The Downbeat #995 - We Believe We Can Make a Nice Run

Bill Oram of the SL Trib posted a nice blog entry the other day about the Jazz's optimism. In the article he says:

Despite everything else, this is a relentlessly optimistic Jazz team.

With this quote from Paul Millsap:

"I know, as a team, the guys in this locker room are still together. We believe we can make [a] nice run and I believe we can do it."

Honestly, I admire this about the team. For all their flaws and all their excruciatingly frustrating play, they are a great bunch of people.

In that blog, Bill mentioned he would like to see a March Madness style bracket of worst Jazz losses this season. His wish is our command. I'm going to throw some out there, you add some in the comments and we will put together a bracket for voting in the Downbeats starting next week. Some suggestions:

-Both Knicks losses

-The Rocket Debacle

-Hornets in NO

-All the Kings losses

-The Clippers flop loss

-Bulls home loss

-At Cleveland

If the Jazz want to make good on this "nice run" they can start tonight in Houston, a place where they have had some success in recent years. Right now the Jazz are just 2 games out of 7th place in the playoff push (I know "just"). The Rockets have been struggling recently, as well, so tonight will be a contest of "who wants it more" or more likely who makes more three pointers. The rivalry between these two teams has slipped in the last few years as both teams have slipped into mediocrity, but there's still enough bad blood over at The Dream Shake to make it fun.

Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney over at SI's Point Forward Blog, have an article about the future of the Western Conference's lottery teams. Obviously there's some teams that aren't set for the lottery just yet, but as it stands now, the the Jazz are at the top of their lists. The article is here. The guys rank the Jazz as having one of the brightest futures (We all know that) and also talk about the roster spots that need filled on all these teams. Its a good read. I'm sure we can all guess what position needs help for the Jazz. Speaking of which....

March Madness kicks off tomorrow night, so you can watch all the players that Clark, Amar, and Peter have been talking about recently; namely various point guards. I think there's some guy called Cowabunga. Another Borks kid. Have fun with that. I hate college basketball, except for the last 30 seconds of a close game.