The Utah Jazz | as seen by Basketball John

To all the USA readers, hope all was well with the turkey and yams.  To all of the non-US readers, you’re missing out.  Although I guess you really don’t need a date to have turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc.  And I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t hear from Dee, with him being in the land that started this great tradition.  And no warming Thanksgiving wishes from Memo either.  Shouldn’t there have been a Jazz contest to have Memo come to your house for Thanksgiving?

Anyway, all along I haven’t really cared about the supposed Deron Williams/Chris Paul rivalry/comparison/MVP talk.  Both teams made out like bandits in the 2005 NBA draft when Atlanta passed over both of them.  Utah traded up, probably expecting to pick which ever one was left.  But instead, they landed the enviable position of having their choice.  They couldn’t go wrong really with either pick, although many thought they did by selecting Williams.

Where was I going with this?  Yes, I haven’t really cared.  Both are working out great for their respective teams.  And while neither team would swap one for the other, they would have been equally fine if the Jazz had picked Paul first.  But now Paul is getting talk for MVP?  He’s going as high as 3 for some.  First of all, already?  I know everyone needs something to write about, but shouldn’t there be a cutoff date, like February?  In fact, it shouldn’t be talked about until after the All-star game.  What’s the point?

Second, there are probably at least 10 other players above him right now.  Next, although Williams is a little behind stat-wise now, wouldn’t you rather have him over Paul?  Shouldn’t CP have to play for at least consecutive 20 games without sitting out for an injury?  You can’t tell me that Hornets fans don’t worry every day that Paul is going to go down? 

And some other tidbits…  Paul is 1-6 in head-to-head matchups against Deron.  NO’s record seems to be weighing a lot into their reason for Paul’s MVP status, yet the Jazz are 10-4, a slightly better record than NO’s 10-5.  Deron’s name though is nowhere to be found though.  Aren’t writers contractually obligated to mention them both in the same breath?  They do every other time.

While I’ve never had the hatred for Paul that some Jazz fans do, but I have to say that I’m going to be more vocal in proclaiming Deron’s greatness over Chris’.  There has to be some balance in the force.