The Utah Jazz | as seen by Basketball John

Is there a more disappointing team for the 07-08 NBA season than the Jazz? The only other teams that be compared are the Rockets and the Bulls. As it stands now, Utah is 2 games out of the playoffs and 3 1/2 behind Portland and Denver.

This was a team that was suppose to push itself into the “elite” talk of the Western Conference with San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas. But instead, Bill Simmon’s prediction of a 41-41 season looks like it could come to fruition.

And just when you start having hope with a couple of wins, they go and rip your heart out again with another bad loss. And the biggest heartbreakers haven’t been the losses per se, but the way in which they lose them. I don’t have the time nor patience to look up stats, but many of the losses have come with a lead in the fourth and they blow it. Either they can’t hit free throws, make a stop, or hang onto the ball. It seems like the fundamentals that Sloan pushes so much for aren’t there.

The Jazz also have the worst road record in the league amongst teams with winning records. I don’t recall the Jazz ever having stellar records on the road, but 6-14 for this team is unacceptable.

But there is hope for the Jazz and their fans. They’re home 8 of the 11 games remaining in the month. They’ve played five more road games (20 to 15) than both Portland and Denver. So those home wins should start evening things out a bit.

And we’ve seen last year that teams can go on late-season runs such as GS & Houston did. And it’s not out of the question for the Jazz. But I have yet to see the spark in the Jazz players that those other teams had. Winning begets winning, but those first two or three usually take some grinding out and someone to step up and say, “We’re not losing this game.”

But this is the time to get back on track tonight as February they hit the road again.

Pacers @ Jazz links:

• Indy Cornrows
• No AK tonight - And with no Price either, Almond gets the call back up.
• HoopsWorld

Links:

• A Jazz trade I haven’t heard yet - Would you want him?
• Your monthly Dee Brown fix
• Sloan interview with DesNews - I’m a Sloan supporter, but I’m sick of him stating that simply getting paid millions should be enough motivation for players. And I’d like once to hear him take blame for losses. It’s always the players’ fault. And it is for the most part, but I don’t recall many times where he’s stepped up to take blame for times when he’s made a bad rotation, etc.
• Who should be shooting for the Jazz?
• Wait, Boozer does play defense?
• Mid-season review
• For all your AK stalking needs
• Trade needs