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No place like home to get the Utah Jazz season on…

Toubsigetegot — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:19:17 +0000

Published: Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011 9:11 p.m. MST

SALT LAKE CITY — EnergySolutions Arena may have never looked or sounded as good as it will Friday night for the Utah Jazz.

If a team was ever in need of a home-crowd boost, it’s this ragtag collection that has suffered back-to-back beatdowns.

Their aim was so off in Los Angeles, they might not have been able to point in the direction of a B-list actor at Staples Center.

Their ability to stop someone was so poor in Denver, Tim Tebow might have been able to throw for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on them if they wore pads.

If that sounds overly harsh, give another glance at the final scores: Lakers 96, Jazz 71 and Nuggets 117, Utah 100.

Utah players don’t just need to find an elusive identity, consistency, properly functioning combinations, defensive rotations, team chemistry and a commitment to put forth enough effort to win.

Their juiceless battery could use a jumpstart from a crowd that’s done that so many times over the past three decades.

“We’re still trying to figure it out. Hopefully in the next few days we’ll figure it out, especially with our young group,” Jazz sixth man Paul Millsap said after Wednesday’s game. “I think home court advantage will help us, give us a little energy, let us get out and run a bit.”

Heck, maybe even win a game — or at least have a chance to win one.

In reality, there’s only so much of an edge 19,911 fans can give a team. There is a reason why one group pays to get in, while the other much smaller (in numbers) and more talented group gets paid to be there.

Ultimately, it’s up to Jazz players and coaches to get their acts together and play up to their potential.

“We’ll see what type of team we are the next couple of games,” second-year Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward said.

Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin took extra time after Wednesday’s loss to emphasize to his entire team — players, staff and himself — that everybody is responsible to do his part.

“They have to step up and do it. We have to as a coaching staff and myself. We have to lead them through it,” Corbin said. “It’s a young bunch of guys for the most part. We’ve got to grow together.”

The second-year coach believes that will happen, that player development and victories can happen simultaneously.

“I’m not quitting on the guys, and I don’t think they’ll quit on me. But we’ve got to get things figured out,” Corbin said. “We’ve got to learn to trust each other as players on the floor and just go out and compete together as a group of guys and not as individuals, two or three guys going hard. We’ve got to have everybody competing on the floor.”

That’s all for today.

Utah Jazz conquer Portland, but not their own…

glomalofmisee — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:27:19 +0000

The Jazz entered the preseason surrounded by uncertainty.

Utah didn’t have a true No. 1 star player or a late-game closer, its starting five and overall rotation weren’t set, and everything from the team’s identity to its uneven balance of promising youth and 30-something veterans created an endless series of questions.

The Jazz exited exhibition play Wednesday shadowed by even more ambiguity. Now, Utah enters the wild unknown of a lockout-shortened 2011-12 regular season with little, if any, clarity.

Those answers will arrive, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said after a 92-89 preseason victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at EnergySolutions Arena before a crowd of 15,367.

Utah (1-1) only has six days left to figure itself out. The Jazz tip off for real Tuesday at the Los Angeles Lakers.

One game after sitting his uninspired starters and turning to four players 21 or younger, Corbin took a completely different approach Wednesday. All 13 active Utah players clocked more than 11 minutes, with reserves such as Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley and Jeremy Evans receiving larger roles than starters Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward.

The latter two were plagued by foul trouble. Overall, though, it was a much different coaching tactic than one employed by Portland’s Nate McMillan, who leaned heavily on his first five — four of whom played 29 minutes or more — and used a core rotation of nine players in preparation for the impending start of the regular season.

Determining everything from Utah’s starting five to who will come off the bench is still up for grabs in Jazzland.

Story continues below

“We’ll look at everything. … We’re working on it,” Corbin said.

Utah’s offense needs the most work. Several players said on-the-court chemistry was a problem during an abbreviated preseason, while key starters acknowledged the Jazz have much to do before they’re playing clean, fluid, fundamental basketball.

Only Al Jefferson, Raja Bell and Harris started both preseason games, while Jefferson and Harris never appeared fully comfortable or energized in Utah’s slightly reworked offense.

The issues were heightened by Paul Millsap’s absence due to right quadriceps tendinitis. Corbin said before the start of Wednesday’s game there’s no guarantee Millsap will be the permanent starter at power forward once he returns, adding to the confusion.

Harris and Jefferson acknowledged the offense isn’t running in high gear, but both said time should fix lingering issues that often rose to the surface during a disappointing 2010-11 season.

“We’ve got new guys in, we’re trying to get to know each other. Obviously it’s going to take a little time,” Harris said. “Obviously we’ve got a couple days of practice [left] and obviously [Corbin’s] still trying to figure out what that rotation is going to be like. But I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

The lack of direction appeared to affect everyone from Hayward (three points in 14 minutes, 49 seconds) and Bell (one point on three shots in 20:34) to Harris, who scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting but only dished out one assist.

“I think we have a lot of work to do,” Bell said. “But I don’t know that we’re going to be any different [than] any other team is at this point in that regard, just because there hasn’t been a whole lot of stuff to get time together.

What do you guys think about this.

Utah Jazz: Instant analysis vs. Portland Trail…

shiemhawSmith — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:21:43 +0000

Published: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 10:16 p.m. MST

By David Smith, For the Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Whether it was overcoming some opening-night jitters, getting a touch more familiar with each other, or simply feeling at home in the comfortable confines of EnergySolutions Arena, the Utah Jazz looked like a different team Wednesday. Utah avenged Monday’s 20-point loss by posting a 92-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The fourth quarter, which pitted Portland’s headliners against a ragtag mix of Jazz bench players, produced a dramatic finish. Laced with turnovers and missed shots, Utah did just enough to emerge victorious over the more experienced Blazers squad.

All in all, there was more bounce in Utah’s step, a comforting sight after an extremely abbreviated preseason transitions quickly into Tuesday’s regular-season opener. The offense and defense, while both needing lots of work, flowed more smoothly.

Role reversal: After struggling in Monday’s outing, veterans Mehmet Okur and C.J. Miles fared much better off the bench Wednesday. Okur showed the Jazz what was sorely missed during his injury-plagued 2010-11 year, tallying seven points in an active nine minutes. Meanwhile, Miles had a brilliant 15-point half, scoring on an array of outside shots.

On the flipside, hampered by the foul troubles, sophomores Hayward and Favors both struggled after being inserted into the starting lineup. Hayward had just three points before exiting with his sixth foul. After a stellar 25-point performance Monday, Favors finished with a more pedestrian seven on Wednesday.

Foul situation: With three starters (Raja Bell, Hayward and Favors) tagged with three fouls apiece, the Jazz finished the first quarter with 12 fouls (including several on the offensive end). Combined with the nine fouls accrued by Portland, it made for a very whistle-heavy, flow-stopping start to the game. At one point, with 3:55 left in the opening quarter, Utah had 15 points and 11 fouls. When the dust settled, basketball fans witnessed 66 combined fouls.

Quick hits:

Utah’s shooting guards, longtime vet Raja Bell and rookie Alec Burks, combined to shoot 0-11 from the field.

Newcomers Josh Howard (eight) and Jamaal Tinsley (six) both scored their first points in a Jazz uniform.

With 10 minutes left in the game, forward Jeremy Evans had scored 18 points in 19 minutes of playing time (over the two preseason games) — not including, much to Jazz fans’ chagrin, a crowd-pleasing dunk that was waved off due to an offensive foul call.

That’s all the news for today.

Utah Jazz: Jazz, Blazers to square off in…

PioneerFive — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:52:14 +0000

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 12:08 p.m. MST

SALT LAKE CITY— The Utah Jazz have a preseason dancing partner.

Unfortunately for BYU fans, it is not Jimmer Fredette and the Sacramento Kings.

The Jazz will play a pair of exhibition contests against the Portland Trail Blazers, according to KSL.

Portland, which features former Jazz guard Wesley Matthews, will host Utah on Dec. 19. The two teams will then head to Salt Lake City for a Dec. 21 matchup at EnergySolutions Arena, according to at tweet by Jazz broadcaster David Locke.

Ticket information has not yet been released.

The NBA’s irregular season is set to begin on Dec. 25, though it’s believed the Jazz will start the following day. The original schedule had Utah hosting Denver on Monday, Dec. 26.

The full 66-game schedule has yet to be released, but could be coming this week, according to national reports.

Teams and agents have been allowed to begin discussing player movement, although nothing formal can be agreed upon until Dec. 9, pending ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement.

Players will also be welcome to use team facilities beginning Thursday after being locked out of NBA buildings since July 1.

Email: jody@desnews.comTwitter: DJJazzyJody

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Jazz host ‘We Care — We Share’ Thanksgiving…

bobsteam — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:41:58 +0000

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 9:22 p.m. MST

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been a couple of weeks since NBA players and owners sat down together at the bargaining table.

The Utah Jazz helped set up different kinds of tables Wednesday, giving 3,500 people ample reason to be thankful for a much more heartwarming example of a give-and-take situation.

This was the 13th time the Jazz hosted the “We Care — We Share” dinner celebration for the homeless and low-income population of Salt Lake City.

“Of course it warms your heart to be able to help,” Jazz owner Gail Miller said while dishing up meatloaf and cranberry sauce. “But it’s sad that there is such a need, and to see the families that come in just makes me want to cry.”

Utah Food Services literally cooked up tons of food, Jazz front-office personnel and the Miller family helped serve turkey and trimmings, the Salt Lake City Mission invited thousands of people in need, and the sounds and smells of a holiday party permeated the basketball-less building.

As usual, grins and gratitude were abundant.

Players and hoops highlights, however, are nowhere to be found at EnergySolutions Arena because of the lockout.

“It’s a good program and everything,” said retired railroad worker Wilson Pace, a Salt Lake City resident who helps with the Indian Walk-In Center. “I didn’t know if they were going to have one this year or not because of the NBA lockout.”

Thankfully, despite the ongoing NBA labor deal gloom and doom — and an ominous cloud of a possible canceled season looming — this annual festive feast went on.

Though 19,911 basketball seats remain empty every night, on this afternoon hearts and stomachs were filled with appreciation and a charitable meal.

Pace, a grateful recipient of this meal who fondly recalls mingling with the late Larry H. Miller and snapping a shot of Deron Williams serving food, admitted he’s glad they surprised him.

“They’re better cooks than I am,” he said.

The heartwarming event — complete with music, a clothing giveaway, laughter and a spirit of generosity — was a pleasant contrast to what’s been happening elsewhere in the NBA world (or not happening such as, say, negotiating toward a deal).

Instead of working together for the good of the sport and fans — and actually playing the game so many love to watch and depend on for their living — owners and players are battling and grasping for their “fair” split of a $4 billion pie (revenue, not pumpkin).

But for a few hours on this day, the focus wasn’t on current lawsuits or the #unfollownba campaign by fans on Twitter or ex-Jazz guard DeShawn Stevenson blasting union chief Billy Hunter or mixed news about popular NBA players in Europe (from Andrei Kirilenko being injured to Williams scoring 50 in a game).

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Utah Jazz staying busy during lockout

eGegonryidioryl — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:05:02 +0000

Published: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011 10:58 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — The first preseason game of the year for the Utah Jazz was supposed to be played tonight.

But don’t hold your breath waiting to read a box score and game story in Monday’s paper. With players being scattered who knows where instead of playing in Portland, that obviously won’t happen.

Barring a Monday miracle that results in a last-second collective bargaining agreement deal by NBA owners and players, it’s looking like the first two weeks of the 2011-12 season will be scrapped along with the previously canceled preseason.

Despite the lack of activity on the court, the Jazz aren’t being inactive off of it.

From the front office fine-tuning its free-agency plans to the coaching staff tweaking its offensive and defensive philosophies, Jazz personnel are anxiously preparing.

They want to be ready to roll just in case cooler CBA heads prevail on the league level and set the season in motion. And, heck, they’ve got to do something to fill all of their spare time.

“Our biological clock right now is starting to click,” Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said.

The NBA was, after all, supposed to have begun training camps last Monday. And the season-opener is penciled in (with an eraser handy) for Nov. 1 at EnergySolutions Arena against Houston.

But the Jazz are doing what they can behind closed doors for now.

“It’s kind of running in place right now,” O’Connor said. “But (we’re) being prepared to move forward to get off the treadmill.”

This isn’t a new idea for Utah. O’Connor said the organization’s management has met regularly and operated under a “No surprises” motto since the lockout began on July 1.

The Jazz will need to pick up at least two free agents — and as many as four — to reach the minimum roster size when that window opens up.

They need another point guard or two.

They need to decide whether or not to continue their Andrei Kirilenko relationship.

And so many more questions, O’Connor recognizes.

The Jazz are even getting ready for the 2012 draft — one of the reasons they recently hired international scouting director Rich Sheubrooks — and planning on which upcoming college games they’ll be attending for scouting purposes.

“What we can control right now,” the Jazz GM said, “is ourselves. … When the ball drops, we’ll go from there.”

The Jazz are in full-out no-comment mode on the lockout — nobody wants to send NBA commissioner David Stern a check — but the current negotiation impasse has them looking back at the league’s last work stoppage as a reference to what could happen when action starts this season.

Thirteen years ago, the two sides couldn’t hammer out a deal until January, and a shortened 50-game mini-season (minus the 1998 part of the 1998-99 season) was the result.

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Utah Jazz announce preseason schedule

grooncugs — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:42:15 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY (August 18, 2011) – The Utah Jazz announced today the team’s eight-game 2011 preseason schedule which, for the second straight year, will feature three home games at EnergySolutions Arena.

The Jazz will open the preseason at Portland on October 9 for the first of two meetings with the Trail Blazers. Jazz fans will get their first chance to see the team in Salt Lake City when the Jazz hosts Northwest Division rival Oklahoma City on Wednesday, October 12, and then the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, October 14.

Utah will then play three straight games in Southern California, facing the Los Angeles Lakers (10/16) and Clippers (10/17) on back-to-back nights at STAPLES Center before meeting the Lakers at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on October 19. This is the second straight preseason and fourth time in the last five years that the Lakers and Jazz will meet in Anaheim.

The Jazz then hosts Portland in the return match on October 21 before wrapping up the preseason with a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, N.D., home to the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards, on October 25. This is the first time the Jazz will ever play a game in North or South Dakota.

This year’s schedule marks the second straight year the Jazz will host three preseason games in Salt Lake City. The 2010 preseason was the first time this ever occurred, and was the first time since 2001 that the team played three preseason games in the state of Utah.

While Utah also played the Trail Blazers, Clippers and Lakers in the 2010 preseason, the Jazz will face Oklahoma City for the first time since 2004 when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics, and meet Golden State in the preseason for the first time since 1995.

The following is the complete 2011 Utah Jazz Preseason Schedule:

Sun, Oct. 9
at Portland
Portland, OR (Rose Garden)
7 p.m.

Wed, Oct. 12
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
EnergySolutions Arena
7 p.m.

Fri, Oct. 14
vs. L.A. CLIPPERS
EnergySolutions Arena
7 p.m.

Sun, Oct. 16
at L.A. Lakers
Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)
8 p.m.

Mon, Oct. 17
at L.A. Clippers
Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)
8:30 p.m.

Wed, Oct. 19
vs. L.A. Lakers
Anaheim, CA (Honda Center)
8 p.m.

Fri, Oct. 21
vs. PORTLAND
EnergySolutions Arena
7 p.m.

Tue, Oct. 25
vs. Golden State
Bismarck, ND (Bismarck Civic Center)
6 p.m.

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Utah Jazz release 2011 preseason schedule

unlive — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:56:55 +0000

Published: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011 2:26 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz announced the team’s eight-game 2011 preseason schedule Thursday, which, if the NBA lockout ends, will feature three home games at EnergySolutions Arena for the second straight year .

Should the lockout end, the Jazz would open the preseason at Portland on Oct. 9 for the first of two meetings with the Trail Blazers. Jazz fans will get their first chance to see the team in Salt Lake City when the Jazz host Northwest Division rival Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and then the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Oct. 14.

Next on the schedule are three games in Southern California. The Jazz are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Lakers, Oct. 16, and Clippers, Oct. 16-17, in Staples Center, before a meeting with the Lakers at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Oct. 19. This is the second straight preseason and fourth time in the last five years that the Lakers and Jazz will meet in Anaheim.

The Jazz then host Portland in the return match on Oct. 21 before wrapping up the preseason with a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, N.D., home to the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards, on Oct. 25. This is the first time the Jazz will ever play a game in North or South Dakota.

There is the quick update of the day.

Fisher, Players Association go after NBA at their…

oximeter562366 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:46:55 +0000

During the single season he played for the Utah Jazz, Derek Fisher became the go-to guy for guys like me.

And by “guys like me,” I mean notebook jockeys and microphone hounds looking for a good quote.

See, unlike some of his teammates — Carlos Boozer, for example — Fisher actually thought about the questions he was being asked, then answered them in an interesting manner.

Of course I know Fisher’s departure from the Jazz was clouded with controversy and now that he’s back with the hated Los Angeles Lakers his name is high on the EnergySolutions Arena enemy list.

Personally, I like the guy. I appreciate his ability to express himself and I love his candor.

At almost 37-years-old, Fisher’s best playing days are behind him. But given his penchant for hard work, eye for detail and thirst for knowledge, he’ll be in the spotlight for years to come, whether it’s as a coach, an analyst or possibly even a political figure.

Currently, he is serving his second term as the NBA player’s association president. He was first elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2009.

Today, Fisher is in the middle of a battle he’s been preparing for for quite a while now. With no collective bargaining agreement in place and a stalemate between the league and its players, the fate of the 2011-12 season now hangs in the balance.

“I don’t know if there’s going to be any major movement,” Fisher said last week before kicking off his camp in downtown L.A. “We’ve agreed maybe to table some of the economic issues and really focus on the system issues and non-economic items that are still extremely important to rounding out a collective bargaining agreement.”

On Monday, Fisher and players union executive director Billy Hunter met with league officials to discuss the current lockout. To nobody’s surprise, nothing came of the meeting.

Fisher said the two sides are as far apart as they were a month ago. NBA commissioner David Stern was even less optimistic, expressing his belief that the players association is not even negotiating in good faith.

Digging in even deeper, the NBA lawyered up on Tuesday and filed two claims against the players association in federal court. Essentially, the league beat the NBAPA to the punch, heading off any attempt by the players to file an antitrust claim.

It’s obvious the league and its owners mean business and the bottom line here is that this labor situation is going to get uglier before it gets cleaned up.

In many ways, Fisher seems like the perfect man to head up the players’ union. As noted earlier, he’s bright and well informed with the oratory skills of a seasoned Washington insider.

Unfortunately, Fisher’s opponent in this matter is Stern himself. And the commissioner won’t be beaten.

Worse still, Fisher’s bright future might actually become a burden.

See, Stern is a fierce competitor and a steely leader. He runs the league with a dictatorial edge and he almost always gets what he wants.

Those who stand in his way sometimes get hurt.

Think of it this way: Fisher is a nice guy who may someday have a career in politics. Stern, on the other hand, doesn’t care how he’s perceived and he already possesses the political chops to get things done by hook or by crook.

Fisher may have the charm and communication skills of a Ronald Reagan or a Bill Clinton, but Stern has the chutzpa and the iron hand of a Lyndon Johnson or Teddy Roosevelt.

Anyone who goes after Stern will do so at his own peril — and that includes Fisher.

Honestly? I can’t even pretend to know how this whole lockout thing with shake out or exactly how long it’ll last. But with Stern at the helm, the NBA isn’t going to back down any time soon.

As for the NBAPA, it has a terrific leader in Derek Fisher. Unfortunately, if he plants his feet and attempts to take a charge, the commissioner will plow him and his future plans right into the third row.

Jim Burton is the Standard-Examiner’s sports columnist. He also covers the Utah Jazz and the NBA. He can be reached at 801-625-4265 or at jburton@standard.net. He tweets at http://twitter.com/jmb247

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Utah Jazz to see six players in pre-draft workout on Sunday

ReoxIdegolo — Sat, 28 May 2011 06:20:12 +0000

Published: Friday, May 27, 2011 7:15 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — Let the annual Tour de Salt Lake City begin for NBA hopefuls.

The Utah Jazz have scheduled their first hometown pre-draft workout for Sunday, with six players set to show off their stuff at the team’s training facility in front of the organization’s staff.

The group is highlighted by lottery potential Markieff Morris, a 6-foot-10 forward from Kansas. However, his twin brother, power forward Marcus Morris, will not be at this particular workout.

Though he isn’t considered a first-round prospect, Butler guard Shelvin Mack will also work out for the Jazz. Mack, of course, helped the Bulldogs to the NCAA title game the past two seasons, and qualified for the 2010 Final Four at EnergySolutions Arena with then-teammate and current Jazzman Gordon Hayward.

Center Jeremy Tyler, of San Diego, and Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson are the next most recognizable names and are being bandied about as possible late first-round picks by draft experts.

The 19-year-old Tyler played in Tokyo this past season after skipping his senior season to play professionally overseas. When the 6-foot-11 center made his surprising announcement in 2009, the New York Times speculated that he might be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA by the time he was eligible (2011) to be drafted.

Cleveland State guard Norris Cole and Ohio State forward Dallas Lauderdale will also attend the closed-door workout.

None of the six players are projected to be taken by the Jazz with either the third or 12th picks — or by other teams in the top 12 — in the June 23 draft, according to ESPN.com, NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com.

Sunday’s Jazz Pre-Draft Workout Invitees

Norris Cole . . . G . . . 6-2 . . . 170 . . . Cleveland State

JaJuan Johnson . . . F . . . 6-10 . . . 221 . . . Purdue

Dallas Lauderdale . . . F . . . 6-8 . . . 255 . . . Ohio State

Shelvin Mack . . . G . . . 6-3 . . . 215 . . . Butler

Markieff Morris . . . F . . . 6-10 . . . 245 . . . Kansas

Jeremy Tyler . . . C . . . 6-11 . . . 225 . . . San Diego, Calif.

Email: jody@desnews.com

Twitter: DJJazzyJody

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