Jazz 99, Pistons 82
Without passing judgment, the Jazz and Carlos Boozer have had two major communication breakdowns since the summer that are worth noting, especially in light of what happened Saturday morning.
The first came last summer when the Olympic team officially was announced. The Jazz called a news conference at their practice facility and set up two sets of pictures - - Deron Williams and John Stockton, Boozer and Karl Malone in their USA Basketball uniforms.
Williams showed up in person; Boozer was set to join by conference call from Miami. When it came time to start, the Jazz repeatedly tried to reach Boozer, but he was nowhere to be found. The news conference went on with only Williams.
A couple of hours later, the Jazz had to issue a statement on behalf of Boozer talking about the privilege of being chosen for the Olympic team. It was hard not to shake your head as well as feel sorry for the Jazz staffers who had tried to celebrate the event.
Fast forward to Saturday, when Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor greeted us at the morning shootaround by saying that he had yet to hear from Boozer's doctor nearly 24 hours after Boozer had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery.
O'Connor couldn't hide his aggravation at the situation. Jazz trainer Gary Briggs finally talked to Dr. Richard Ferkel in the afternoon, O'Connor said, and the Jazz were able to announce the four-week timetable for Boozer's rehab.
That news release also included another statement on Boozer's behalf: "My knee is now on its way to recovering and getting completely healthy so that I can return to help my team."
You could chalk up each of these to miscommunication, but taken together it's hard not to question what's going on.
* * *
For whatever reason, it just seems like the Jazz always catch teams at home playing the second game of a back-to-back set. New Orleans arrived in Utah after beating the Lakers the night before. Detroit was in the same boat after beating Denver on Friday.
The same will be true Monday with Indiana, which will play at Golden State on Sunday before arriving in Utah.
It's telling that the Jazz beat New Orleans by 26 and Detroit by 17 even with Deron Williams struggling due to a respiratory infection. These games might as well be built-in losses for the road teams.
So far this season, only Orlando has come to Utah in the second game of a back-to-back set and beaten the Jazz. It seems as if the Jazz are regaining their dominance at home, but you have to wonder how much is just because of the schedule.
* * *
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a league-worst 6-32, but the Jazz should be concerned heading into Wednesday's game. The Thunder won on the road in overtime against the Bulls on Saturday night, beat the Knicks earlier in the week and lost by two to Houston.
* * * You won't see a lot of games stranger than Mehmet Okur's Saturday. Okur scored 11 of the Jazz's first 14 points against Detroit and had 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting at the end of the first quarter.
Instead of bringing back Okur quickly in the second, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan sat him for more than seven minutes. Okur then helped the Jazz to a 10-point halftime lead by scoring inside against Antonio McDyess and hitting a three-pointer.
He had 20 points at halftime and appeared certain to top his previous season-high of 27. But Okur was called for a tough blocking foul against Kwame Brown as well as loose ball foul on a rebound and went to the bench midway through the third.
With the Jazz taking a 15-point lead into the fourth, Okur didn't come back in the final period. He finished with 22 points on 8 of 9 shooting with six rebounds in 21 minutes. Okur's averaging better than 12 points in the first quarter of his last four games.
* * *
Even though he picked up two first-quarter fouls, Ronnie Price was up for the challenge of slowing Allen Iverson. Price finished with seven points in 28 minutes starting in place of C.J. Miles, but the more important number was 27.
That's how many fewer points Iverson scored Saturday than he did in last month's double-overtime game against the Jazz in Detroit. Also keep in mind that Price had played only six minutes total in the six games before Saturday.
* * *
Have to admit I was surprised to learn after the game that the Jazz will practice Sunday. I thought Jerry Sloan might reward his players for beating New Orleans by 26 and Detroit by 17, but the Jazz won't be taking the day off.
I'm not sure how many guys even will be available to practice. Deron Williams is still sick. Carlos Boozer is in Los Angeles. Paul Millsap banged his good knee in the second quarter Saturday. C.J. Miles has a sprained right ankle.
--Ross Siler
The first came last summer when the Olympic team officially was announced. The Jazz called a news conference at their practice facility and set up two sets of pictures - - Deron Williams and John Stockton, Boozer and Karl Malone in their USA Basketball uniforms.
Williams showed up in person; Boozer was set to join by conference call from Miami. When it came time to start, the Jazz repeatedly tried to reach Boozer, but he was nowhere to be found. The news conference went on with only Williams.
A couple of hours later, the Jazz had to issue a statement on behalf of Boozer talking about the privilege of being chosen for the Olympic team. It was hard not to shake your head as well as feel sorry for the Jazz staffers who had tried to celebrate the event.
Fast forward to Saturday, when Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor greeted us at the morning shootaround by saying that he had yet to hear from Boozer's doctor nearly 24 hours after Boozer had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery.
O'Connor couldn't hide his aggravation at the situation. Jazz trainer Gary Briggs finally talked to Dr. Richard Ferkel in the afternoon, O'Connor said, and the Jazz were able to announce the four-week timetable for Boozer's rehab.
That news release also included another statement on Boozer's behalf: "My knee is now on its way to recovering and getting completely healthy so that I can return to help my team."
You could chalk up each of these to miscommunication, but taken together it's hard not to question what's going on.
* * *
For whatever reason, it just seems like the Jazz always catch teams at home playing the second game of a back-to-back set. New Orleans arrived in Utah after beating the Lakers the night before. Detroit was in the same boat after beating Denver on Friday.
The same will be true Monday with Indiana, which will play at Golden State on Sunday before arriving in Utah.
It's telling that the Jazz beat New Orleans by 26 and Detroit by 17 even with Deron Williams struggling due to a respiratory infection. These games might as well be built-in losses for the road teams.
So far this season, only Orlando has come to Utah in the second game of a back-to-back set and beaten the Jazz. It seems as if the Jazz are regaining their dominance at home, but you have to wonder how much is just because of the schedule.
* * *
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a league-worst 6-32, but the Jazz should be concerned heading into Wednesday's game. The Thunder won on the road in overtime against the Bulls on Saturday night, beat the Knicks earlier in the week and lost by two to Houston.
* * * You won't see a lot of games stranger than Mehmet Okur's Saturday. Okur scored 11 of the Jazz's first 14 points against Detroit and had 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting at the end of the first quarter.
Instead of bringing back Okur quickly in the second, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan sat him for more than seven minutes. Okur then helped the Jazz to a 10-point halftime lead by scoring inside against Antonio McDyess and hitting a three-pointer.
He had 20 points at halftime and appeared certain to top his previous season-high of 27. But Okur was called for a tough blocking foul against Kwame Brown as well as loose ball foul on a rebound and went to the bench midway through the third.
With the Jazz taking a 15-point lead into the fourth, Okur didn't come back in the final period. He finished with 22 points on 8 of 9 shooting with six rebounds in 21 minutes. Okur's averaging better than 12 points in the first quarter of his last four games.
* * *
Even though he picked up two first-quarter fouls, Ronnie Price was up for the challenge of slowing Allen Iverson. Price finished with seven points in 28 minutes starting in place of C.J. Miles, but the more important number was 27.
That's how many fewer points Iverson scored Saturday than he did in last month's double-overtime game against the Jazz in Detroit. Also keep in mind that Price had played only six minutes total in the six games before Saturday.
* * *
Have to admit I was surprised to learn after the game that the Jazz will practice Sunday. I thought Jerry Sloan might reward his players for beating New Orleans by 26 and Detroit by 17, but the Jazz won't be taking the day off.
I'm not sure how many guys even will be available to practice. Deron Williams is still sick. Carlos Boozer is in Los Angeles. Paul Millsap banged his good knee in the second quarter Saturday. C.J. Miles has a sprained right ankle.
--Ross Siler
12:36 AM
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2 Comments:
So Deron Williams showed up while Boozer was nowhere to be found? What an unsurprisingly pathetic microcosm.
The guy's garbage.
The Jazz need to trade Boozer asap. He is leaving Utah at the end of the year, thats a given. He did it to the Cav's, and we all know he want's to be back in Miami.
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