Jazz finds its rhythm once again - 猶他爵士 Utah Jazz

Jazz finds its rhythm once again
Utah's most recent division title didn't come without obstacles.
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:18 am PDT Friday, April 6, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1

So this is Plan B. The fallback. The team with which it got stuck.

Poor Utah Jazz. Things went so wrong. The badly smudged blueprint and the
questioned draft pick, the crucial decision that could be controlled, has led
to such a setback that the Jazz will only cruise to the Northwest Division
title and win 50 games for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

That much, at least, was planned, the part about returning to the Western
Conference elite following the retirement of John Stockton and the free-agent
departure of Karl Malone in the summer of 2003. The rare opportunity to be
far below the salary cap would be used to aggressively pursue emerging talent
while the lottery picks, likewise unusual sightings in Salt Lake City, would
add a star of the future.

It just took the long way to get there.

The Jazz signed Corey Maggette and Jason Terry as free agents ... and got
rebuffed. The Jazz responded by signing Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur,
without their original teams having the right to match the offer, and ended
up getting centerpieces of what would become a very good frontline.

The Jazz drafted Deron Williams ... and got ripped the ensuing season for
passing on Chris Paul, the eventual Rookie of the Year. Williams responded by
showing star potential at point guard in his second season and flipping the
conversation to where some now say they prefer Williams.

Entering tonight's game at Arco Arena, Utah has a 48-26 record, a division
crown in hand and a roster filled with 20-somethings that should keep
improving. That, and it has vindication.

"We're very, very lucky to have had some of these things happen," coach
Jerry Sloan said. "That's part of it in this business. You can plan and plan.
But sometimes, you just need to be lucky."

Utah's luck was mostly centralized in that fateful summer of 2003, after the
breakup of the historic Stockton-to-Malone tandem. On July 14, the Jazz
signed one restricted free agent, Maggette, to an offer sheet reportedly
worth $42 million over six seasons, only to have the Clippers match the deal
July 29 and keep the athletic small forward. Utah signed another restricted
free agent, Terry, on Sept. 11 for a reported three years and $22.5 million,
but the Hawks matched Sept. 25 to retain the fleet guard.

Without the desired roster renovation, the Jazz missed the playoffs in
2003-04, the first time that had happened since 1982-83, albeit with a
still-respectable 42-40 mark. The front office moved again. This time,
signing unrestricted free agents removed the right of first refusal from
Cleveland (Boozer) and Detroit (Okur).

Neither player was a star, but the promise was obvious, especially with
Boozer. He averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds in his second season and
turned that into a six-year commitment from Utah. The signing came three
days after Okur, a spot starter with the Pistons, got six seasons as well.

Maggette became a 20-point scorer with the Clippers, before feuding with
coach Mike Dunleavy and getting a reserve role. Terry spent one more season
in Atlanta before becoming an important part of Dallas' success, but power
forward Boozer and center Okur have remained at the forefront of the Jazz
building. They team with Andrei Kirilenko for a dangerous, versatile
frontline, with Boozer going from two injury-riddled seasons and criticism
after his arrival to averaging 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds and shooting
56.1 percent in 2006-07.

"You never know," Sloan said of their unexpected path to Salt Lake City.
"But that's what basketball is about. Some people, you have a few things go
against you, and the world's coming to an end. But when you have a chance to
have things work out, you have to make the best of it."

Speaking of the 2005 draft, the Jazz had the third pick, after Milwaukee took
Andrew Bogut and Atlanta selected Marvin Williams. The Jazz had a choice of
point guards in the continuing quest to replace Stockton: Deron Williams from
Illinois or Paul from Wake Forest.

It picked Williams -- and then got reminded every five minutes or so as Paul
averaged 16.1 points and 7.8 assists for the Hornets. Williams made the
All-Rookie team, but at 10.8 points and 4.5 assists.

Williams tired of the comparisons, and the Jazz continued to praise his
progress. By this season's training camp, team officials and coaches,
thrilled by Williams' offseason work, projected a breakout season.

Making them look good, not to mention saving himself from having to buy
earplugs, Williams has surged to second in the NBA in assists at 9.5 per game
while also contributing 16.8 points. Suddenly, with Paul still drawing high
marks while fighting a season of injury, it's a great debate again for best
young point guard.

"If I had to take one of them, I would probably take Deron," retired point
guard Mark Jackson said. "His scoring ability separates him, and his size
(6-foot-3, 210 pounds). But both of those guys are going to have spectacular
careers."

Williams appears destined for grand success, and Boozer and Okur are major
parts of the resurgence in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz has a division
title and can begin working on real possibilities in the years ahead.

That's Plan A.


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