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Utah Jazz fans are going to just love Trevor Booker. Booker is ready to get to know us fans and make it mutual!
I need a meet and greet with the Jazz fans
— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) July 31, 2014gor
I'll be in Utah at the end of Aug. I'll def set something up
— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) July 31, 2014
Let's do this. Trevor -- we're ready to help in whatever way you need.
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Moni, and her blog Jazz Fanatical, are invaluable resources for us fans. If there was only one website I could visit for info on our team it would be her Wordpress site. Follow her on twitter @Monilogue and bookmark her site here!
There are numerous reasons to visit daily, and I'm just going to go out there and tease you a bit with the latest Randy Rigby interview.
What are your early impressions of Quin Snyder?
Well, I'll tell you, Quin has, he not only said yes on, to Dennis [Lindsey] and myself, and Greg Miller, on a Friday, he was there on Saturday, and literally, he hasn't stopped working since. He's jumped right in and done a remarkable job.
He's constantly not only working with the players, but he's working mentally, and thinking and preparing and has a great game plan. Has a very bright mind, and a very, and really analytical mind of the game of basketball and how to maximize the most out of his team and looking at the talent.
He was down this weekend, down with Dennis, and again, back in Las Vegas watching Gordon [Hayward], and he's been out seeing some of the players, talking to players, working with our coaching staff. I've loved his work ethic. I love how his mind works and his commitment to players, in helping them in their development of their game. And we've had great responses from our players, as they've talked about their interaction, early interactions with Quin, of their excitement to go to work for him.
When he was down in Vegas, as an example, he ran into Paul Millsap, of which, he, of course, worked for only one year with Paul in Atlanta. And Paul couldn't stop ranting and raving about what a great guy Quin was and [that] we stole his guy, and the relationship that they have developed in less, in just a year's time. And that's a pretty darn good endorsement. And I know that DeMarre Carroll felt the same way when we hired him, and you know, expressed his congratulations to Quin, and to the, to Utah for getting him.
So, I think, you go-guys, we've got a really, a real gem in Quin Snyder that we're gonna be really excited about, what he's doing and what he's bringing, to the Utah Jazz.
Does this make you more excited for the season, or were you already super exited already? Anyway, check heck it all (the full interview) here. There are lots of goodies in it, and great stuff in the other posts as well. And honestly, I don't think Randy is being truthful about what his hardest job was.
There's some back story being left out.
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I am a nut for many reasons, but I am really into people who give back, serve their communities, or just generally try to help their fellow man. (I never got into that Ayn Rand stuff.) Trey Burke has been putting in work in his home town. Check this story out from an Ohio State blog:
Jared Sullinger and Trey Burke have been teammates before, combining to help Columbus Northland to the Ohio Division I state championship in 2009.
They've also been opponents, like during the 2012 Big Ten season when Sullinger wore scarlet and gray and Burke wore maize and blue.
Saturday afternoon at Columbus East High School, they were actually both.
Team Sully matched up against Team Burke on the hardwood, but the contest was actually all about the community on the east side of Columbus. The game - played in front of a packed house - was the eighth annual "Battle for Peace" put on by Rodgers Neighborhood Basketball and co-sponsored by the Trey Burke Foundation, which supports the Central Ohio Diabetes Association and the Ronald McDonald House.
"We have been doing the RNB Classic for nearly a decade now and decided it was time to evolve the event to better meet the needs of our community," said Leon Rodgers, founder of Rodgers Neighborhood Basketball. "Much like diabetes, violence has been a huge public health problem in our community. The goal of RNB is to promote peace and to stop violence before it begins. In partnering with Trey, we are increasing awareness about two important issues disproportionately affecting our community."
So while promoting harmony and health in the community was the goal, there was still some damn good basketball played. Team Sully included such former Ohio State stars as Sullinger and his brother J.J., Scoonie Penn, Evan Ravenel, Jon Diebler, Terence Dials and George Reese, and the team captain said he took the court fully expecting to get the win.
"I think this year it's more of a game," Sullinger, who just finished his second year with the Boston Celtics, said before the contest. "It's not an all-star game, it's not a celebrity game, it's a basketball game. Everybody is fighting for the city of Columbus."
Yea, this is awesome stuff. Between Summer League and the USA Select service Trey Burke went back to his hometown to do good things. I have a strong affinity for these closer to out than just down, rust belt, blue collar cities have lived in served in Detroit for the last couple of years. Situations get worse when we just look after our own interests. Check out the full article here, that has lots of quotes about these players, the game played, and their dedication to their hometown.
And good on Benji and Ronda Burke for raising such a fine young man. This is a guy other players will want to follow out there on the court.
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Wow, so many words. Let's spice things up with a highlight video. This one comes from TheUtahJazz1Fav, whom you can follow on twitter here, and subscribe to his YouTube Channel here.
Man, these plays were great, but we all know that next season is going to have plays like this every game, right?
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Gordon Hayward suggests that there, well, "No Pressure Now," as Kurt Kragthorpe of the SL Trib explains:
After everything that has happened since the Jazz's season ended in April, Gordon Hayward recognizes his life is different now.
The expectations and accountability that accompany his biggest offseason move follow him everywhere.
Signing a $63 million contract? Yeah, that's also significant.
Hayward stood on UNLV's practice court after the opening session of Team USA's training camp Monday, talking with Jazz coach Quin Snyder. He smiled, laughed and cringed - knowing that accepting Snyder's dinner invitation would involve another layer of decision making with his wife of two months, Robyn; they had already outlined an itinerary of Las Vegas shows.
As for the occupants of those seats in EnergySolutions Arena, Hayward also feels considerable responsibility to them. But that feeling has more to do with "25-57" than "$63 million." He's willing to be judged by the Jazz's record going forward, but not necessarily by the numbers that follow the dollar sign.
"For me, I don't think I have to live up to anything now," he said. "They paid me what they wanted to pay me, and let's go from there."
Check out Kragthorpe's article here. I don't have anything else to comment beyond "Do you believe him?" Or do you think it's just the natural thing to say in the end of July, months before the games that count start?