20 May 2009

Finally

Someone realizes that the Jazz would not pass on Tyler Hansbrough.

This would be such a great pick for the Jazz. Not only would he fill the gap left by Boozer or Millsap, but he might also be the next Matt Harpring.

14 May 2009

Williams: Be a lil' more like Billups

LINK: Billups: Best point guard in the league.

Two things from that article that struck me in relation to Deron:
1) Point guards should not be judged by the same standards as every other position on the court. They are like pitchers in baseball, in that the statistics for every other player aren't relevent (though, PGs don't do quite as far Ps do, because PGs do need some offensive stats), and wins should be their main barometer.
2) Deron needs somebody to teach him. I love D-will, but besides his cross-over and a more consistent jumper, what in his game has improved in the last two years? In his defense, he has never played with a true PG that could educate him -- there has been McLoud, Pilacio, Fisher, Hart and Knight. Besides Knight (who might have been able to teach him if he hadn't been so erratic himself), none of those fellows are true points. Oh that Gordy Chiesa were still around. Andre Miller might be able to. Then again, besides Miller and Billups, are their any PGs left who knows how to play the position? Maybe Williams just needs to ask the question to someone like Stockton, "How do you know when to pass and when to shoot?"

Side note: Point guards don't really matter anymore, do they? Look at the season assist leaders and which PGs are still playing. Jason Kidd is the only one, I believe. Here's my list of the best PGs in the league (in no order):
Williams
Paul
Chauncey
Parker
Calderon
Rondo
Rose
Miller
Nash
Kidd (maybe)

Of those 10, eight were on teams that made the postseason.
Three were on teams that made it to the second round.
BUT, point guards SHOULD matter. If they play the role of a traditional PG (distributing, controlling game, improving their teammates, etc.), they WILL matter. Evidence: Andre Miller. He goes to Denver and helps make them relevant. They trade him for Iverson. Philly becomes relevant.

01 May 2009

Jazz's biggest mistake has his big day

Former Jazz draftee Sasha Pavlovic, who did a one-year tour wearing an ugly no. 11 jersy with a mountain range across the front got married in-between the first and second round of the play-offs. He didn't cry.

More than Mo Williams*, and by a lot, Pavlovic is the worst let-go the Jazz have had. Not just because of his shooting, but also because he turned into a physical player who wasn't afraid to start a little fracas or two. (Unfortunately, Youtube doesn't have clips of all the crap he got into with the Nets in the playoffs a few years back).

Then again, he hardly plays for the Cavs anymore. Huh.



*= Mo Williams has turned into a nice player (his All-star selection this year was a joke, though), but not having him made the Jazz notice the necessity of moving up to draft Deron Williams (whose lack of a All-star nomination is an even bigger joke, though he didn't deserve it this year).