The Downbeat: Utah Jazz to be sub .500?

NBA fans are still in the doldrums of summer. At least the football fans out there, there’s a lot to talk about with the beginning of a new college and NFL season. Fortunately we are only 52 days away from the NBA season, but who’s counting?

Vegas has put out its odds for win totals in the upcoming season. I’m sure you’ll be surprised by the projected total of wins for the Utah Jazz:

The Jazz are being underrated and will be back out of the playoffs. Shocking. Personally I don’t see a situation where Utah has a top 3 defense and can’t get above .500. Vegas also doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to projecting the Jazz in the past few seasons.

2016-2017 projection: 47.5 — Actual: 51

2015-2016 projection: 40.5 — Actual: 40 (Gobert injury-plagued season)

2014-2015 projection: 25.5 — Actual: 38

I anticipate another trip to the playoffs, what about you?

Everyone get out your tin foil hats!

We’ve heard in various interviews from Dennis Lindsey that he tracks referring statistics. He’s also quite convinced that the Jazz are on the receiving end of some of the poorest officiating in the league. He believes that Utah’s playing style isn’t refereed appropriately, not because the refs are bad, but because they don’t recognize how our offense needs more freedom of movement.

What about those last 2 minute reports you ask?

Fan Posts! Get your Fan Posts!

Somehow I missed jdhoch14’s post last time around. Please forgive me! A fun game is made to build an All-Time Utah Jazz Starting Five:

The rules are pretty simple: 1) one player per position; 2) you're picking them based on their Jazz prime (so this is not New Jersey Nets' Richard Jefferson); 3) you can go under $15 but not over

Head on over and give everyone your 2 cents... well actually your 15 dollars, but you get the point.

The offseason fun continues by Beeblebrox42 as well, this time with a trading game:

Top level comments can only contain a player's name. Players should be considered as they currently are, and on their current contracts. So no specifying things like 'if he's healthy,' or 'assuming he's willing to re-sign.'

Reply with the Jazz assets (players, picks, cash considerations) you would be willing to give up for said player. You can give your reasoning if you want. Assume the trade happens at the trade deadline or the 2018 draft.

To make things more interesting, if you suggest a player, you cannot be the first person to propose a trade for that player.

Let's not get too concerned with salary matching. If you want to post a trade machine link you can, but you don't have to confirm that the trade is viable.

Remember that this is just for fun. If someone is willing to part with your favorite player, that doesn't mean he/she is advocating for the trade to happen.

Thanks for giving us some entertainment during the hardest part of the year!

Utah Jazz 2nd rounder Nigel Williams-Goss decided to takes his talents to Serbia. Kyle Goon of the SL Trib has some of the details here:

While he got an invite to Jazz training camp, he faced an uphill battle to make a roster stacked with point guards Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, Donovan Mitchell and Raul Neto.

But his European exit does not necessarily mean that he’s done with the Jazz: Utah will retain his draft rights as an asset. Williams-Goss has a two-year deal with Partizan, but has a second-year buyout clause built into his contract that the Jazz said they’d be willing to consider if he excels and they want to bring him back.

Apparently he will be making $130,000 there and his NBA buyout is $500,000. Congratulations and good luck Nigel!

I know this is a week or so old now, but I thought it was very applicable given the recent happenings in Houston. Gail Miller pledged to match up to 10 million dollars for the new homeless shelters being built in the Salt Lake area. Deseret News had a good piece on it here:

At the time, Miller had already given $1 million, McAdams said, but she told him "I want to give a lot more."...

Miller choked back tears when she made the announcement, applauding those involved in the effort as "selfless, compassionate and caring people who make a difference."

"I applaud them and admire them. I wanted to make a difference myself," she said. "Together with this community, I believe we can all contribute to that difference as we provide help and resources aimed at changing lives in a positive way."

It’s nice to hear such generosity from our ownership. She isn’t the only one either. Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander showed similar generosity by donating 10 million to the disaster relief fund for the efforts in Houston. I understand it is easier to give when you have so much to begin with, but it’s a good example to all to give what you can and be kind to others. Our thoughts go out to those in the Houston area who have been so greatly affected by the recent hurricane.

We Jazz fans have an opportunity to help a local cause as well through our weight loss challenge and money raising for JP Gibson.

Head on over and sign up if you haven’t already! The main article with the details and signup can be found here.