By: Dustin Chapman

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• Selected Kosta Koufos 23rd overall.

• Selected Ante Tomic 44th overall.

• Selected Tadija Dragicevic 53rd overall.

Utah got excellent value out of their picks. Koufos was expected to go in the top 19 or 20, and they were fortunate enough to snatch the Ohio State big at 23. He may not play a great deal right away on account of the Jerry Sloan rookie treatment, but down the line Koufos can be a real player. In fact, he’s even drawn comparisons to Jazz big man Mehmet Okur.

Utah came away with another steal in the second round with Ante Tomic, who has been coveted by many teams over the past couple of years. Picking him up in the mid-second round is a great pick.

Grade: A-

Georgetown center Roy Hibbert recently stopped in for a pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz, and 1280 The Zone filmed a post-session interview.

Brief thoughts: Hibbert could be a guy that can raise his stock based on performances in individual workouts and potentially climb up a few teams’ draft boards. The main reason is attributed to how fundamentally sound and heady he is, but don’t sleep on the good old phrase “you can’t teach size.” Hibbert stands a legitimate 7′2′’ to go along with his large standing reach and ability to clog the lane when needed.

As far as his on-court fit, it’s tough to think of a better situation for Hibbert than Utah. Coming off of a four-year tenure at Georgetown, where they preach the Princeton offense and constant player/ball movement, Utah’s style is right up his alley.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not he falls to Utah’s pick at 23rd overall, but as we’ve learned through history, anything can happen in the NBA draft.

Side note: Hibbert’s face looks noticeable slimmer in that video than it did during the 2007-2008 NCAA season.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

Utah’s offseason injury bug has struck yet again, as RealGM reports that Jazz swingman Kyle Korver is set to have a bone spur removed.

Utah Jazz guard/forward Kyle Korver will undergo surgery today to remove a bone spur from atop his left foot, Jazz General Manager Kevin O’Connor announced. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Jonathan Deland in New York City on Wednesday evening. A report on the surgery and an estimated timeline for Korver’s recovery will be provided on Thursday.

Posted By: Dustin Chapman

Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune reports that Jazz guard Jason Hart has exercised his $2.5 million player option through the 2008-2009 season.

Despite a disappointing season with the Jazz, Jason Hart has exercised his option to return for the 2008-09 season, agent Bill Neff said Wednesday.

Hart ended the season out of the rotation as the team’s No. 3 point guard.

Hart will make $2.484 million next season. He had until June 30 to decide about the option, but Neff said there was little debate with Hart likely having to accept a minimum contract ($1.070 million) as a free agent.

Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said he had yet to receive the paperwork, although O’Connor is away attending the NBA predraft camp in Orlando, Fla. Neff said it was signed and mailed last Thursday.

“This past year, [Hart] probably would have liked to have played more and we would have liked for him to have played more,” O’Connor said. “But he’ll get the chance to come in and compete for a position again next year behind Deron [Williams].”

Neff said there had been no talk of a buyout, although that could change closer to the July 1 start of free agency.

“There’s always that hope,” Neff said. “That’s a big investment for a third guard, so you always have that. In this day and age, to give someone close to half the midlevel [exception] and then not play him isn’t that wise.”

Posted By: Dustin Chapman

Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune suggests that star guard Deron Williams is expected it sign a contract extension with the Jazz this summer that reaches the end of the 2013-2014 season.

As early as a minute after midnight on July 1, the Jazz can offer Deron Williams a five-year contract worth upwards of $80 million, a deal that could keep the third-year guard in Utah through the 2013-14 season.

It would be a defining moment for the franchise, but if Saturday was any indication, it should be little more than a formality.

“That’s the plan,” Williams said. “I definitely love it here. I think we have a great team, a great coaching staff and have a chance to win. That’s the thing that’s most important to me.”

“That would be an important thing for this franchise,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan added, “and I think that’s the direction they probably are leaning. I don’t think they’ll let him get away.”

Williams said he would discuss the extension with his agent this summer. The extension would not kick in until next season, but the Jazz can offer Williams more money - and sooner - than any other team.

The question is whether Williams would follow the path of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, opting to sign a shorter three-year extension.

Williams has made his case to be a maximum contract player, averaging 18.8 points and 10.5 assists as a second-team all-NBA selection. Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said owner Larry Miller would make the final call.

The Jazz’s exclusive negotiating window with Williams runs from July 1 to Oct. 31. Williams said he would like to finalize a deal before USA Basketball training camp in late July.

This past season, Williams posted career-highs in scoring (18.8 PPG), assists (10.5 APG), steals (1.1 SPG), blocks (0.3 BPG), field goal percentage (50.7%), free throw percentage (80.3%), minutes (37.3 MPG), and games played (82) to solidify his mark as one of the top point guards in the NBA. Throughout Utah’s 12 2008 postseason outings, Williams rose his game to another level with averages of 21.6 points, 10 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 50% from beyond the arc.

The third-year sensation is inarguably one of the most diverse point guards the NBA has seen over the past decade, and turning 24 years of age this June, he is only going to get better in time.

From John Stockton to Deron Williams, the fans of Utah have been rewarded with quite a treat.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

I surely hope so.  We don’t need people on this team that don’t wanna be here.  We don’t need people on the team who can’t fit into a system and if they don’t get what they want, despite a winning season cry to their media.

AK is the 4th best player on the team now, he has to realize that.  He is getting paid much more then he’s worth at this point.  For him to even be running his mouth is ridiculous in the first place.

I’d target trading him for somebody who can also defend, and take it to the basket.  Lamar Odom would look amazing in a jazz uniform!

Hey, I don’t know how these things work, but how does Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko (I like both of them) for Kevin Garnett sound?  Would it work contractually, and would it make sense to anyone else?

First I’d like to offer my condolences to the family of the late president, Gerald Ford. He was a stand-up guy throughout life, and was a great president.

Final Score: 102-92, Jazz Win.

I think I was bad luck for the Jazz, as AK47 went down with a mild concussion and did not return. No news on him yet.

Leading Scorers (Jazz)

1.  Carlos Boozer — 26
2. Mehmet Okur   — 24
3. Deron Williams — 21

Leading Scorers (Clippers)

1. Elton Brand 21
2. C. Maggete 19
3. C. Kaman/ C. Mobley  13

PLAYER OF THE GAME: CARLOS BOOZER — 26 Points, 10 Rebounds

Dissappointment of the game: Not really a disappointing preformance, but Deron Williams was pretty horid from the floor. Going 7-18, but seemed to miss alot more shots.

Clippers @ Jazz

The past two games of this matchup have been won by the Jazz, by an average of 20 points. The Clips have been pitiful on the road this year, going 2-9.

             Clippers:             Jazz

PPG          95.4                102.3

OPPG        99.0                 98.6

Player to watch: Deron Williams  — Watch for him to have atleast 20 points and 10 assists against the Clippers tonight

First off, welcome to the Utah Jazz Blog. I’ll start by just summarizing this season for the Jazz thus far.

Utah leads the Northwest divison of the Western Confrence with a 20-8 record while being 3rd in the Western Confrence(Based on Win %)

Carlos Boozer has been everything for the Jazz this far, leading the team in both rebounding and scoring. He has preformed like the all-star that he is, while remaining healthy throughout the season. He works hard on both ends of the floor.

Deron Williams, a product of the Fighting Illini has been huge this season, being in the top 5 in assists with 8.7 APG. Williams has also been a huge scorer for Utah, with 18.1 PPG. These numbers have helped Deron gain many comparisons to the legendary Jazz player, John Stockton.

Foreign FirePower

Andrei Kirilenko, one of the best defenders in the league, is also a key contributer on offense. Besides being in the top five in blocks in the entire NBA, he also averages 4 assists per game, an impressive feat for a big man. AK47 also averages 9.3 PPG and 5.7 RPG.

Mehmet Okur — ‘Memo’ has averaged 16.1 points a game this year along with 7.1 boards a game. He has provided help to Carlos Boozer by being the secondary option in the scoring and rebouding portions of the Utah game.

Veteran Influence

Derek Fisher, a ten-year veteran, has sped up the maturation of many of Utah’s undeveloped players as well as talented players such as Deron Williams. Fisher has been the precedent of efficiency and consistency throughout his entire career, averaging 10 PPG off the bench for 6 out of the last 7 years of his career

The Legend.

Once again, legendary coach Jerry Sloan has masterfully guided his team to atop their division. This year, Mr. Sloan won his 1,000 game, an amazing feat rarely seen in any sport. Sloan leads this fairly young team with 40 years of NBA experiance under his belt as a player and a coach.

Championship Aspirations

As this team continues to improve, the question remains; Contender or Pretender? This teams shot depends on

if they remain healthy as most of their players have histories of injury and whether this team can act as a collective defensive unit