Utah Jazz Among Greatest Teams Never To Win A Title

Feb 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA former player Karl Malone shoots during the 2014 NBA All Star Shooting Stars competition at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Following the excitement surrounding Jeff Withey‘s unexpected signing with the Utah Jazz, we’ve returned to the hibernation period for NBA news. Well, except for a certain developing story about Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, but let us not speak of such things.

Thankfully, there are still a litany of interesting Jazz-related discussions taking place around the internet. Here are some must-read links for Jazz fans seeking their roundball fix.

Five Greatest NBA Teams Never to Win a Title

In this gem from Fox Sports and Crossover Chronicles, we take a look at the best teams in NBA history to come up just short in their pursuit of the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Not surprisingly, the late-90s squads led by John Stockton and Karl Malone hold a prominent spot in the rankings.

An excerpt on that era of Jazz basketball–

"“These Jazz teams were great, and if Malone and Stockton’s primes were five years later, it’s certainly possible the Lakers and Spurs would have less to celebrate.”"

That is a statement I’m inclined to agree with. For the record, their pick at No. 1 remains one of my favorite NBA teams of all time. To see the complete rankings and more on Utah’s near-miss, click the link below–

Five Greatest NBA Teams Never to Win a Title .

Apr 11, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder signals to his team during the fourth quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Quin Snyder’s Takeaways From Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks

So, if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably familiar with Jazz radio play-by-play commentator David Locke and his (almost) daily Tipoff podcast. If you’re not, consider this your official mandate to get on board. Few bring the combination of knowledge and passion for NBA basketball like Locke.

For the August 27 edition of Tipoff, Locke discusses Quin Snyder’s recent visit to Seattle Seahawks training camp, where he spent time with coach Pete Carroll. DL asked the Jazz coach to share some of his takeaways from the experience and, in true Snyder fashion, he went above and beyond the call of duty.

My favorite line from Snyder’s email response–

"“A strong and deep-seeded belief in what you want your team to project will allow you to sustain consistency as a coach and a leader through periods of extreme adversity.”"

Pretty incredible stuff. Be sure to check it out–

TIPOFF–August 27 – Quin Snyder’s Takeaways from Being with Pete Carroll and the Seahawks

Jedi and J.E.R.M.S. on Jazz

Finally, if podcasts are your thing, check out Jedi and J.E.R.M.S. on Jazz from the crew at Torn By Sports. In this week’s edition, Alan Zaugg, John English and Devin Masters talk about a myriad of news items, beginning with the Withey signing. It’s one of the better discussions about the move that I have heard.

Among other topics discussed are the ESPN Forecast summer predictions and the movie Straight Outta Compton. For the record, that is the best film I have seen in a long time. Of course, as a thirty-something who grew up listening to the likes of Ice-T, Wu-Tang and N.W.A., it strikes a certain chord with me.

At any rate, check it out for a healthy helping of Jazz goodness–

Jedi & Jerms on the Jazz Episode 32: The Stifling Future of the Utah Jazz

Next: Utah Jazz TBT: John Stockton Enshrined

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