2015 training camp!

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3106744-155/utah-jazz-legend-john-stockton-joins

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3104694-155/utah-jazz-will-rely-on-defense


If the Utah Jazz wish to christen their new NBA season with a strong start, they know defense is their word to live by.


With their roster it's the only hope again.



The Jazz realize the kind of start they face: Eight of their first 10 games are away from home. And their first three games represent opening night acts on their opponents' home floors.


Two trips to the east though.




This means three consecutive games played in juiced-up buildings. Three games where their opponents will be playing with extra adrenaline. The Jazz know they will be playing this week under difficult circumstances, starting with Wednesday's opener against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills.







So, defense travels. That's the mantra.


That's what has to be the constant.


"I think we know it has to be our calling card," Utah small forward Gordon Hayward said. "I think you definitely have to play defense, especially on the road, because sometimes things don't go your way offensively. But you can always count on defense, it always gives you a chance. So we have to get off to great starts on the road, and we have to play great defense."
Rewinding to a year ago, the Jazz certainly didn't get off to a great start. Or a good start. Or a mediocre start. Indeed, losing 19 of their first 25 points was a nightmarish start, and something Utah players and coaches have been talking about avoiding this time around.

Rudy pretty much guarantees that. Only reason they have a chance. Certainly not because of the front office.



There are differences, heading into Wednesday night. The Jazz at this time in 2014 didn't know who they were on either end. The team had yet to forge an identity, and their inexperience with each other showed on the court.


This current team is a lot more secure in itself. Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors are the linchpins. Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Trey Burke provide scoring and support to the first three.

Support your story using Trey? :biggums:


The team as a whole is a lot more used to coach Quin Snyder, his coaching style, his offense, his defense and the way he does business daily. Being experienced with each other is looked upon as a good thing by Jazz players. Now, they'd like to make it translate into wins early on.

"We just have to start off strong," Hood said on Tuesday. "We have a team that's tough and talented, and we have to come together and play well. We have to have good camaraderie and we can't expect anything just because we played well at the end of last year, or anything in the preseason. We have to come out and play well every night, and we have to play strong."
The schedule-makers did the Jazz no favors, and the coaches and players realize that. Utah travels east for extended road trips twice in the first three weeks. To compound this, the Jazz face three Eastern Conference title contenders in the first 10 games when they match up against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks.


This is where the preseason trip to Hawaii could do the Jazz some good, Snyder said. In Hawaii, the Jazz were away from home for over a week. They were able to get used to each other, to further hone relationships that were forged on the road last season.

Almost the same team. :wtf:


And they know there will be difficult times, times when opponents go on extended runs, times when crowds are deafening in noise, times where calls don't go their way.


Times when their lack of a pg and talent will mean missed shots, turnovers, etc.



For the Jazz, it all comes back to that phrase.



Defense travels.


Luckily, for Utah, the foundation already exists. In finishing last year 19-10, the Jazz were the best defensive team in the league. Dante Exum is gone from that equation, the long limbed point guard out for the year with an ACL injury. But Gobert and Favors are back. Raul Neto is showing promise defensively, and the system is in place for the Jazz to be successful on that end.


"Playing defense," Snyder said. "We have to play defense and we have to be who we are. That's what the last week's been about, not so much rediscovering ourselves, but reminding ourselves who we are and what we have to do to be effective."
tjones@sltrib.com

(tjones@sltrib.com)
Twitter: @tjonessltrib (http://twitter.com/tjonessltrib)

Trey get the memo? :rant

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3103623-155/utah-jazz-notes-season-could-come?fullpage=


The Jazz of 2015 could be defined by their versatility and depth.
They've got some versatility but a team with maybe 7 proven guys is bot deep! :rolleyes:


With the opener in Detroit on Wednesday night, Snyder still hasn't settled on a starting lineup. He could go with Raul Neto and Rodney Hood in the backcourt. Or he could start Trey Burke and Alec Burks.








"This is something we've talked about during the preseason," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "We can play huge, we can play small. We can play big while going small and that will give us a lot of options. I think it's going to help us a lot throughout the year."


The big question before the opener is who gets the nod at the guard spots. For most of the preseason, Burke and Burks have been the guys. But Snyder started Neto and Hood for the last preseason tilt against the Denver Nuggets, and the change worked well on both ends.


Neto and Hood got the Jazz off to a good start, while Burke and Burks were very good coming off the bench, providing offense.


Snyder, when asked, remained mostly noncommittal on his opening night lineup.
He did say how happy he was with his team, its unselfish nature and the fact that his guys have shown they are playing for one another.
"You name the lineup and we feel we have the personnel to put it out there," Snyder said.

You've already said Neto and Burke won't play together which is good but ideally you need to be able to do that. You talked about bigs not playing together. Withey guarding the basket and Rudy the perimeter sounds good to me.
[QUOTE] "But it's only effective if guys understand that it's about the team, and we feel that our guys are in that mindset."



A new father


Jazz guard Elijah Millsap missed Monday's practice to fly to Atlanta for the birth of his second child.



He is expected to rejoin the team in time for Wednesday's opener in Detroit. Millsap is entering his second season with the Jazz.



He is the younger brother of former Jazz star Paul Millsap, who now plays for the Atlanta Hawks.



Roster set


The Jazz

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3103406-155/utah-jazz-trey-burke-focused-and







"The one thing that's clear," Jazz coach Quin
Snyder said when asked about his starting lineup, "is Trey Burke is playing great."

not seeing it

Now can he do again it when it counts?


[QUOTE]In seven games this preseason, Burke led the Jazz in scoring (15.3 points per game) while knocking down half of his attempts

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865640008/Third-year-point-guard-Trey-Burke-is-all-in-for-the-Utah-Jazz-this-season.html?pg=all



Burke felt bad for his teammate, but he also knew this meant his other teammates would need him more than ever.


That right there is bad. He'll shoot even more. :rant



[QUOTE]Snyder started mapping out possibilities with Jazz brass, concluding that Utah would push forward at point guard with Burke, Brazilian rookie Raul Neto and a three-wing lineup that utilized the size and passing capabilities of Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles.


They

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/3443/0/NBA-preseason-power-rankings-Where-do-the-Jazz-land.html

15th after finishing 6th last year. Thanks front office!

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865640010/Jazz-notes-Snyder-angry-at-suspended-Booker-Millsaps-excused-absence.html
[QUOTE]Trevor Booker might want to steer clear of his coach the next day or two. Quin Snyder is not happy at all that the Jazz begin their season on Wednesday in Detroit but Booker won

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865640049/Utah-Jazz-notebook-Starting-lineup-Snyder-staff-will-decide-sometime-before-opening-tip.html


"We'll have games this year where Rudy (Gobert), Fav (Derrick Favors), Gordon (Hayward) are finishing the game on the bench.


BLOWOUT?


[QUOTE]And I have no doubt they'll be supporting their teammates. That's a sign of a really good player, too, to have the ability to see the big picture and also to participate and be excited for their teammates."


NBA DEBUTS: The Jazz currently have three players

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/10/27/9583206/jumus-jazzmen-previews-1-rudy-gobert

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765681292/Deseret-News-Sports-Podcast-Previewing-the-Utah-Jazz-season-Can-the-Jazz-make-a-return-to-the.html

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/the-underrated-importance-of-joe-ingles/


Naturally, a lot of that is focused on the young core of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Trey Burke1 (http://saltcityhoops.com/the-underrated-importance-of-joe-ingles/#note-1). They are, after all, the keys to the now and the future of the franchise.

Burke and Exum have a lot to prove before I'd put them in there. Neto and Lyles maybe.

[QUOTE]What about the team