Not a Podcast #2: Utah Jazz Preview

Here’s some food for thought, though.

First, you guys talked for 5 minutes about how the Jazz need a good wing defender and how they should look in the d-league and no one brought up Raja Bell’s name? Did you guys forget that he is probably going to play big minutes, if not start for the Jazz? You may think he’s old and injury prone, but to disregard his presence completely is weird.

Second, Al Jefferson is going to help the Jazz more than Carlos Boozer did. Carlos Boozer is super overrated and many Jazz fans have wanted him out for a couple of years. The Jazz don’t run the Pick n Roll as much as people assume. They have run it in the bottom half of the league the last several years. And if they do run it, Millsap is running it, not Jefferson most likely. But Jefferson is hypothetically going to get better looks in Utah than he did in Minnesota, since he will play in a system that can run plays for him, rather than dumping it to him and getting out of his way, which is essentially the offense they ran in Minny.

And lastly, it is hard to tab any Western Team as the clear cut favorites behind the Lakers. Any team other than LA could finish 2-8 and it wouldn’t be that surprising. But you guys are underestimating the Jazz, just like most of the league is. OKC should be very good although they are going to have to live up to expectations now, which is easier said than done. And the Jazz have had the Blazers’ number the last 2-3 years, injuries or no injuries. Let’s remember that Portland, while very talented, hasn’t over achieved yet in 5 years. They lost against he Rockets with home court advantage and last year played well, but didn’t really do too much. But if you want to crown their asses, then go ahead and crown them. But they are who we thought they were. An injury riddled team, who when healthy is still a little soft in the middle and puts too much pressure on Brandon Roy’s shaky knee.