Utah Jazz Legend Karl Malone and CEO Greg Miller formally announce addition of Mailman to coaching staff

Today is a good day. Why is it a good day? It's a good day because today Karl Malone and Utah Jazz CEO / Owner Greg Miller got on the radio to make a huge announcement. Well, it's not a huge announcement that The Mailman is going to lend his services to the Jazz in order to help develop 2010 #3 pick Derrick Favors and 2011 #3 pick Enes Kanter. Throw away comments in interviews by both Favors, and the Jazz brass, revealed that this was something that was going to be happening this summer. What this announcement today did was formally announce this partnership. In fact, Karl has already met both players and worked out with Favors once.

The big news is that Greg Miller and Karl Malone have seemed to have buried the hatchet. That's the bigger news. Larry's kids shouldn't fight -- and I think both men have great pride and great tempers. I'm glad to see them work things out and put what's really important at the forefront.

And what's really important? It's not pride. It's recognizing that it's super critical to develop these young guys right now. We didn't have a bigman coach despite having so much of our future depend on two guys who aren't old enough to even rent cars yet. Karl is not going to be an assistant coach, and he's not going to be sitting on the bench. He'll be a part time coach who will work with these guys (and other guys, I am sure Jeremy Evans and 2013 #14 Draft Pick Big will be meeting him) in the summer and occasionally during the season.

Karl does hold the option to work his way up into the system like Jeff Hornacek did all those years ago (first working only with Andrei Kirilenko and DeShawn Stevenson on their shots). Of course, Karl also said that if it's NOT working, he will be a big boy about it, and leave on good terms.

His reach will be short, and his focus will be saturated. He's not going to be on the bench getting technical fouls by yelling at the refs, or getting into it with head coach Tyrone Corbin in time outs. Well, at least not THIS season. Down the line? If Karl likes this enough he may want to make it a special project of his.

The main point for Karl was about giving back -- and he's sincere in this. For Greg it seems to be maximizing the experts he hires to manage specific tasks within his business empire, and recognizes Karl as an expert in this field who is capable of helping his players get better.

However, the overall big picture celebration is that Greg and Karl are not fighting anymore. They may very well butt heads again in 36 months, or 36 days. But for now . . . today is a good day in Jazz land.

It's funny that so many people who were critical of the possibility of Karl Malone being a coach now have to chew on the fact that the big money boys for this franchise made sure it happened.

Welcome, once again, to our team Coach Malone.

Now let's get down to work.