Utah Jazz Home Cookin’
April 21, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz mascot Jazz Bear rides his bike through smoke during the second half of a game against the Orlando Magic at Energy Solutions Arena. The Jazz defeated the Magic 117-107. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Over the years it’s been no secret that the Utah Jazz are really good on their home court. In the glory years of 1996-97 and 1997-98 they were almost invincible. The altitude, the loudest fans in the NBA and the fact that role players just play better at home all come into play for the Jazz success at home. In my most recent article where I break down the Jazz 2013-14 schedule game by game, I projected them to have a home record of 31-10. Is that crazy? I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility. There are a few games on the schedule that are hard to predict in my mind. Game 1 vs OKC for example. Any game against Dallas, Portland, Sacramento and New Orleans. Those teams always seem to match up well with the Jazz and could go either way bringing that win total down. Young players do, however, play better at home and I expect that trend to continue this year. 31 wins at home means I only picked the Jazz to win 5 road games all year, but I think that’s what we’re in for. How does that home record stand up against recent home records in Jazz history? Let’s take a look. (All data gathered from ESPN)
2012-13 – 30-11
2011-12 – 25-8
2010-11 – 21-20
2009-10 – 32-9
2008-09 – 33-8
2007-08 – 37-4
2006-07 – 31-10
2005-06 – 22-19
2004-05 – 18-23 (This was the year the Jazz only won 26 games total)
2003-04 – 28-13 (The AK, Harpring, Bell, Arroyo team. Jerry should have won COY that year. Jazz were projected to win 8 games)
2002-03 – 29-12
2001-02 – 25-16
The projected 31-10 record fits in right along with win totals of Jazz season’s past. The two seasons that stand out the most to me are the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. In 2003-04 the Jazz were getting no respect at all from the national media. So what do they do? Jerry Sloan turns in the coaching performance of his career and guides a team lead by Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, Carlos Arroyo, Raja Bell, Gordon Giricek, Greg Ostertag and Jarron Collins to one game within the 8th playoff seed. Andrei Kirilenko mad the all-star team over Carmelo Anthony and we had to listen to Carmelo whine about it for weeks. Andrei averaged 16.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.8 bpg and 1.9 spg. That is the Andrei we never saw again for the Jazz, some of it his fault some of it personnel driven that the Jazz added in the 2004 offseason. He was helped out that year by Harpring 16.2 ppg, Giricek 13.5 ppg, Arroyo 12.6 ppg and 5 apg, and Raja Bell 11.2 ppg. That was an amazing, exciting season full of unkowns and surprises. I feel like this season is shaping up to be very similar except this 2013-14 roster has far more talent than that 2003-04 squad. Ten years later, Jerry Sloan is still around to help out Ty Corbin, and I think the NBA will be just as surprised with this year’s team as they were that year. For more info on this squad check out Basketball Reference’s Jazz team page.
Jan. 13, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Jersey Nets center Mehmet Okur during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Nets defeated the Suns 110-103. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In the 2004 offseason the Jazz signed Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur and optimism among Jazz fans was high. That season did not go particularly as planned however. Injuries to Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko limited them to 51 and 41 games of action and the team sorely missed their scoring, rebounding and AK’s help defense. Even Raja Bell was limited to 63 games due to injury. Only 3 starters played more than 78 games and their names are Matt Harpring 14 ppg, Memo Okur 12.9 ppg & 7.5 rpg and Gordon Giricek 8.8 ppg. What’s so intriguing about that season though is that even with all these problems they still managed to go 18-23 at home. It is just flat out hard for opposing teams to come into Salt Lake City and win. Just ask the San Antonio Spurs. That year with no AK or Boozer, Memo Okur almost single handed, lead the Jazz to two dramatic victories over the Spurs. The heart and hustle the team showed those games made the piles of losses that much easier to bear. Memo Okur remains to this day one of my all time favorite Jazz players and the Jazz have been desperately looking for his replacement since he went down with that horrible Achilles injury. For more info on this squad check out Basketball Refernce’s Jazz team page.
Playing in this altitude, with these fans and the organization’s emphasis on effort and defense are going to pay off in the Jazz favor this year. This team is talented and better than the national media give them credit for. I fully expect these young players to play strong and hard in front of their fans and struggle mightily on the road. Get ready for an amazing roller coaster ride.