What does it take?
Do the Jazz have to sweep Golden State, Phoenix or San Antonio and the Pistons,
win twelve more games straight to even get an ounce of respect?
I was listening to the radio tonight on the way home from work, and one of the
major networks had their NBA update coming up. Finally, I thought, they will at
least mention how the Jazz somehow pulled out two unlikely wins, showing heart
and courage, determination and skill to defeat the team that just walloped the
best team in the NBA 4-2.
Nope. Not one word. Lots of stuff on Detroit, how they had won seven straight
games in the playoffs against teams that wouldn't have made the playoffs in the
West, not one word about Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, AK47(not the pale
imitation that snuck in somewhere during the season) Memo Okur, Harp, Millsap
and Dee Brown. They did ask their guest about Derek Fisher, and the 'expert'
said that anyone in any walk of life does the same thing all the time.
What? Say what?
Deron is averaging 25 and 12, Booz is averaging 24 and a cool 17 rebounds a
game, Memo is averaging almost 15 rebounds a game and double figures scoring, AK
is blocking every shot that is within reach, and some that aren't......
What does it take? Just when does this young team get any recognition? There was
a very nice article about Derek Fisher and his little girl on Yahoo sports, one
of the best sports articles I've read in a long, long time.
Derek Fisher is one of the classiest guys in sports, a brilliant leader and a
fine man in private life. You should read it, by all means.
Seems all I hear is how the Rockets blew it. Not that the Jazz won the series,
that the Jazz were handed the series because Yao is too slow, T-Mac doesn't have
wide enough shoulders, their supporting cast is inferior....
And Golden State just threw away the first two games, the Jazz were lucky,
Golden State will crush the Jazz these next two games at home and then look
out....
Geez, Mabel. I'm getting just a little tired of it.
Sure, this is a young, young team. Hardly any playoff experience, their two best
players are very, very young, the Jazz showed their true colors at the end of
the season giving up the homecourt to Houston, losing to the worst teams in the
West in doing so....
Let me set the record straight. I've been saying the same things ever since I
saw how the team played together the first few games of the 2006-2007 Season,
that this Jazz team could go to the WCFs this year, and maybe even play for a
Ring....
I said it then, and for once, just this once, I was spot on. This team can go
the Finals, the Big Show, and win the whole shebang.
Not only that, but Golden State will be lucky to win a game at their place. Not
because they're a bad team, or that they don't deserve it, or for any reason
except the Jazz are a better team, this year, right now.
Don't believe me? Just look at the stats from the first two games. Anything
strike you as unusual? Without pinning down the exact numbers, here is the
trend.
Jazz shoot fifty percent field goal percentage.
Jazz destroy the Warriors on the boards, and will undoubtably set the all time
playoff record for rebound differential. Last game was 60-32. That's....A lot.
Jazz score overwhelmingly more points in the paint, and outscore the Warriors on
the fast break. Yes, the fast break.
So why were the Warriors even in the game? Treys in both games, and turnovers in
the second game, a game in which Willy sits all of the first quarter, and AK
winds up playing the point for a goodly part of it. Golden State played very
good defense, and forced the Jazz into a high number of turnovers.
Without the TO's, a normal season percentage on Treys.....Jazz win easily. There
is no reason to think the Warriors will suddenly become a great rebounding team,
and the Jazz are the best in the NBA at this category. Jazz normally take better
care of the ball when Deron and Fish handle the ball at point, so that will
improve.
It's very simple. Unless the Warriors have an exceptional game from long range,
force the Jazz into falling apart, the Jazz will be there at the end of the
game, and suddenly the Jazz have become very dangerous finishing off games.
And for some incredibly strange reason, I haven't heard one person comment on
how the Jazz were handicapped by not having their fifth starter with the team,
and that he was fighting for his daughter's life. Don't think the team knew
that? Were worried about it? Weighed just a little on their minds?
Naw......
Now Fish is back, his daughter will be fine, our starting five and rotations are
back to normal, AK is playing like a Max player once again, swatting shots away
on a record pace, Memo and Booz simply own the boards.....I have never seen such
a disparity in rebounding in two teams. Deron and Booz are playing like the
Superstars they are....
It speaks wonders for Donnie Nelson that he is able to put together a team and
accomplish what he's done. The Warrior's upset of Dallas is probably the
greatest upset of all time in the playoffs. A series between GS and Phoenix
would be wonderful to watch.
It 'aint gonna happen.
Playoff basketball has been, is now, and always will belong to the better
defensive teams that execute their offense to the highest degree. It's simple,
teams like San Antonio, Detroit and.....The Jazz, don't have the highs and lows
that fast break, high reward and risk offenses like GS and Phoenix are subject
to having all to often. Consistency, execution and defense will out a very large
percentage of the time. Phoenix is less susceptable to this than Golden State,
but they're in the same class. High risk, great reward.....
And I guess it doesn't really matter, because in the end the pundit's will be
forced to acknowledge the Jazz when they win a title.
A flight of fancy? Maybe.......Just a touch.
Steve Kerr recently wrote how the playoffs are a matter of matchups, how some
teams get lucky and play teams that they match up well against? The one team I
thought the Jazz might not have a chance beating is now on vacation. If I was a
Jazz family member, I'd rethink my summer vacation plans. They just might have
changed a little.
Catch a ray or two for me. I'm going to bet watching and following games until
June...... Maybe quite a few games.
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