- Tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls will be a homecoming of sorts for a few members of the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams played for Illinois in college, Jerry Sloan is a former Bulls head coach, Tyrone Corbin played at Depaul, Wesley Matthews played at Marquette, and Othyus Jeffers grew up right near the United Center (Salt Lake Tribune). In fact, Jeffers has such a connection to the Chicago area that he has invited 150 family members and friends to the game tonight. Deron Williams seemed to be impressed by the number as he said that he couldn’t even get 150 in Dallas (his hometown). I guess the Big O just left a big impression on the Windy City… or had a very large family!

- If you have followed the general NBA news, you are aware that Joakim Noah has been out due to plantar fasciitis. Without their starting center, the Bulls have struggled, especially on defense, where they have gone from very good to mediocre. In their last 7 games, the Bulls have given up at least 100 points (SLC Dunk). This is great news for a Utah Jazz team that has found much success on the offensive side of the ball lately. In their last 7 games, the lowest the Jazz have scored is 99 points, and the most they have scored is 133 points (a season-high).

- Speaking of offensive success, Utah’s leading scorer over the last 2 games is none other than Mehmet Okur. In the last 2 games, which were both wins, Okur averaged 25.5 points per game, as he found the stroke that once made him so tough for defenses to handle. If Okur can continue his little offensive tear against the Bulls, it could be a long night for the fans in the United Center. And without Joakim Noah to patrol the middle, it will give Memo plenty of opportunities to try and have a repeat of THIS PERFORMANCE.

- I think that the matchup between Derek Rose and Deron Williams will be very interesting. In Thursday night’s comeback win against the Suns, I was very concerned by Steve Nash’s ability to get by Deron Williams with relative ease. Derek Rose is a lot younger than Nash, and he has one of the quickest first steps in the league. How Williams guards him tonight will be key in the outcome of this game. Even though the Bulls are shorthanded, and they are amidst of a 4-game losing streak, anything can happen. And if Derek Rose can cause havoc on the offensive side of the ball, don’t be shocked if the Bulls make this game very tough for the Jazz. But it all starts with Williams’ defense on Rose. If he shuts him down, the Jazz will cruise to a victory. Mark it down.

- With a win tonight, the Utah Jazz will clinch a winning percentage of at least .500 for the season. By doing this, the Jazz will have done it 26 times in their last 27 seasons. This is truly an amazing number, given the element of change that has gone on in the NBA in the last 27 seasons. It is always great to know that there is one constant that exists in a game that has seen so much shake-up.

- I came across a nice piece by Upper Bowl Jazz Fan, in regards to the Jazz’ backup point guard situation. CHECK IT OUT HERE.

- I haven’t officially mentioned it yet on the site, but Kosta Koufos has been sent down to the D-League. Why haven’t I mentioned it? Because Jerry does not play him. Because he doesn’t play at all, I really couldn’t care less about the move. Do I think he should play? Maybe. But I don’t really think this move affects the team one way or the other. We’ve all seen what the big guy could do earlier in his career, and it was less than spectacular. Enjoy your time with the Flash, KOOF. At least you will get some PT there.

(Source: Google)

Best Play – If you have been keeping up with the NBA standings throughout the season, you should be aware of the fact that the Cavs have been the first place team for quite some time. So anytime you have a chance to beat a team of that caliber, it is a huge occurrence. Beating them on a ridiculous, buzzer 3-pointer with a former D-Leaguer, who is in the middle of a 10-day contract, is something that is top-play worthy for the season. That is why when Sundiata Gaines hit his unforgettable shot against the Cavs, he took a direct path to the top of the list of top plays of the current NBA season. Anytime a play goes beyond your wildest imaginations, you know that it is a play that deserves to win an award for “Best Play of the Season.”

Best Comeback – In a season full of comebacks, it was hard to determine just one as the best comeback. But as I looked through all of the games up to this point, I had to choose the game against the Blazers, where the Jazz overcame a 25-point 3rd quarter deficit, on the road no less. As the Jazz were stuck with 39 points with 19 minutes left in regulation, it looked like it was going to be a struggle just to get to 80 points in the game. But not only did the Jazz reach 80 points, they actually came all the way back, and they sent the game into overtime, as Carlos Boozer hit a buzzer hook shot at the end of regulation. Of course, with the momentum heavily favoring the Jazz, Utah took care of the Blazers in the overtime session, and they won the game 93-89.

Best Overall Performance (Team) – Utah’s game against the Rockets earlier this month, is the kind of game that all teams would die for. The Jazz outscored the Rockets in all 4 quarters, as they amassed 30 points in 3 of those quarters. In addition, 6 of their players scored in double figures, they shot 67.5% from the field, and they made a season-high 14 3-pointers. Leading the way was Deron Williams, who scored an impressive 35 points on 13-17 from the field, while also piling up 13 assists and 7 rebounds. When all was said and done, the Jazz had cruised to a 133-110 victory. Did I mention that the 133 points were a season-high?

Best Individual Performance – With Deron Williams‘ recent explosion against the Houston Rockets as a close second, I had to give this award to Carlos Boozer for his performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he scored 22 points, grabbed an amazing 23 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. The reason I gave the nod to Boozer was because he was the lone bright spot on the team for most of the game. Plus, hitting a buzzer hook shot to send the game to overtime didn’t hurt his case either. Had Boozer just had an average performance that night, there is no way that the Jazz win the game. As a cherry on top, this performance came right after I wrote THIS PIECE, which made me feel pretty smart.

The Stepping Up Award – With Carlos Boozer battling an injury in the middle of the season, Paul Millsap was called on to start at the power forward position for a few games. One of those games was against the Sacramento Kings (Jan. 29). In the game, Millsap had a Jazz-high 32 points and game-high 14 rebounds, as he surprisingly led the Jazz, who were also without star point guard Deron Williams, to a 101-94 victory. This win showed everybody the heart that this Jazz team possessed, as they were without arguably their two best players. Getting the huge performance out of Millsap actually had people questioning if he should start full-time. Of course, those talks still haven’t been put to rest.

Best Coaching Move – In my opinion, getting Andrei Kirilenko back into the starting lineup has been a move that has transformed this team this season. Not only have the Jazz played better as a team with Kirilenko on the floor, but AK has been personally rejuvenated this season. AK’s renaissance has been a driving force behind this team’s success, and the team showed that by winning 16 out of 18 games from the time he became the starter. Now that AK is once again a key player and leader on this team, the Jazz are more versatile and a lot harder for team’s to play against.

If you have any other award suggestions, leave them in the comments section, and I will consider updating this post with your input. Go Jazz!

- Last night’s amazing comeback by the Utah Jazz was just one of their many comebacks this season. In fact, it seems like the Jazz cannot win a game unless they make an epic comeback for the win (of course, this doesn’t include the Rockets game). Despite this trend of comebacks, every game I doubt that the Jazz will do it again. After all, when they play games like they did against the Kings and Clippers, you see that their risky style of play will not always pan out. With 21 games remaining in the regular season, I feel that it is imperative for the Jazz to start games stronger than they have. They always dig themselves into deep holes, and even though they usually find a way out, it has to take a toll on them. At the end of the day, though, it is great to know that you can never count them out of a game.

- In that unforgettable 4th quarter, the Jazz outscored the Suns 41-22. 13 of those 41 points came from Deron Williams, who nearly scored half of his 27 points in the game’s final quarter. Williams opened up the quarter with Utah’s first 10 points, hitting 2 threes and 2 layups. Later on in the quarter, Williams added another 3, which turned out to be the shot that put Utah ahead for good. It was great to see Deron step up in the clutch. He has been struggling lately, so seeing him play that well in the 4th was very encouraging. To be completely honest, going into the 4th quarter, I did not even consider him as an option to help them come back. I figured his wrist was bothering him too much, and he was just going to be mediocre Deron for the rest of the season. That performance was huge for his confidence, as well as my confidence in him.

- The greatest part about that 4th quarter was that everybody got involved. CJ Miles had 11 points, including back-to-back 3’s and a lead-changing And 1. Mehmet Okur had 8 points, including a tremendous 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to put the Jazz up 112-108. Carlos Boozer had 7 points, and a huge block of a potential 3-pointer by Channing Frye with under a minute left. Andrei Kirilenko had an enormous steal that led to a flagrant foul on Robin Lopez. And, of course, the aforementioned Williams. Getting contributions like that from everybody is the key to overcoming a deficit like they faced.

- The 3-pointer by Sundiata Gaines at the end of the first half was just Gaines’ second made 3-pointer of the season. If you forgot, his other 3-pointer looked like THIS.

- A couple of concerns that I had from the game: Deron Williams‘ defense on Steve Nash. Utah’s inability to box out. I felt like Steve Nash was getting by D-Will with ease. This concerns me because Nash has many years on Williams, and he should not have been getting by him as easily as he was. I don’t know what Williams can do to fix that, but whatever he can do, he needs to do. As for the inability to box out, the Jazz just need to be more aware. The Suns had a bunch of free points on tip-ins and put backs. The worst one, of course, being the Jason Richardson dunk-back, which was pretty sweet to see as a fan of the NBA.

- Many people might question why I am not concerned about Amare Stoudemire going off for 30 points. The truth of the matter is that Amare is tearing it up lately, and there is really nobody in the league who has stopped him, so I am going to give Utah a free pass on this one. If it’s any consolation, Stoudemire only had 5 points in the final quarter.

- I have learned not question the moves made by Jerry Sloan, but I want to know why he has ceased playing Kyrylo Fesenko. He showed some great ability in their comeback against the Blazers, and I was starting to get excited about the big fella. I thought, “hey maybe this guy will start to have an increased role.” Of course that has not been the case, and I am very puzzled. If anybody has an explanation, I would love to know it.

- For highlights from last night’s game, CLICK HERE.

With the great matchup between the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns set to take place tonight, I thought it would be interesting to ask a fellow Suns blogger what he thought about the game. So I asked Nate Dion of Sun-N’-Gun, 5 questions about tonight’s game. Here they are:

1. Where do you think the Suns have advantages over the Jazz in tonight’s game? Jazz over Suns?

Well, I certainly think the Suns home-court (and the Jazz’ recent road struggles after that ass-kicking road stretch) is significant. If the Suns can ball their way and get the crowd into it, that’ll be tough to overcome, I think. The Jazz have been playing really well lately and are a little more rested than the Suns. This is not just the second in a row but it’s the fourth in five days. That bodes well for a game played at the Jazz’ pace.

2. Which player on Utah are you most concerned about?

I think Paul Millsap is always a concern. I don’t know exactly how the Suns will match up, but they’ve got athletic bigs who can defend the pick and roll (and pick and pop). But Millsap is just such a beast on the boards. Much has been made of the Suns outrebounding teams of late. We’ll see if they can continue that. Plus there’s Williams of course, but as long as Nash doesn’t have to go it alone, they should be alright.

3, Which Suns player do you think will cause the most trouble for Utah?

Amar’e is playing out of his mind right now. I don’t know that Utah can stop him. I don’t know that anybody can stop him.

4, Do you think the Suns will have a hard time because this is their second game in as many days?

I think that’s a huuuuge advantage for the Jazz. I hate the second of back-to-backs.

5. Final prediction?

I think it’ll be a good game, but I think the Suns will continue their excellent play of late and pull it out. 97-93. You had to know I was gonna pick the Suns!

When the Utah Jazz signed Othyus Jeffers to a 10-day contract yesterday, I didn’t think much of the move. However, according to Ross Siler’s Twitter account, the Utah Flash’s coach, Brad Jones, feels that Jeffers is a Jerry Sloan kind of player.

So what is a Sloan kind of player anyway?

According to Jones: “He’s not a sexy player, but he is the toughest guy in our league as far as playing hard consistently. He plays so much bigger than he is. He’s one of those guys that wears you down. I call him a junkyard dog.”

After hearing that description, you have to be encouraged. However, you have to remember that he is only on a 10-day contract, which means that there are no long term plans for this guy.

But who knows? If he plays as well as Brad Jones believes he can, maybe he can continue to play with the team past his 10-day stint. Believe me, if the Jazz can get a tough, hard-working player, who is willing to battle with the big guys, he will find a place with this team for a while.

Now, we just have to play the waiting the game. I just hope that Sloan can find some time for him to show his stuff. (Blow ‘em out tonight, Jazz!)

Following Utah’s latest loss, I was not in the mood to write a typical recap. Because of this, I was inspired to start a whole new type of post called, “LT’S Jazz Notes.” Who knows, maybe this will become the standard from now on? So without any further ado, here is the first (and hopefully not last) edition of LT’S Jazz Notes.

- After their second loss in 3 games to a struggling Western Conference team, the Utah Jazz might be inching closer to hitting the panic button. Are the March woes about to begin yet again?

- What’s even worse, is that there was a recent report by Ross Siler that shed light on a wrist injury that has been plaguing Deron Williams since January 4th. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came into play last night, when Williams blew those 2 huge free throws down the stretch.

- Although the Clippers were in control for the entire game, the Jazz did have one of their comeback efforts. They actually cut the Clippers’ lead to 2 with a chance to tie it at the free throw line with 16 seconds left. Of course, Deron Williams missed both free throws, and the Jazz endured a tough loss on the road. If they had started their comeback a couple of minutes earlier, they would have come away with the victory, no doubt in my mind. Like I mentioned earlier last week, the Jazz need to find a way to get off to better starts. They have a bunch of comebacks, but they can’t rely on that style of play on a consistent basis, even though they have done it pretty well thus far. If they can get it fixed, it would solve a lot of problems.

- With Boozer and Williams not having their typical outputs, Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver did provide some offense off of the bench, as they put up 17 and 16 points respectively. (Did you see that 4-point play by Korver, by the way? Crazy!) Nonetheless, the Jazz could not overcome the Clippers.

- On a lighter note, which I need to distract me from the bad news, Jessica Alba was at Staples Center last night, watching the Jazz and the Clippers square off (CLICK HERE for pictures). In Basketball John’s latest edition of The Downbeat, he had a picture of Alba with a caption that read, “I thought she was a Warriors fan?” Well, I have 2 possible explanations: Maybe she secretly has a crush on Baron Davis. Or maybe this: She was photographed holding a camera, and Baron Davis is known to be into filmmaking/photography. Maybe she is helping him work on a project? Whatever the real reason is, she was there, and she might have been the distraction that caused D-Will to miss his 2 free throws. If that was the case, I wouldn’t even blame him.

- On a positive note, the Nuggets lost to the Suns. Let’s Go!

- On another positive note, the Knicks lost yet again.

- If you want to see the highlights from last night’s game CLICK HERE. Be sure to watch long enough to check out Carlos Boozer’s monster slam. It will be well worth your time.

Congratulations to Carlos Boozer on winning the Western Conference Player of The Month in the month of February.

After there was much controversy surrounding Boozer’s All-Star Game snub, Booze showed all of his biggest supporters that he was indeed deservant of the All-Star Game invite by posting spectacular numbers throughout the month of February. By the end of the month, Boozer averaged 21.2 points and 13.0 rebounds per game, as the Jazz went 10-3 in the shortest month on the calendar.

One of Boozer’s greatest February performances actually came against Chris Kaman, a Western Conference counterpart, who was selected over him for the All-Star Game. (In the game, Boozer had 34 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals).

Now as we head into March, Boozer will again have the opportunity to show everybody just how good he is, as the Jazz kick off the new month against his buddy Chris Kaman and the LA Clippers.

Do you think Boozer will represent well?

I sure do.

LT’S NOTES

- The Eastern Conference Player of The Month was LeBron James. (Any time you can share something with LeBron, you should feel special… including a nail-biting habit)

- For a preview of the Jazz/Clippers game, CLICK HERE.

Some way to bounce back from a loss, huh?

The Utah Jazz totally cleared the loss to Sacramento out of their heads, as they lit the Houston Rockets on fire. Right out of the gate, the Jazz were running and gunning, looking to score at any given time. In fact, I wouldn’t even be surprised if they put up some points during timeouts and halftime. With their 133-point output, the Jazz set a season high for points, and they also set a season high for 3-pointers made with 14. You do realize that this game didn’t go to overtime, right?

With all of those points being scored, there are definitely a few players who deserve to be mentioned. However, in my opinion, it only takes one player’s performance to truly capture everything that the Jazz have become throughout this season. So I have decided to dedicate this post solely to that player. That player is, of course, Deron Williams.

First of all, Deron Williams gets the unanimous game ball, as he was the best I have seen him in a very long time. Right off the bat, Williams came out smoking hot, as he set a career-high for points scored in one quarter, when he scored 20 points in the first. And even though Williams did most of his damage in that opening stanza, he finished the game with a highly impressive stat-line.

When all was said and done, Williams scored 35 points on an amazing 13-17 shooting (4-4 from 3), while distributing 13 assists, and collecting 7 rebounds. The most incredible part of this performance was that it was following his atrocious showing against the Kings, when he scored 10 points on just 4-16 shooting.

For Williams to bounce back with a brilliant performance like he did, it just shows why the Jazz have been so stellar this season. The mental toughness that D-Will showed with his game against the Rockets is a perfect example of the kind of mental toughness and maturity that this team has shown throughout the season. Whether it be the plethora of comebacks, the stepping-up of a new player in any given game, or the way that backups have filled in for injured starters, the Jazz have answered the bell time and time again.

As one of the leaders of this team (Boozer is still THE leader in my opinion), it is Williams’ responsibility to set the tone for his team. He clearly did that against Houston, but what really impresses me about this point guard, is that he also does it in games where his numbers are pedestrian. When Williams struggles in one area of his game, he does not allow that to break him down with everything else. He will always find a way to contribute positively to the team in some way, and he is the type of player you can trust with the ball in the game’s most crucial moments (even if he has struggled throughout the game).

Prior to this game against Houston, Williams had a tough time for a little stretch, at least according to his standards. However, he did not let that totally destroy the rest of the team. He kept everyone involved in the offense, especially the guy with the hot hand, and he continued to give it his all on every possession. It is this kind of selfless attitude that is enormous when it comes to quality leadership, and I believe that nobody does it better than D-Will right now.

Despite that quality leadership, there are still many people who doubt the Jazz as a serious contender in the Western Conference. Now, I understand that a team like the Lakers may be more talented, or outright better than Utah, but the grit and toughness that the Jazz possess cannot be overlooked. They will battle even when things seem to be insurmountable, and they bond together when the road begins to get the bumpiest.

I don’t know about you, but I just see something in this team that tells me that they are different than other Jazz teams in seasons past. I truly believe that this is a special team, and quite possibly a team of destiny. There just seems to be too much of an “it” factor for this team to go out without a battle.

As for the other players…

LT’S NOTES

- Carlos Boozer finished the game with 18 points (8-9 from the field) and 8 rebounds.

- Wesley Matthews and Paul Millsap each dropped 18 points as well.

- Mehmet Okur had 17 points and 8 rebounds.

- Trevor Ariza was inactive for the game.

- The Jazz shot an incredible 67.5 % from the field.

- The Jazz are 9-1 in the green uniforms.

According to a report by Ross Siler in the Salt Lake Tribune, the Utah Jazz are showing interest in acquiring Zydrunas Ilgauskas to fill the empty roster spot left by Ronnie B. Here is my take on the possible acquisition.

Excluding Kosta Koufos, who hardly sniffs the court, the Utah Jazz only have one legitimate center who can patrol the paint defensively; Kyrylo Fesenko. Fesenko has come on as of late, and he has shown a bunch of ability, but he is hardly somebody that the Jazz can count on as the season winds down to the postseason. He barely has any experience, and Jerry Sloan is still trying to figure out how to use this guy on a regular basis.

Of course, Utah’s starting center is Mehmet Okur, but he is not the kind of a guy that I would really consider to be a typical center. He spends a lot of time hanging around the 3-point line, and he isn’t the defensive threat that the Jazz need from the center position. Sure, he can cause a nice match-up problem for opposing defenses because of his shooting ability, but his lack defense is something that is a liability for the team.

If you were thinking about moving Carlos Boozer to center, think again. Boozer is the perfect fit at the power forward position, and right now, I don’t think there is anybody better in the league. To mess with that kind of success would just be stupid.

Then you have the possibility of Ilgauskas. The guy’s a veteran, who knows what it takes to be successful. Although he is slowing down, his height is nothing to ignore. He is a true center, even though he plays soft at times, and he can alter opponents’ shots, which is something that is very valuable. Also, just like Okur, Big Z has a decent touch from the outside.

When you think about all of those things, it would really be a no-brainer for the Jazz if they have the chance to get him. He would add much-needed depth to the roster, and he can be a great guy as a veteran piece in the locker room. In my opinion, getting a player like Ilgauskas would truly round out this team very nicely.

Coming into Utah’s match-up with the Charlotte Bobcats, I thought that the Jazz would suffer if they did not have the services of Andrei Kirilenko, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Of course, the Jazz were without AK last night, and they did show signs of weakness through the first half, as they trailed Charlotte by 11 going into halftime.

Like I feared, the Bobcats killed the Jazz with the likes of Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, who put up 18 points and 15 points respectively in the first half. It seemed that without Kirilenko, the Jazz just had no answer for Charlotte’s lengthy players.

But then, halftime happened, and the Jazz suddenly turned up the heat defensively. After combining for 33 points in the first half, Wallace and Jackson were stymied to just 10 points in the second half. And as for the Bobcats’ point total in the second half, they could only muster up 40 points, which is 13 points less than the first half total of 53.

Not only was Utah’s second half defense a catalyst for overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit, but players like Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and Kyle Korver provided the impetus for the Jazz to thrive on offense, en route to a 102-point output.

Boozer had another spectacular game for the Jazz as he put up 33 points and 16 rebounds, and he was a key reason why Utah stayed as close as they did in the first half. I truly believe that if Boozer had been off, the game would have been over in the first half, and the Jazz would have never had the chance to come back in the second half. Boozer’s recent mean streak has been unbelievable, and he is showing the Jazz why he deserves to remain with the team for a very long time.

D-Will had a typical D-Will game, as he scored 20 points and dished out 12 assists. His shooting percentage was nearly 50%, which was the best it has been since the All-Star Break. As a side note on Williams, prior to the game when he was still questionable, he unveiled a shirt during practice that read, “Unstoppable.” I am sure when his teammates saw that, they got excited, and they all wanted to play harder because of it. It’s a little gesture like that, that can really make a difference in the locker room.

Kyle Korver was on every Jazz fan’s good list last night, as he buried crucial 3’s, and he was that all-important third scoring option that stepped up for Utah. The thing I have noticed from the Jazz, is that when they have a third scorer step up, they are a lot more successful. Sure they have won games with Boozer and Williams providing the bulk of the offense, but when they can have a performance like Korver had, as the third option, it makes things a whole lot easier for the team. And not only was Korver a third option, but he was the guy hitting the game-deciding shots for the Jazz down the stretch.

Overall, the Jazz once again showed that you can never count them out of a game. Even when it looks like they don’t have what it takes to overcome, they shift the momentum back in their favor, and they cruise to a victory. The Jazz have shown this resiliency countless times this season, and I am beginning to think that no team does it better than they do. If they could just learn to come out strong from the start, this team could be even tougher. But as for now, 37-20 is nothing to laugh at. This team IS elite, and they will continue to win games, as long as they remain mentally tough. You could see that they believe in themselves, and it is that confidence that truly goes a long way.

LT’S NOTES

- Kyle Korver shot 5-6 from 3.

- The Jazz outscored the Bobcats 60-40 in the second half.

- Stephen Jackson had 1 point in the second half.

- CJ Miles shot 1-10 from the field.

- The Jazz are 23-8 at home.

- Larry Brown, who was ejected from the game said, “”I don’t think there’s a better player in the league than Deron Williams…” (Wow, did he see what Boozer did to them?)

- Some other links to Jazz-Bobcats recaps… SLC Dunk — Salt City Hoops — The Cowhide Globe — UBJF