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Game 24 Takeaways – Utah Jazz at Miami Heat

December 4, 2018 by Kelby Jones Leave a Comment

Game 24 Takeaways

Utah Jazz at Miami Heat

Utah Jazz give up big lead, lose to Heat on Wade’s late free throws.

The Utah Jazz closed out their most recent road trip Sunday evening in Miami for a matchup with the Heat and Dwyane Wade.

The Jazz jumped out to a big lead, which they held most of the game. Unfortunately for the Jazz, the Heat were able to force their way back into the game.

In the closing seconds, Wade drove to the hoop and was gifted a questionable foul call on Rudy Gobert’s solid defensive play. He’d go on to hit those two free throws, and the Heat would go on the beat the Jazz 102-100.

Watch the full game highlights below:

Utah Jazz at Miami Heat

Quick Takeaways

Those 3-Point Blues

While the Utah Jazz opted to trade Alec Burks for Kyle Korver in an attempt to inject some life into the team’s shooting from deep, we still continue to struggle from beyond the arc.

The Jazz shot 33% from 3-point range Sunday, which isn’t HORRIBLE, but the issues lie with individuals rather than the team. For example, Donovan Mitchell made just one 3PA out of 7 on this game. Jae Crowder made just 3 of 7.

Will the Jazz find their touch before it’s too late?

Gobert Against The World

I hate to say this, but watching this game, I realized that Rudy Gobert was being outplayed on both sides of the floor by Hassan Whiteside.

I don’t think this is anything new, either. Rudy seems to play really well against run-of-the-mill opponents, but the second a physical big man bodies him up, Gobert basically just melts into mediocrity.

Now, the issue with this is that Hassan Whiteside is not really one of these players that Rudy should be struggling with. He has his own issues that he’s dealing with, including just being good at basketball… overall.

While I’m thankful for Rudy and all he does to help this team win games, it would be nice to see a little bit more consistent play regardless of opponent.

Korver Not a Savior

Kyle Korver can hit the three, that much we know.

The issue here is that everyone seems to think that the simple act of bringing Korver in is going to save the season. It’s not.

Will it help? Yes. But not enough to stand pat.

If the Jazz want to save the season, they need to bring in some scoring and solid defense from the wing position.

Any suggestions?

Utah Jazz at Miami Heat

Prop Picks

Winner:

Tie

Ryan Van Dorn (7) | Andy Allred (5.5)

About the Utah Jazz Fan Show

The Jazz Fan Show is a radio show, podcast and blog focusing on all things Utah Jazz. Founded by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018.

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Utah Jazz History Doesn’t Repeat Itself… and That’s Okay.

October 17, 2018 by Andy Allred Leave a Comment

Utah Jazz History – Thoughts Before the Opener

As I look forward to tonight’s season opener, I’ve spent all week thinking of Jazz of seasons past. The years of Jazz fandom have come as a blessing and a curse. I have fond memories of watching and going to games with friends and family, but I also have had my heart broken a few times as well (Jordan pushed off on Russell).

Utah Jazz History From my Childhood

My dad has been a season ticket holder longer than I’ve been alive. That’s right, back to the Salt Palace days. I specifically remember him paying for a subscription to Homecourt Magazine, and I worshiped those magazines. I wanted to know every single thing about each player. I’d rip the centerfold posters of the players out of the magazine and hang them all around my bedroom. My dad would also bring home the Gametime program from each game, which at the time seemed like a magazine but now I realize they are just the programs. I would spend evenings in the backyard shooting hoops with my Gametime magazine, acting out how I felt the game should have gone.

History Repeats Itself

As a nineties Jazz fan, I never realized how good I had it. I didn’t understand that part of having two once in a lifetime Jazz players on the team at one time meant that I may never see players like that play for the Jazz for the rest of my life. As a high school social studies teacher, I often say to my class the “history repeats itself”, and that’s what I was looking for with the Jazz. After John and Karl retired, I found myself searching, like many Jazz fans, for who would take their place.

The years immediately following John and Karl’s retirement, Jazz fans watched Kirilenko’s freak athleticism and could be mildly entertained. However, the real sting of the loss of those two hadn’t quite sunk in. In 2005, when the Jazz drafted Deron Williams, I remember thinking to myself “this guy is going to be the next John Stockton”. He wasn’t. When the Jazz added Boozer in 2004, they had their Malone replacement. He wasn’t. Thus began my quest to have history repeat itself in the Jazz organization. I didn’t understand how the Jazz could win without those guys. I repeated this maddening optimism with Mo Williams, Paul Millsap, Devin Harris, Al Jefferson, Trey Burke, and Derrick Favors. I’ll even admit that last year when the Jazz traded for Ricky Rubio I was finally content that the Jazz had found their pass-first point guard that they had needed. I was desperate to relive the glory days of John and Karl.

Utah Jazz History – A “New Era”

This last season, I finally came to my senses. Watching the Jazz stand pat in the offseason made me realize that the front office and coaching staff are excited about the current roster. How was that possible with no Stockton and Malone to run the patented pick-n-roll? The Jazz may not have replicated their 1997 NBA Finals roster, but they did manage to assemble a roster that could get back there. A new generation of Jazz stars are arising, and with them, a new Jazz philosophy: “Team is Everything”.

Let’s face it, the West is stacked. Even so, analysts from around the country are giving the Jazz a shot at being right up there with the best. If Donovan can grow this year at the same rate he did last year, if Rudy can continue to have a presence like the Defensive Player of the Year that he is, if Jinglin’ Joe can keep stroking it, I don’t see why the Jazz can’t beat any team on any given night. This team had a strong showing last year, and the exciting part is that there is still room for improvement. Donovan made this clear a few weeks ago in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune’s Gordon Monson when he said, “… We can’t live on what we should’ve, what we could’ve done. No, let’s just go out and do it. Everybody has that same hunger and passion. We’ve all been underrated our entire careers.” This passion combined with humility is what Jazz fans love. It is the reason Stockton became a household name. But those days are over, in the past, the history has been written. Tonight, the “new era” Jazz continue to write their own legacy.

About The Jazz Fan Show

The Jazz Fan Show is a podcast and blog focusing on all things Utah Jazz. Founded by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018.

You can hear the show on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 AM MST on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone. If you’d like to be notified when articles and podcast episodes are released, subscribe below!

Takeaways From The Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors Preseason Matchup

October 3, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors – Jazz Go 2-0 in Preseason

The Toronto Raptors and their newly-acquired superstar Kawhi Leonard came into Salt Lake City on October 3, 2018 to face the Utah Jazz in a preseason matchup. The Utah Jazz won their second straight game of the preseason by a final score of 105-90.

CLICK HERE to see the summary of this game.

Our Takeaways From The Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors Preseason Matchup

In no particular order…

#1 | Grayson Allen (yet again)

The guy came back to reality a little this time around. But what I did like was the fact that it was his second straight game committing a foul within the first ten seconds of coming in off the bench.

#2 | Kawhi’s in The League Again

The guy looks like he’s back. There were a few and-one plays where I was genuinely impressed at how not-rusty the guy looked.

I honestly could see him having a huge year this upcoming season. He”ll be a free agent next summer and he’s gotta prove to the league that he’s worth the max deal.

I see him destroying it this year in the weak eastern conference (barring injury, of course).

#3 | Turnovers and the Single Bad Quarter

Last season the Jazz always seemed to have one bad quarter per game. Fortunately, in most cases we were able to overcome these awful stretches.

I was really hoping we’d see less of this in the upcoming year. So you can imagine my concern when the Jazz seemed to be on different levels that entire second quarter.

#4 | Red Shoes

I don’t really have a reason for being curious about this other than the fact that Donovan Mitchell’s shoes were the exact same color as the Toronto Raptors jerseys.

#5 | Do The Jazz Win if The Raptors Play Starters After Second Half?

This is the ultimate question.

With a lead at the half, Toronto decided to sit Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard for the duration of the second half. During that time, The Jazz made their huge run and eventually went on to win the game.

I can’t wait to see how this team responds to those nights when they’re down like they were tonight.

Hopefully we’re able to see similar results to those from this otherwise meaningless matchup.

About The Jazz Fan Show

The Jazz Fan Show is a podcast and blog focusing on all things Utah Jazz. Founded by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018.

You can hear the show on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 AM MST on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone. If you’d like to be notified when articles and podcast episodes are released, subscribe below!

Five Reasons We’re Pumped for The 2018-2019 Utah Jazz Season

September 25, 2018 by Andy Allred Leave a Comment

Five Reasons We’re Pumped for The 2018-2019 Utah Jazz Season

It is finally here. The Jazz preseason starts this Saturday. The Jazz will have their first preseason test against the Perth Wildcats. The team from Australia includes the one time Jazz man, Bryce Cotton, who was the MVP of the NBL this past season.

With the regular season around the corner, here is a list of five things to look forward to this Jazz Season.

5. The Style

Style has always been an important aspect of the NBA. It’s funny the same guys that criticize their wives for watching “Project Runway”, tune in early to an NBA game to see what crazy style Westbrook is rocking that game.

The Jazz have never been a team known for their style, but this particular group seems to have a certain swagger that make them fun to watch. Some of the style questions fans will watch for are:

5 Things to Look Forward to This Jazz Season — Courtesy of DeseretNews.com

Will Ricky Rubio keep the Samurai hair?
Is Rudy going to bring back the salute?
Will Donovan get his signature shoes?
Will the Classic jersey receive the same support as the City jersey from last year?

4. The Improvement

This summer the Jazz committed to the plan to bring everyone back from last year. Because of this, we don’t have a lot of new players to analyze and predict how they will fit in. Grayson Allen is of course the exception, but he’ll be mentioned more below. Since the roster looks similar to last years’ the big question is, where will the Jazz improve?

The first place to look is at the Jazz stars. Rudy Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. If he can maintain his defensive presence while continuing to improve his offensive game, he is going to be in the conversation for best center in the league. Donavan Mitchell took the league by storm last year. If he plays every season at the same level he finished last year, he will be one of the best Jazz players ever. The crazy thing is that he might, and in my humble opinion will, get better. Mitchell is well on his way to becoming a very special player not just recognized in Utah, but in the league.

The second place to look for improvement is at the backup guard position. Dante Exum still leaves so many questions for Jazz Fans. While the optimism seems to be waning a bit, it is still hard to not see the incredible upside that Exum has. Alec Burke is another question mark. Last year he was a consummate professional racking up DNPs, while at the same time being prepared when his number was called. Most players usually don’t have a huge improvement year as late in their career as Burke is, but then again, Quin Snyder isn’t most coaches, so it would be great to see Alec take a step forward and be a veteran presence and contributor. Other players that hopefully can show some improvement include Royce O’Neale, Jae Crowder, and the return from injury of Thabo Sefolosha.

3. The Bromances

This one is kind of an odd one, but the comradery of this version is fun. Whether it’s Gobert and Neto doing their camps together over the summer or Mitchell and O’Neale attending BYU and UofU sporting events, the players seem to genuinely like spending time together. Hopefully the Jazz have another season of pranks, jokes, and Instagram jabs to look forward to this year.

2. The Awards

Last year the Jazz were in the awards discussion for the first time in years. Mitchell won the dunk contest, Gobert won the DPOY, and Mitchell and Snyder were finalists for the ROY and COY honors. Obviously Donovan won’t be in the running for the Rookie of the Year, although a sophomore did win it last year, but Quin and Rudy will hopefully be right back in the conversation for their respective honors at the end of this season.

To put Donovan in the MVP conversation would be wildly optimistic. However, there is a fair chance that the Jazz could have two all-stars for the first time in ages. The stacked Western Conference may impede this a bit, but it is still possible. If Mitchell and Gobert do make it to the All-Star Game, they’ll hopefully spend more time showing their talents, and less complimenting John Wall’s handles.

1.The Attitude

The number one thing to look forward to this Jazz season, is the attitude of the team. There is a toughness in this team that is rare in the NBA. Quin Snyder has the team committed to defense and for the most part, there is buy in by each individual player. Other teams in the NBA are going to hate matching up against the Utah Jazz. Win or lose, the Jazz had a tendency to make their opponents work last season, and there are a lot of teams that don’t want to do that.

The players always had each other’s backs last season, and the first full season of Jae Crowder in a Jazz uniform will only add to that. Then there is Grayson Allen. All antics aside, Allen is a tough kid. It is to be seen how much playing time he will get his rookie season. If this were the Jerry Sloan era, the answer would probably be very little. But we will see. What can be expected, is that when Grayson plays, he’s going to play hard. This will only strengthen the overall attitude and swagger of the Jazz.

Regardless of the final record and the playoff position, this year is almost certainly going to be a good one to watch. The Jazz are back and we couldn’t be happier.

About The Jazz Fan Show

The Jazz Fan Show is a podcast and blog focusing on all things Utah Jazz. Founded by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018.

You can hear the show on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 AM MST on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone. If you’d like to be notified when articles and podcast episodes are released, subscribe below!

Donovan Mitchell Ranked #34 on SI’s NBA Top 100

September 10, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Donovan Mitchell Ranked No. 34 on Sports Illustrated NBA Top 100

Ranked No. 34 – Utah Jazz Guard Donovan Mitchell

Sports Illustrated Ranks Utah Jazz rising star No. 34 in NBA’s Top 100.

The incomplete list is being revealed chunk-by-chunk, with Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles and Ricky Rubio previously coming in between 51-60.

Sports Illustrated’s The Crossover, written by Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney, recently released its Top NBA 100 list for the upcoming 2019 NBA season. Coming in between spots #51 and #60 were three players for the Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles and Ricky Rubio.

To view the entire list and read more from Sports Illustrated, CLICK HERE.

To begin, let me just say that I think this ranking is low for Donovan. I would have expected to see him more in the 20-30 range.

That being said, I love it when people underestimate Donovan Mitchell. The guy doesn’t let it go! Just like we’ve seen over and over in the past (ROY cough cough) Donovan has been underrated. Expect Donovan to make a big jump on this list in the 2019-2020 season because of that big old chip on his shoulder.

Sports Illustrated had the following to say about the true Rookie of the Year.

“His game has drawn endless comparisons to Dwyane Wade and his marketability is straight from the Damian Lillard playbook, but the recent star that Mitchell (20.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 APG) most embodied down the stretch was a young Derrick Rose. The unadulterated calm and confidence. The willingness to sacrifice life and limb to get to the rim. The savior scoring role on a roster built for defense. The ability to get veteran teammates to buy in—fully and eagerly—to everything he was selling. The measured responses to stunning triumphs. The euphoric embrace from his home crowd.

Such lofty comparisons are appropriate for Mitchell, who became just the third rookie guard to average 20+ PPG since 1990. The 22-year-old guard kept raising the bar as he led Utah past Oklahoma City in the first round: 28 points in Game 2 to steal homecourt advantage, 33 points in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead, and then 38 points in Game 6 to send Russell Westbrook packing. While the Rockets were able to dissect the Jazz in round two, Mitchell’s postseason debut made it clear that he’s set up for major success. His next steps—improving as a three-point shooter, getting to the line more frequently, and growing as a facilitator—are refinements rather than quantum leaps. If Rose was Chicago’s first superstar of the post-Jordan era, Mitchell might very well become Utah’s most beloved and decorated player since Stockton and Malone.”

About The Jazz Fan Show

The Jazz Fan Show is a podcast and blog focusing on all things Utah Jazz. It was started by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018.

You can hear the show on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 AM MST on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone. If you’d like to be notified when articles and podcast episodes are released, subscribe below!