An opposing team's scout sizes up the Jazz
It's a two-team race in the Northwest Division. Denver probably has more
talent, but they're more volatile too. Utah is just solid. The Jazz aren't
going run you over like Denver could, but they're going to make you grind it
out, and in the long run, I think that will help them ...
I also think Deron Williams is going to have a tremendous year. He has a
chance to put himself in that category of point guards right below Steve Nash,
Tony Parker and Jason Kidd. By the end of the year, he should be right there
with Chauncey Billups and Baron Davis. Williams gives them that push in
transition for easy baskets with Andrei Kirilenko running the floor and
Carlos Boozer filling the middle lane ...
A year ago at this time, you would have said that Chris Paul was the better
pick at point guard in the 2005 draft. And now it looks like Williams is going
to be the guy. They'll need even more from Williams this year because they
don't have Derek Fisher coming back, but I think he wants the responsibility.
The first thing about him is his size. He's got that strong body so he can
absorb a hit while driving and keep his balance. In that way he's like Billups
or Kidd or most of all like Tim Hardaway, a chunky but athletic guy. That's a
big problem for other point guards because he can power right through them.
Williams is shooting his jumper with a lot of confidence, which happens when
you feel more relaxed and you don't have to think about anything ...
This is a structured system, but coach Jerry Sloan sees Williams's talent and
gives him some leeway. That's the way it was with John Stockton -- I'm not
comparing them -- as Sloan also gave Stockton opportunities to make plays
outside the system. Williams is a little more aggressive for himself than
Stockton was. He's surprised people that he could go up and really dunk it
hard, but it's a thing where he'll see the opening and change gears ...
Williams is the leader of the team. He's got the ball in his hands, he's
calling the plays and getting everybody in the right spots. I've noticed from
some of his comments that he's taken a leadership role in addressing the
desire of some of his teammates, and that's what leaders do is push their
teammates. But he's not a jerk about it; he's not naming names ...
Where he's better than Paul is on defense. Williams is strong so you're not
going to back him down, he's quick enough to keep guys in front of him and he
fights through screens. He's tall too, so he can back off a little bit against
the quicker point guards and still contest their shot ...
There's going to be some complaining among their fans about Kirilenko's
offseason complaints because nobody wants to hear about a player not wanting
to be in their city. I think he realizes now that he put himself in a bad
spot, but Karl Malone did that too a couple of times. So I think once they
see him playing and the team is winning, they'll stick with him. I actually
think he might have a better year this year because it looks like they're
going to try to push the ball a little more, and that will get Kirilenko
going in the open court. Otherwise, when they set up and run plays, he's not
the most skilled guy so he can get lost in their half-court system ...
Boozer had a great year. He's proved that he's easily big enough to play power
forward in the West. He's so physical and strong that he can get points just
by getting deep in the paint. He's a pretty good shooter from the elbows, and
last year he was finally healthy. He's a tough guy to defend because he's
always coming at you hard. As strong as he is, he's also good in the open
floor ...
Their front line is an interesting mix, and it works because Kirilenko
defensively can play off the ball and affect shots. They're long as heck so
they can be one of those teams that limits you to one shot. They're going to
play solid man-to-man, limit the double teams and rotations, and clean up the
boards ...
Center Mehmet Okur also makes it even more interesting as a big man with
reliable three-point range. He's OK in the post if you put a small forward
on him, which is the strategy you'd like to use when he's playing outside.
So you can't just put a small forward on him at the three-point line because
he's got enough game in the post to make you pay, and that's all he really
needs ...
Paul Millsap will fill in for Boozer or Okur as a big guy with a knack for
getting offensive rebounds and being in the right spot. He's not going to do
anything to hurt himself, and he sticks to his game and the things he can do
...
It didn't take long for them to get back into contention after the Stockton
and Malone era, did it? It might have been hard for them because Salt Lake
City is not the first place a free agent wants to go, but it's good to see
because everybody around the league feels they play the right way. And it's
good to see that ownership stuck with the same coaching staff and philosophies
and that the front office has been the same, because it was a good plan they
had ...
Sloan is a straight shooter who isn't going to finesse around issues. Guys
will know where they stand whether they like it or not. He has some old-school
ways: I've heard he still allows no cell phones on the bus, he'll take a guy
out of the game for not having his jersey tucked in, and he expects everybody
to be in the huddle and clapping for teammates. But the players understand
this guy isn't going anywhere so they have to listen to him. He's not looking
for all the other stuff like getting on TV and doing promotions, and I think
players like that about him ...
Over the years he hasn't changed too much. They have the same 1-4 set, the
same alignment. They call it 'automatic,' so wherever the pass goes they
automatically go into that play, which means they don't have to run a set
play or route, and that gives them fluidity and room for creativity. But the
concepts and the system haven't changed in a major way. They run a lot of
pick-and-roll so the ball is going to be in Williams' hands, as it used to be
in Stockton's. What they have that's new is Okur to spread the floor with his
shooting. You used to think of Utah's big guys like Mark Eaton or Greg
Ostertag as clogging up the middle ...
They'll miss Fisher for the big shots he made. He was a premier starter
earlier in his career, where now [newcomer] Jason Hart is a career backup,
though he's fine in that role. But they should also feel good about Williams
taking on the extra responsibility ...
The one thing that might prevent them from winning the division is not having
Matt Harpring available pending his health. He's a tough cover for a small
forward. He gives them another guy to go to in the post off the weak side and
cut into the middle. He can hit the shot coming off the screen, and he gives
them experience, toughness and leadership that can't be replaced ...
Gordan Giricek can help space the floor with his shooting, but I was
expecting them to bring in somebody new at shooting guard. They might get
some help there from Morris Almond, who has a nice stroke, but as a rookie
you don't know what he can give them. And maybe Ronnie Brewer can give them
some minutes in his second year if he's improved his shooting. The absence of
a reliable shooting guard is the one thing that's holding them back, though
even if they filled that slot you'd still rate them behind the elite teams
like San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas, which have more talent up and down the
roster.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/
specials/preview/2007/enemy.lines/jazz.html
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