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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 SeasonFive 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

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

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!

Filed Under: Articles, Opinion Tagged With: Donovan Mitchell, Donovan Mitchell NBA, Jazz Fan Show, jazz fans, national basketball association, nba, NBA Basketball, Rudy Gobert, the jazz fan show, utah jazz

PRESEASON EPISODE #2 – The Jazz Fan Show

September 24, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Utah Jazz Purple Throwbacks Revealed, Favorite Jazz Jerseys and more!

In this special preseason edition of The Jazz Fan Show, hosts Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones discuss the recently revealed Utah Jazz Purple Throwbacks, Our favorite Jazz jerseys, what we expect to see in the future of Jazz jerseys and more!


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!

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: the jazz fan show, The Zone Sports Network, utah jazz, Utah JAzz Blog, Utah Jazz Fans, Utah Jazz Podcast, Utah Jazz Purple Throwbacks

Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Revealed

September 21, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Revealed

Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Revealed

The new jersey design will be worn nine times during the Jazz’s 2018-2019 season.

The Utah Jazz purple throwback jerseys were revealed Sept. 20. This after months of rumors that suggested a purple throwback design was in the works.

The jersey will commemorate the Jazz being in Utah for 40 seasons. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979 from New Orleans.

Celebrating 40 Seasons in Utah. pic.twitter.com/PgFE8eYFZO

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 20, 2018

Check out social media posts from the players regarding the new jerseys below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Throwing it back but always lookin ahead 👀

A post shared by Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) on Sep 19, 2018 at 3:07pm PDT

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/uDBweB8vnO

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 19, 2018

🔥🔥🔥🤙🏼 Throwback pic.twitter.com/yUdQN7CU5q

— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) September 19, 2018

 

View this post on Instagram

 

POPS IM WALKING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS & LOVING IT.!!! TRIPLE BLESSED.!! 🙏🏾💜💜 NEW PURPLE JERSEY’S 🔥🔥🔥 99X15

A post shared by JAE CROWDER (@bossmann99) on Sep 19, 2018 at 2:59pm PDT


This is one of six jerseys the Jazz will wear throughout the season. Check out which games will feature which jerseys below:

Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys Utah Jazz Purple Throwback Jerseys


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!

 

Filed Under: Articles, Jazz News Tagged With: Donovan Mitchell, jae crowder, jazz fans, joe ingles, ricky rubio, Rudy Gobert, the jazz fan show, utah jazz, utah jazz classic edition, utah jazz jerseys, utah jazz purple, utah jazz purple throwback jerseys, utah jazz throwback jerseys

PRESEASON EPISODE #1 – The Jazz Fan Show

September 20, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Deron Williams/Jerry Sloan, Junior Jazz Memories, Short Term Jazz Players and more!

In this special preseason edition of The Jazz Fan Show, hosts Ryan Van Dorn and Kelby Jones discuss the recent Deron Williams/Jerry Sloan meeting. Other topics discussed include memories from Junior Jazz, favorite short term Jazz men and more!


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!

 

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: Antoine Carr, Bryon Russell, Deron Williams, jazz fans, Jerry Sloan, Kelby Jones, Preseason Episode, Ryan Van Dorn, the jazz fan show, utah jazz

Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan Meet For First Time Since Parting Ways

September 18, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

deron williams jerry sloan the jazz fan show
Photo courtesy of The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan Bury Past

Williams’ time in Utah didn’t end well.

Neither did the relationship with his former coach.

Utah Jazz writer Aaron Falk published a story Monday that I’m sure is confusing Jazz fans emotionally. The story mentions former Jazz man Deron Williams, who left the team in a less-than-ideal way.

After years of silence on the matter, a meeting was set up between Williams and his former coach, Jazz legend Jerry Sloan.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years,” Williams said. “Just kind of stubbornness and nerves and all that played a part in why I never reached out.”

With Sloan suffering from the effects of old age, it became apparent the time was right to make amends. However, with disease currently distorting Sloan’s memory, there was a concern the facts may be a bit muddied.

In contrast, it quickly became apparent the former coach’s memory was true.

“But I’ll tell you what,” Williams said, “he does remember a lot. That’s for sure. The good, the bad, the ugly.”


Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan – The Regrets

Since Williams and the Jazz organization parted ways, Williams has remained one of Jazz fans’ most hated players. Personally, I’ve always wondered what could have been if the two had been able to put ego aside and truly compete together.

I’ve also always felt bitter towards Williams, so you’ll understand why it felt so good to see some remorse coming from the former player.

“There are a lot of things I could have handled better, but I was stubborn,” he said. “I was young and stupid. I could have just came in there and shut up, which would have been the smart thing to do, the right thing to do. He’s the coach.”

This seems to be a recurring theme in professional sports. Unfortunately, Williams became yet another player to fall victim.

“But at the time, how I was—my competitiveness, my stubbornness—sometimes it just got the best of me.”


Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan – The Meeting

As time moved forward, Jazz president Steve Starks realized there wasn’t much time left for the two to make amends. This was a feeling he couldn’t shake.

“The thought of Coach Sloan passing away at some point before this meeting took place, to me, was terrible,” Starks said. “As Deron’s career started to wind down and Coach’s health declined, enough time had passed—and now it was time to come together. I really believe if the meeting didn’t take place, both of them would regret it.”

On June 19, Williams toured the recently renovated Zions Bank Basketball Campus with Greg Miller and Steve Starks. After the tour, the three men drove to Sloan’s home.

The men sat together for hours, going through details of the past in hopes of forgiving and forgetting. However, that was easier for some than others.

“He doesn’t forget a lot of things, instances where I pissed him off, things I did to upset him,” Williams said.

But it wasn’t all that harsh.

“He definitely told me about that—and rightfully so. He was great about some other things. It was kind of typical Coach Sloan, really. If you know him, he’s never been one to shy away from telling you the truth and how he feels.”


Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan – Post Meeting

Although we’ll never know exactly what was said, Williams said he left the meeting feeling better about the entire situation.

“I got a chance to apologize for how things went down,” he said. “He got to voice his opinion about all the times I was a little s— to him and was a pain in his ass, and for him to get things off his chest. I think it was good. There was nothing bad about it. It was only positive.”

To read this article and others from Deseret News Writer Aaron Falk, click here.


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!

 

Filed Under: Articles, Jazz News, Jazz Social Media Tagged With: Deron Williams, Jazz Fan Show, Jerry Sloan, Jerry Sloan Utah Jazz, nba, Steve Starks, The Jazz Fans Show, utah jazz

Sports Illustrated Ranks Three Jazz Players #51, #56 & #57 in NBA’s Top 100

September 9, 2018 by Jazz Fan Show Leave a Comment

Jazz Fan Show - Sports Illustrated NBA Top 100

Sports Illustrated Ranks Three Utah Jazz Players 51, 56 & 57 in NBA’s Top 100

The incomplete list is being revealed chunk-by-chunk, with Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles and Ricky Rubio 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.


Jazz Fan Show - Derrick Favors

Ranked No. 51 – Utah Jazz Forward Derrick Favors

To start, the highest ranked Jazz player outside of the NBA’s top 50 is Derrick Favors. Derrick comes in ranked number 51 on the list. Many fans thought Favors would sign a deal elsewhere last offseason. However, no complaints were heard when he resigned with Utah.

Here’s what Sports Illustrated has to say about Derrick:

“Rudy Gobert casts a long shadow, the kind that obscures just how good his frontcourt partner can be. If transported to another team, Favors (12.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG) could anchor a defense all his own with even greater optionality. Gobert is the sort of defender whose strengths are so specific and so pronounced that they all but commit a team to defending a particular way. Any schematic discussion regarding Favors is more open-ended; his team could drop against the pick-and-roll, pressure the ball, switch outright, or even rotate between those options as some highly effective defenses do. No matter the approach, Favors is the kind of big you can trust to execute it.
Or, if you’re the Jazz, you can roll out Favors and Gobert in tandem to stomp opponents down by 7.3 points per 100 possessions in the regular season and 10.9 points in the playoffs. Consider those data points with the necessary disclaimers (namely, that the Jazz limit the exposure of those big lineups in matchups they’re poorly suited for), but the reality of playing Favors at the four is less dated than one might think. For opponents other than the Rockets or Warriors, Favors can be punishing. Smaller forwards just don’t have much recourse when Favors rolls to the rim, but playing a more traditional big to counter Favors then plays right into the hands of the Jazz defense. Players don’t need to be dominant to help turn a specific matchup. They need only to have the right combination of skills at the right time, as Favors often does.”

Jazz Fan Show - Joe Ingles Sports Illustrated

Ranked No. 56 – Utah Jazz Guard Joe Ingles

Two years ago, this ranking may have warranted a spit take from most fans. If you would have told me Joe Ingles (signed off waivers, looks like an agin math teacher) would even be considered for this list, I’d have called you insane to your face.

But here we are. Joe Ingles, one of the most talked about Jazz men nationally (and internationally) is a legitimate NBA star. The lovable, foul-mouthed father of two-year-old twins comes in at number 56. Here’s what Sports Illustrated had to say about the Aussie:

“If you were to ask a basketball coach to describe their ideal role player, they might unknowingly profile Ingles (11.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.8 APG). Think about it. They’d want someone who’s easy to play with, like a pass-first wing player who also happens to be one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Beyond that, they’d want someone with enough of a handle to initiate some offense and enough vision to make smart plays. Defensive commitment is a given, and the ability to guard multiple positions is a perk. The player would need to be intensely competitive, but it’s best if they’re also unassuming. Coaches would want the kind of player who understands his team’s principles enough to know when to break them—a delicate blend of reliability and creativity.
It’s not hard to find more athletic or higher-scoring players. The trick is finding many who are as good as Ingles when it comes to supplying the things that teams actually need.”

Jazz Fan Show - Ricky Rubio

Ranked No. 57 – Utah Jazz Guard Ricky Rubio

Towards the beginning of the 2017-2018 season, it’s been well documented that the Jazz were in a bad place. A bad record, injuries and inconsistent play was seriously hampering the team, which still seemed to be reeling from Voldemort(GH)’s departure.

It was at this time that Jazz fans, myself included, began to call for a change. At the top of our list for potential players to trade was Ricky Rubio.

Let me just take a moment to publicly announce how wrong I, and all of Jazz Nation, truly was.

Ricky went on to be one of the most effective point guards in the league. He even outplayed last season’s MVP Russell Westbrook in the first round of the playoffs.

Look for Ricky to start the season better this year. The learning curve and adjustment periods should be well behind him. Here’s what Sports Illustrated had to say about the Spaniard:

“Rubio (13.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.3 APG) is prone to weeks-long mirages of effective shooting, in which it appears—for some fleeting moment—that his long-range accuracy has turned a corner. The back half of last season was the most prolonged and compelling fantasy yet: 41 games in which Rubio made 41% of his threes, coinciding with Utah playing genuinely dominant basketball. That figure will not hold. But to be fair, it doesn’t have to. Given where Rubio is coming from (31.5% shooting on three-pointers over his first six years in the league), even modest, reliable improvement could be transformative.
When you’re already one of the best defenders, passers, and rebounders at your position, a smaller step forward can feel like a stride. There are two factors at work (and thus two parallel reasons to believe in his progress last season): Rubio has now posted a career-high effective field goal percentage in three straight seasons, showing a clear developmental arc; and separately, only now is Rubio playing for a coaching staff that seems to really understand him. You can’t just plug Rubio into any system and hope for the best. Utah gets that, and has found ways to push their point guard without missing the boat on what makes him so valuable in the first place.”

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!

Filed Under: Articles, Jazz National News, Jazz News, NBA News Tagged With: derrick favors, Jazz Fan Show, joe ingles, national basketball association, nba, NBA Rankings, NBA Top 100, ricky rubio, SI Tip 100, sports illustrated, Sports Illustrated Top 100, The Zone Sports Network, utah jazz

Will the Utah Jazz make a deep run in the playoffs?

March 3, 2018 by Kelby Jones Leave a Comment

Utah Jazz Playoffs

As the hottest team entering the playoffs, are Quin and the Boys poised to surprise the masses by doing something special in the playoffs?

You may remember THIS APRIL 2018 ARTICLE by Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. In the article, Gobert discusses his development and what led him to be successful in the NBA.

But more importantly was the promise Rudy left with all who read his words:

Utah Jazz Playoffs Rudy Gobert Player's Tribune

Any team that wants a piece of us is gonna have to come to Salt Lake City and deal with all 19,911 of you.

Rudy Gobert | April 2018 Player’s Tribune

Well, here we are. The time has come for Rudy’s words to come to fruition.

The Utah Jazz has done it’s part by reaching the playoffs. Now is the time for fans to reciprocate.


Are We About to See Something SPECIAL??

The Utah Jazz have seemed to fly under the radar for most of the season. At the beginning of the year, it seemed as though the team would seriously underperform.

However, as the season progressed, the Jazz seemed to be figuring out the game without anyone really noticing. Even with a mass of injuries plaguing the team night in and night out (especially at the PG position…), the team still seems to be on an entirely different level than others.

Right now, it seems as though the first round draw for the Jazz will be the Portland Trailblazers. Portland recently lost star guard CJ McCollum to a knee injury and center Jusuf Nurkic to a disgusting broken leg.

This may seem like a lucky break (pun intended) for Utah’s chances of avoiding a first-round exit. However, if the Jazz are able to overcome an injury-plagued Portland team, who would be waiting for them in the second round?

CLICK HERE for more from The Jazz Fan Show.


GSW/OKC First Round Matchup

Chances are Golden State comes out of the first round without much of an issue. If standings stay pat (which could absolutely not happen), the Warriors would match up with the Thunder in round one.

Originally, I thought this would be incredibly beneficial for the Jazz. OKC seems to match up really well with GSW, and has had some real battles with the defending champions this season.

However, Paul George seems to have at least one bum shoulder, which leaves Russell Westbrook to take the brunt of the teams shots.

Look for a whole bunch of complaining, with GSW beating OKC in six (my gut says five).


How much damage can OKC do to GSW in the first round?

If OKC looks anything like it did at the beginning of the season, look for the matchup to be a serious issue for GSW. But the REAL question still looms…

Can the Utah Jazz get to the Western Conference Finals?

It’ll take some serious high-level play and a cataclysmic GSW/OKC first round series, but I won’t say it’s not possible.

Take a look at fivethirtyeight.com’s NBA predictions below:

Utah Jazz Playoffs

Right now the Utah Jazz have a 4% chance of making the Finals, which would make that slightly higher for the WCF.


In conclusion…

My heart says first round exit (tampering expectations), my head says second round exit (logical) but my gut says WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS!

… with a little help, of course.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Articles Tagged With: damian lillard, Donovan Mitchell, golden state warriors, Kelby Jones, nba, nba playoffs, nba podcast, oklahoma city thunder, players tribune, portland trailblazers, Rudy Gobert, utah jazz

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