Conference ladder. Play Milsap more and the Jazz will win more.

You Can't Have Peanut Butter Without Jelly

2007-08-17T13:34:00.001-07:00

You knew it was coming.

For The Dog Days Of Summer

2007-08-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

I was missing the old Karl Malone and found this video on YouTube. Check it out.

Jazzbots.com Entry

2007-08-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Many of you have be asking me to post what I submitted as my entry for Jazzbots.com. I said I wanted to wait until everything was final and now that it is here is the entry I submitted.

"Blog Position – Season ticket holder from the upper bowl, young
working professional, or Jazz fan.

Now the toughest part, convincing you, the Utah Jazz, to choose
me. Throughout my life, the Utah Jazz has played a large role in everything
I do. When I was 9 or 10 years old I wanted to be the next Karl
Malone. I quickly realized I would never be 6'9" and my goal changed
to buying the Jazz from Larry Miller. (A goal still under
consideration, so look out Larry.) A few years down the road, the
first date with my wife was a Jazz game on February 25, 1997 versus
the New York Knicks. My wife and I were on the JumboTron, the Jazz
won despite Larry Johnson's great game, and life was great. Family,
friends and coworkers have always been interested in my perspective
as a passionate Jazz fan and encouraged me to pursue this passion. I
started a blog (jazzwagon.blogspot.com) earlier this year and have
enjoyed watching my readers increase over time. I feel I have a great
perspective and passion to add this project and know I would enjoy
working hard to make it a success. I relate well with all different
kinds of Jazz fans and have the ability to make them laugh. I have
always dreamed of being associated with the Utah Jazz and feel this is
a great opportunity to make this dream a reality. I hope to hear from
you soon. Go Jazz!"

Honestly, nothing to incredibly compelling, but I think I was sincere enough to get their attention. Thanks again for your support.

It Is Official.......Sort Of.......

2007-08-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

"Dear Jazz Fan,

Let me be the first to welcome you to the JazzBots Team! You have been selected as a featured blogger - we are excited to have you on board.

Let's meet the team, in no particular order:

Season Ticket Holder (Lower Bowl): J.R. Stewart
Season Ticket Holder (Upper Bowl): Alan Hinckley
College Student: Cameron Hansen
Jazz Wife: Laurie Nylund
Young Working Professional: Annie Whitaker
Jazz Family: Megan Mueller
Elementary School Class: Jackie Corbridge & Karen Chatterton (Weekly Rotation)
Jazz Fan: Stanton Huntington
Jazz Fan: Johnathan Kendrick

The alternates are an important part of the team. Beyond contributing when others cannot, they will be asked to blog on special assignments.

Alternate: Keith Haney
Alternate: Tamara Lynn Rasmussen
Alternate: Aaron Heaton
Alternate: Tim Ormond
Alternate: Josh Leavitt "

So the good news is, I made the cut. The bad news is, I am a floater/alternate. Either way I am excited and looking forward to the challenge.

Jazz Bots Update

2007-08-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ok......so here is the news. Last week I received an email telling me I was a finalist and scheduled an interview for earlier this morning. I just got back from the interview and here is what I can tell you. First of all, I was freaking nervous and may have blown the whole thing. I was fine until I was informed that over 800 entries were received before the deadline with hundreds more after the deadline and that mine made the final 35. At that point I started freaking out. Not even my lucky Stockton and Malone card could help at that point. I hope I didn't sound like too much of an idiot. So here is a break down of what happened.

I was downstairs in the bowels of the ESA. Met a very nice security guard and waited to be seen. Then Derek who was conducting the interview took me to a conference room where another man was waiting. Derek made some comment like, "We are interviewing for bloggers and looking for a new power forward." To which I replied, "I've got some great low post moves but may be a little bit short for the NBA." We then proceeded to the interview portion. Basically the interview consisted of two questions on their part. They wanted to learn more about me and find out why Jazz fans would be interested in my perspective. I answered to the best of my ability in my nervous state. I then asked them some questions about Jazzbots.com and what they hoped in would become. The interview then ended and that was it. On the ride home I kept thinking about everything I should have said. I'll get to that in a minute but first I want to tell you a little more about their vision for Jazzbots.com.

From my understanding, Jazzbots.com is going to be a very interactive fan site. It will consist of about 7 pages and launched in September. They have two professional sports writers to cover the basketball side of things and the co-authors (the position I interviewed for) will provide the human interest side to the site. This was a little different than I had understood from the emails they sent to me but now it makes a lot of sense. Co-authors will post twice a week. They can write about their own topics and/or will have topics provided to them from the Jazzbots' staff. All in all it should be really cool and I hope to be a part of it.

If I am chosen, here is a list of things I think I could write about:

Creative heckling
Upper-bowl fans vs. Lower-bowl fans
Game day superstions/rituals
Rocky Mountain Revue Flu (a sickness that effects me every July)
Is it ok to pray for the Jazz to win?
Top 10 Jazz fan favorites (Players, arena food, Jazz memories, ect.)

Also, if any of you readers have ideas, I would love to hear them. I want to be a true representation of Jazz fans on the Jazzbots site and with your help I think I can do that.

Jazzbots Blog Watch Begins

2007-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

To all the faithful readers of Jazz Wagon, the Jazzbots Blog watch has begun. I submitted my 250 word application today and now the waiting game can begin. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do this. I have wanted to be associated with the Utah Jazz for a long time and hopefully this will be an opportunity to do just that. The problem is that in 250 words it is hard to really say everything you want to say. There were many stories I would have like to share like my struggle to go on a mission because I was afraid that I would miss Stockton's and Malone's last games in a Jazz uniform but ran out of time. Lets just hope that whoever reads my submission can realize that I am genuinely interested in the opportunity and I get a chance to display my passion as a Jazz fan to more people. So tonight when you all lay down say a little prayer for me and with some divine intervention, I will realize a dream of mine. Go Jazz!

DWill Team USA Scrimmage

2007-07-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for channel 104 on my DirectTV package. The sports mix channel allows me to see NBA TV without paying for the upgraded package. Last night Jazz fans had a chance to see Williams playing in basically an All-Star game as he works out for Team USA. (I refuse to call any team besides the 1992 Olympic Team the "Dream Team.") DWill looked great, all things considered. He played about 30 minutes and ended up leading all point guards in assists with 13. He did not shoot the ball very well finishing up with 6 points on 3 for 8 shooting. He did however prove that he belongs on the court with the big names in NBA basketball. All of the interviews I have seen from this camp show that Deron has been lacking a little confidence about his status among the great players on the team. He seems to be deferring his leadership abilities to other more veteran players like Jason Kidd. Rumor has it that the team will use three point guards and the third spot is coming down to Kirk Hinrich and Deron Williams. The other two point guards appear to be Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billips. Deron has a great chance to make this team if he keeps working hard. My hope is that DWill makes the team, plays fewer minutes than the veterans on the team and comes back with the added confidence making this team would provide.

Review in Review

2007-07-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a moment to offer my observations on the Utah Jazz Rocky Mountain Review team. The main focus of this review will be players who have a chance to make the team. My apologies to all of you Nate Doornekamp and Wen Mukubu fans out there. At about the midpoint of the summer league here is what I have seen:

Paul Milsap

Milsap has been a man amongst boys. Much like Deron Williams last year Milsap has proven he does not need to be playing at the review. Offensively he has improved his range, handle, and feel for where he can get shots within a Utah Jazz system. He is in great shape and running the floor well. Offensive boards and ability to finish from tough angles around the hoop continue to be a strong point. If he can consistently knock down 15-17 foot jumpers, AK-47 might be on the next plane to the Eastern Conference before the All-Star break next year.

Defensively Milsap looks quicker and more able to handle the quicker small forwards. He still could use some improvement in this area, but even with his sometimes laking lateral quickness he makes up for that with the ability to block shots from behind. Milsap deserved to be the Utah Jazz summer league MVP.

Morris Almond

Offensively Almond is almost the complete package. He does not look like a rookie as he demonstrates much more poise than most other players in this league. On more than one occasion with the shot clock running down he has taken his time to find the right shot for that situation. His jumper is soft and looks good every-time it leaves his hands. Even after his poor performances he bounced back and showed some toughness.

Defensively Almond is more athletic than advertised. He is strong and can usually stay between his man and that basket, which is more than what you might say of any Jazz two guard last year. He could use some work guarding the pick and roll and needs to try to improve lateral movements. He has been the second best player on the Jazz team at the review.

Dee Brown

The "One Man Fast Break" has looked both good and bad so far. He is a great assist man and can run the offense, but his jumper has been all over the place. He had the most to gain from playing well with a contract on the line and a chance to win some minutes now that Fisher is gone and I can't help but wonder if this pressure got to him.

His is still the quickest player on the court and has been fairly active in the passing lanes. He can be a real pest on defense. His ability to be a ball hawk could help the Jazz next season. Expect him to be back with the Jazz unless he gets some crazy contract offer from another team.

Ronnie Brewer

Probably one of the most disappointing players as far as Jazz fans are concerned. Due to his injury, fans were not able to see if he has improved or not. I personally think he will be fine and all he needs to do from now until camp is work on extending his range and staying in shape.

Rafael Araujo

Before we get into his game, or lack thereof, let me talk about one of my pet peeves surrounding the Brazilian big man. Often times on sports radio I hear people call in and complain about his nick name Hafa, stating it has nothing to do with his name. In Brazil "R" makes and "H" sound. Hafa is short for Rafael. Back on point. He may work harder than any player out there and will probably get an invite to camp, but he still has a long way to go on both sides of the court. Before his injury he was a turnover machine on offense and played soft on defense. He would back away from contact just to preserve his own foul situation. Those facts combined with the Fess Factor (to be defined in the next section) could be the reasons Hafa's time in Utah expires.

Kyrylo Fesenko (Fess)

To me he was the most impressive play on the Jazz. I say that because I came in expecting to see Pavel Podkolzine 2.0. Meaning a slow unathletic big guy with no offensive skills and lack of stamina. What I saw was a little different. He is still very raw offensively. He needs to work on all aspects of his game. He can however run the floor very well for a big guy, block shots, provide energy, and is the funniest sucker out on the court. Those things combined with the fact that he is so young constitute the above mentioned Fess Factor. He is worth bringing on board to develop here in Utah. I would expect him to spend most of the season down in Utah County with the Flash. (I considered buying season tickets and making the commute down to watch him play, but then I remembered it was Utah County we were talking about.) If he can work hard and find away around the language/cultural barrier, he could be another 2nd round steal for the Jazz. Kudos to the KOC and the rest of the Jazz executives for taking a risk on him.

All in all the review was great again this year. Lets hope it can continue so that Jazz fans can have the opportunity to get up close and personal with our Jazz rookies. If not, I will have to budget in a trip to Vegas in July 2008.

Utah Jazz Player Report Cards - Deron Williams

2007-06-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Overall Grade: A

Season Stats: 80 Games, 16.2 pts, 9.3 ast, 3.3 reb, 1.0 stl, 3.1 to, 45% fg, 32% 3pt, 77% ft

Playoff Stats: 17 Games, 19.2 pts, 8.6 ast, 4.3 reb, 1.5 stl, 4.0 to, 45% fg, 33% 3pt, 79% ft

Season Review: Deron had an All-Star season this year and an All-World showing during the NBA Playoffs. He proved himself as a top 3 point guard in the league and still has time and room to improve. He was able to impose his will to win and demonstrate a little of his "nasty" to opposing point guards. He emerged as a vocal leader and was able to back it up on the court. He has earned Jerry Sloan's trust and this will bode well for the Utah Jazz in the future.

Areas to Improve:

Defensive Quickness - his steals per game were up during the playoffs and he needs to remain active next season.
Free Throws - Deron has good form on his shot, but at times he was inconsistent. Should be 85% from the line.
3 Point Shooting - He has the tools to improve his range. If he became a 36%-38% shooter from deep, he would be unstoppable.

07-08 Outlook: Deron should come back from the off season with added confidence in his game. If he does not make the Olympic Team, look for him to also come back with a chip on his shoulder. He has proven in the past he will use any sort of a snub as motivation. He should be the first player from his draft class to make the All-Star team and this will be a habit for years to come. Look for him to continue to thrive in Sloan's system and find more ways to attack opponents. He is a winner and is responsible for bringing a winning attitude back to the Utah Jazz. Good things happen with Deron Williams as your point guard.

Deron Williams 06-07 Season Review Video

2007-06-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

With a little more than a week before the NBA Draft Jazz Wagon will be taking a look back at last year's team. Starting with Deron Williams and moving on down through the roster based on grade. Watch this video and then guess what you think Deron's grade will be.

Biased Jazz Fans Vent

2007-05-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I will be the first to admit I am a biased Jazz fan. That being said I would like some logical non-biased person to explain to me the following. How in the world do the San Antonio Spurs shoot 25 free throws in the 4th quarter and the Utah Jazz only shoot 2? Do not tell me that it was because the Spurs were more agressive and taking it to the hoop more than the Jazz. Watch the tape and you will see how many free throws were awarded to the Spurs 30 feet from the hoop. Manu "Walking Seizure" Ginobili was the worst offender.

Question two: How correct does it seem that the lead official Steve Javie calls a total of 28 fouls, 24 against the Jazz and 4 against the Spurs? There is no logical explanation for such a thing. The only reasonable explanation is that Javie is against the Jazz. I am not one to honestly believe in conspiracy theories. I think they are crap, but after last night's game I have to start and wonder. Javie has a history of this kind of behavior not only here in Utah but other places. He seems to get a chip on his shoulder against a certain team and then he just doesn't give a rats about anything. The NBA needs to step up and kick him out of the league. How are his actions any different than what Joey Crawford did against Tim Duncan earliers this year?

Steve Javie Facts:

Ejected a mascot in 1991
Ejected a radio analysit in 1994
Investigated for tax evasion in 1999
Told Pat Riley "It's giving us absolute delight to watch your team die." 2002
Ejected a fan in 2007

That being said the Jazz did not do themselves any favors in the game. Every time they had a chance to take the lead they would throw the ball away or give up an offensive rebound. The Spurs probably deserved to win the game last night but still the league needs to do something about the officials last night.

Playoffs Are Over, Moving On To The Summer

2007-05-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

After last nights complete and underly disgrace of a performance I was looking for any ray of hope to ease the pain of loosing. Since I couldn't find anything relating to the Jazz chances of beating the Spurs I had to look in a different area. I found something for Jazz fans to look forward to. With the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Super Sonics winning the top two draft picks in this years draft we have some good news. Both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant will be playing at the Rocky Mountain Review. It will be awesome to have the chance to heckle those two players coming in July. Jake get ready we need to prepare now.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day May 19, 2007

2007-05-19T18:35:00.003-07:00

Two quck facts regarding the Western Conference Finals.

A lot of talk has been made about the Jazz's lack of success in San Antinio since 1999. The Jazz have not won a game since then totaling 16 straight losses. However, did you know that San Antonio has never won a playoff game in Utah. They are 0-8 in SLC. I would expect that trend to continue.

Also, the last time the Jazz face the Spurs in the NBA Playoffs they won on their way to the NBA Finals. I would expect that trend to continue as well. Jazz in 6. Bring on the Pistons.

A Good Chuckle

2007-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

With the Jazz about ready to wrap up this series with the Warrios and all of the junk following Baron Davis, I found a few pictures today on the internet that made me laugh. My favorite is the final picture with AK and Baron, sudle hummor is always the best. Jazz in 5.

Andrei The Cry-ant

2007-04-25T09:39:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how far this guy has fallen. If AK wants to get his game back on track he just needs to watch this video and see how he used to play. Once he does that he should realize that he could do these same things with the team that we have now. Time to sack up and be a man!

Jazz Wagon Is Back

2007-04-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a while simply because I have been so busy and frustrated with the play of the team as of late. I thought I better post before the playoffs end, and since it looks like that day will be here shortly I decided to do it today. Things are falling apart for the Jazz. AK-47 is crying like a BYU quarterback, Fisher has Matt Harpring syndrome and can't make a layup and both of our big guys play like midgets against Yao Ming. The Jazz honestly missed a huge opportunity on Saturday. T-Mac was pressing and really didn't do anything until Fisher choked that fast break away. If the Jazz could have put together any type of a third quarter T-Mac would have been done for the rest of the series. He put way too much pressure on himself and now he has a lot of confidence.

That being said, here is what the Jazz need to do to win tonight and make it a series:

Pick and Roll Yao to death. Boozer needs to dunk it everytime that happens, instead of trying to go up and under and Memo needs to pull his head out and start hitting some shots.

Deron Williams needs to push the ball up the court and get in to the offense quickly. He was walking the ball up way too much on Saturday. In fact it was the worst I have ever seen from him.

Start Gira......Play Brewer.......Cut AK from the team. That last one might be a little to extreme, but my point is Sloan needs to think of something to give our team an energy/emotinal boost out there.

The series is not over yet, but it will be if the Jazz can't win tonight.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day April 11, 2007

2007-04-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Full Name: Adrian Delano Dantley
Born: 2/28/56 in Washington D.C.
High School: DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)
College: Notre Dame
Transactions: Traded to Indiana, 9/1/77; Traded to L.A. Lakers, 12/13/77; Traded to Utah, 9/13/79; Traded to Detroit, 8/21/86; Traded to Dallas, 2/15/89, Signed with Milwaukee, 4/2/91
Nickname: A.D.
Height: 6-5; Weight: 210 lbs.
Drafted by: Buffalo Braves (1976)
Honors: All-NBA Second Team (1981, '84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1977); NBA Comeback Player of the Year (1984); NBA All-Star (1980, '81, '82, '84, '85, '86); Olympic gold medalist (1976).

Stats

Career 24.3 pts 5.7 rebs

Playoff 21.3 pts 5.4 rebs

All-Star 10.5 pts 3.8 rebs

AD It's About Time

2007-04-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm too young to really remember much of Adrian Dantley as a Jazzman but from what I have seen in highlights and read in the papers he is exactally the type of player that I would have loved. He was undersized as a power forward and still managed to out work players with more size and ability. He had the mindset that Utah Jazz fans love to see from their players. In fact, this team we currently have could use some of his toughness and hustle. I find it a little ironic that Larry Miller has held a grudge this long against him. Everyone in the world could agree that AD should have had his jersey retired a long time ago. I find it ironic that most of the bitter feelings revolved around a contract dispute. In today's world, players are almosted expected to act the way Dantley did in the 80's. I mean how many times did Karl Malone hold out or complain about his contract? Yet Miller instantly forgave him. I think in order for this story to go full circle, I would like to see Larry H. Miller cry his eyes out tonight. That would be a perfect ending to one of the most soa operaish stories in Utah Jazz history.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day April 9, 2007

2007-04-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

While the Utah Jazz are mainly focused on the up coming NBA Playoffs, some of the front office is preparing for the NBA Draft. I am a draft junkie and one of my favorite places to find great draft nuggets is from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The PIT is set up for "border line" NBA talent. You will not see Oden or Durrant here, but every year there seems to be someone who steps up and becomes a solid NBA Pro. Some of the players who have played in the PIT and made a name in the NBA include:

Rick Barry
John Lucas
Scottie Pippen
Ben Wallace
Cuttino Mobley
Avery Johnson
Ronnie Price

The Utah Jazz have had some luck with players from the PIT. Jazz players who started at the PIT:

John Stockton
Derek Fisher
Andre Owens
Shandon Anderson
Howard Eisley
Milt Palacio
Mikki Moore

Not to shabby. So who looked good this year? I would keep my eyes on two players, Rashad Jones-Jennings and Gary Neal.
Jones-Jennings is a 6'8" "Milsapie" forward from AR-Little Rock. He averaged 12.5 pts and 13.1 rebs during the tournament. Neal is a 6'4" guard from Towson. He led the league in scoring averaging 25.3 pts per outing. Look for the two names in the up coming draft.

If You Can't Say Anything Nice

2007-04-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

My mom used to tell me the old phrase, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." I have taken this approach with the Jazz this past week, but now I'm sick of not say anything. At the Jazz's current pace I will post again some time in the summer of 2010.

The question is why have the Jazz sucked so bad this week? It all comes down the 4th quarter. The Jazz look awesome for about 36 minutes and then stop playing. Here is what I have noticed:

1-Matt Harpring is the worst defender on our team. Just look at the way he has been abused in the 4th quarter of games recently. I mean he made John Salmons from the Kings look like MJ on Friday.

2-Boozer will go for minutes without touching the ball. The Jazz keep settling for jumpers. Pound it inside. Did we not learn anything from the game against Houston last Sunday. If Boozer goes inside often, good things happen for the Jazz.

3-Sloan does not have the ability to adjust his line ups. This has been a major complaint of mine over the years. He does not adjust well to situations on the court. For example, if Harpring is getting abused, put have him switch defensive assignments with someone else. If Gira is hot, leave him in the game.

4-Jazz are playing to preserve a lead, instead of going for the kill. If you play like that in any sport, you are going to loose.

Honestly if the Jazz do not find a way to make some changes quick and start winning some games, it is going to be a short live post season. Will the real leader of this team please stand up and make this team pull it together? It is time to sack up, play some ball and start winning again.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day

2007-04-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update for all of you NBA Playoff junkies and Utah Jazz Historians. How many times have the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets met in the playoffs and what is the series record between the two teams?

The Jazz have faced the Rockets a total of 5 times in the playoffs with the Jazz holding a record of 3 wins and 2 losses. Here is the history between the two teams:

1984-1985 Jazz Defeat Rockets 3-2, First Round
1993-1994 Rockets Defeat Jazz 4-1, conference Finals
1994-1995 Rockets Defeat Jazz 3-2, First Round
1996-1997 Jazz Defeat Rockets 4-2, conference Finals (Bill Walton, "Uh Oh.")
1997-1998 Jazz Defeat Rockets 3-2, First Round
2006-2007 To be determined.

These two teams have always had a great playoff rivalry and I for one am getting more and more excited to see it renewed, even though watching the Rockets is painful. Jazz will win this year in 5 games.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day

2007-04-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Utah Jazz All Time Leaders

GAMES PLAYED: John Stockton - 1,504
GAMES STARTED: Karl Malone - 1,348
CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED: John Stockton - 609
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED: John Stockton - 609
MINUTES PLAYED: Karl Malone - 53,479
POINTS SCORED: Karl Malone - 36,377
SCORING AVERAGE: Adrian Dantley - 29.6
FIELD GOALS MADE: Karl Malone - 13,335
FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED: Karl Malone - 25,810
FIELD GOAL PCT.: Adrian Dantley - .562
FREE THROWS MADE: Karl Malone - 9,622
FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED: Karl Malone - 12,963
FREE THROW PCT.: Jeff Hornacek - .897
3-POINT FIELD GOALS: John Stockton - 845
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS: John Stockton - 2,203
3-PT FIELD GOAL PCT.: Jeff Hornacek - .428
REBOUNDS: Karl Malone - 14,601
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS: Karl Malone - 3,501
DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS: Karl Malone - 11,100
ASSISTS: John Stockton - 15,806
STEALS: John Stockton - 3,265
BLOCKED SHOTS: Mark Eaton - 3,064
TURNOVERS: Karl Malone - 4,421
PERSONAL FOULS: Karl Malone - 4,462
DISQUALIFICATIONS: Mark Eaton - 50

Utah Jazz Playoff Preview

2007-04-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

What a huge victory for the Utah Jazz last night as they defeated the Houston Rockets 86-83. If the game last night was a preview of what is to come for the Jazz in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, then I have some complaints. First of all is there any team out there who is as painful to watch as the Houston Rockets. I mean they make UCLA look like the Phoenix Suns. They provide a very difficult matchup for the Jazz and after watching the game last night here is what I suggest Jerry Sloan do to help win the series.

First attack Yao Ming early. At the begining of the game last night the Jazz looked afraid of the 7'6 Bruce Lee look-a-like. I mean he is huge, but you still need to attack the hoop. By the end of the game the Jazz finally realized that Yao does not have the lateral quickness needed to guard the pick and roll. If I was Jerry Sloan I would run the pick and roll against Yao all game long. If Yao is guarding Boozer, then run the mid pick and roll and try to get stuff going to the hoop. Just like they did on the Carlos Boozer dunk that changed the momentum of the game last night. If Yao is guarding Memo, which Van Gundy does not want, run a high pick and roll and get some long range jumpers.

Next on the defensive side of the ball, our bigs need to put their bodies on Ming at about the 3 point line. He does not have the stamina to handle they extra work this will cause him. To often last night, our bigs let him walk down to within six feet of the hoop. Start pushing on him early, he will get tired and frustrated. Also, do not ever double team off of Battier. He is the one guy the Jazz can not afford to have a big game.

At this point it is 99% probability that the Jazz will face Houston. If they can game plan around these two items, I think they have a great shot in winning this thing in 5 games. If not, the Jazz could be going home early.

2007-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Utah Jazz 2006-2007 Highlight Reel

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day

2007-03-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today's Jazz Wagon fact has to deal with tonight's opponent The San Antonio Spurs. It has been just over 8 years since our beloved Utah Jazz have been able to beat the Spurs on the road. The last time the Jazz beat the Spurs on the road was February 28, 1999. To put that in perspective Andrei Kirilenko was drafted in 1999. Meaning the longest tenured player on the Jazz has never won a game in San Antonio. That being said I think the streak ends tonight and here is why:

Andrei Kirilenko is playing much better defense as of late. He is hustling, getting blocked shots and steals. He will be a big factor tonight guarding guys like Bruce Bowen, Mike Finley, and Brent Barry.

Memo has to come out of his slump at some point and has proven to be a Spurs killer since he came here as a free agent. He is the reason the Jazz were able to end their overall loosing streak to the Spurs. He is a huge miss match for Spurs as they have no one who can guard him.

Deron Williams loves to play against the top point guards in the league and will take it right to Tony Parker. Parker is a great player but has had problems against bigger point guards like Jason Kidd, Andre Miller and D-Will fits that mold.

Those are the three players to watch tonight and if they can put it together the Jazz will end their losing streak in San Antonio and more importantly will take a little pressure off themselves as they head into their next, more important game, against the Houston Rockets.

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day

2007-03-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

With the Utah Jazz officially clinching the Northwest Division Title it is only fitting that the fact of the day deals with the Jazz history in that area.

How many Division Titles do they have? 8

Utah Jazz Division Titles:

Year Record

1983-1984 45-37
1988-1989 51-31
1991-1992 55-27
1996-1997 64-18
1997-1998 62-20
1998-1999 37-13 (Lock-out shortened season)
1999-2000 55-27
2006-2007 47-24 (And still counting)

Air Carlos?

2007-03-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

This week has been a great week for our man Carlos Boozer. On Monday he scored a career high 41 pts and threw down what I thought was the dunk of the year by a Jazz man. I spoke too soon. Last night he out did himself. He played an important role in the Jazz defeating the Timberwolves and in case you missed it, he destroyed Kevin Garnett with a monster hay maker. What makes his dunk over Garnett even more impressive than his dunk over Arenas is a couple of things:

Garnett is 7 feet tall, he challenged Boozer meeting him at the rim.
Arenas is about 6 feet tall, he just stood there and took it like a new prison inmate.

Regardless of which dunk you prefer, they were booth unbelievable and showed us Jazz Wagoners how important this guy is to our teams success. When he is healthy he is an elite power forward who is still 2 or 3 years away from his prime. Dunk you very much Carlos for the play this week.

2007-03-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Carlos Boozer Dunk on Kevin Garnett

2007-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Carlos Boozer dunks on Gilbert Arenas

Happy Birthday Jerry Sloan, Don't Change A Thing.

2007-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Some things never change. Jerry Sloan is one of those things. I will be honest, sometimes I love him as a coach and other times his decision making drives me crazy. Although I may not agree with everything he does, he has been very successful and is responsible for much of the Jazz's success. He is strong and steady. He is consistent and predictable to a fault. My buddy Jake and I can just about predict how Jerry will react after a Jazz victory or loss. In defeat he is always complimentary of the other team, and in victory he is never satisfied. Keep up the good work Jerry. You can coach as long as you would like to, or at least until you do something that I do not agree with as a fan, at which point I demand that you retire. Happy 65th Birthday!

Jazz Wagon Fact Of The Day

2007-03-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

In 1984 the Utah Jazz posted their first winning season. They also became the first team in NBA History to have four players lead the league in major statistical categories: Adrian Dantley (30.6 ppg), Darrell "Dr. Dunkenstein" Griffith (36% from 3pt), Ricky Green (2.65 spg), Mark Eaton (4.28 bpg). Surprisingly, the Jazz only won 45 games that year.

Jazz Wagon Launches

2007-03-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

It is hailing like mad outside my West Jordan home right now. The Utah Jazz have officially clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the Stockton to Malone era and are about to win their first division title since 2000. This series of events has led me to start the Jazz Wagon blog. I have been a die hard Jazz Wagoner for as long as I can remember. Being a fan of the Utah Jazz has provided me a lot of joy, some heart ache, and many a night of sleep. Jazz fans have been spoiled through years of success and yet we still want more because we have seen the top of the mountain, but have not quite reached it. (Although I predict we will be there shortly. 2009 NBA Champions!) Feel free to jump on the Jazz Wagon at any time. I would love to hear from you.