Recap of road trip
Like most of you, I'm not quite sure what to make of the Jazz's just-completed four-game trip to Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston and New Jersey.
Utah had a chance to go 4-0, could have gone 0-4 and ended up 2-2.
While there is a certain symmetry to such a trip, it does little to clarify whether the Jazz are good enough to be included in any discussion about the best teams in the Western Conference.
The win over Boston would have been an eye-opener, except the Celtics played three quarters without Ray Allen and Utah couldn't follow it up against the sub-.500 Nets.
The only word I can think of to describe the recent play of Deron Williams is "relentless."
His effort against the Celtics was unbelievable, especially after it looked like point guard Radian Rondo was confronted by someone in the Boston huddle after Williams' quick start -- perhaps coach Doc Rivers but more likely a teammate -- and decided it was time to get physical.
Wrong.
Williams responded, kept driving to the basket, shot 18 free throws in the game and finished with 32 points.
Considering the pounding Williams took on nearly every journey to the rim -- including Kendrick Perkins' unnecessary flagrant foul late in the fourth quarter -- Williams' performance was the kind on which reputations are built.
By the way, Williams is on the verge of a milestone.
After handing out 1,104 assists in this first two seasons. He has 703 assists this year, bumping his career total of 1,807 heading into tonight's game against Toronto.
Currently, Williams is sixth on the franchise's all-time assist list behind John Stockton (15,806), Karl Malone (5.085), Rickey Green (4,159), Jeff Hornacek (1,895) and Pete Maravich (1,844).
Williams needs 38 assists to pass Maravich for fifth place and 89 to pass Hornacek for fourth place. He will likely do both sometime in the next two weeks.
Another Jazz-Raptor note: Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh is not expected to play because of a knee injury, which is too bad for all of us, except maybe Utah defenders Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur and Paul Millsap.
While the Jazz won't have to deal with Bosh, the rest of us won't get to see one of the true rising stars in the NBA. Only 24 after his birthday just two weeks ago, Bosh is a tremendous talent with equally outstanding character. He is the kind of player -- and person -- the league needs. It's unfortunate he won't play in the Raptors' only stop of the season in Utah.
-- Steve Luhm
Utah had a chance to go 4-0, could have gone 0-4 and ended up 2-2.
While there is a certain symmetry to such a trip, it does little to clarify whether the Jazz are good enough to be included in any discussion about the best teams in the Western Conference.
The win over Boston would have been an eye-opener, except the Celtics played three quarters without Ray Allen and Utah couldn't follow it up against the sub-.500 Nets.
The only word I can think of to describe the recent play of Deron Williams is "relentless."
His effort against the Celtics was unbelievable, especially after it looked like point guard Radian Rondo was confronted by someone in the Boston huddle after Williams' quick start -- perhaps coach Doc Rivers but more likely a teammate -- and decided it was time to get physical.
Wrong.
Williams responded, kept driving to the basket, shot 18 free throws in the game and finished with 32 points.
Considering the pounding Williams took on nearly every journey to the rim -- including Kendrick Perkins' unnecessary flagrant foul late in the fourth quarter -- Williams' performance was the kind on which reputations are built.
By the way, Williams is on the verge of a milestone.
After handing out 1,104 assists in this first two seasons. He has 703 assists this year, bumping his career total of 1,807 heading into tonight's game against Toronto.
Currently, Williams is sixth on the franchise's all-time assist list behind John Stockton (15,806), Karl Malone (5.085), Rickey Green (4,159), Jeff Hornacek (1,895) and Pete Maravich (1,844).
Williams needs 38 assists to pass Maravich for fifth place and 89 to pass Hornacek for fourth place. He will likely do both sometime in the next two weeks.
Another Jazz-Raptor note: Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh is not expected to play because of a knee injury, which is too bad for all of us, except maybe Utah defenders Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur and Paul Millsap.
While the Jazz won't have to deal with Bosh, the rest of us won't get to see one of the true rising stars in the NBA. Only 24 after his birthday just two weeks ago, Bosh is a tremendous talent with equally outstanding character. He is the kind of player -- and person -- the league needs. It's unfortunate he won't play in the Raptors' only stop of the season in Utah.
-- Steve Luhm
9:55 AM
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