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Jazz: Gaining Respect
By Travis Heath
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Nov 9, 2006, 18:57
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The Utah Jazz finally lost to the New Jersey Nets last night on the road.
Guess that dream of going 82-0 can be put to bed. In all seriousness, though,
this Jazz team has been the talk of the Western Conference so far early in the
season. They have also increasingly been gaining the respect of their peers.
On Monday, the Jazz defeated the Detroit Pistons at home 103-101. After the
game, the Pistons conceded that this Jazz club is for real.
"They are very athletic, very deep," explained Piston head coach Flip Saunders
after the contest. "They're very multi-dimensional. It's not just based on
one or two guys. You know, they've got a lot of different guys who can hurt
you. The thing about them, too, is they are young. So they are going to be
here for awhile, and they're going to be good for awhile."
Opposing teams have learned the hard way just how good the Jazz are up front.
Carlos Boozer -- criticized by your friendly neighborhood columnist as well
as head coach Jerry Sloan for looking apathetic and out of shape in the
preseason -- proved all his detractors wrong by winning Western Conference
Player of The Week honors after averaging nearly 21 points and 15 rebounds in
the season's first week. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko have also been
solid early, and if everyone can stay healthy, the Jazz could have one of the
most versatile and productive frontlines in the game.
"They're long and athletic," Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince said of Utah's
frontline. "They do a good job on both ends with the rebounds. We know it's
tough to keep them out of the paint. We know how good (Okur) is and what he
can do, you know we had (Okur) for two years. We know what Boozer's
capabilities are, definitely. And then Kirilenko's game speaks for itself.
You know, Kirilenko also comes through in the clutch defensively. It's tough
to know where's at at all times on defense, because he comes from everywhere
to block shots. A great example was the last two minutes of the game."
For those who missed it, Kirilenko's blocked shot sealed the win for Utah
over Detroit. The guy just might be the most unique player in the game,
and the team may have finally surrounded A.K. with the offensive talent to
help mask his own offensive deficiencies while simultaneously allowing his
intangible abilities to shine.
D-Fish In The Clutch
If you read what's advanced in this space frequently, you know a major
criticism this writer has had of the Jazz is the lack of a go to scorer the
club can count on going down the stretch. Well, it looks like the team may
have finally found one.
Derek Fisher -- with all of his championship experience intact -- has been
the man for Utah in crunch time. Sloan trusts Fisher to make good decisions
with the basketball, and he has played both Fisher and Deron Williams
together down the stretch of games in the early season.
Fisher has made a number of big shots in the fourth quarter so far in his
short Jazz tenure, and Monday's victory over the Pistons was no exception.
With the Jazz trailing 91-90 with just under six minutes to go in the fourth
quarter and all of the momentum in the Pistons' back pocket, Fisher nailed a
cold-blooded trey to rejuvenate the Jazz.
He didn't stop there, though. With just under five minutes to go, Fisher
used his veteran savvy to draw an offensive foul on Richard Hamilton.
Simply put, Fisher has been at his best as a Jazzman when it matters most.
If this trend continues, the Jazz may have finally found a player willing to
take and make clutch buckets.
The Jazz will need Fisher to be at his best in the clutch over the course of
next week since they play three out of their next four on the road, with the
lone home game in that stretch coming against the surging Los Angeles Clippers.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_19365.shtml
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