Can the Jazz get to the NBA Finals this year?
They finished so well the last couple of years, I think a lot of us Jazz fans were thinking that his was going to be our year.
Oh, how wrong we were.
In case you are in a bubble for the last month, let me recap why the Utah Jazz are in trouble.
The Jazz had a miserable January, losing more games than they won. Much of this was due to injuries to key positions, but they also played a lot of games on the road — and as we have all figured out, the Jazz have been less than stellar on the road.
As we enter February, we hear reports that the Jazz are on the mend and that we might begin to see some of the players after the All-Star break. We are mildly annoyed with the fact that Deron Williams won’t be playing in the All-Star Game, but we console ourselves with the fact that he will be getting much needed rest and that the All-Star Game really doesn’t matter anyway.
All-Star Weekend saw one major trade go down. Oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat along with Jamario Moon for Shawn Marion’s expiring contract.
While none of the parties are the Jazz, this certainly helps the Jazz’s cause for retaining their big man.
Carlos Boozer, because he owns a house in Miami, was often mentioned as a possible pick-up for the Miami Heat in the off-season. With Shawn Marion’s contract expiring at the end of the year, the Heat would certainly have the money to make a run at him.
The 30 GMs were surveyed. If you are a Utah Jazz fan, you might be a little surprised by the results, although you probably shouldn’t be.
Let’s take a look at some of what the GMs thought (all answered anonymously and reported on NBA.com):
After a very tame off-season for the Utah Jazz, Jazz fans are anxiously waiting to see what the season will bring. The Jazz re-signed C.J. Miles and traded little used Jason Hart for savvy veteran Brevin Knight. They also signed Ohio State Center Kosta Koufos.
Not much.
Not that we expected much change for a team who was really good last year, losing to the Lakers in a series that they probably should have been able to win.
So what should we expect this year.
