This is the year it can all come together for the Jazz.
For the first time since the 1997-1998 season, it looks as if the Jazz can make a case for being one of the strongest teams in the Mountain West Conference. The Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Suns and Rockets all enter the 2008-2009 season with talented rosters, but Utah, taking home court advantage into consideration, should be able to hang with all these teams throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.
By now, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have become household names nationwide. Both players are coming off of gold-plated successful stints at the Beijing Olympics. Many experts are calling Williams the best point guard in the NBA this year along with Chris Paul. This year, Williams should finally get his much-earned NBA All-Star nomination. Boozer has shown the NBA what an offensive weapon he can be the past two years. Look for another double-double average out of the former Duke Blue Devil.
Ronnie Brewer now has a season of starting under his belt, and has added a lot of strength8212;a rumor of 15 pounds of pure muscle to be precise8212;during the off-season. The Jazz will have many options at the small forward position, with do-it-all veteran Andrei Kirilenko8212;giving the Jazz a real weapon at the defensive end of the floor and a potential pure-energy sixth man. C.J. Miles is making a push into the rotation as the probable opening-night starter in place of Kirilenko. Folks musn’t forget deadeye Kyle Korver, one of the best quick-draw shooters in the game. Mehmet Okur gives the Jazz another rebounding and 3-point option and Paul Millsap will provide good depth in the post whether Boozer or Okur get into trouble or not.
The road to the finals isn’t going to be a walk in the park. The team that always seems to give the Jazz fits8212;the San Antonio Spurs8212;isn’t getting any younger. Along with Manu Ginóbili’s questionable health heading into the season, the Spurs are more of a question mark than they have been in past years. As for the Houston Rockets, they made some great additions this year, with Ron Artest now in the mix. But will their stars ever align? Tracy McGrady usually misses half of the season due to injury. Ditto for Yao Ming, who is coming off an injury-riddled 2007 season.
Utah’s toughest competition out west will come from New Orleans and Los Angeles. As last year indicated when the Jazz won the regular season series against the Hornets 2-1, Deron Williams appears to be the only point guard who can hold Chris Paul in check. The star player of the Lakers8212;the team that knocked out the Jazz last year8212;is getting up there in years. Kobe Bryant is going to hit the 1,000 career-game mark this year, and is coming off a 110-game season, including the Olympics. That’s a lot of wear and tear for Kobe to deal with.
The pieces are in place, Jazz fans. Not since John Stockton and Karl Malone has Utah had a team this talented and this ready to take the league by storm.