I really do not know where to begin with the Jazz. They started off the season in a similar fashion to last year, but then December came and things fell apart. It appears that they are missing Derek Fisher a little more than I thought they would. Here are some of my thoughts:
Andre Kirilenko: AK is having a very good season. By bringing in Jeff Hornecek, the Jazz have extended a helping hand to one of their most talented, and emotional players. It appears that the move has been a success, if you don't believe me check out AK's stats. His field goal percentage is about the same that it always has been, but his three point percentage has jumped to 35% (which is better than Memo's 34%) and he is having a career year for assists.
Memo Okur: I have to ask, is this guy injured? Not only has his shooting percentage dropped dramatically, but he is not rebounding all that well either.
Carlos Boozer: This guy is a monster on offense and the boards, I just wish that he was on defense too.
Deron Williams: He is well on his way to becoming a great point guard, and his competitive nature is special. The only criticism I can offer is to cut down on the turnovers, especially late in games.
The rookies: The 7-1 Kyrylo Fesenko looks like he could end up being the steal of this draft. I think that he will eventually take Memo's starting job from him because of his size, his defense, and his effort. Morris Almond has been tearing up the D-league, hopefully his game will eventually make the transition to the NBA.The rest of the team: They need Matt Harpring for more than his allotted playing time, Paul Milsap needs more minutes, Ronnie Brewer should be up for the most improved player award, and CJ Miles has finally proven that he can play. The trade for Kyle Korver was a brilliant move.
It was another good year on the gridiron for the 14th ranked BYU Cougars. They finished the season at 11-2, and are currently riding the nations longest winning streak, 10 games (they have also won 16 straight against conference opponents). They were significantly better than I thought they would be, and here are some of the reasons why. Max Hall replaced John Beck as QB, and performed at a "higher level" (that phrase was for Bronco) than I think anyone thought he would. Also, Harvey Unga and Austin Collie were phenomenal, and Dennis Pita brought back memories of Johnny Harline. Having said all that, the biggest reason for their success had to be their defense which finished the season ranked seventh in total defense, and tied for 13th in scoring defense.The outlook for next year will vary depending on the source you read. Some people are talking about a BCS busting season, but I personally have a hard time believing that it will happen next year. If I am correct, BYU will be losing eight of their defensive starters from this year, including all of their linebackers and secondary. I personally believe that their best chance to break into the BCS will be in two years, when Hall, Collie, and Pita will all be seniors.
Bronco is finally letting go of the reigns, at least a little bit. Jaime Hill
will now be serving as BYU's defensive coordinator, although he will not be calling the defense on game day. Jaime's impact on the Cougars defense has been impressive. He was a major part of the scheme change that was made two years ago when they moved from a 3-3-5 formation which involved a great deal of blitzing and man coverage, to a 3-4-4 formation that focused on a bend but don't break philosophy and zone coverage. It was a change in philosophy that has Bronco looking like a genius.
Sometimes it just sucks to be a fan. The 49ers had another disappointing season, finishing 5-11 this season. Their biggest mistake dates back to three seasons ago when the used the number one draft pick on Alex Smith. There is no doubting his intelligence, but my opinion has always been that he was overrated. Who knows, I could be wrong. Their other problems include, but are certainly not limited to, poor play at wide receiver, an offensive line that desperately needs to improve, and a defensive front that is less than intimidating.It is possible that Smith will be better then I am giving him credit for, considering that the first two problems I mentioned can have a significant impact on his effectiveness.
The good: 
The good news for the Dolphins is that the season has finally come to an end. What makes things better is that they have brought in Bill Parcells. This is a guy who is completely committed to winning. Parcells will make the tough decisions necessary to improve this team, and they will improve quickly. On top of Parcells coming in, the Dolphins will also have the number one pick in this draft.The bad: The Miami Dolphins 1-15 season, need I say more.
The Ugly: This section has to go to Dan Le Batard, a Miami Herald sports columnist, who occasionally appears on ESPN's show Pardon the Interruption. In less then 50 seconds he bashes Mormons, Samoans, and Mexicans (according to him, the huddle of the United Nations), all while not answering Tony Kornheiser's question. He also wrote an article concerning the Dolphin's poor season, and Coach Cam Cameron getting fired. The edited version can be found online at the Miami Herald's website. The unedited section of his article can also be found online.
8 comments:
Josh, I think the Jazz will come around. AK is having an awesome year, and I do think Memo was playing hurt for the first half of the season. He's started to knock down those money balls now. I'd like to see Williams' turnovers come down a bit and the team defense to get more consistent--meaning no more layups. And I would never, never trade AK for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson is so overrated it's not even funny. I'd have to boo that move if they made it. The only thing I'd do at this point is move Collins if at all possible. But really, they wouldn't get much for him.
I saw Fesenko and Almond play with the Utah Flash and they both look real good. I realize the competition wasn't the best, but I saw real talent there. It's obvious they both understand how to play.
So I am not the only person that thought Memo was injured. I haven't seen many games, but from what I have seen you are totally right about the porous Jazz defense.
I miss being in Utah. I would be a regular at the Flash's games, if for no other reason then to see the rookies play. I have been reading about their play, and they do sound impressive. I saw Fesenko's game against the Lakers (I think that's who the Jazz were playing), and I have to admit I was impressed. He seems to play really hard, and his size is awsome. I also read about Almond's 51 point game.
Gosh, after watching the game with the Nuggets, I'm starting to think the Jazz won't make the playoffs this year. They just don't play defense at all. Sloan's got to be furious.
Also, I forgot about Hart. I'd get rid of Hart too.
I think that the Jazz will make the playoffs, but they have got to do something about their defense. What I would like to see happen (although it won't), would be to have Pau Gasol traded to the Jazz for Memo, Brewer, cash, and draft picks. I think that CJ and Korver could fill in nicely for Brewer, and Gasol would make the Jazz into instant title contenders (there is obviously no way that Memphis would be dumb enough to do this).
I agree with you about Jason Hart, he sucks.
That is a good trade idea. I've heard that the Grizzlies are listening to offers for Gasol again. Yeah, I agree. That's it. This is the move they should make. You should e-mail Kevin O'Connor.
They should also package Collins and Hart together and get a legit backup point guard. Either that or let Kirilenko play point forward when DWill is out.
I agree with getting rid of Hart. What I would like to see would be to have AK on the floor when D-Will is out. That way their second best passer is in the game when their best passer is out. If they did this, they could probably get away with playing Ronnie Price at the point when AK is in the game.
Hey, the Jazz just won their firt road game in a month. They looked real good here. They played defense and were active throughout the game. I love having a pure shooter in Korver with the slasher Brewer--pretty good combo.
I agree about the Korver/Brewer combo, but I am still wondering where CJ fits in. From what I had seen before Korver arrived, I liked his game.
As bad as this sounds, I thought that this game was a must win for the Jazz. A road game against a bad team, they had to win.
I have been wondering if the Jazz will be trading AK before the trade dedline. What do you think? I keep reading little snippits in the news paper about AK not having rescinded his trade request, and Kevin O'Conner's reply to questions about it have not been reassuring. Plus I don't believe that AK is really giving it his all. His shooting has improved, passing has looked really good, and rebounding improved, but his defensive numbers are not even close to what they once were. He could/should be averaging around 3-3.5 blocks and 2 steals a game, but he rarely reaches either of those numbers. Personally I love his game and would hate to see him go, but I wonder if he is playing and keeping his mouth shut so that he can improve his value enough for the Jazz to trade him.
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