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@fellatio: Kailan ba tayo magkikita sa celeb? May utang pa ako sa iyo.. :D

 

Utah Jazz still surprises me up to this point.. Deron Williams is a crazy ass SOB with the way he is playing.. My bet is he would be the best contender for the Most Improved Award at the end of this season.. And the funny thing is, one of his competitors would be Carlos Boozer.. If the Jazz continue to win, there might just be two winners of the MIP award.. Booze and D-Dub!!! :cool:

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  • 2 weeks later...
@fellatio: Kailan ba tayo magkikita sa celeb? May utang pa ako sa iyo.. :D

 

Utah Jazz still surprises me up to this point.. Deron Williams is a crazy ass SOB with the way he is playing.. My bet is he would be the best contender for the Most Improved Award at the end of this season.. And the funny thing is, one of his competitors would be Carlos Boozer.. If the Jazz continue to win, there might just be two winners of the MIP award.. Booze and D-Dub!!! :cool:

 

boss revi ...

 

eto lang po and masasabi ko ... may araw ka rin :D . btw sori po at mejo busy lang ( hingal hingal ). mejo fre na ko next week. txtan sir.

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yeah, i think he'll get it this year unless the jazz collapse big time. he should've won that some years ago, when he lost out to hubie brown.

 

you sb... the luster is off the jazz who after a 12-1 start are treading water right now with a 13-12 record. good thing billups jumper didn't fall or else it would have been another last second loss for sloan's boyz.

 

still ... coach of the year is still a possibility though the jazz would have to put up more than .500 numbers the rest of the way.

with toronto , chicago , minnesota,memphis, denver and the horizon ... the jazz need a win streak in the next five games to perk their spirits and restore the shine on their season.

Edited by fellatio.flores
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Jazz Reel Off Three Straight

 

with consecutive wins over Detroit , Toronto and Chicago on its Eastern road trip , the Utah Jazz have gone 3-1 and seemingly have recovered from the frustration of a four game L streak.

 

with the next nine out of 11 games scheduled at the EnergySolutions Arena ... the Jazz are in a more favorable position to gain lost ground. games to watch out for are : against division foe Denver (Jan 27 featuring AI and Melo), SA Spurs (Feb 1), The red hot Suns ( Feb 4 at Phoenix) , the resurgent Bulls ( Feb 6 ) .

 

Go Jazz !

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Jazz Reel Off Three Straight

 

with consecutive wins over Detroit , Toronto and Chicago on its Eastern road trip , the Utah Jazz have gone 3-1 and seemingly have recovered from the frustration of a four game L streak.

 

with the next nine out of 11 games scheduled at the EnergySolutions Arena ... the Jazz are in a more favorable position to gain lost ground. games to watch out for are : against division foe Denver (Jan 27 featuring AI and Melo), SA Spurs (Feb 1), The red hot Suns ( Feb 4 at Phoenix) , the resurgent Bulls ( Feb 6 ) .

 

Go Jazz !

 

ps :

 

Utah plays 23 of its 41 games in EnergySolutions Arena, where it is 14-4. The Jazz also have seven games remaining against the five worst teams in the league - Philadelphia, Memphis, Charlotte, Boston and Atlanta. Not that they are walkovers but they're not exactly the Suns or the Spurs either.

 

On the other hand, divison foe Denver plays 25 of its final 45 games on the road. The Nuggets have only four games left against the Sixers, Grizzlies, Bobcats, Celtics and Hawks.

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Reports out of the club say that Kirilenko has been a whiner of late. He wants to be more active in the offense...

 

Which is weird considering the amount of threes he attempts (though most of them are bricks...)

 

AK is indeed playing with his gun jammed.

 

in an interview with the Deseret News, Kirilenko agreed that he's not living up to usual standards of play.

 

"I'm playing on my rookie level — like, you come to the league, you hustle for every ball, you're running, but you don't get any passes. You earn all your shots by yourself," he said. "But if you want me to be one of the leaders, who plays on the level which I can play, you (need) more attention (in game-planning). It's not about shots."

 

Kirilenko suggested his needs are more about simply being involved, getting touches of the ball and being given an opportunity "to create" — and that he's willing to do that within the context of his coach's offense, as he has since growing up in Russia.

 

"I'm not Allen Iverson, get the ball and change everything like I'm gonna play my way," he said. "I never said, 'I need shots, I need shots.' I need touches. They're different."

 

With Boozer , Okur , Memo and Dwill generating most of the offense... AK has to learn to adjust his game. He has to get his shots in the flow of the offense and change the game with his defense. Get putbacks, deflect passes, score on alley-oops.

 

Anyway ... here's the man himself speaking in an on the "new and improved jazz team ... his teamates and his struggles on the floor in interview in Hoopsworld :

 

HW : You guys started the season really well. Talk a little bit about how good you have been and how good you think you can be moving forward?

 

AK : I think we had a great start, 12-1 was the best start in franchise history. I think we did a really great job, but right now teams are preparing every game to play us much harder then they did at the beginning of the year. But I think Memo and Carlos have done a great job to lead this team and they have really dominated.

 

HW : You just mentioned Carlos. Tell me some about what you've seen from him this year and how good he's been able to help you guys become?

 

AK : I think he's become a more experienced player, and he's dominating inside. I think this is one of the keys to success for our team, because he's been able to put so much pressure under the basket with his rebounding and even with his mid-range game. He's really put huge pressure on the defense so they need to double and triple team him so it leaves everybody else open. Everyone else gets open shots, like Memo, Derek Fisher and Deron Williams. It's great when you can have a guy who's really that good.

 

HW : Talk some about the team chemistry. It seems like all of the Jazz players get along well.

 

AK : I mean, in the locker room outside of basketball has never been a problem. We've always had great chemistry inside, everyone's always stayed together. On the floor, sometimes we have problems -- not like chemistry -- but it's more the basketball part. It's more of like some misunderstandings or miscommunication. But the thing I like is even if we're wrong we try to hustle and try to cover each other's back. I think that's very important for the team. You know, we're not perfect. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to lose some games, but more important is we are going to fight and fight every game. Like a few games ago we were down like 20 points right from the start of the game, but we didn't give up and we kept playing. We didn't win the game, but we got to a point in the game where we got close. We haven't been very consistent, but I like the idea that everybody keeps fighting and keeps their heads up.

 

HW : How much better is Deron Williams this season as compared to last season? It seems like he's made an amazing jump as only a second-year player.

 

AK : Of course, he's a different player right now. Everything is confidence. When you believe in the coach and the team believes in the player and let him play, I think most of the players will play -- I would say like 85-90% of players. Like take any players right now in the league, put him in the starting-five and give him like 40 minutes, he will improve -- definitely. Deron, those kind of guys can improve dramatically. He can play. Everybody knows he was one of the best players in the nation in college basketball. Right now he's in the NBA and he's got confidence. It's not surprising he's leading right now.

 

HW : Talk some about your game. I know some people have been critical -- myself included -- about your offense. We question your jumpshot and your offensive contributions and things like that. Do you feel a need to get better offensively or are you kind of tired of hearing that from people?

 

AK : It's so funny because I would say I've never been a jumpshooter. I've never been a shooter. I don't want to prove to anybody that I'm a jumpshooter because I am not. If I have an open shot I will take it, though, because you should be dangerous. You should make an open jumpshot for sure. It's not the best part of my game, but it's not the worst part, either. There's lots of attention around it. I think this year we have lots and lots of offensive force, and it's a huge difference from the last five years because we didn't really have it. I'm not surprised my scoring went down. It's like my first year when Karl (Malone) and John (Stockton) was here the main scoring ability was on them. I was kind of worried about it at the beginning of the year, but then I was analyzing everything and there was no point to worrying because we were winning the games and I'm trying to contribute as much as I can. Sometimes I get a little bit frustrated because of the understanding that I get three shots a game (laughs), but we won the game so I think it's a little more valuable. I think if I played wrong coach would come to me and say, 'Andrei we need you offensively more or we need you involved more,' but this has not happened. So I think coach is happy with my role right now. So I'm just trying to play aggressively defensively, help guys execute and try and win the game.

 

HW : What's interesting, though, is you seem to be okay with that role. You like playing defense and rebounding and doing those things. A lot of guys who have a fair amount of stature in the game like you do would want to score more points. How do you accept that role?

 

AK : It's a tough role because I've always loved to play full basketball -- offense, defense and everywhere. Right now I'm a little bit worried more about defense than offense, but you know, the older you get you don't really think about it. You try and step on the floor and don't think about your shot but you think about the game totally, see the total picture of the game. Like for example, if Carlos starts scoring, why should I take the ball and start creating something if he's good already? I should play with him and help him. I think that you should be smart and try and be in the game.

 

HW : Talk some about your primary competition in the Northwest Division, the Denver Nuggets. They've recently traded for Allen Iverson and will get Carmelo Anthony back soon. What do you think of your chances against them coming down the stretch?

 

AK : They've always been tough. They've always been a tough match-up over the years, and it's like a little rivalry in the Rocky Mountain division (laughs). That's what they call it, right! We will fight on the floor, but we will always be nice to each other outside because we understand that we are players. Nobody wants to hurt anybody, but we will fight as hard as we can.

 

HW : Last one, man. Every time I see you before games you are always reading. Like most guys today in the NBA are listening to IPOD's and stuff like that, but you're always reading a book. Talk some about your ritual and how it gets you ready to play?

 

AK : It just helps me to relax and not think about the game a lot. It helps take my mind out, and I think relaxes me. You know, I'm not nervous, not worried. I'm kind of getting in mental condition (smiles).

 

HW : Alright, appreciate it Andrei.

 

AK : Thank you very much.

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Drat ! Shades of Starbury and Arenas ! another last second loss for the jazz as eddie jones sticks it at the buzzer and the Grizz get their 3rd road win of the year !

 

the loss came despite double-doubles from Boozer (39 points, 15 rebounds), Andrei Kirilenko (18, 12) and Okur (27, 11). The Jazz also had a 56-35 rebounding advantage.

 

Stat of the night : as usual ... the jazz did a poor job of defending international waters as Memphis shot a mind-boggling 16 of 26 from three.

 

Fact is , Memphis shot better from three ( .615 % ) than Utah did from the line as the Jazz missed 12 of 29 free throws(.41 %) .

 

Hope the Jazz put this one behind them as melo and ai are coming to town this saturday ...

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That's the one criticism lodged against the jazz this season. They allow too many easy jumpers. A lot has been blamed on AK47 sagging D and Harpring's lack of it.

 

I'm pretty sure Sloan would find a way to offset this problem...

 

yup ... they need a bowen clone really quick ... an athletic , defensive pest who can unsettle the allens and bryants of this world. brewer came witha nice defensive rep but sloan's been sitting him on the pine.

 

IMHO ... ak's greatest value is a "free" defender where he slips off his man for the weakside steal or block. harpring though tenacious can be had as his lateral move is suspect as he's coming from surgically repaired knees.

Edited by fellatio.flores
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^ Right on the money! AK 47 is a very skilled defender but he takes too many risks. Instead of making it a point to not allow his assignment in making an attempt, he just takes his chances and gamble on a steal or a block...

 

yup ! ak has to change his game ! though the jazz lost against memphis , ak helped in offense through tip-ins , post up and transition baskets. defensively, you're right that he has to stay with his man better rather than going for the block or steal.

 

hope he finds his game sooner. coming up on saturday ... hellooooo allen & carmelo :)

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That's the one criticism lodged against the jazz this season. They allow too many easy jumpers. A lot has been blamed on AK47 sagging D and Harpring's lack of it.

 

I'm pretty sure Sloan would find a way to offset this problem...

 

interestingly enough ... Sloan says mea culpa in this hoopsworld interview ...

 

"We have a tendency to do that," head coach Jerry Sloan said of giving up open three-point shots. "It's probably my defensive philosophy. You know, I think you should try and guard guys on the three, but my biggest concern was that we missed 12 free-throws. You can look at three's all night long. We had a chance to win the ballgame with free-throws and we missed them as we came down the stretch and those things will break your back every time."

 

Sloan continued by using a point of comparison to defend the fact that teams are going to get open three's from time-to-time.

 

"You can say three's, but then you can look on the other side of the coin and say how did Memo get open and make three's? Weren't they defending him? You can argue that point from now on, but the biggest thing is that we missed free-throws. You're right. We didn't guard them on the three-point line, we didn't guard them on the two point line and we didn't guard them with 7 seconds on the clock

Edited by fellatio.flores
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Jazz Outshine Nuggets !

 

Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 19 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat Denver 116-111 on Friday night to hand the Nuggets their first loss since Carmelo Anthony rejoined the team.

 

The top two clubs in the Northwest Division both shot better than 50 percent, but the Jazz were stronger in the fourth quarter. They scored the final six points, finally shutting down Allen Iverson and Anthony in the last minute.

 

Iverson had 33 points and six assists, and Anthony scored 37 in his third game back since serving a 15-game suspension. Marcus Camby added 21 points and 10 rebounds for Denver.

 

The Nuggets had a chance to cut into Utah's division lead and tie the season series at a game apiece, but rookies Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap helped Boozer and Deron Williams extend Utah's cushion to five games over second-place Denver.

 

Brewer matched his career high with 12 points, six in the fourth quarter. Millsap added two blocks in the final period, including one on Anthony on what would have been a layup or dunk.

 

Millsap finished with six rebounds. He and Brewer were on the court at the end.

 

Utah lost Andrei Kirilenko with a sprained ankle in the second quarter and coach Jerry Sloan had to go to his younger players, especially with the foul trouble Anthony and Iverson were causing.

 

Notes : Kirilenko suffered a sprained on the same ankle which caused him to miss five games early this season. Aside from millsap and brewer , gordan giricek gave key scoring support off the bench with 13 points.

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