Rampage at The Revue by Ron Richards Day One RMR , Jazz VS Hawks Ok.....Here’s the good news. The NBA has changed its style and substance. Here’s the bad news. I’m not sure that’s something desirable, needed, or even dreamed of twenty years ago. Here’s the deal. You have a team, consisting of five players. One PG, one SG, one SF, one PF and one Center.......Gee......That’s an unusual word. Wonder what it means......Basically, two guards to score and set up the offense, two forwards to score and play tough defense inside, and one center, to patrol the middle and swat shots away, knock opponents on their respective butts, and even score a point or two to keep the opposing team honest. So, that’s the way it was. It’s not how it exists at this present time. Now, teams play interchangeable parts, shuffle the players, and confuse the enemy. That leads to problems, as sometimes it’s the teams themselves that have a identity crisis. Point guards that hate the idea of passing, SG’s that aspire to defensive player of the year, SF’s that think they’re Sgs, and PF’s and Centers who don’t have a clue how they’re really supposed to play the position, because all they see and are taught is a contradiction of the three D’s. Defend Distribute Destroy. It’s very simple. Score one point more than your opponent, and you win. You can either..... 1. Score more than the enemy. 2. Keep the enemy from scoring. 3. Do both of them, in tandem, you freaking dullard. In the new NBA, teams play lineups that look strange, score lots of points, and sometimes remember the word defense once upon a time. Teams that have an philosophy of duplicate positions running identical plays for similar results. Teams like Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta.....Helter Skelter, Run and gun.... Last year the Jazz looked a little out of place without all their pieces in the game and firing on all cylinders. Only when Jerry started his five best players and kept them in the game as long as possible, did the Jazz finally look like a real team that could contend for a playoff spot. That, my friends, has changed. As has been stated several times already in the media in the aftermath of the Burning of Atlanta, the Razing of the Rookies, the Thrilla in Vanilla........ There is a new posse in town. They are athletic, tough, gritty, talented and not afraid to stick it in your face and look you down. The Jazz’s lack of athleticism and tough is a thing of the past. Period, done story. Think CJ Miles, taller, stronger, faster...Think Ronnie Brewer, fast, strong, the prototypical new age NBA backcourt menace....Think Dee Brown....jitterbug, lightning fast, Boykinesque with a great jump shot and nerves of steel...Think Paul Millsap, whose calm exterior hides the heart of a warrior, and every rebound is mine, dammit.....And last but not least, Haffa Araujo, a brute of a baller who simply isn’t afraid of anyone and wants to prove he can play in the NBA. Was it a perfect first game? No. At times CJ Miles pressed, didn’t let the game come to him like he knows Jerry wants him to. Ronnie Brewer, looked a little lost and confused at times, despite several plays that looked all world, and moments of sheer brilliance flashing and blinding the crowd, and bringing the house down. Dee Brown had a rough first half, but picked it up the second, showed his speed and a surprising jump shot that looks like it can’t do anything but go in. Paul Millsap can simply play. Give him minutes, and there will be somewhere upwards of ten rebounds and ten points in the box score. It’s that simple. He is a warrior, and why he wasn’t picked in the first round..... Haffa needs to pick his time and place to fight. What he did show was toughness, better conditioning, and a willingness to run the court and mix it up. Jerry is going to love this kid if he doesn’t have a heart attack first. Those are the newies, the rookies....But the best story of the night is one we shouldn’t be surprised with at all. Deron Williams was the best player at the RMR last night. While in the game, he controlled it completely, doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. As he matures and grows in the game, that is what we should expect during the regular NBA season. His success at the long ball last year will continue as his stroke from the three is a thing of beauty, something I’d have never guessed at last year at this time. Several Euro scouts sitting next to me kept muttering.....Good stroke.....Good stroke.... Tough is contagious. It shows and grows with each dose, and finally becomes a state of mind. I hope you enjoyed your sleep last night, Jazz fans.....Because it’s time to become excited about the new year and a rejuvenated Jazz team. One that’s tough, gritty, mean and in your face. It may be a new NBA, one that's unfamiliar to these old eyes. But one thing never changes, and that's playing hard and standing tall. Regardless of style changes and a questionable evolution in the game, the Jazz took the first step in evening the playing field with a new crop of athletic, tough newcomers who aren't afraid of mixing it up and playing in your face. It’s about time.