Johnathan Kendrick
jazzhoops.net head writer

Arguably, it was the most exciting off-season in the history of the franchise. Fans of the team were in mid-season form as they listened, read, and surfed for any information they could find. Then the constant news generated by the free agent signings vanished, leaving us all to pander desperately for more information once again.

Depending on how you look at it, Monday Oct. 4th marked either the end or the beginning of the end of all the waiting, as the Jazz kicked off the 2004-05 season with the annual media day. After spending time with the media, the team left for St.George, where they will begin two-a-day practices on Tuesday.

The Jazz will boast a fair amount of turnover from last year’s team. No matter the roster changes, the Jazz foundation is as solid as ever in coach Jerry Sloan. “I don’t see any one guy that we can throw the ball to and say, ‘OK you can go and beat someone’,” said Sloan, “so our job remains the same. We are going to have to play awfully hard together to try to have a chance to win.”

One fact we have seen over the years is that Jerry Sloan-coached teams win as teams. Sloan is not worried the Jazz are not following the growing trend of having players who continually isolate defenders and try to break to the rim. “Hopefully, we can break the defenses down with our offense.” Part of playing as a team is knowing what the other positions are doing, explained Sloan. “The more you know what other people are doing, it makes you more of a complete basketball player.”

In his fourth season, Andre Kirilenko has certainly become the face of the Jazz. It’s good to know the ears on that face are working. While being interviewed, Coach Sloan remarked, “There is nothing wrong with setting a pick and trying to get somebody open for the easy shot.” No wonder when Kirilenko was asked what he worked on the over the summer he mentioned “defense” and “jump shot”.

Speaking of jump shots, when I asked rookie Kirk Snyder during the Rocky Mountain Revue what he thought of the NBA 3-point line, he said it might as well be the 4-point line. When asked if he is more comfortable with it months later, he replied, “Definitely! I am ready now.” For those of you out there who might think there is no romance in sports… you need to be aware that Kirk Snyder, who can’t wear his college number (#1) because the Jazz have retired it, will be wearing #3 because it was the number his wife Haley wore for the Wolfpack when she played.

New Jazzman Carlos Boozer has liked what he has seen so far saying, “You can definitely tell the guys here are ready to go out and win.” One of the reasons the Jazz look like a team that will win is the depth of this year’s team. Although it probably means he won’t get as many shots, last year’s team captain Matt Harpring likes it. “It’s definitely better,” Harpring said. “It makes us a better team when you have five guys on the floor that can score…It’s going open up the court. It’s going to create a lot of the open lay ups that Jerry loves.”

If the Jazz can convert on a lot of open lay ups, they should win a lot of games and that will go a long way to making Jerry Sloan happy. Here is to your happiness, Coach. It’s going to be a fun season.