Will the Jazz ever win again?

This is the second time I have used this title for a post. The Jazz have yet to win during the Tyrone Corbin era.

I wanted to give myself some time to digest the Jerry Sloan resignation before putting my thoughts into the Sport Continuum. Verily, on Wednesday morning, yesterday, I felt ready to post my thoughts. Around 9:30 AM that all changed when I received an alert from ESPN that Deron Williams was to be traded to the New Jersey Nets. This, of course, came as a shock and sent the ever-stable Jazz franchise to the uncharted waters of instability.

So, what now Jazz fans?

Derrick Favors and Devin Harris plus draft picks and cash for Deron Williams. Good trade? For me, an answer cannot be given to this question without a host of 'ifs'. IF Deron Williams was going to leave after next year rather than extend with the Jazz, then Jazz management made a good move in that what they received in return was of high value. IF Deron was going to walk AND there is going to be a owner-imposed lockout (possibly losing a whole season), the Jazz front office made a very good move that would ensure that when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was instilled, the franchise would not have to essentially start from scratch. IF in the new CBA a so-called "franchise-tag" was included, giving the Jazz the ability to keep Deron, regardless of his contract expiring, then the move can be questioned. Then again, IF Deron was bent on leaving the Jazz, a franchise tag being placed on him may turn into a negative as he uses every method at his disposal to force a trade. I personally do not think Deron is that type of player and would, regardless of his happiness with staying in Utah, play hard. IF Deron would have signed a contract extension with the Jazz after next season (or even this season), then the trade was the worst move in franchise history.

Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz, explained that he had a "gut feeling" that Deron was not going to re-sign. Now, I do not believe that the move was made solely on a feeling but in concert with solid evidence. Deron has been noticeably more frustrated this season. His body language on and off the court has indicated as much. Also, the very fact that Deron's name would come up over the all-star break in connection with the Knicks and the 2012 season is not a good thing, regardless of even the smallest speck of veracity. The general instability of the Jazz this season. Deron's discontent with the process of inculcating the new guys. His lamenting of the inability of the Jazz to attract big name free agents. The current fad of all of the 2008 olympians trying to re-create the happy days in Beijing. Finally, and probably most importantly, Deron not giving a commitment or indication that he would re-sign with the Jazz. All of these things add up and the writing on the wall seems to be that after the next year Deron Williams would look to take his services elsewhere.

Personally, I have had the feeling that Deron would not extend. Therefore, I support the trade. The Jazz extracted as much value as they could from their star player. Essentially, they avoided the route taken by Cleveland and Toronto that leads to a dead end and then a pit.

To my knowledge, no one has any clue what the new CBA will look like. The Jazz could not afford to just hope that after the dust clears from the CBA talks, they would be able to retain their superstar. That would be a foolish business decision.

All things constant, the Jazz will probably never be able to attract big-time free agents. Their best work has been done in the draft and getting to most out of their players. Carlos Boozer, Williams, Andrei Kirilenko and even Mehmet Okur all became all-stars in Utah. Paul Millsap, a second-round pick, has become a solid player. The Jazz have done well for the most part. (Of course, the constant through all of that was hall of famer Jerry Sloan.) In Favors as well as the first round picks they received in the trade, the Jazz have a chance to do some reloading of talent.

The Jazz have put themselves in a position that is a break from 25+ years of Utah Jazz protocol. At this point there is no way to determine if the boat will rock in their favor or to their detriment. For a franchise that has largely depended on its stability for success, they have put themselves in a very unstable position.

However, at least they aren't Cleveland or Toronto.

I like to refuel with chocolate milk

The Return.

Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and lightning rod Carlos Boozer left their former digs with a win tonight. These three all left the roost last year at some point. They sold their house but left the Foosball table behind just to sweeten the deal for the incoming tenants. The new tenants moved in right away and began getting used to the well-oiled Foosball table. Well, with Spring just around the corner, the former tenants decided to pay a visit. It was as if they never left.

Korver and Brewer made big plays late. Boozer largely got owned by his former understudy Paul Millsap. The game turned out to be a defensive struggle with neither team shooting over 50%.

The key to the victory for Chicago? Derrick Rose. For the second home game in a row, Deron Williams was outplayed by one of his point guard peers (Russell Westbrook had 30+ points and 10+ assists last Saturday in the Thunder's victory over the Jazz). The title for best point guard in the league has to be one of the tightest races in the league right now. It doesn't take one long to rattle off the names of those deserving candidates from both conferences. Two games against two of the NBA's best at the point guard position is hardly a justifiable sample size, but the relative ease with which Rose and Westbrook have dominated their respective matchups with Williams is at least a little unsettling for Jazz fans.

The Jazz needed this victory, badly. Defeating old teammates/friends could bring much needed confidence as well as an emotional lift. More frankly, the Jazz win column has been a little more barren these past few weeks. The upcoming all-star break indicates the beginning of the home stretch of the NBA season. The much-coveted prospect of home-court advantage for at least one round of the playoffs is slipping away from the Jazz. The home stretch is not the ideal place to "figure things out." The road will not get any easier for the Jazz.

Cheer for the Cavs

December 18, 2010. That night was the last time the Cavaliers won a game.

By losing to the Grizzlies tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers have matched the all-time record for games lost consecutively. 23 games to be exact. Had it not been for that OT win over the Knicks on December 18, the losing streak would be at 34. Unbelievable.

There are a few issues at play here. The elephant in the room is he-who-shall-not-be-named if you live in Cleveland, and LeBron James if you live anywhere else. His departure was last summer ground-shifting. He has been widely criticized and Cleveland took the break-up hard. After losing arguably the best player in the NBA, everyone knew that the Cavs would take a hit, but no one could have seen this coming. This is historic. Better said, it is tragic.

Bryon Scott. I have never been sold on his ability to coach. Granted, he had some success with the Nets and the Hornets. Although what I remember most from those respective tenures is the manner in which he left. In both cases neither teams were able to sustain or build upon their pinnacles of success under Scott. There was no consistency or groundwork laid. The bitterness that LeBron had left only worked for 20 games. The night King James condescended on Cleveland earlier this season was the end for this Cavs team. Since that humiliating night, the Cavs have one win. Scott has been unable to inspire his guys to do anything for him. Maybe LeBron's return and massacre of Cleveland was just that bad that the Cavs' players gave up. James was taunting them the whole game and essentially set the Cavs back to the Shawn Kemp era. He got the last laugh by a long shot. Again, it is all rather tragic.

Can the burning heap that is the Cleveland Cavaliers dignity be salvaged? It will take time, but it will happen. Those fans were treated to some mighty fine basketball for seven years. Once tasted it becomes a much sought after morsel. It is up to management to get it done though. Judging by this year's collapse, management has done a poor job of putting together a team. Understandably, losing LeBron was huge, but you would think that there would be enough players used to winning on the roster that they would not allow the team to become what it has.

Cheer for the Cavs. They got jobbed by LeBron. They need a win more than anyone in the league right now. Don't feel sorry for management, they blew it. Don't feel sorry for the players, they should know better and have more pride than to become the pathetic team they are. Feel sorry for the fans. Sure, Cleveland fans may be the same fans who threw bottles are NFL referees a few years back, but I don't feel any franchise or fanbase deserves the consequences they have felt in the "taking my talents to south beach" fallout.

Go Cavs.

Will the Jazz ever win again?

I was chatting with one of my New York City contacts about the current state of the NBS recently. He commented that the buzz around the Big Apple about the resurgent Knicks is palpable. A rebirth of competitiveness that has not been felt in years. Even though I am a Rocky Mountain/West Coast guy, I can appreciate the Knicks becoming relevant again after a decade of dormancy. There is just something about the Knicks being good that feels right.

Our conversation moved west. Specifically, the Jazz. As you know, the overachieving Jazz have hit a snag in their do-it-as-you-go reloading process. After 30 games, the ship as steady and that Jazz had achieved a 21-9 record. During the next 20 games, a storm hit and the fallout thus far has been disastrous. An 8-12 record during those 20 games put the Jazz at 29-21, still respectable but far off the pace of the first 30 games. A six-game losing streak which included losses to the dregs of the Eastern Conference was the low point.

So, what happened?

The Jazz starters at the power-forward and center position, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson respectively, have experienced a drop-off in production. Better said, a drop-off in effectiveness. This season is Millsap's first as a full-time starter and these new night-in and night-out duties seem to have begun wearing on him. Starting in the NBA against the world's best obviously takes a toll on the body and Millsap seems to have lost a bit of aggressiveness. For example, in the win against Minnesota that broke the losing streak, Millsap had 30 points. Of these 30 points, only 2 came at the free throw line. Millsap only shot two free throws that game, a stat which indicates that he was not taking it to the hole or getting position down low in order to draw the foul. His jump-shot was on, but is that something that can be relied on every night? For Jefferson, the problems go much deeper. 50 games in, and it does not appear that Big Al has discovered his role or found his niche on this Jazz team. His defense has been lackluster at best. In sum, it sufficeth to say that Big Al's production is down.

How can it be fixed? What is the solution?

I believe that the Millsap and Jefferson issues can be addressed and corrected. Indeed, the solution entails others on the team stepping up, most notably Andrei Kirilenko (look for an ode to AK coming soon to this blog). More production from other places will lighten the burdens of Millsap and Jefferson. Also, the upcoming all-star break and the rest for the injured associated therewith will be a boon for this team. There still are nights of frustration for this team on the horizon, but the proven track record of Sloan and his staff lead me to believe that the ship will be steadied and winning more than losing will be the theme for the rest of the season.

Will the Jazz ever win again? Yes.