Category: Utah Jazz Blog

The Utah Jazz announced today that an MRI performed this morning in Denver revealed that Jazz center Mehmet Okur suffered a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon during last night’s Game 1 loss to the Nuggets.  The injury, which occurred at the 8:04 mark of the first quarter, will require surgery and force Okur to miss the remainder of the NBA Playoffs.

Okur has returned to Salt Lake City and a date for his surgery has yet to be determined.  Following the procedure, it is expected he will need three months before beginning the rehabilitation process.

Okur (6-11, 263) just completed his eighth NBA season and sixth with the Jazz.  The center averaged 13.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 73 games (all starts) in 2009-10.  A native of Yalova, Turkey, Okur owns career averages of 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 604 career games (446 starts).

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Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today the Jazz has signed rookie guard Othyus Jeffers for the remainder of the season.

Jeffers (6-5, 210, Robert Morris (IL)) was originally signed to a 10-day contract by the Jazz on March 3 before being re-signed to a second 10-day contract on March 14. Jeffers has appeared in seven games for the Jazz, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 4.4 minutes per game. The Jazz is 7-3 since signing Jeffers. He recorded career-highs in points (eight) and minutes (nine) at Phoenix on March 19. Jeffers has scored in five of the seven games he has appeared in. The Chicago native made his NBA debut vs. the L.A. Clippers on March 6.

Jeffers became the 18th NBA Development League (D-League) Call-Up to the NBA this season, as well as the fifth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07) and Sundiata Gaines (2009-10).

Prior to his call-up, the Chicago native appeared in 22 games (16 starts) with the Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League, averaging 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jeffers began the season with NGC Cantu in Italy, averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals. He was selected by the Iowa Energy in the third round (47th overall pick) of the 2008 D-League Draft.

Tim Buckley of the Deseret News reports:

Longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has escaped punishment for his recent run-in with referee Michael Smith.

A review of the incident is complete and there is “nothing” in terms of a fine or suspension for Sloan, an NBA spokesman said Sunday.

“It’s good news, and business as usual,” Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said Sunday night.

Sloan made contact with Smith with 0.2 seconds remaining in Friday night’s loss at Phoenix, but the contact — according to a Jazz spokesman — was deemed “incidental” by the league.

The last time he made contact with a referee, shoving Courtney Kirkland during a 2003 game in Sacramento, Sloan was suspended seven games without pay.

A similar incident in 1993 cost him one game.

Tim Buckley of the Deseret News reports:

Ejected from Friday’s loss at Phoenix after making contact in the game’s final second with referee Michael Smith, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he was merely trying to defend himself.

“I put my arm up to keep him from coming any farther,” said Sloan, whose forearm met Smith’s chest. “I’ve had trouble with him before. So that’s why I did that.”

Sloan first tried to approach the referees while they were reviewing a hard last-second Grant Hill foul that floored Jazz backup point Ronnie Price, who appeared to try for a meaningless dunk as the 110-100 loss came to a close.

Security stopped him because coaches and players aren’t allowed to be near the refs during video reviews, but the two met after the review had concluded.

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed rookie guard/forward Othyus Jeffers (pronounced OH-thee-us) to a second 10-day contract.  Jeffers (6-5, 210, Robert Morris University (IL)) signed his first 10-day contract with the Jazz on March 4 and has appeared in two Jazz games since, averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2.0 minutes per game.

When the Jazz signed him from the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy, Jeffers became the 18th D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, and second by the Jazz (Sundiata Gaines).

Jeffers also became the fifth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Gaines, Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).

At the time of his call-up, Jeffers was averaging 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting .510 from the field through 22 games (16 starts) with Iowa this season.  Jeffers had led the Energy to a D-League best 30-9 record in his second season with the team, reaching double figures in scoring 18 times and registering a double-double in four games.

He began the 2009-10 campaign with NGC Cantu of the Italian League, the same team current Jazz teammate Sundiata Gaines played for during the 2008-09 season.  The 24-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals in nine games with Cantu.

A native of Chicago, he was originally selected by the Energy in the third round (47th overall) of the 2008 D-League Draft.  In his first year with Iowa (2008-09), Jeffers led the Energy to the playoffs and was named the 2009 D-League Rookie of the Year in addition to being a D-League All-Star selection.  Jeffers was also chosen to play for the D-League Select Team in the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Jeffers concluded his collegiate career at Robert Morris University in Chicago (24.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game) earning The Sporting News NAIA Player of the Year and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors.  He preceded his one season at RMU with two seasons at Illinois-Chicago (13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game) and one season at Los Angeles Southwest College (22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game).

Nate Carlisle of the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Police in Salt Lake County arrested former Utah Jazz center Robert Whaley and found marijuana “between his buttocks,” according to a jail document.

Whaley, 27, had warrants for his arrest for absconding from a probation in Michigan. A police document filed with the Salt Lake County jail says gang detectives stopped a car about 4:30 a.m. Thursday. Whaley was a passenger and was not wearing a seat belt, the document says…

A state of Michigan Web site lists Whaley has having a 2008 conviction for maintaining a drug house. It says he has absconded from parole in that state.