Sam’s First Utah Jazz Blog End of Preseason, Beginning of the Regular Season

Sam’s First Utah Jazz Blog

End of Preseason, Beginning of the Regular Season

The Utah Jazz have completed the journey they started when John Stockton retired. They didn’t spend years looking for the next leader, like some teams in the NBA (i.e. Chicago and Boston, until recently), they were confused of who the leadership was going to ultimately going to fall on.

The Jazz's title of "superstar" has been passed around from Kirilenko to Harpring to Boozer. Utah has given away some potential leaders in Mo Williams and Carlos Arroyo (although Carlos seems to play much better in international play than against NBA competition). However, in the last year, point guard, Deron Williams has emerged as clear leader and "superstar" of the Utah Jazz. 

This last summer reminded me so much of the summer of 1992. The Dream Team coasted to Gold in Barcelona, and Karl Malone and John Stockton felt the success at the championship level at the highest level. This year the same can be said about Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

My question is; will the Olympic success, spark a fire inside these two guys that carries over into the NBA? It took Stockton and Malone from the summer of 1992 to the spring of 1997 to make it the finals. I think the same goal is a very realistic one for the Utah Jazz.

The off-season included the addition of backup point guard Brevin Knight, which has turned out to be a very important pick-up early in this season as the injury of Deron Williams has left Utah a little short-handed. Our other solid backup point guard, Ronnie Price, will also share the leadership duties. Jerry Sloan decided to go with Ronnie Price as the starter while Deron nurses his ankle back from injury.

LAST PRESEASON GAME

I have been working for KJZZ (pronounced K-JAZZ) television for the last year or so. I decided to intern there right after college to get my foot in the door in sports or media productions (in this case BOTH!), because I spent my time pushing herb instead of interning and building a resume: Anyways, I got into sports almost right away. The head of the interns at KJZZ got me connected with the Super Screen productions n been working with all the professional teams here in Salt Lake City. On Thursday, I got my first real gig with the Utah Jazz on KJZZ television. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the building but it was way better than serving food. I had to grip for a top notch hand-held cameraman in the last preseason game against the Portland Trailblazers. Basically, I have to keep the camera's wire out of everyone's way and basically make my cameraman feel like he's not attached to anything and has complete freedom to shoot anything.

I walk out onto the floor and Channing Frye and Jarryd Bayless were warming up. After a summer of working with triple-A team the Salt Lake Bees, I thought to myself, 'this is WAY better than watching Brandon Wood field ground balls for the Bees.' Al walks up to me and says we're headed to the locker room. Now the shot we're looking for is of a player in the visiting locker room chilling out and relaxing before getting ready for the game. In this case, we went in to go shoot Brandon Roy listening to music and flipping thru a car magazine. So I'm trying not to be star-struck n in awe of these athletes that I've admired. Al's kneeling down getting his shot, when I turn to check out what they're watching on TV I got the surprise of the night. GREG ODEN'S ASS N BALLS RIGHT IN MY FACE! Dude had dropped his drawers n bent over to pick them up when I happened to turn my head. I figured that I had just experienced an everyday locker room casualty n that I could be more 'heads up' about the fact that these million dollar athletes don’t mind walking around a locker room with they cock out. Al has now been on this shot of Brandon Roy for what seems like an hour, I just want to get back to the court where they're wearing jerseys n such. As Al gets up to leave I exhale with a sigh of relief n turn around just n time to see my BEWARE OF THE TURTLE hero from Maryland, Steve Blake, drop his drawers n show up all the black homies on the Portland team.

Utah ended up winning the game, beating Portland by like 15 points ... the most ironic thing of the night was that neither Greg Oden nor Brandon Roy played one second in the game. So did Al take me into the locker room just to experience the life of professional sports, or was it all just coincidence??

OPENING NIGHT

We all know about the lighting and the sound system at Energy Solutions Arena. We all know about the NBA-Best 37-4 home record last season. All the local media hype was pumped around the arena, THE ARENA!!!

I almost had to go on an Allen Iverson-like rant about the ARENA, not the team, not the players, not the coaches … but the ARENA! A strong Western Conference and League title contenders playing against a division rival, and the hype going into game number 1 was the ARENA!

It’s a good thing the pregame show went off without a hitch. The fireworks exploded and the new lights shot laser beams into children’s eyes around Energy Solutions Arena. The lights went out for the first time during regular season introductions. The crowd ate it up with a spoon, forgetting about their MVP hobbling out to watch the game with his teammates.

Then the game was played.

Early on, Allen Iverson stole the show, scoring his 23,000^th point of his remarkably durable career. The Jazz looked like they were going to let a sure division win slip away do to an early season letdown.

Then Boozer did something he hadn’t done since last year’s All Star Break, he played like an All-Star. Leading the team with 25 points and 15 rebounds, Boozer played tough on the defensive end (apparent with his 5 fouls) and made the clutch shots while team leader, Deron Williams watched… then celebrated from the bench. Jazz fans also hope that this passionate performance happens on the regular this season and is even increased around playoff time.

Kirilenko was the other member of the Jazz to make a statement during last night’s game. If he’s going to come the bench as sixth man, he’s going to be the best in the NBA at doing just that.

Ronnie Price and Brevin Knight ran the team to Coach Sloan’s liking. Both gave a tremendous effort, guarding A.I. is no small task. A little too many turnovers, but overall they both managed the game beautifully.

Ronnie Brewer is more and more impressive every time I see him on the hardwood. With about 15 pounds of new muscle and incomparable athleticism, Brewer should be in the running for most improved player this season.

Overall, the Jazz definitely could have looked better as a team on the defensive end of the floor, but a win is a win especially in the Western Conference.They defeated the Denver Nugggets 98-94,  giving a great example that their defense still has some ways to go before it shuts down teams.

A 12-1 start is very realistic.

The NBA better be ready, this Utah Jazz team is about to be shot out of a cannon when D-Will returns from his sprained ankle.