Game Previews
Skeletor Invades Castle Grayskull - Jazz/Lakers Game 3
by Basketball John on May 8, 2010 12:06 PM MDT
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So here goes the season.
It's no secret that if the Jazz are going to have a shot at getting back into this series that they're going to have to win tonight. If you're looking at the past for results, then you're in luck.
Though the Jazz have been ousted by the Lakers the last two years, they have won game three in 2008 and 2009. Both of those games were close but the Jazz were able to pull it out in the fourth quarter. In 2008 the Jazz also won game 4 and almost stole game 5. In 2009, they lost game 4 and 5.
So what are we going to see tonight? First, we're at the ESA where the crowd will give this team a boost and an advantage, even if we have to hear the scattering cheers from Laker fans. I would like to see the tickets printed for tonight to have some small print on them where the holder gives his eternal fan soul to the Jazz and forsake LA.
So what's it going to take to win tonight? First, it's going to be defense. The Jazz haven't been playing that badly on offense it's been slowing down LA that has been the problem. In those game threes the past two years, the Lakers shot under 50% in both of those with them shooting just 36% in last year's game three. Gasol and Odom got theirs but nobody else shot the ball well at all. The Jazz weren't exactly an offensive juggernaut themselves and had to win it with a Deron Williams' jumper over Fisher to win it. Even then, we had to hold our breath on a Kobe Bryant heave at the buzzer.
Second, it looks like Deron is going to try to mix things up a bit,
"You don't want to take quick shots against this team, so I try to run the offense," Williams explained. "But I'm going to have to break some plays and kind of freelance like I did in the first series."
He should get some more calls at home because he sure didn't get any in LA. We've all stated that he needs to go into takeover mode for the Jazz to have a chance in this series. He's capable of taking over but not at the expense of the team or the system.
Finally, and this should be sending shivers down your spine, AK is back. And according to Siler, he's not just back, but could be back in a big way,
Jazz folks are quietly saying Andrei Kirilenko has looked great in practice/shootaround the last three days.
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Kirilenko may be playing more than people expect tonight.tribjazz
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Andrei will come off the bench with Millsap. At the very least AK gives our bench some depth. At the most he is a game-changer that can help with D on drives and help counter the length of the Lakers.
If he's coming off the bench, I'm eager to see how he helps the second team move the ball and keep the Lakers off the offensive boards.
Like I've stated to start the series, the Jazz need to have a near-perfect game to beat LA and that comes on both sides of the ball.
If we see the DWill of the Denver series coupled with a handful more defensive stops, the Jazz are going to be able to pull out a win tonight.
Previewing The Jazz/Lakers One Tweet At A Time
by Basketball John on May 2, 2010 12:50 PM MDT
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We're running low on time before the Jazz and Lakers tip off in game 1. So here's a quick breakdown of the Jazz players in the series and some keys
@D_Will_8_4real, Needs to be completely dominant and take it to Fisher. Also expect not to get any calls, don't complain. Any dunks featuring Gasol are nice
@CBooze, Get used to taking a lot of jumpers, you're going to have to make those. Don't be afraid to pass around the big men. Bring some nastiness.
@WillyWonka, Don't be distracted by all the shiny. Remember that you're a big man. Make sure to go pee before you get out on the court. Make 2 of 6 FTs
@CJMiles34, Might be the player with the biggest mental block. Needs DWill to get him going early. If only we could transfer Matthews' mentality to him.
@OMSW, He's going to have to keep Kobe honest on D by hitting shots. Then he gets to defend Kobe. I say "gets" because Matthews truly wants to.
@Manslapped, He's going to be overmatched in height but not in heart. That still might not suffice against LA's talent. He needs to be efficient in shots
@HesSoHotRightNow, We'll need the 53% from three Korver to open things up inside. Also, if you have a wide-open shot to tie a game at the buzzer, take it!
@ThePriceIsWrongB!, No fear or intimidation here. If only we could harness his energy into a drink. I'm looking forward to a huge block and a dunk and shoving
@THEKOOF, No offense, but if he's in, we're in trouble. I do want to see a #BOOMBITCHES moment with requisite gif. He does have 6 fouls to give though
@Jughead, His shot has put the Jazz on this alternate course yet now we see those two realities converging in LA. How creepy is that? Freaks me out
@othyusjeffers, Enjoy the star gazing.
@AKWSUA, please come back soon.
@key1, Shock the NBA early with a game 1 win. Remember, past events have no bearing on the future
@key2, The Jazz cannot get into a large hole early. It's nice to be able to come back, but if you're going to break the cycle, it starts here.
@key3, Get ready to play perfect. No pressure.
Game thread coming at 1:30 MST
Back In The Valley Of The Sun, Jazz/Suns Preview
by Basketball John on Mar 19, 2010 2:34 PM MDT
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The Suns do have one more game at home against Portland in a couple of nights but the Jazz have pretty much been the bookends to Phoenix's 7-game home-stand. They're a well-rested bunch having played just one road game in the month of March.
They've had quite a bit of rest since their 152-point shellacking of the Timberwolves Tuesday night. None of their starters cracked 30 minutes that night. So we're not going to be able to rely on the Suns getting tired legs in the fourth quarter tonight. That's huge to consider when they have vets like Nash and Hill that will benefit a lot from that.
Credit the Jazz for their big comebacks against the Suns so far this season. They drubbed the Suns with 41 points in the fourth quarter in their last meeting. In the first game in Utah the Jazz scored 66 points on them in the second half to come from behind in that one. That's what can happen when you play one of the worst defensive teams in the league. But if the Jazz get behind big early tonight, they might not be able to mount much of an offensive comeback late. The Suns are going to be fresh.
The way you defeat the Suns is to limit their possessions. They're going to score, probably a lot. So to limit those possessions, you need to A) rebound and B) not turn the ball over. In the first game, the Jazz had just as many shot attempts (84) as the Suns. They crushed Phoenix on the boards, 48-31 and finished them off at the line. The Jazz also had a relatively good 11 turnovers.
In the game this monthh at Phoenix, the Jazz had 83 FGAs to their 73 (they average 83 a game). They beat them on the glass, 43-38 and also benefited from 18 Suns turnovers.
The Jazz should be able to get what they want on offense. Hopefully they don't want a lot of early jumpers and dig an early grave.
Everyone is a go tonight except for AK. We'll see how the Jazz match up without him on D.
- Game thread @ 7
- Jazz vs Suns coverage
- Bright Side Of The Sun
Thanks to Seth from Bright Side of the Sun for this audio from practice this morning. I expect a bit of karmic retribution from the basketball gods for some of his statements though.
Getting Ready For the Nuggets/Jazz
by Basketball John on Feb 6, 2010 4:42 PM MST
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I talked about the best and worst case scenarios when the Jazz play Denver tonight. They could either just be a game back with a win or find themselves 4 games out with a loss.
Well, there was also some middle ground there as well. The Nuggets beat up on LA last night in LA. Chauncey Billups specifically went off for 39 points including 9/12 from downtown. Of those 9, 7 came from the top of the key or to the right side. I didn't watch the game, but I'm guessing that a lot of those came on picks. Let's hope he's cooled down a bit for tonight.
It wasn't just Billups either. The team overall shot 57% and were 15/22 from downtown. That's going to sink most opponents. JR Smith had 27 and Ty Lawson helped abuse the LA point guards with 13 of his own.
Oh yeah, and Carmelo was out. He'll be out tonight which never hurts.
Of course, both Billups and Melo were out last time the Nuggets visited the ESA and they still won. Lawson ran rampant and has burned the Jazz ever since with 17 points a game. Come on Ty, it's not like we passed on you in draft or something, you don't have to play angry. If we had drafted you, you would be in OKC right now anyway.
Part of the reason for the loss at the ESA earlier this season was the 25 turnovers by the Jazz. Every other stat was equal or in Utah's favor. Those turnovers led 11 more field goal attempts by the Nuggets and when shooting 50%, that was the difference in the game.
That lone loss in the 11-1 run by the Jazz is to the Nuggets in Denver. The Jazz had 20 turnovers in that game that didn't help. The back-breaker in that game was the 49, yes 49, free-throw attempts by the Nuggs. They made 41 of those to the 20 that the Jazz made. Amazingly, we only lost by 7 in that game.
So the key to tonight's win? Limit turnovers. That's it. The offense it clicking and they'll get their points. The Nuggets are an average team defensively but are 2nd in the league on the offensive side over the course of the season. Other than the Cavs and Jazz, only the Nuggets can claim to be playing as well as anyone else in the league lately.
The Nuggets have already taken the season series, so there's no chance for a tiebreaker should the two teams end the season with an identical record. The Jazz aren't just playing for pride though here. Like I mentioned before, this is the last chance for the Jazz to gain on the Nuggets in the standings directly. After tonight they'll have to count on other teams beating the Nuggs for them.
Boozer is back tonight. I don't expect a major disruption here. The Jazz were playing well both before and after he got hurt. He'll get plugged back into the system and away we go.
Deron is back sans beard.
If the Jazz lose tonight, the beard better come back and stay for the rest of the season. I'm wondering if he shaved it to do his got milk? spot that's coming out.
Deron and Boozer have both traditionally had big games against the Nuggets. While AK will always be the X factor, we'll need Memo to be the Y factor in tonight's game. We need to Memo from the last game to show up tonight.
The ESA should be rocking.
- Nuggets vs Jazz coverage
- Denver Stiffs
- Game thread at 7
Preview - Orlando Magic @ Utah Jazz
by Basketball John on Dec 10, 2009 8:00 PM MST
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8 comments
So you know the episode of Friends - come one, you know you watch(ed) it - where they're watching Old Yeller only Phoebe's mom always shielded her from the ending? Well, here I will do the same for you for last night's game,
[Scene: SLC Dunk Game Thread. clarkpojo enters to see moni, shums, RRR, and DanielleLovesKK cursing on the screen.]
clarkpojo: Hey. How's the game going?
shums: BBJ is making us watch the fourth quarter of this game.
clarkpojo: Why are you guys so upset? It's the Jazz. They always play well against the Lakers.
DanielleLovesKK: What?
RRR: What’re you talkin’ about?
clarkpojo: C’mon, you know. Jazz build a lead and play well against the Lakers.
RRR: Yeah but clark, what about the end?
clarkpojo: What? When the Jazz blow out the Lakers by 26? How's that not awesome?
DanielleLovesKK: That’s not how it ended.
clarkpojo: Yu-huh. David Locke is telling me how well Boozer is playing and that they've got a ton of offensive rebounds.
moni: What about the part where they score only 6 points in the fourth quarter?
clarkpojo: No, with about 6:31 left in the third and the Jazz up by 8, Locke said to change the channel because things are about to get really boring for the Jazz because this game is over for the Lakers. Then he would say, THE END.
RRR: Uh, clark, I don’t think Locke would want you to see what’s about to happen.
clarkpojo: What, what’s about to happen? [starts watching] I thought the game was over. Hey, Memo, watcha doin’ with that ball? Oh no, no no Memo, pass the ball. No no no no, pass it back to Deron, he's your point guard, no, no no, the end, THE END. [hears shot clock violation from the TV]
Click on through for the rest of the preview
Preview - Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers
by Basketball John on Dec 9, 2009 8:10 PM MST
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I've been looking for most of the day on ways that the Jazz can beat the Lakers. When I finally thought I had found a couple of recurring themes in their losses, I remembered that their three losses were all sans Pau Gasol.
Since he's been back, nobody has been able to figure them out. Miami came close but lost on the three-pointer at the buzzer from Kobe.
When they win, they're beating opponents on average by 13 points a game, 108.6-95.6. Jeez. But when they have lost, they've lost in spectacular fashion with an average score of 83.3 to 100. Their offense seems to be feast or famine point-wise with mostly feasting.
The Lakers have had a huge advantage to start the season with 15 games at home with only 4 on the road. The closest I could find to that was a couple of teams with 12 home games. They'll have two more home games including tonight before coming to the SLC on Saturday. That's 17 home games with only 4 on the road to start the season. Of course it will even out in the coming months but it was good luck on their part as Gasol had been out with a strained hammy to start the season.
So what hope do the Jazz have tonight against LA? It will be tough first of all since Bynum and Gasol eat up the rest of the league. Given our defensive presence on the inside, if you can call it that, they could have career-type nights. I have a bit of hope for Boozer as we've seen him be physical in some occasions this season and look like he's giving an effort. With Fess and AK not available to back them up, we'll see a lot of Millsap and maybe the KOOF if there's foul trouble. Really though, we shouldn't give them too much trouble on defense.
On offense though they could do some damage. If Memo continues his hot shooting from the arc, that will bring Bynum or Gasol out of the paint and allow Boozer to work one on one.
Of course, that means that the wings will have to be knocking down shots to keep Kobe from hanging out in the paint. It will be interesting to see who he defends this game. If Kobe is sagging like that though, the Jazz have to run something with Boozer on the opposite side. They can't let Kobe hang out like that.
The matchup I'm interested in seeing will be Matthews and Brewer on Kobe. Matthews has that no fear attitude and backs it up instead of just talking about it. We'll see if he can throw Kobe off a bit.
The Jazz will have to play flawlessly to have a chance to win tonight. They can't get behind early like have in almost every game the past two years in the playoffs against the Lakers.
I don't know how you develop the swagger, but you have teams like Boston and LA that will go into any arena and do not get intimidated. I think a lot of the players on the Jazz still get a little overwhelmed by their surroundings. I don't sense that "We don't give a damn" attitude. That's why I miss Ronnie Price because I would love to see him go up against the Lakers tonight because you know he has that right mindset.
LA has shot just 37% in their 3 losses. The Jazz will have to hold them close to that if they want to win.
This will be another measuring stick for the Jazz as they play the best team in the league on the road. Let's hope it doesn't get out of hand.
Game thread coming shortly.
Preview - Utah Jazz @ Minnesota Timberwolves
by Basketball John on Dec 5, 2009 3:13 PM MST
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After starting the season 4-6, the Jazz have since gone 7-1 after hanging on against the Pacers last night. Let's take a look at the team's stats during those two respective runs
4-6
| Team | FG% | 3P% | APG | TOV | STL | PPG |
| Jazz | 48 | 30.6 | 23 | 15.5 | 7 | 99 |
| Opponent | 47 | 39.3 | 21 | 13 | 7.4 | 101 |
7-1
| Team | FG% | 3P% | APG | TOV | STL | PPG |
| Jazz | 51.2 | 38.6 | 28 | 13.9 | 9 | 102 |
| Opponent | 43.4 | 27 | 18 | 13.8 | 7 | 92 |
The Jazz have ramped up both offensively and defensively. That point differential of 9 points per game is right up with Boston's +9.5. Of course they've done it over the entire season and not just the last 8 games.
For the past few seasons, the Jazz have almost always started out the year well and then had varying degrees of success after that. But they always start out well. They are 11-7 this season through 18. They were 11-7 through 18 last season. For 2008 they were 13-5. And for 2007 they jumped out to a 14-4 mark.
So, was that 4-6 mark just getting the losses out of the way early? There's no doubt that they should have won at least 2-3 of those after getting huge leads and giving the game away.
Were things evening out or was there a turning point? I think there's a little of both.
There's no doubt that the Jazz were playing atrocious for those first 10 games. They were lost on defense and taking a bunch of jumpers on offense.
Something did seem to click though when Deron had to return home to take care of his ailing daughter. The Jazz were already without CJ and Korver. Suddenly, the rotation got a lot tighter and Eric Maynor and Wes Matthews were thrust into the starting lineup. It sure seemed like they started playing as a team then. That's not any inference that Deron was a problem. But maybe they relied on him a bit too much and now had to find a way to work together as a team again?
The Jazz were in danger last night of blowing a huge lead at home to the Pacers. Everything they had working for them in the first quarter when they built a 19-point lead went away for the next 2 3/4 quarters. They withheld the late charge by the Pacers and never relinquished the lead. There wasn't any one person that was responsible for it, it was all team.
So that's not really a preview of tonight's game against Minnesota. But it does apply in part because the Jazz, for whatever reason, have had some problems with the Timberwolves. We just always seem to struggle against them.
But tonight, they'll have Kevin Love back. If the Jazz don't want to lose any momentum that they've had from playing at home so much, they'll have to win this game as a team.
It will start with shutting down Minnesota's offense. They're at the bottom of the league in efficiency and points per game. Combine that with a defense that is nearly as bad and you're not going to have a lot of success. They're even getting out-rebounded which doesn't seem right. Love has a been out all season until last night, but they're still normally a good rebounding team. So with that, if the Jazz start taking a lot of jumpers again, they could be in for another battle because they're not going to get many second chances.
They need to take care of business tonight and not go down to a 2-win team.
Preview - Indiana Pacers @ Utah Jazz
by Basketball John on Dec 4, 2009 4:29 PM MST
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How appropriate that on the night when the Jazz break out the green and yellow retros that they face the team from the John Deer capital of the world (I can't back that up). The same state where Sloan heads to drive those tractors in the off-season.
The last time the Jazz faced the Pacers at the ESA, they probably should have lost if you look at the box score. The Pacers shot 50% from the floor including 13 of 22 from downtown. They had 34 assists and evened the rebound battle.
But they didn't count on the Turk.
Memo went off for 43 points that surprisingly included only three three-pointers. He lived at the line putting down 14 of his 15 attempts while also going 13 of 19 from the field. Money had to step up as a result of injuries. Check out the starters:
Deron, Price, Memo, AK, and Ronnie B. Nobody on the bench hardly played at all.
This year's Pacers aren't the best offensive team, in fact they're near the bottom. The only reason why they have a relatively high PPG total is that they play at a higher pace than most of the league.
Their defense is solid but because of that high pace, they'll give up a lot of points to other teams. With the Jazz rolling on offense like they are now, we should see a pretty high-scoring game.
The Pacers are led of course by Danny Granger, someone who's capable of dropping 50 on you any given night and especially against the Jazz. He's their biggest three-point threat right now. In fact, he's shooting an almost better percentage from the arc (37.3%) than he is in FG% (41%) overall. Now that we'll have CJ back, hopefully we can slow him down a bit with Matthews, CJ, AK, and Brewer.
The Pacers come into this game struggling having lost 5 of their last 6 and are at the tail end of a 4-game road trip. Hopefully the Jazz stick it to the Pacers early and take care of things. I'm hoping that the layoff hasn't impacted their chemistry too much.
- Indy Cornrows for the Pacers side of things.
- TBJ
- Game Thread @ 6:30
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