Utah Jazz 2008-09 Season Prediction

This is my latest installment of my NBA 2009 Season Prediction Series, in which I will analyze each team, their draft selections in previous years, and predict their fate in the fast approaching season. This week, it's time to scrutinize the defending Northwest Division Champions, the Utah Jazz.

When one hears the words Utah Jazz, two figures used to come to mind—John Stockton and Karl Malone. This dynamic duo led the Jazz to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 1996 and 1997, losing both to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Once Stockton retired, and Malone signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in hopes of acquiring a championship ring, the franchise was deemed lost, and put into a rebuilding era.

Now, when you hear the words Utah Jazz, three players come to mind. All three are Olympians, with two of them recently winning the Gold Medal in Basketball for Team USA. SF Andrei Kirilenko of Russia, PG Deron Williams, and PF Carlos Boozer, are the new faces of the franchise.

The Jazz, despite the disappointment of losing two straight years in the NBA Finals, and still having no NBA Championship, know that the cloud they are currently on has a silver lining. The Jazz have won the Northwest Division two straight years, and are looking to defend their title.

Let's analyze the roster of the Utah Jazz. We can skip the draft picks since this team is nowhere close to being in a rebuilding phase.

This team has it all. A splendid mix of young talent, veteran leadership, and great coaching will get them far. My projected starting lineup for the Utah Jazz is as follows:

PG: Deron Williams

Williams has signed a contract extension with the Jazz that guarantees that he will not become an unrestricted free agent the next offseason. He also is an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, from the 2008 Beijing Games.

SG: Kyle Korver

While Matt Harpring has been the starting shooting guard for the Jazz in recent years, he is only getting older—currently 32. Korver is a dynamic shooter who brings outside threat to an already-potent offense.

Harpring is more known for his physicality on defense, almost like a Bruce Bowen. Having Harpring come off the bench would help his team tremendously because he plays solid defense.

SF: Andrei Kirilenko

One of the three Olympians on this team. His play has been declining slightly in recent years, but he is the best at his position on the team.

PF: Carlos Boozer

Also winning a Gold Medal in Beijing, Boozer is a seasoned veteran who brings experience, knowledge, and talent to this team.

C: Jarron Collins

While Mehmet Okur has been the starting center for the Jazz in recent years, Okur is not a true center. His shooting ability from long range is unheard of from NBA centers. Okur can be classified more as a tall small forward.

Utah must think about who the premier center in the division will most likely be next year. Not Nene of Denver, but Greg Oden of Portland. Okur would be completely outmatched against Oden, and is better suited to come off the bench.

Here is my projected second team for the Jazz:

PG: Brevin Knight

As one of the three true point guards on this team, Knight has played just about everywhere in the league. His 11 years in the NBA are impressive. He was the only good thing the Bobcats had before Adam Morrison and Jason Richardson.

SG: Ronnie Brewer

As I said before, Harpring would benefit from coming off the bench, but not at shooting guard. Brewer is a much better shooting guard than Harpring—plain and simple.

SF: Matt Harpring

Here he comes. With his physical play on defense, Harpring would help out greatly in defending the likes of Linas Kleiza and Travis Outlaw.

PF: Paul Millsap

Millsap was a draft-day steal for the Jazz, who pick him with the 47th selection in 2006. In college, he led the NCAA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons at Louisiana Tech.

Millsap is ust a terrific player. With more time and practice, he will take over the starting spot from Boozer when he retires or leaves the team.

C: Mehmet Okur

Note: His skills at the center position are just enough to get by against most backup centers. The only real matchup I can see when Okur would get manhandled is against the Blazers when he will have to guard Joel Pryzbilla.

These ten players make up the core and foundation of the team. Both units have a great combination of young talent, veteran leadership, and knowledge and experience.

My prediction for the 2009 season is this: The Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers will be vying for the top spot in the division. When these two teams play each other, the games will be very fun to watch.

Although I am a die-hard Blazer fan, I must say that although the Blazers will probably make the playoffs, the team is still very young, and definitely not ready for a ring just yet. Based on this, I predict that the Utah Jazz will once again win the Northwest Divison, but not by a significant margin.

The tides have started to turn, and in years to come, the Portland Trail Blazers will secure their rightful place atop the Northwest Division, and as a Western Conference and NBA Powerhouse—just not this year.