Monday report
The NBA schedule isn't due out until the end of July, but the league would be wise to stop right now and double-check to make sure the Jazz will be playing at home on Dec. 9.
That will be the 20th anniversary of Jerry Sloan's first game as Jazz coach, an anniversary that should not be marked in Houston or Phoenix or Minneapolis.
It's a Tuesday night, and the Jazz should be at home playing Dallas, the team they faced in Sloan's first game after taking over for Frank Layden two decades ago.
There's no doubt that Sloan, given his preference, would downplay the anniversary, but the NBA ought to even consider a special national television broadcast of the game.
It would be even better if at every stoppage they had an interview with one of the coaches who have been part of the 200-plus firings around the league during Sloan's tenure.
* * *
Talking to Kyle Korver last week for the story that ran in Wednesday's paper, the Jazz guard reported that he was probably a month away from being fully cleared to play after undergoing surgery June 5 to remove a bone spur from the top of his left foot.
"It'll be nice not to have to worry about that this year," said Korver, who added that he expected to be back well before the start of training camp.
In other news, Korver's younger brother Klayton, who played on the Drake team that lost a memorable game to Western Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, will not be in summer league with an NBA team and is heading to Europe to audition for teams there.
* * *
Before heading over to the Jazz's first Rocky Mountain Revue practice this morning, I'm asking the readers to please repeat after me: I promise not to take summer-league basketball seriously.
As interesting as summer-league ball is for the diehards, I don't believe it has any correlation to what happens during the regular season. Case in point: Ronnie Brewer was injured for pretty much the entire Revue last summer and had a breakthrough year.
What I enjoy most is some of the box score lines you get from summer-league games. My favorite so far has come from New Orleans' Julian Wright, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting with 11 turnovers in 32 minutes in Las Vegas.
Philadelphia's Josh Smith had an 11-foul game in 29 minutes. Not to be outdone, Memphis rookie Darrell Arthur has totaled 26 fouls in three games so far. Sacramento center Spencer Hawes had seven turnovers in a game.
Detroit's Chiekh Samb went 3-for-12 despite standing 7-foot-1. Milwaukee's Ramon Sessions, who had 24 assists in an NBA game last season, had nine assists and seven turnovers in Vegas.
Golden State rookie Anthony Randolph has the high game - - 30 points - - so far in Vegas He's the leading candidate to win the Nate Robinson MVP award, given to the best player in summer league. It's sort of like being the valedictorian of summer school.
--Ross Siler
That will be the 20th anniversary of Jerry Sloan's first game as Jazz coach, an anniversary that should not be marked in Houston or Phoenix or Minneapolis.
It's a Tuesday night, and the Jazz should be at home playing Dallas, the team they faced in Sloan's first game after taking over for Frank Layden two decades ago.
There's no doubt that Sloan, given his preference, would downplay the anniversary, but the NBA ought to even consider a special national television broadcast of the game.
It would be even better if at every stoppage they had an interview with one of the coaches who have been part of the 200-plus firings around the league during Sloan's tenure.
* * *
Talking to Kyle Korver last week for the story that ran in Wednesday's paper, the Jazz guard reported that he was probably a month away from being fully cleared to play after undergoing surgery June 5 to remove a bone spur from the top of his left foot.
"It'll be nice not to have to worry about that this year," said Korver, who added that he expected to be back well before the start of training camp.
In other news, Korver's younger brother Klayton, who played on the Drake team that lost a memorable game to Western Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, will not be in summer league with an NBA team and is heading to Europe to audition for teams there.
* * *
Before heading over to the Jazz's first Rocky Mountain Revue practice this morning, I'm asking the readers to please repeat after me: I promise not to take summer-league basketball seriously.
As interesting as summer-league ball is for the diehards, I don't believe it has any correlation to what happens during the regular season. Case in point: Ronnie Brewer was injured for pretty much the entire Revue last summer and had a breakthrough year.
What I enjoy most is some of the box score lines you get from summer-league games. My favorite so far has come from New Orleans' Julian Wright, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting with 11 turnovers in 32 minutes in Las Vegas.
Philadelphia's Josh Smith had an 11-foul game in 29 minutes. Not to be outdone, Memphis rookie Darrell Arthur has totaled 26 fouls in three games so far. Sacramento center Spencer Hawes had seven turnovers in a game.
Detroit's Chiekh Samb went 3-for-12 despite standing 7-foot-1. Milwaukee's Ramon Sessions, who had 24 assists in an NBA game last season, had nine assists and seven turnovers in Vegas.
Golden State rookie Anthony Randolph has the high game - - 30 points - - so far in Vegas He's the leading candidate to win the Nate Robinson MVP award, given to the best player in summer league. It's sort of like being the valedictorian of summer school.
--Ross Siler
9:59 AM
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