LouDaisy: Twilight Box

LouDaisy: Twilight Box
That is so sweet. how thoughtful!

Deron Williams Will Be an MVP Candidate in 2009

As I sat second row at the Utah Jazz intra-team scrimmage, I noticed one thing more than any other—the killer instinct of Deron Williams.

Deron's team was down most of the scrimmage.  At first Deron was just out there having fun, trying to get his teammates involved and putting on a show for the crowd.

But as soon as the fourth quarter hit, everything about Deron changed. He got a fierce look in his eyes, he stopped joking around with other players, and his desire to win was about as palpable as the chair I was sitting in.

Deron helped his team overcome a 17-point second half deficit to tie the score (the scrimmage ended in a tie). I was left sitting amazed at what I just witnessed.

On TV you can see Deron take over games, but it is nothing compared to being there in person. I sat wondering what Deron's intensity would be like in a playoff-elimination game, if this is how strong it was in a free scrimmage to the public.

There are not many players in the league that can match the intensity of Deron Williams. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and maybe Chris Paul or Kevin Garnett possess this supernal level of desire to win.

Kobe, LeBron, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett were in the discussions for MVP in 2008.  Why not Deron Williams?

MVP candidates lead their team to a winning record, and have numbers to back up their play. Deron Williams lead his team to the Northwest Division title, and the Jazz finished with a 54-28 record. Williams averaged nearly 19 points and 10.5 assists a game.

Comparing numbers among players is difficult, because every team plays a different offense at a different pace. For example, because Paul averaged 21 points and 11.6 assists, many casual observers thought he was a better player than Williams. 

But Deron's numbers may be deceiving because of the motion offense of the Jazz.  In the motion offense, more players are helping set up the plays and touching the ball. With the Hornets, it's mainly Paul dribbling the ball at the top of the key, breaking down the defense, then throwing the ball out for an assist.

No one on Paul's team averages above three assists a game besides him. Behind Paul is Pargo with 2.4 assists, and West with 2.3. While for the Jazz, Deron averages 10.5, but AK averages four assists and Boozer averages nearly three. Wiliiams' numbers are slightly lower, but it is because of the offense in which he plays—not his ability.

So Williams numbers are comparable to the MVP candidates last year, and his team was one of the top teams in the competitive Western Conference.  So why was he not in the national media's discussion for MVP?

When Steve Nash was MVP for two consecutive years, it was mainly for his contribution to his team—the Suns could not win without Nash. This past year it was the same with Kobe, LeBron, and Paul. The media assumed that their teams would not be able to win without them.

The way the Jazz play, it is not readily apparent that one player could make that much of a difference on the team. The offense that the team runs, focusing on team play and Jerry's desire that no player is the star of the team, makes it almost impossible for one player to seem missed when absent.

However, anyone who carefully watches the Jazz can testify that without Williams, the Jazz are a different team and would not be able to win or be competitive. In the 2006-2007 season, Williams missed two games due to a strained groin. The Jazz lost both or those games—and even watching those games was somewhat painful.  The Jazz did not play at their usual level... why because there was no Deron to lead his team.

Past MVPs also have mostly been flashy or finesse players. It is easy to see how last year's candidates fit into that category. They all have amazing highlights.

Deron also is a highlight machine, but because he plays in Utah—which for 20 years was strictly pick and roll, Stockton to Malone—nobody pays attention. The tradition of the Jazz supercedes anything that Deron does different on the court. Because Jerry Sloan is still the coach many think that Deron is just like Stockton.

Jazz fans—or anyone that watches the Jazz for even a few minutes—can tell you that Deron loves to run, throw the alley-oop pass, break ankles with his killer cross-over, and drain the three-pointer on the fast break.

What else did the MVP candidates have that Williams didn't? The candidates were all from large media markets with the exception of Chris Paul.  Paul, however, did come with the feel-good story of the team's first full season back in New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina.

Also, Chris Paul has been a media darling since his days in Wake Forest.

That is something that Williams can not control.  The Jazz will never be a media favorite due to the small market size. David Stern has the NBA promote the large-market teams above all others—no matter how much he denies it.

Deron does possess the same qualities as past MVP candidates, besides playing in a large market. So can Deron make a run for MVP in the 2008- 2009 season? If every media member who votes could see and feel what I felt at the Jazz scrimmage, then the answer would definitely be yes!

Twas the NIght Before the Season

'Twas the Night Before the Season,
when all through the league
all rookies were stirring,
for the season to begin;

The preseason ended
with nothing to note
but injuries to players
with all-star votes

There's Kobe with his knee
Nash sprained his ankle twice
D-Will's out two weeks
It doesn't look nice

When out in New York
David Stern fills his pockets,
All fans of the league 
cry please oh please stop it

With a little old comissioner
so greedy and slick
Fans knew in a moment
their pleas wouldn't stick

Now Kobe! Now Lebron!
Now Garnett and Melo!
On, Paul!  On, Shaq!
On Dirk! and  Memo!

To the top of the hoop
to the  top  of the ball
now, play away! Play away!
Play away all!

The preseason is over was it worth it? Or was it just another way for Stern to make money?

The Undefeated Jazz

The Jazz have started out the season strong—beating the Nuggets and the Clippers for a record of 2-0.

 Two wins, not that important in an 82 game season right?

 

However, with how competitive the Western Conference was last year, two wins could be the difference between starting the playoffs on the road or in the comfy confines of the ESA.

 

What do these two wins tell us about the Jazz this season so far and how long can the Jazz stay undefeated?

 

Most importantly the wins tell us that, if they have to, the Jazz can win without their fearless leader Deron Williams.  In the 2006-07 season Deron missed two games due to injury, the Jazz loss both those games.  No Jazz fan would want Deron to miss games but at least the Jazz can win without him. 

 

The Hart-Knight trade is one of the most underrated trades in Jazz history.  The national media didn't talk about it at all (besides the bottom score ticker on ESPN), and the local Utah media hardly talked about it during the summer. Knight however was one of the main reasons we won on Saturday—his intense defense in the second half and zero turnovers helped the Jazz roll over the Clippers.

 

The Jazz are a deep team. It wouldn't be stretching it to say that the Jazz have the deepest team in the league.  The Jazz bench, especially with AK as our new sixth man, can compete and beat any bench in the league. 

 

The Jazz defense is much more intense than last year. Hopefully the Jazz will continue to focus on defense and dominate on offense.

 

Now how long can the Jazz stay undefeated? Tonight they play against the Clippers. This will be a good test for the Jazz. The Jazz struggled on the road last year. A road record of 17-24 last season, and so many winnable games they lost.  The Jazz have lost six of their last eight games in the Staples Center against the Clippers.  

 

It will be test of character to see if the Jazz have the discipline to play consistently and avoid the tendency to play down to their opponents on the road. 

 

A win tonight would pay big dividends for the Jazz.  A road win without Deron Williams could pay even bigger dividends. A win tonight would lead to a boost in their confidence that could lead to four or five more road wins this year which could pay huge in play-off seating.

 

After the Jazz play the Clippers on the road tonight they return home for games against Portland and Oklahoma City.  Those games shouldn't be too hard to win especially if Williams is back. The Jazz then head back East for a five game road trip.  All those game are winnable, but I see a loss against Cleveland.  

 

That would put the Jazz at 9-0 before losing to Cleveland. 

 

I would love for the Jazz to go 82-0, but as that is all but impossible, I do see 9-0 as very plausible.  However it all starts tonight can the Jazz beat their road fears

Memo Okur Gone to Turkey

The Jazz announced today that Memo Okur will be returning to Turkey for an undetermined period of time to deal with a family illness. 

What does this mean to the Jazz?

I am having nightmarish flashbacks of the dreadful month of December last year. I imagine the opposing teams zoning us all night long. I picture a .500 ball club.

What a bizarro season for the Jazz. Deron Williams out longer than expected with a sprained ankle, Memo going to Turkey, and Booz taking it to the hole again.

What else does this season have in store for Jazz players and their fans?