Utah JAzz Blog

Coach Phil discusses the Lakers, Lebron’s disrespect, NBA Officials blown calls and more!

December 5, 2019 by Kelby Jones Leave a Comment

On Episode 61 of the Utah Jazz Fan Show, brought you by TryDayTrading.com, Kelby Jones invited Coach Phil in to cover for Ryan Van Dorn while he is on a trip in Mexico.

Kelby and Phil discussed the following questions…

Are the Los Angeles Lakers actually good?
Was Lebron James being disrespectful by removing his shoes?
Why are the NBA Officials missing so many easy calls now?
How important is team chemistry really and will the Jazz figure it out?
Will Giannis be back-to-back MVP?
…and much more!

Watch the video below to see exactly what they had to say:

About the Utah 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 Saturdays at Noon on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone.

The Jazz Fan Show is also now available in podcast format! Click the links below and subscribe today!

Why Subscribe to The Utah Jazz Fan Show?

The show began in an attempt to create more content around the Utah Jazz for the fans to enjoy.

Our goal has been to contact and bring together as many die-hard Utah Jazz fans as we can, and we’re having a great time doing it!

If you or someone you know love the Utah Jazz, contact us today for a chance to come on the show and discuss what it means to you to be a Utah Jazz fan!

PLUS, listening to The Jazz Fan Show is your best way to get information on upcoming giveaways!

The Utah Jazz Fan Show:

Where Everything’s Made Up and the Stats Don’t Matter

Coach Phil discusses the Lakers, Lebron's disrespect, NBA Officials blown calls and more!

Questions and Concerns for the Utah Jazz through 15 Games

November 23, 2019 by Kelby Jones Leave a Comment

Kelby Jones and Ryan Van Dorn welcomed in Bruce Pitcher (Season 4 of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss, Author – “Larger Then Life”) this week to discuss the Utah Jazz through 15 games and what we’re concerned with.

Watch the video below to see the Utah Jazz Fan Show’s takes from the week:

About the Utah 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 Saturdays at Noon on 1280 AM and 97.5 FM The Zone.

The Jazz Fan Show is also now available in podcast format! Click the links below and subscribe today!

iTunes

Spotify

JazzFanShow.com

TryDayTrading.com

1280TheZone.com

The Zone Sports Network App

Soundcloud

Why Subscribe to The Utah Jazz Fan Show?

The show began in an attempt to create more content around the Utah Jazz for the fans to enjoy.

Our goal has been to contact and bring together as many die-hard Utah Jazz fans as we can, and we’re having a great time doing it!

If you or someone you know love the Utah Jazz, contact us today for a chance to come on the show and discuss what it means to you to be a Utah Jazz fan!

PLUS, listening to The Jazz Fan Show is your best way to get information on upcoming giveaways!

The Utah Jazz Fan Show:

Where Everything’s Made Up and the Stats Don’t Matter

questions and concerns for the utah jazz through 15 games

Defense and Donovan Mitchell

October 27, 2019 by Aaron Ostler Leave a Comment

As a family of Jazz fans put it on social media, “Our 182-day wait is over.” The NBA season finally descended on Salt Lake City last night, and it came with a bang. Not only was everyone excited about seeing this new-look Jazz team play in its first meaningful game but also Adam Silver was in the house that Larry built after announcing that the 2023 All-Star Game would be coming to Utah. The scene was set for an epic opener to the 2019-2020 season, and the Jazz did not disappoint.

There are multiple story lines that could be written about the game: Bojan Bogdanovic spraining his ankle, only to come back to hit a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter; Mike Conley going 1 for 16; or Emmanuel Mudiay looking more and more like a viable rotation piece. However, the two biggest story lines from this game, and the biggest reasons why I think the Jazz won the game, have got to be the team defense and Donovan Mitchell’s start to what I believe will be an all-star season.

The Defense

Just last week, I noted how lethargic the Jazz’s defense was during the preseason. Not only did the Jazz finish dead last in defensive rating among all NBA teams but their defensive rating was also worse than some of the international teams that participated in the preseason. The Jazz’s defense (or lack thereof) was a big reason why they went 0 for against NBA teams during that stretch. There was a lot of discussion in the media about whether this Jazz team was even capable of being a top-10 defensive team with their new additions.

True to form, Rudy Gobert’s words of assurance came to fruition last night. The defense started out with a bang, only allowing the Thunder to score 12 points in the first quarter. While the Thunder did go off for 34 points in the second quarter, the Jazz held them to just 95 points for the game. If the Jazz hold teams to an average of 95 points per contest this season, they are going to win a lot of games. Some of the other impressive stats include holding the Thunder to 38.6% shooting percentage, only allowing 34 points in the paint, and having a defensive rating of 94.1. I am almost convinced that any team with Rudy Gobert in the middle coupled with Coach Q’s defensive scheme is automatically going to be a top-10 defensive squad. They are both that good.

Donovan Mitchell

If you are one of the few who hasn’t already bought a ticket for the Donovan Mitchell train, you better buy now before prices go up even higher. This kid never ceases to amaze. Let’s go over some of the things he wanted to work on in the offseason to see how he did in game one.

Be more efficient: he went 14 for 22 – Check!
Make better decisions with the ball: only one turnover while being the primary ball handler in large stretches of the game – Check!
Be in better shape: while this one is difficult to tell since it was the first game of the season when everyone seems to have a bounce in his step, Donovan seemed to get stronger as the game went on, so I’m going to go – Check!

And for good measure, Donovan scored 32 points, got a career high 12 rebounds, and got his first career double-double. I’d say that’s not too shabby for one night’s work.

In Conclusion

While there are still a lot of questions to be answered on how this team is going to gel as the players get more familiar with one another, there are two things that look like they’ll be a constant on this team: Rudy anchoring a solid defense and Donovan continuing to amaze us with highlight plays and scoring.

10 Utah Jazz Predictions for the 2019/2020 Season

October 22, 2019 by Kelby Jones Leave a Comment

For Utah Jazz predictions to be credible, they have to be recorded BEFORE the season starts…

Our beloved Utah Jazz open up their schedule for the upcoming NBA season on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Utah Jazz Predictions for the upcoming NBA Season.

Before the season kicks off, we made sure to create our own Utah Jazz predictions for the team and league as a whole. Predictions include…

Total Utah Jazz Regular Season Wins?
Final Utah Jazz seed in the West?
How far will the Utah Jazz get in the NBA Playoffs?
Which teams will make the NBA Finals and which will win it all?
Will Jazz make a trade during the season and if so, who is involved?
Will Jazz have any NBA All Stars?
How many games into the season before Rudy Gobert shoots a 3-pointer?
How many points will Donovan Mitchell average per game?
Most surprising player for the Utah Jazz?
NBA MVP winner and leading scorer?

Watch Kelby Jones, Ryan Van Dorn and Bruce Pitcher (on the phone) make their season predictions below:

Interested in More from the Utah Jazz Fan Show?

The Utah Jazz Fan Show was created by Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones in September of 2018. You can listen each and every Saturday at noon on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM, The Zone Sports Network.

You can also listen to the Utah Jazz Fan Show on-demand by downloading The Zone Sports Network App.

Don’t have the app? Listen wherever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and more!

Utah Jazz Preseason Wrap Up

October 18, 2019 by Aaron Ostler Leave a Comment

Now that the preseason is in the rearview mirror, we have a little better perspective on what this Jazz team is and what it can become. Let’s look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of this Utah Jazz preseason.

Since I like to end on a good note, we’ll go in reverse order.

The Ugly

The big white guy defending Georges Niang (see below):

The Bad

Today, the team is not looking like it’s ready to contend for a title, or even a western conference championship. There is a lot to get done in order for this team to gel and come together before talk of contention can commence. The defense struggled mightily, giving up an average of 128.75 points per contest against NBA competition, which ranked 33rd in efficiency. Given that there are only 30 teams in the NBA, that means they finished behind some of the international teams who participated in the preseason.

Can you say struggles?

What makes matters worse is that we didn’t even see the high-octane offense that many thought we would see given the offseason acquisitions.

Fortunately, we did see flashes of it, particularly against the younger teams, New Orleans and Sacramento. Overall, though, it was difficult to watch guys turning the ball over, look discombobulated, and clank threes off the rim.

The Good

Aside from some nice individual performances (here’s looking at you, Donovan), most of what was good about the preseason was the opportunity for time on the floor together. There are so many new pieces to the team this year that it was inevitable not everything was going to be peachy king from the jump. Having time on the court against other teams was valuable to help the players start to mesh and have the coaches experiment with rotations. It’s worth noting that Quin Snyder is one of the best in the business at having his teams improve throughout the season.

I don’t expect to see all of the Jazz’s ills cured by the time they tip off against the Thunder next week. However, I do suspect that there will be significant improvement from month to month. This team is chalked with more veteran leadership than it has been in many years. That bodes well for keeping the whole team towing the line and staying on task.

The Irony from Utah Jazz Preseason?

Ironically, I believe that some of the bad we saw during the preseason was due to these veterans, especially those who are 30+, saving what’s in the tank for games that matter. We saw improvements of some of the Jazz’s younger players, including: Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, and Tony Bradley.

While Tony Bradley’s talents may not be needed extensively this season, Donovan’s and Royce’s most certainly will. Donovan looked more decisive with the ball in his hands, and he was a more efficient player. Royce not only looked like he belonged but he also looked like a sharpshooter from distance. If he can become a reliable 3 and D guy this season, he may end up being a regular in the starting lineup.

CONFIRMED: Utah Jazz to debut “mountain” jerseys next season

August 9, 2019 by Kelby Jones 1 Comment

utah jazz throwback purple mountain jersey

Sources say local retailers are stocking up on a Utah Jazz “mountain” jersey in anticipation of next season’s debut.

The Utah Jazz organization is planning on incorporating mountains into the design of the team’s jerseys next season. This, according to one local employee at a sporting goods retail store in the greater Salt Lake City area.

The employee claims the store’s manager had planned and ordered large amounts of the jersey after receiving communications from the decision-makers, presumably with Nike.

Utah Jazz throwback purple mountain jerseys

The previous “mountain” jerseys were made famous in the late 1990’s during the teams two runs to the NBA Finals. Both runs ending in losses to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in both matchups.

Goodbye to the Utah Jazz City Edition Jersey?

The Utah Jazz made noise during the 2017-2018 season by debuting their newly-designed “City Edition” jerseys. The jerseys revolved around an entirely new design-scheme, including a red, orange and yellow color pallet.

According to the local employee, the new Utah Jazz “mountain” jerseys will be replacing these jerseys all together. This may come as a surprise to those who thought this design may have been foreshadowing something bigger to come.

Other Utah Jazz Jersey Concepts to Consider

Some, including John Stockton, weren’t big fans of the Utah Jazz throwback purple mountain jerseys originally. Furthermore, some STILL aren’t big fans of it, even today.

For those of you who aren’t happy to bring back the team’s heritage, enjoy a few Utah Jazz jersey concept designs, courtesy of a Google search.

The Jazz Fan Show will continue looking into this news as it breaks. Follow us on Twitter (@JazzFanShow) to be notified of any developments.

Rudy Gobert’s Future is Crystal Clear

June 22, 2019 by Gretchen Devine Leave a Comment

No one delivers quite like Rudy Gobert when it comes to style.

Whether wearing a tailored suit, leopard print, or both, he always brings his A-game.

His fellow team-mates may not fully appreciate Rudy’s sartorial choices, but I believe they are worthy of appreciation.

Lately, Rudy has been rocking some literal rocks:

But these are more than a fashion statement.

They’re CRYSTALS.

Why Utah Jazz Fans Should Care About Rudy Gobert’s Crystals

What are crystals. and why should you, as a Jazz fan care? Well, I consulted what I assume would be the most accurate source for information on crystals (Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP website) and found this:

“Scientifically, crystals are the most orderly structure that exists in nature, meaning they have the lowest amount of entropy (a measurement of disorder). Crystals are structured in such a way that they respond to the inputs of all different energies around them, so they oscillate, emitting specific vibratory frequencies… Our ancestors intuitively knew that when worn, the energies of the stones would interact with the human electromagnetic field to bring about energetic changes.”

Meaning, these crystals could be a literal game-changer for Gobert. Could crystals give him an extra edge on the court? We have photo evidence of Rudy wearing these crystals on and off all season. They could be the source of some of his success. Three out of the four games he wore crystals heading into the stadium, the Jazz won. It could also be a potential source of failure. Crystals need specific care if they are to retain their energetic properties.

Crystals need to be cleaned to remove dense or stale energy. This can be accomplished by
- burying them in the ground
- purifying them in salt water
- leave them out under the light of the full moon
- burn sage and run the crystals through the smoke
You are not supposed to let other people touch your crystals as it may transfer their vibrations or energies leading it to be no longer attuned to you
There is also the slight chance that choosing the wrong crystal can actually have negative affects if you choose the wrong kind or if they’re not sourced ethically

So what does this mean for Rudy?

Can we guarantee that his crystals are connected to good vibes only?

Where Did Rudy Gobert Get These Crystals?

Not to worry. He got his crystals from none other than the king of crystals himself Spencer Pratt of Pratt Daddy Crystals:

You may know Spencer Pratt as one of the lead “villains” from The Hills, but he has turned over a new leaf and deals in good vibes only. Rudy is one of Pratt Daddy’s key influencers, and as such has the inside track to all the best crystals.

So will Rudy’s game help the Jazz dominate via electromagnetic vibrations? All I know is that they won the the 4 game after wearing crystals on the 13th, so I say the odds are in his favor.