The Northwest Division Championship. Fifty-one wins. Two All-Stars. The first trip to the Western Conference Finals in nine years.
Erased.
Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan will be the first to tell you that past accolades mean nothing. The old farmer from Illinois might even say last year’s crops are already harvested.
“Nobody cares what you did last year,” Sloan said. “It’s a new season.”
The Jazz begin tonight’s season opener at Golden State with a slate wiped clean. Sort of. Fans, media and Jazz players remember what transpired late into last May when they fell just three wins shy of a Finals appearance. The expectations and the burdens of an encore performance are still there.
“They expect us to win it all now,” Sloan said. “That’s fine. I like that. We should have those expectations of ourselves.”
While the thought of Utah winning the title this season might seem a stretch to many (and downright unfeasible according to most major sports publications), the players have no intention of settling for second-best.
“It’s going to be tough to repeat what we did last year,” point guard Deron Williams said. “But if we play our game, we’ll be alright.”
The question is: Which game will the Jazz play? Will it be the game of precise execution that jump-started the season with 12 wins and just one loss? Or will it be the sloppy play that struggled to keep the team above 0.500 from late November through January with an 18-16 record?
When the Jazz aren’t playing Jekyll and Hyde, they have plenty of game to hang with the powers of the West, including title-contenders San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas.
Returning a starting (and healthy) corps of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko should guarantee that the Jazz don’t sink too far below last year’s lofty heights.
Boozer, selected to his first All-Star game last year, looks to pick up where he left off in May. The former Duke product should average another 20-point, 10-rebound season.
Okur has shown that he can coexist with Boozer because of his knack for roaming the perimeter and nailing long-range jumpers. The Jazz’s other All-Star proved during the playoffs that he can be an adequate defender down low.
Williams made a massive improvement in his sophomore year, averaging 16 points and nine assists (second in the league behind Steve Nash). The third pick in the 2005 NBA Draft said he feels he can make another such jump in his level of play this season after a stint with Team USA.
“I’ve been working on my game all summer and I think I got better,” Williams said.
Despite his wishes to be traded over the summer, Kirilenko spent seven preseason games showing coaches that he will still give his all on the court. The Jazz need the former All-Star’s defensive presence and all-around hustle if they hope to make a splash in the playoffs next spring.
Finding an athletic scorer and defender to fill the shooting guard position has long been Utah’s Achilles’ heel. Last season, the Jazz had trouble keeping opposing stars (like Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen and Gilbert Arenas) below 40 and sometimes 50 points in one night.
The Jazz might finally have a solution this season in Ronnie Brewer. If the former lottery pick can extend his stellar preseason play into the regular season, Brewer should solidify the starting five for years to come.
Utah owned the fifth-best bench in the league last season according to hoopsstats.com. If he can shake off the pain in his knees, Matt Harpring provides a veteran leadership for the second-stringers.
Up-and-coming forward Paul Millsap and his uncanny ball-hawking skills will see more time on the floor this season, according to Sloan. Millsap may possibly spell Kirilenko at small forward if Harpring takes his time returning.
Gordan Giricek gives Utah the most experience at shooting guard and could become a solid option off the bench if Brewer or one of Utah’s other youngsters — C.J. Miles and rookie Morris Almond — develop into a starter.
The Jazz released fan-favorite Dee Brown in favor of adding free agents Jason Hart and Ronnie Price to back up Deron Williams. Hart’s pass-first mentality has all but cemented himself as William’s primary replacement. Price’s defense and athleticism may get him some minutes at the off-guard spot, however.
Centers Jarron Collins and Kyrylo Fesenko will battle it out for scrap minutes behind Okur and Boozer.
If the Jazz can stay injury-free and simply “play their game” as Williams put it, Utah will be in the thick of the playoffs. The outlook for the near future is sparkling bright and Jazz fans can legitimately ask each season: “Is this the year they take it all?”
“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” Williams said. “Anything can happen.”
Lennie MahlerDeron Williams drives to the basket in the Jazz’ preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks.