30 Teams In 30 Days: Utah Jazz

2007-2008 In Review

Record: 54-28
Western Conference Seed: 4
Playoff Results: Lost to LAL in Western Conference Semifinals (4-2)

Summer Of 2008

Key Additions: Brevin Knight (via trade), Kosta Koufos (via draft).

Key Losses: Jason Hart (via trade).

Utah’s roster is very similar to last year’s, as 13 of the team’s 15 players are returning from last season, but there were a couple of key additions made. One to help now, and one for the future.

On July 23, Kevin O’Connor finally brought in a legitimate backup point guard for Deron Williams, who signed a three-year extension (containing a player option for a fourth year) this summer, by completing a one-for-one swap with the Los Angeles Clippers. Utah sent Jason Hart to LA in exchange for veteran guard Brevin Knight, who has held averages of 7.9 points and 6.6 assists per game through 11 years of NBA experience. The soon-to-be 33-year-old playmaker will give Jerry Sloan a legitimate table setter to fill the void when Williams needs rest, to make sure the offense doesn’t stagnate as it did with Hart running the show.

Approximately three weeks earlier in the NBA draft, Utah selected big man Kosta Koufos with the 23rd overall pick, adding depth and promise to the frontcourt. Koufos has a terrific shooting stroke for a guy his size (7’0’’) and has mightily impressed the Jazz coaching staff with his tireless work ethic. First impressions aren’t always everything, but Koufos will need as many brownie points as possible to crack Sloan’s rotation as a rookie.

Swingman C.J. Miles was also retained on a four-year, $15 million contract after the Jazz elected to match the figures of the offer sheet signed with Oklahoma City. Miles has appeared in 120 games for the Jazz after being drafted by the team in the second round in 2005, where he’s held accumulative averages of four points and 1.3 rebounds per contest. As a starter in 26 of those games, the 6’6’’ wing put up 6.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Rumor has it that Miles will indeed start on the wing alongside Ronnie Brewer this year, as well, moving Andrei Kirilenko to the bench. It probably isn’t safe to bet that Miles will receive more floor time than Kirilenko, but it should give Utah a different look and add a great deal of versatility off the bench.

As for how long this experiment will actually last, stay tuned.

Depth Chart

C: Mehmet Okur / Jarron Collins / Kyrylo Fesenko / Kosta Koufos
PF: Carlos Boozer / Paul Millsap
SF: Ronnie Brewer / Andrei Kirilenko / Matt Harpring
SG: C.J. Miles / Kyle Korver / Morris Almond
PG: Deron Williams / Brevin Knight / Ronnie Price

Biggest Strength

Patience: With a guy like Deron Williams running the show to go along with a great inside-out scorer in Boozer and a cast of terrific shooters, the Jazz are a club that has the ability to do damage in the open court as well as the halfcourt. Perhaps their most valuable attribute is their patience as they do not rush it, they seldom force things, and make sure they get a good shot on every possession possible.

In my eyes, Utah’s offense is the most enjoyable to watch in the league on account of their off-ball movement, cutting, screen-setting, and their aforementioned patience. When everybody is clicking, it’s perhaps the most complete offense in the NBA.

As a result, Utah is one of the most efficient teams in the NBA and does a terrific job of controlling the tempo of ballgames against most teams. For a relatively young team trying to advance in the playoffs, patience is perhaps the most important ingredient.

Biggest Weakness

Closer: Like many teams, the Jazz sometimes get annihilated by the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and other big time perimeter scorers. However, as great as Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are, they don’t always have what it takes to match the efforts of a star scorer in crunch time. What this team is missing is a consistent late-game closer to climb on the back of down the stretch of important games.

For the most part, Deron Williams’ postseason career up to this point has been absolutely magnificent. With that said, he doesn’t always play hero, and neither does Carlos Boozer when considering the fact that 73% of his crunch time shots are assisted opportunities.

If the Jazz want to take it to the next level, they’re going to need a reliable closer. As of right now, I’m not so sure they have that.

X-Factor

Andrei Kirilenko: “AK47” certainly put together a better 07-08 campaign than his abysmal 06-07 showing, but it still was not up to par with his play from 2003-2005.

This season, it looks as though he’ll be eyeing yet another fresh start; this time as the team’s sixth man - a role he hasn’t taken on since the 02-03 season. In this brand spankin’ new role, Kirilenko is going to have to grow some stones and start playing the way he did once upon a time. No more confidence blows for no apparent reason. No more complaining. No more showing less mental toughness than his wife.

Man up, AK. Man up.

What to Expect In 2008-2009

Utah should, once again, be right up there as one of the top teams in not only the Western Conference, but the entire league. As far as postseason advancement is concerned, however, the Jazz are up in the air. The West is all about matchups at this point, as the conference is extremely deep and could have legitimate horses as low as the fifth or sixth seed.

Look for Carlos Boozer and/or Mehmet Okur to potentially have monster years, as well, seeing how each of them are in contract years.

Predicted Standings
53-29
1st in Northwest Division
4th in Western Conference 

Coming Soon: Washington Wizards