Utah Jazz Blog – Page 62 – NBA Blog

NBA heads to 2011 offseason of uncertainty

The AP reports:

“It’s an odd position, when the game is the best it’s ever been, when the ratings are the highest they’ve ever been, when the excitement is the greatest it’s ever (been),” Players Association attorney Jeffrey Kessler said last week. “It’s sort of odd to see the owners say we’re going to destroy this game unless you change this whole system. Players just want to play.”

Nobody can predict when they’ll get that chance again. When the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Miami Heat on Sunday night in Game 6, it sent the NBA into a most uncertain offseason.

Owners and players are nowhere close on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expires June 30. Without a new deal, players say they have been told by the owners they will be locked out.

The NBA was reduced to a 50-game season by a work stoppage in 1998-99, and the loss of games is a threat now. Citing leaguewide losses of about $300 million this season, the league hasn’t budged on its desire for significant changes to the financial structure, ranging from reductions in the length of contracts and the amount of guarantees, to an overhaul of the salary cap system that would prevent teams from being able to exceed it, as they can now under certain exceptions.

And Stern said the record TV ratings and all the other positive attention the league has received doesn’t make him any more motivated to get this settled, since he’d want to do it anyway.

“I don’t need any external prod to want to be able to make a deal,” he said…

The sides are scheduled to meet twice this week and say they hope for frequent discussions before the end of the month. Should those fail, the NBA could follow the NFL’s labor situation right into the court system, which both sides say they want to avoid. So although a work stoppage in July wouldn’t seem to have much effect since games aren’t going on, Stern insists “we very much feel the weight of the deadline.”

In case of lockout, Deron Williams looks into playing overseas

The potential lockout coming to the NBA has resulted in plenty of players considering alternatives should the world’s best basketball league take a break for a while so the millionaires and billionaires can figure out how to better divide their money.

It makes sense for players to glance at the idea of playing overseas. Can’t hurt. Any contract that an NBA star signed to play in Europe or elsewhere would surely have an immediate out clause the second the NBA resumed operations.

New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is doing what’s logical. Jared Zwerling of ESPN The Magazine reports:

Although the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement expires in nearly two months — July 1, to be exact — New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is already considering taking his talents abroad.

“I’m already looking into playing overseas,” said Williams, who was in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday taking part in an event featuring his favorite video game series, Call of Duty. “I haven’t looked anywhere in general; I’m just looking into the possibility of playing over there. But I’m not going to make a decision until after the CBA.”

Beyond that, D-Will had nothing more to say about the labor negotiations between the NBA owners and players.

“I’m not even going to talk about it,” Williams said. “I’m going to let that work itself out. I think a lot of people open their mouths and shouldn’t be talking about the CBA. Let the people handle it that need to handle it. I don’t know enough about it to be running off at the mouth.”

I still hope this all works out, and soon.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Jazz forward C.J. Miles has minor knee injury

Utah Jazz guard/forward C.J. Miles was seen this afternoon by Jazz team orthopedist Dr. Lyle Mason, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests conducted on Miles’ left knee revealed that he has a small, partial tear in his popliteus muscle, which attaches to the fibula head.

Miles injured the knee at the 5:10 mark of the fourth quarter of last night’s 90-78 win at New Orleans and was able to finish the game.

Miles is doubtful for tomorrow night’s regular season finale vs. Denver.

Jimmer Fredette stops attending classes

Ken Tingley of the Post Star reports:

Jimmer Fredette has stopped going to classes at Brigham Young University.

That is not unusual for college basketball stars who plan to make their living in the NBA, but in this case it was the school that requested it.

“It was getting too disruptive,” said Al Fredette, Jimmer’s father, who explained that Jimmer’s fame in Provo, Utah, has led to constant requests for autographs and photographs. “He can’t go anywhere in Provo without being recognized.”

He now does all his schoolwork online.

Fredette has become a national celebrity over the past few months and has been named almost everyone’s national collegiate basketball player of the year.

He is in Los Angeles this weekend where the winner of the John Wooden Award was announced Friday night and he appeared Thursday night on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” with University of Connecticut star Kemba Walker.

Deron Williams has wrist surgery

New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams underwent successful wrist surgery today, April 11, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The surgery, performed by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland and Nets team orthopedic Dr. Riley Williams III, involved the removal of loose bodies (three bony fragments) and scar tissue from William’s right wrist.

“The bony fragments and scar tissue taken from Deron’s wrist today were interfering with this ability to flex his wrist,” said Dr. Williams. “We expect a full recovery and a return to basketball-related activities in approximately 6-8 weeks.”

Williams’ wrist will be encased in a soft splint for two weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation. He is expected to fully participate in training camp for the 2011-12 NBA season.

The two-time NBA All-Star was acquired from the Utah Jazz on February 23 in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations.

Williams played in 12 games for the Nets, averaging 15.0 points and 12.8 assists.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Jazz do not re-sign guard Kyle Weaver

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has elected not to re-sign guard Kyle Weaver to a second 10-day contract. Following the transaction, the Jazz roster now stands at 14 players.

Weaver was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 31 and appeared in five games for the Jazz (all as a reserve), averaging 5.6 point, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.8 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 19 points (7-11 FG) with three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes at Sacramento on April 3.

Originally selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Weaver (6-6, 201, Washington State) averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30 games (24 starts) for the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros and Iowa Energy this season prior to being called up by the Jazz. At the time, Weaver became the NBA’s 17th D-League Call-Up and 14th different player promoted to the NBA this season. He was also the seventh D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07), Sundiata Gaines (2009-10), Othyus Jeffers (2009-10) and Marcus Cousin (2010-11).

Jimmer Fredette named AP Player of Year

Tim Gardner of USA Today reports:

Brigham Young guard Jimmer Fredette, who led the Cougars to the Sweet 16 this season, was named the Associated Press’ player of the year Friday in Houston.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was also honored as the AP’s coach of the year.

Fredette, who led the Division I by averaging 28.5 points per game, helped BYU win the Mountain West’s regular-season title. He earned 48 first-place votes from the 65-member panel.

Connecticut’s Kemba Walker finished second with 11 votes, followed by Duke Nolan Smith (5) and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger (1).

Lakers eliminate Jazz from playoff race

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points, Lamar Odom added 16 and the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 17-point first-half deficit Friday night to beat Utah 96-85 and eliminate the Jazz from the playoff race.

Utah (36-40) becomes the first team in NBA history to start 15-5 and 27-13 and not make the playoffs.

The Lakers outscored the Jazz 52-35 in the second half to win their ninth straight game, and pull within 1 1/2 games of first-place San Antonio in the Western Conference.

C.J. Miles scored 24 points for Utah, which started its 17th different lineup and had only nine healthy players, including one who just joined the team two days earlier and was playing out of position.

The game in all likelihood was the last in Salt Lake City for Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has said this will be his final season.

Jazz sign Kyle Weaver to 10-day contract

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed guard Kyle Weaver of the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros to a 10-day contract. Weaver becomes the NBA’s 19th D-League Call-Up and 15th different player promoted to the NBA this season. Following the transaction, the Jazz roster now stands at 15 players.

A 6-6 guard from Washington State, Weaver averaged 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting .429 from the field through 21 games (20 starts) for the Iowa Energy this season before being acquired by the Austin Toros. During his nine-game stint with the Toros, Weaver averaged 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 30.8 minutes of play.

Originally selected by the Charlotte in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Weaver was traded by the Bobcats to the Oklahoma City Thunder on August 8, 2008, in exchange for a future second-round pick. During his two seasons with the Thunder (2008-10), Weaver appeared in 68 games (19 starts), averaging 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 points in 19.3 minutes of play.

Weaver attended training camp with the Chicago Bulls prior to the 2010-11 season, appearing in three preseason games and averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 assists in 8.7 minutes before being waived on October 21.

The 25-year-old Beloit, Wisconsin, native played four collegiate seasons at Washington State (2004-08), averaging 12.2 points with 4.3 assists during his senior season. Weaver finished his Cougars career as the first player in Pac-10 history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 175 steals and 75 blocked shots.

Weaver becomes the seventh D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07), Sundiata Gaines (2009-10), Othyus Jeffers (2009-10) and Marcus Cousin (2010-11).

Jazz not rocking lately

Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Less than average. Bottom of the heap. Going nowhere.

This is where the directionless Jazz are at 73 games through the 2010-11 season, having fallen below .500 for the first time since Nov. 5 after a heartbreaking overtime home loss to New Orleans on Thursday.

Utah has dropped four consecutive contests, six of eight, and has only beaten one team with a wining record since Jerry Sloan resigned Feb. 10. All while the Jazz (35-36) have refused to concede a frustrating, disappointing year during which initial high expectations have slowly given way to a halfhearted rebuilding process that is officially on pause until Utah is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

The Jazz haven’t been this low at this point during a season since the 2005-06 campaign, when the team finished 41-41. That was Deron Williams’ first year in the NBA, and it was the last time Utah failed to make the playoffs.

Now, even when the Jazz play well — as they recently did against New Orleans and Houston — the team has been unable to close out games and secure wins, lacking a killer instinct and often being at least one premier athlete removed from being the best squad on a given night.