2014-2015 regular season!

[QUOTE]Derrick Favors slowly limped out of EnergySolutions Arena with a walking boot on his right foot and his shoe in his left hand.

It was one of those nights for the Utah Jazz.[/QUOTE]

Yeah the 2nd most exciting night of the year since Favors missed his other game. The future needs to begin now. The Rudy era has a lot of potential. The Favors/Hayward/Burks era not so much.

[QUOTE]Without Favors in the lineup for the final three quarters, the Jazz fell behind and rallied to make things interesting before fading in the final stretch.

Same Jazz tune.

Different verse.

On this night, it was the Miami Heat who used a tried-and-true formula against Utah to leave the building with a 100-95 win.

[QUOTE]Second-year center Rudy Gobert has been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz this season as he has averaged 5.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.[/QUOTE]

Shouldn't be that surprising. I wasn't sure he was ready to play at the offensive end but otherwise you could see the potential in his first Summer League.

[QUOTE]His improved performance has earned him more time on the court, and while some folks may have doubted whether he belonged in the NBA last year

[QUOTE]“I don’t really like to talk about myself,” Kanter said. “I like to talk about my team.”

Kanter helped give his team a chance to turn a one-sided game into a competitive one down the stretch Friday night.

He had a double-double in Tuesday’s win over the Spurs, and he’s having the best stretch of his fourth season, averaging 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in December.[/QUOTE]

Amazing what minutes will do for someone. I guess he is considered an all-star now? The press and announcers been calling Derek and G all-stars with their numbers.

[QUOTE]Kanter might not want to talk about himself, but others will.

Snyder even made an admission that some tough love seems to be panning out.

“I have been really pleased. I’ve coached Enes hard. I think he’s needed it,” Snyder said. “Sometimes that can knock you back a little bit.”

Snyder credited the 22-year-old, who’s got a lot to play for this season with free agency looming next offseason, for accepting the challenge to become a better defender.

The 6-11 Kanter isn’t going to land on the NBA’s All-Defense team this season, but the man who draws comparisons to Al Jefferson because of his offensive gifts and defensive struggles is making strides, according to his coach.

“I’m pleased with the toughness, the mental toughness, he’s shown, the resolve to do things he’s been challenged to do,” Snyder said. “Offensively, he’s tried to be really unselfish, too. Defensively is where I see his focus. (When) he keeps his focus defensively, the offense comes easily.”

“Most important thing right now is defense,” Kanter said. “That’s our main focus right now.[/QUOTE]

Hard to believe it's a focus! :eek:

[QUOTE]We just have to do a better job.”

Eventually Kanter did answer a couple of questions about Snyder’s coaching.

“He’s a really good coach because he understands players. He has that communication. He has that relationship with the team,” Kanter said. “He has that relationship with the team, that we want to play for, just go out there and play for.

"He’s teaching us something really unique. We have to just get back (to what he) asks for — play with more energy.”

Kanter admitted that it’s sometimes hard to be the recipient of hard coaching.

“But that’s the way he’s coaching. I think he’s doing a really good job,” Kanter said. He then veered back to the team, adding, “It’s a long process, so we just have to be patient and play through it.”

Long is also the word rookie Joe Ingles used to describe the Jazz’s six-game road trip, which begins Sunday in Washington, D.C., and continues with stops in New Orleans, Miami, Orlando, Charlotte and Memphis before a Christmas break.[/QUOTE]

Charlotte? a win?

[QUOTE]“It will be good for us,” said the 27-year-old Ingles, who smiled and said a long road trip during his European playing days was 48 hours and included one game “and then you go home again.”

This trip might seem even longer depending on the health of Favors. His foot landed awkwardly when he got tangled up playing Miami late in the first quarter Friday, forcing him to miss the rest of the game.

Kanter and backup center Rudy Gobert both had one of their best performances of the season, but the Jazz certainly don’t want to go an extended amount of time without the 6-10 Favors in the lineup.[/QUOTE]

Why not? Actually having a chance to compete is bad?

[QUOTE]One huge reason: The team is 0-10 the past two seasons when Favors misses.

“He’s really an important part of, I’ll say, (our) family,” Kanter said. “With Derrick out, Book (Trevor Booker), Jeremy (Evans) played tonight and Rudy Gobert (got) more (time). I think they’re doing a really good job.”

The Jazz aren’t certain whether Favors will be available for Sunday’s game (4 p.m. MST tipoff) against the Wizards. The fifth-year center left the arena Friday with a boot on his sprained right ankle, but X-rays came back negative. He traveled with the team Saturday and is listed as questionable for the road-trip opener.

Snyder also gave a vote of confidence to Gobert, who logged a season-high 26 minutes Friday while registering career-highs in rebounds (11), blocks (five) and assists (four).

“I think he played well. When Favors went out, to have that opportunity, I don’t think anyone was surprised by some of the things he did. He’s been doing that. He has just had more of an opportunity to play, “ Snyder said.

“Obviously, Derrick has been terrific over the course of the year. Rudy has been playing well, but (Friday) he played really well.”

The Jazz have only won twice in 10 road games this season — and not since Burke’s buzzer-beater in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 14 — but Kanter believes in his team. He shares the popular opinion that the Jazz need to stop falling down by so many points. Continuing a bad habit, Utah trailed by 16 points to the Heat before making a game of it in the second half.

“This team I think we have something special,” Kanter said. “We have enough talent to beat every team on every court. We just have to play with more pace and get a better start.”

EMAIL: [email]jody@desnews.com[/email]

TWITTER: DJJazzyJody[/QUOTE]

Need to play D. Rudy makes that possible.

[QUOTE]If he were to a miss time, it would be a major blow for the Jazz. Favors is averaging 15.6 points and 8 rebounds a game. [/QUOTE]

Almost as good as Enes this month. :confusedshrug:

[QUOTE]Utah will be trudging into Charlotte, N.C., on the second night of a back-to-back.[/QUOTE]

and that looks like the best chance for a win

[QUOTE]And the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the NBA

[QUOTE]the Bear mascot raised a sign that asked the EnergySolutions Arena crowd, "How bad do you want it?"

That prop apparently was left over from last season.

That

[QUOTE]Adrian Wojnarowski: Sacramento has fired coach Mike Malone, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Adrian Wojnarowski: Assistant coach Ty Corbin will take over as interim head coach, league source tells Yahoo Sports. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Tyrone Corbin will take over as the interim coach, likely for the term of the regular season. Around the NBA, there's a strong belief that general manager Pete D'Alessandro will pursue ex-Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, but a high-ranking Kings source insisted Sunday night that it is unlikely a full-time replacement will be hired during the regular season. Yahoo! Sports

Adrian Wojnarowski: Natural candidate for Sacramento will be George Karl, whom D'Alessandro worked with in Denver. Still, Kings insist he isn't on deck now. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Sam Amick: That being said, the George Karl possibility is very real and that noise won't be going away anytime soon. Still, Corbin gets his shot. Twitter @sam_amick

Adrian Wojnarowski: Despite star DeMarcus Cousins missing past nine games, Malone didn't meet win-loss expectations of ownership, sources tell Yahoo. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Marc J. Spears: Continuing on @WojYahooNBA Malone firing news, source said Kings mgmt was disappointed with the player development, game plans & adjustments Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Owner Vivek Ranadive has wanted the Kings to play a faster style of basketball, and D'Alessandro

[QUOTE]The Jazz missed Derrick Favors

Without Favors, who was questionable with an ankle sprain, Utah struggled to keep Washington

[QUOTE]The Jazz scored 16 third quarter points, which contributed greatly to their second straight defeat. Gordon Hayward picked up his third foul and was pulled early in the period.

[email]tjones@sltrib.com[/email]

twitter: @tjonessltrib[/QUOTE]

Yeah he pulls guy to early for fouls. 4 sure but 3? Not that G was helping them offensively.

[QUOTE]Jeremy Evans moves into the playing rotation.

He will likely be paired off the bench with Trevor Booker,[/QUOTE]

Neither of them should be playing center.

[QUOTE]and will be counted on to provide his elite athleticism in a positive fashion. It

[QUOTE]The Washington Wizards are 16-6 on the season, near the top of the southeast division and one of the elite teams in the eastern conference.

But up until recently, they were right where the Utah Jazz currently are, struggling to find their way with a young roster.

So win or lose, the Jazz can take solace in Sunday night. They will see up close how the transition is done in what is considered less than a big market. The Wizards took an elite point guard (John Wall), surrounded him with veterans (NeNe, Marcin Gortat), got themselves a shooter (Brad Beal) and now they are a threat to win their league.

Can the Jazz do the same?[/QUOTE]

When they get some vets they'll improve certainly but do they have a star to build around?

[QUOTE]"I really like that core group, they have some good talent, some nice players," Washington coach Randy Wittman said. "We were fortunate to get some good veterans to go with our young guys, and they bought into what we were doing."

This is what the Jazz are hoping to become. A team that pairs Trey Burke and Dante Exum with the growing talents of Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. They want to mature.[/QUOTE]

No Rudy, Enes, Hood or Burks(who's contract should get him mentioned if nothing else). :facepalm

[QUOTE]They want to add pieces, and they want to figure out what it takes to win and do so consistently in the NBA.[/QUOTE]

As soon as they've had enough tanking anyway.

[QUOTE]Utah struggles with that. The Jazz have shown flashes, but have six wins to show for their struggles and effort. But they can still take solace. The Wizards are a team that went through the pain, after drafting Wall in 2010. Now, they look like a consistent playoff team and eastern conference contender for years to come.

-Tony Jones

[email]tjones@sltrib.com[/email]

Twitter: @tjonessltrib[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Booker had a solid first game back in Washington. The sixth man scored eight points with nine rebounds even after spraining his ankle and leaving to get his foot retaped.[/QUOTE]

Hopefully his ankle is alright with Favors out already.

[QUOTE]Overall, the 27-year-old said he enjoyed his time back in D.C., which included a Saturday night reunion dinner with Wizards buddy Kevin Seraphin and the game.

[QUOTE]If contracts could be renegotiated in the NBA, Derrick Favors would probably get a huge pay raise.[/QUOTE]

He might. Doesn't mean he deserves what he gets now.

[QUOTE]Not as much for what he does on the court for the Utah Jazz, but for what happens when the big man is not on the hardwood.

For the 11th time in the past two seasons, Favors wasn

[QUOTE]I have been saying for two years I think the Wizards are the model for the Jazz. The Wizards drafted John Wall and were patient and let him become a star. When he was ready to be a star they surrounding him with veterans and in the meantime drafted Bradley Beal who is going to be another star. [/QUOTE]

Actually it was after they added vets that the Wizards and Wall started to do something. Jazz had vets now they don't. Big mistake.

[QUOTE]The key to what they have done is they are good defensively and have been the entire time Randy Whitman has been the head coach. Not clear why Whitman doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a terrific defensive coach.[/QUOTE]
Or why Snyder gets a lot of hype for being a defensive coach.

[QUOTE]Worth noting that if the Wizards are my model we still have a long way to go. The key is Dante Exum is our version of John Wall but Exum. However, from a timing standpoint Dante is the same as where Wall was at Kentucky and after Wall entered the NBA the Wizards were a 20-30 win team for another three years. So if that is the model then the Jazz have another three years after this year before they are ready to make the jump into the playoffs and then another one or two before they make a run as an elite team in the West.[/QUOTE]

that's a lot of tanking. Wizards didn't have a Rudy to build around. Exum might be the guy eventually but now it is Rudy.

[QUOTE]Rudy Gobert got the start for the injured Derrick Favors. Gobert held his own playing a career high 31 minutes. His plus minus was not as good as it has been and the Jazz defensive numbers with him on the floor were not as good as they have been. This is simply the difference in playing frontline guys v. back-ups. Rudy played well. He had an impact. He altered shots. This is a huge jump for Rudy. He was not a 30 minute a night player in France. The jump he has made this year from non rotation to rotation player has been terrific and he has been terrific. What is being asked out of him as a starter is even larger. I thought with that understood he had a strong game.[/QUOTE]

And despite all that they were a lot better team defensively with Rudy than they've ever been with Favors.

[QUOTE]Since we have done this every night let’s do it again. With Rudy on the floor the Jazz shot 17 of 47 (36%) with him on the bench they shot 13 of 31 (42%). At this moment I can’t get the defensive numbers. I will update as they become available.[/QUOTE]

Who was on the floor? Rudy doesn't take many shots.

[QUOTE]Trey Burke broke the paint more than I have seen him in the past. He makes things happen more when he is able to get in the paint. Tonight he only had two assists but it felt like he created a lot of plays.[/QUOTE]

Was good to see him do that. Could be a nice back-up in this league.

[QUOTE]The nightly getting beat back door and fatal turnovers (turnovers above the free throw line) are killers every night.

The Jazz held the Wizards to 15 2nd quarter points a season low and 37 first half points a season low. But the Wizards notched 30 in the 3rd and 56 in the 2ndhalf.

Jazz lost the 3rd quarter 30-16 this is first time in a long time the Jazz lost the 3rdquarter.

Gordon Hayward has lost his stroke from 3 he is 3 of his last 24.[/QUOTE]

The always streaky G. Who'd have thunk? He still an all-star though?

[QUOTE]Love the 9 free throw attempts from Gordon and the 8 from Alec little bummed that Kanter and Trey never got to the line. So hard to be efficient without the free throw line. [/QUOTE]

or the 3's

[QUOTE]I feel like Alec Burks is better playing with better players. The idea that he is the second unit scorer that I have always thought was his role might not be the answer. When he plays with better players the creases are made from their action and he is able to get to the rim. When he is on with the second unit it feels forced and hard for him to get gaps to the basket because none of the other players are making the defense adjust.

It is really enjoyable to watch Rodney Hood each night trying to figure out what he can and can’t do in this league.[/QUOTE]

Be more enjoyable to look at his box scores in Idaho and watch an NBA ready player with the Jazz until he is ready.

[QUOTE]Wizards are the 4th best defensive team in the NBA and they clamped down on the Jazz tonight. Jazz shot just 38.5% and hit only 5 of 17 from three. The first half the jazz took care of the ball pretty well and had a super defensive half but in the second half they started turning it over with 7 turns in the 3rd quarter that lead to 11 points and the Wizards got 8 of their 11 fast break points in the 3rdquarter.

Jambalaya is spicy. New Orleans is next.

Posted in Emptying the Noggin[/QUOTE]

Gobert/AD could be a lot of fun if Favors doesn't ruin it.

Me: How are defenses attacking you when you have the ball? Dante Exum: I think I've noticed they're trying to be a little more physical with me. Definitely up the court, and trying to pressure me up the court. But as a rookie, that's what I'm going to get. I've noticed some (teams), they're playing halfcourt D, and once I get on (the ball), one of the players looks at his coach, and they're up in me, trying to pick me up the court. So it's just little things like that. It helps me get comfortable bringing the ball up and being secure with the ball. NBA.com