5 Questions about the Jazz

Opinions are like ________(fill in the blank), everybody's got one... or five.  

Well, we want to share some of ours with you... or five.  And we've brought along a couple of friends to share some as well.

So here we go; 5 questions. 6 different opinions.

Question 1.  If and when Memo comes back, assuming he is near what he was before the injury, does he become a consistent starter again for the Jazz?  If so, why?  And what is the new starting five?  If not, why?

David - Former Cougar Club Pres.

David:  I think he does not come back to the starting lineup as before, as it will adversely effect the balance that exists now.  I also feel that Coach S. is sensitive to the chemistry issue.  Some the of the answer here is in question #2 below; if A.K. is not long term in team strategy, then perhaps you sit A.K. and start Memo sooner than later and try and get value from AK off the bench; but remember Miles is now the 6th man.

Craig: I think Memo needs to be slowly integrated into the new team. Keep the starting five and let them build chemistry... ten to twenty minutes a game when Memo can contribute.

Craig - Jazz Fan

L-Train: Due to the nature of his injury, and the fact that the Jazz have been doing pretty well thus far, I don't think I would put Memo back into the starting rotation right away. He needs time to get back into the groove and ensure that his Achilles is strong. Because if I'm Memo, I've got a sweet contract and I'm not going to risk a permanent injury. That being said, I think the Jazz should go with Williams, Millsap, Bell, Jefferson and Kirilenko as the starting five. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Start adding Memo into the mix and see what happens. (And on another note, why not let CJ Miles have a start or two? He was hot against Orlando and seems like he's at the top of his game right now. Just saying...)

Shake-N-Bake:  Memo will not start nor should start for the jazz anytime soon. Coming off this big of an injury the jazz will want to work him in slow and allow him to get into game shape by coming off the bench. The reason he won't in the future either is because the bench play has been great on defense but is lacking in offensive output. Really CJ Miles is our one consistent scorer, if you can believe that.  Also last year AK was great off the bench but this year it is Memo's turn. I think the starting five will stay the same.

L-Train - Queen of the diamond

Iceman:    Memo will not come back immediately as a starter.  We may see him as a starter come March, but not for some time.  Memo will be a roll player that gets 15 min a game to fill Hayward's position.  He will be put in to solely provide instant offense…we all know that he is not a great defender, so offense is all we can count on, and perimeter shooting only as well.  There is no way that his vertical is as good as it was before the injury.

Dignan: I was never a huge Memo fan. I always thought the Jazz needed a more traditional center... not a 6-11 three point shooter! I still think that. But now with Jefferson as that "traditional" center, Memo becomes a luxury piece - not a necessity. Now Memo, as a luxury piece... I LOVE THAT!  He will be one of the most amazing pieces the Jazz have ever had off the bench.  He will never be a regular starter as long as Millsap and Big Al are on this team, but he will play one of the biggest roles on this team.

Question 2. Will A.K. be a Jazz man this time next year? Why?

David: I am a fan of the AK-47 and the things he does to disrupt the opposition; he can be a good change up for guarding high scoring 2’s and 3’s.  That said he may be gone as it appears they have made a commitment to Memo long term and something has to give.

Shake-N-Bake - NFL super computer

Craig: Probably not. He might even get traded so we can get some value out of him before we just let him go. I don't know if we will resign him.

L-Train: It's hard to say whether Kirilenko's going to stick around. Personally, I wouldn't miss him, but that could just be because I don't like his hair. (Though it's important to note that said hair is a vast improvement over the Dolph Lundgren look he used to sport.) On a serious note, I don't think he's as good as he thinks he is. (Keep all insults to a minimum, please.)

Shake-N-Bake: A.K. will be with the Jazz because money is not the driving cause of his next move in the NBA. He has made his max deal already and now location and ties to the community will keep him here. His kids are in school here and his wife has her own store here in Utah. I do not see him moving from that.

Iceman: Yes, A.K. will be with us... but I just hope that we don't spend more than league minimum ($6,000,000).

Dignan: The Jazz will not move a long time Jazz man like A.K. without getting something back that drastically improves the team. I see him here at the start of the next season... for much less money.

Question 3.  What will be the consensus of Gordon Hayward after this season?  Does he see the D-league this season?

Iceman - The muscle on the green

David: Gordon will be on the Jazz next year and may see some D-league action this year to get his attention and hopefully move his skills towards the professional, more free lance level – he has to hit the outside shot long term to be a factor in his profession.

Craig: Gordon is average. He needs to bulk up and speed up. D-league might be great for him to grow.

L-Train: Hayward has definitely been a disappointment. I think it's a shame that some players are so keen on entering the draft, even if they haven't fully matured as a player. I think a couple more years of college ball would have done him so right. But I don't think that improvement is impossible. Give him some D-league time, watch him develop, and if it's not a good fit, find someone else. Hey, it could just be nerves, right? Right?

Shake-N-Bake: Gordon up to this point has played hard but not very impressive. I do not see him moving to the D-league just yet, but that being said, if his play does not improve it is very possible. The poor play and the return of Memo will contribute to his future.

Iceman:  Gordon will be fine.  He is our new C.J. Project.  Give him another year and he will be in contention for 6th man of the year. 

Dignan:  Gordon can do a lot of things.  He is a versatile player that can create.  He will have a breakout game this year soon, and become an important peice... next year. The Jazz are too thin to send Hayward to the D-league.  I think he could learn a thing or two there though.

Question 4:  If Boozer had never been such a cancer in the locker room, would you of taken him and his rebounds over big Al? Why?

Dignan - my 3 yr old reads D like a QB!

David: Before seeing AL play with the Jazz I would have tried hard to keep Booz in Utah – but the Booz can not defend and AL makes a better effort down there and the scoring is nearly a wash.  Rebounding remains an issue.

Craig: If Boozer wasn't a cancer he still sucked at defense and disappeared against good defenders. Al is a better fit.

L-Train: I know that Jefferson is kind of a diva, but I think I prefer that over the whining, "I get injured every 1.7 seconds" Boozer. In my opinion, Boozer is one of the most overrated (and when he was with the Jazz, overpaid) athletes in the NBA. He's the Carl Pavano of basketball. What happened to the Karl Malones of the game who rarely, if ever, missed a game? Who played their guts out? This isn't soccer, people. You don't get bonus points for putting on a show/pitching a fit. (Unless you're LeBron or Kobe that is...)

Shake-N-Bake: NOT A CHANCE!! Boozer was not just a locker room issue! His lack of effort on defense overflowed to everyone else on the court. Big Al might not score or rebound as much as Boozer but his effort conforms better with Sloan's system. On top of that Big Al comes at a big discount! Also with Boozer gone it has enabled D-Will the chance to increase his role in the offense and take control of the team as leader.

Iceman:  Yes, I would have for sure.  Booz is the offensive lift that the Jazz are missing right now.  When the going gets tough, we have no one screaming and yelling, bringing energy and a lift to the team (Ronnie may be able to do this if we'd play him more). Big Al is a much better defender and he gets his points, but he is not a guy you can throw into the post and get a basket with 1:00 left in the fourth.

Dignan: When Booz has those 24 &12 nights like he did this week against Toronto, this question suddenly becomes a little more complex. I like what Al can do, and love the way Millsap continues to develop. The rebounding is a big issue though. It's tough to see Carlos as anything but a cancer, but I would like to pend my answer on this one till Memo returns and Al gets out past the All-Star break... could be a pretty special team at that point.

Question 5. Do the Jazz figure this rebounding thing out, or is it just a part of this new team?

David: They will have to board up better or be happy with 52 wins and early exit next Spring.

Craig: Rebounding will get better when Memo comes back. But I think there is room for improvement in this area.

L-Train: Obviously I hope they do... because the strength of a team boils down to the fundamentals. I mean seriously, rebounds are as fundamental as free throws or layups. I'm going to be optimistic and say that the Jazz's issues stem from the fact that there is a new team dynamic, rather than the more cynical view that we have a team that sucks at getting boards. Either way, adjustments needs to be made... and quick.

Shake-N-Bake: Now this is the double edge sword!  Boozer was a cancer, but he boxed out all the time!  Big Al attempts to use his height to much and does not box out.  If he would start doing just that, the issue of rebounds would be no more.  The one thing that is going to help this is the return of Memo.  He will be able to rebound better than Fesenko.  Although Memo's defense leaves a lot to be desired, he is good at getting a body on his man and boxing out.  If we can either have Big Al improve or Memo return to old form, the rebounding issue will go away.

Iceman:  Rebounding has always been something that came naturally to the Jazz, but our spacing on offense completely throws away any chance of an offensive rebound, and as for D, we need to put a butt on someone and clear out everyone in the lane!  We have the ability to be a great rebounding team, but the will and desire isn't there.

Dignan: It will take the entire season to figure it out, but by the start of the first round Utah will be in the top half of the NBA in rebounding. They will never again rebound at the rate they did with Carlos on the squad.

Wow! You finished it!

Go Jazz!