Regular Season

A lot of the fans have been quick to say the Jazz are not going to do well this season. I kept saying wait until about the tenth game. I was disappointed in the first two games because it seemed like a few of them were still in the off season. Sunday my they arrived against the OKC Thunder. Welcome to the start of the new season. With an amazing output by Millsap and a great all around game by Al Jefferson, CJ Miles, and D Will.

Things I have noticed from the first four games. Jefferson does love to play in the PAINT! Just like he said, "real men play in the paint." D will when he attacks the basket he is able to pass the ball. The first two games the Jazz had some issues with switching on defense, but it looks as if they have figured it out and the chemistry is coming together. I have also been impressed with Heyward and his dedication to work. Of course, there has been a lot of people saying D Will shouldn't have yelled at him, I feel it was a good thing because it shows that D Will is ready to be the leader and to step up. Heyward will be great as he continues to work, he could spend some extra time in the gym on those 3's though.

I am excited to see what can happen, GO JAZZ!!!

Thoughts On An Alternate Jersey

Well, with the Jazz introducing new jerseys this year, they aren't allowed to wear any alternate jerseys next year. I know speculation probably won't be big next year like it was this year, but one can hope for something to do in the offseason. I am a huge fan of the green jerseys and I thought they looked good and definitely played well in them last year. I was browsing ebay the other day for some fun Jazz apparel and stumbled upon this jersey and thought I would post it here.

In other news, rumors have it that the Jazz are close to signing Francisco Elson. I am excited by the chance of him coming to Utah and feel he would fit in well. It isn't that often that we get a decent center that can hold his own.

New Uniforms!!!

With the much awaited changes and return to the old logo, the new uniforms were much anticipated. I love the new uniforms and can't wait for the season to begin.

Here are some mock-ups on the web that were pretty close. Jazz fanatical found some other ones posted by jazz fans that are pretty interesting.

I love the new uniforms and am glad that Jefferson was able to interact with the fans.

A lot of people have posted that they don't love the change in the color below the Jazz logo, but I think it sets them apart from each other. I like the change and can't wait for when they can introduce a new alternate jersey, which hopefully comes next season.

GM's Ranked around the NBA

I read online that they have ranked the GM's around the league, and our very own KOC made a good impression the last ten years with the moves he has made. He ended up making the top five. He ended at two only second to Pat Riley, and Riley is at the top because he landed Bosh and Lebron. Here is the article http://www.sbnation.com/2010/7/22/1582380/nba-general-manager-rankings-pat-riley-heat. What they had to say for our good old KOC was this,

"Hired: 1999.

Coaches: Jerry Sloan (1999-present).

Long-term plan: Build a good team that fits Sloan's vision.

Key draft picks: Deron Williams (3rd, 2005), Gordon Hayward (9rd, 2010), Ronnie Brewer (14th, 2006), Kris Humphries (14th, 2004), Kirk Snyder (16th, 2004), Sasha Pavlovic (19th, 2003), Eric Maynor (20th, 2009), CJ Miles (34th, 2005), Paul Millsap (47th, 2006), Mo Williams (47th, 2003),

Key trades:

• 2000: Traded Howard Eisley to the Mavericks, Adam Keefe to the Warriors and a first-round pick to the Celtics for Donyell Marshall.
• 2010: Traded Kosta Koufus and a future first-round pick to the Timberwolves for Al Jefferson.

Key free agent signings: Carlos Boozer in 2004 (six years, $68 million), Mehmet Okur in 2004 and 2009 (six years, $40 million, two years, $21 million), Andrei Kirilenko in 2004 (maximum contract), Matt Harpring in 2006 (five years, $25 million), Deron Williams in 2008 (maximum contract).

Key free agents let go: Boozer (2010), Karl Malone (2003), Derek Fisher (2008).

O'Connor may be the most underappreciated GM in basketball. Nobody does a better job of sticking to a plan. O'Connor has committed to Jerry Sloan as his coach and finds players that perfectly fit his system. Players like Wesley Matthews, Paul Millsap, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Miles, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Matt Harpring and even Deron Williams would all have been successful elsewhere, but their success was magnified because they were all perfect fits for Sloan. O'Connor understands that you can't just throw together talent and expect it to jell. You have to find the right kind of talent, and for over a decade, he's done exactly that.

O'Connor has also done a great job managing the luxury tax, something that will always be an issue because Utah is a small market. Last season, he made cost-cutting moves that didn't affect his team's performance, then recovered from losing Carlos Boozer by trading for Al Jefferson. His one mistake was giving Andrei Kirilenko too much money in 2004, but otherwise, his record is impeccable.

The only thing lacking is a championship, but that's tough to do when you only get one top-five pick in a decade. O'Connor used that pick well, and he's made every last move count. That's the mark of a good GM."

Lets go team now and make something happen this year!

Good Fit

The Jazz just added Al Jefferson according to a lot of media reports. It hasn't finalized yet, but they definitely get better in my opinion. Jefferson is longer and younger than Boozer. Add Brewer to the team and we are back to being top 4 in the west again. Just as I was wondering what was going to happen as a Jazz fan this year, KOC pulls out his knack for finding decent players and pulls off this trade. The Jazz also got Raja Bell back, here is to hoping we have the stopper we need.

That looks like it hurt!

In other news, Dan Gilbert got fined 100k for his letter about Lebron, and according to his twitter account (here link to Dan Gilbert on Twitter), he really is acting childish with this whole issue by calling out everyone that is now heading to Miami. Rev. Jesse Jackson probably hit it on the nose by ripping Gilbert in his comments (here link to ESPN article) and I couldn't agree more with him that Gilbert is treating James as a product and not a person. He had his rights as commissioner Stern stated (here link to ESPN article) to do what he wanted. James did show his honesty and sincerity in his "Decision," and ultimately it was his choice. hereA link to good article by Gordon Monson about the issue.