By Ron
Richards
Despite the recent heartbreaking
loss in Sacramento, the Jazz are
16-3 since the trade for Kyle Korver.
All of those losses happened on the
road, and one has since been
avenged.
What does your gut tell you? Are the
Jazz satisfied with the makeup of
the team as is, and are they trying
to improve the team still further,
with the acquisition of Pau Gasol in
Los Angeles stepping them up a notch
into serious championship
contention? Will Shack destroy
Phoenix, or give them that extra
boost into the finals?
Most importantly, do the Jazz have
to make another step to shore up
their inside defense, perhaps the
most obvious shortcoming of a team
that's been on fire the last month?
If they can win ten in a row with
the team as constituted, do they
even need to make another move?
All good questions, and answers are
hard to find.
What do I think?
I think the Jazz will make a move if
presented an opportunity to pick up
a defensive center who will make a
difference. Will it happen?
Unlikely, but it could. The Jazz do
have assets to move, if necessary.
Most importantly for a team
desperately in need of help, is the
Jazz's first round draft pick of
this year. If they pick up a
defensive center, then that answers
their need in the draft this year.
Simply developing Mo Almond and Ky
Fesenko will give them all the young
help they need. The Jazz would be
willing to move a contract, most
likely Jason Hart's and perhaps
Jarron Collins.
I can hear the screams from the
peanut gallery as I write. NO ONE
wants Jason Hart and Jarron Collins.
True. What they do want, is a first
round draft pick. Throw in a second
from next year. Then the team the
leper twins are traded to simply
keeps them for a year and picks up
the cap space, or buys them out and
sends them packing. What they are is
a means of clearing two contracts
for the Jazz, and making room for a
contract that might be slightly
bigger than the leper twins
together.
About whom are we talking?
Pryz has been speculated upon for
years as a fit for the Jazz.
Portland is realizing by now that
they're going nowhere this year, and
Pryz is not going to be happy stuck
behind Greg Odin. He'll demand a
trade, or simply not be a happy
camper. After starting for years,
he'll want to start or play large
minutes. Whether it happens or not
this year, Pryz will be with another
team shortly.
Jeff Foster. This one caught me by
surprise. Who the hell is Jeff
Foster? Didn't he play for the Jazz
at one time, play his college ball
at UTEP? Well, no. Jeff Foster is a
workman's type center who is a great
rebounder and plays decent post
defense. Not a shot blocker, he is
still one of the better rebounding
centers in the game for minutes
played. His name was mentioned in
relation to the Jazz, and I can see
why. He's serviceable, and fills a
void on the Jazz team, a seven
footer who can play defense and
rebound very well. He is my bet for
most likely center to be traded to
the Jazz.
Brendan Haywood. The North Carolina
grad is a better shot-blocker than
Foster, slightly taller and a better
defensive presence. Whether the
Wizards would part with Heywood is
another story, but considering the
recent play of Andre Blatche, he
might be available. The Wizards need
help, and cap space.
Darko Milicic. The Memphis Grizzlies
might be the worst franchise in
sports, next to the Knicks. Their
owner is apparently having a fire
sale, and Darko makes about the
right amount of money for the trade.
Despite being a candidate for bust
of the century, Darko is still
averaging 2 blocks a game with a
horrible team. He's a legit seven
footer with nice skills and a
questionable motor. Jerry Sloan
might just kill him at his first
practice, so there is a risk of
trading for him. Personally, having
Darko rather than Collins or Hart is
a huge improvement, which speaks
highly of how little I think of the
pair. Once again, why would Memphis
do this? Hart and Collins both come
off the books next year, for a
savings of almost five mil. Darko is
signed for the next three years, I
believe, at about six mil per year.
Now comes the kicker. I believe,
with all sincerity, that playing for
the right team makes a huge
difference when it comes to who
survives, who flourishes, and who
lives to see another day in the
cutthroat world of the NBA.
The Jazz are the most player
friendly team in the NBA. No, Jerry
is not a easy going coach who lets
his players stay out late and come
to practice hung over. Nor is he a
coach who is a friend to his
players, buddy-buddy and fake
smiles. Screw around at practice or
the games, and you'll be lucky to
have even a small part of your
posterior still present.
Jerry presents playing for the Jazz
as a matter of black and white. Not
racism, or color lines, but black
and white as a matter of fairness.
There are no bullshit games played
here. If you work hard in practice
and at the games, try your best and
keep your ears and mind open, you'll
succeed and earn playing time. Act
like a grownup person, take
responsibility and be willing to
work your tail off, and Jerry will
find time for you to play.
Need I say that doesn't happen in a
lot of NBA towns. San Antonio comes
to mind, as does Portland. There are
no favorites, it's what you do that
counts on the Jazz.
For a player like Darko
Milicic, who
probably doesn't know which way is
up right now, being given limits,
being rewarded for hard play and
effort.....It's remarkably similar
to problem children who are struck
with the realization that
hey.......If I do this, then that
will happen. Security, reward, and
if you goof off, punishment.
BUT......It's fair. For this reason,
if you can't make it on the Jazz,
there are no teams you can make it
on. Certainly not the teams where
chaos reigns, and favorites and
coach's pets thrive.
For this reason, I'd take a chance
on Darko Milicic.
I'd even take a chance on Kwame
Brown. Notice I said, chance. Here's
a kid who was booed by Los Angeles
fans more for his not being Andrew
Bynum than by how he played.
If he doesn't work out, fine. He's
gone.
When I started to write this
article, I never thought I'd mention
Kwame Brown. What a loser, the guy
traded for because he has an
expiring contract.
Perhaps he just might be the guy who
is faced with the certainty that if
he doesn't work hard, if he screws
up, if he gets out of bed the wrong
way one morning, it might be his
last day as an NBA player.
Perhaps he might be the exception to
the rule you don't take chances on
guys like Kwame Brown.
I can hear the groans and the sighs
as I write this. Kwame Brown........
What you have to remember, is that
the Jazz don't need Pau Gasol,
though he would be nice to have.
They don't need Shack right now,
though I'd like to find out for
sure.
What we do need is a serviceable
defensive center who can play
interior defense, block some shots,
rebound, and spell Memo and Carlos
at center, for limited minutes and
be satisfied and pleased about his
role as a team player.
So I guess the answer for me is yes,
we do need to make a trade. The kick
start that Kyle Korver made with a
struggling Jazz team ought to be
enough proof that a player
considered marginal by another team,
might turn out to be the difference
on a championship team.
What do you think?
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