Changing of the guard
Added up, Jarron Collins (201) and Matt Harpring (693) played a combined 894 minutes in the 2008-09 regular season. That's out of 19,880 minutes total for the Jazz, a shade under 4.5 percent if you're doing the math.
Collins said Tuesday that he's heading to training camp with Portland after spending eight seasons in Utah. All indications, meanwhile, are that Harpring will not be able to play this season on account of his continued ankle and knee problems.
With the above numbers in mind, it's reasonable to assume the Jazz will be able to fill the void left by Collins and Harpring on the court. Where the Jazz could take a greater hit is in terms of veteran experience and professionalism.
Between them, Collins and Harpring have 19 combined seasons of NBA experience, and what the Jazz have lacked most since Derek Fisher's departure in 2007 has been a veteran like Derek Fisher.
Collins and Harpring were the closest approximation and offered a voice of accountability, despite the limited playing time they saw.
It was telling after last season's catastrophic home loss to a seven-man Golden State team that Harpring looked at the reporters in the locker room and volunteered to answer questions, declaring that the Jazz were at "rock bottom."
Both Harpring and Collins unmistakably had earned coach Jerry Sloan's trust over the years. It was no coincidence that both saw increased roles late last season and it will be interesting to see what Sloan does going forward without them.
Without Harpring and Collins, the Jazz now have one player (Mehmet Okur) who is 30 or older. Andrei Kirilenko is the Jazz's longest-tenured player (entering his ninth season) and the last former teammate of John Stockton's and Karl Malone's still with the team.
Deron Williams already is expected to play beyond his years, but the Jazz even more will become his team to lead without Harpring and Collins, though it's worth remembering that Williams is just 25 and entering his fifth season.
* * *
At least from a beat writer's perspective, Collins and Harpring were two of the best-educated and smartest NBA players to be around. Given their political preferences, they could hold their own version of "Crossfire" in the locker room.
Collins, in particular, could laugh at himself. When the Kings left behind a scouting report after a preseason game in Albuquerque, N.M., two years ago, Collins took stock of what was written about him and conceded, "It's all true."
Reflecting on his eight seasons with the Jazz, Collins joked that the team had never sold a replica No. 31 jersey in all those years. The Jazz sold John Amaechi, Kris Humphries, Gordan Giricek and Dee Brown jerseys, but never a Jarron Collins jersey.
* * *
Talking about his time in Utah, Collins thanked a list of people that included everyone from the Miller family to individual season-ticket holders he knew by name to members of the front office (including the community-relations staff and secretaries) to former teammates like Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek and Greg Ostertag to the owner of Cucina Toscana restaurant.
He singled out a former Tooele High teacher named Kendra Smith, who now lives in San Antonio. She created a Jarron Collins Wall of Fame in her old classroom that included autographs, photos, stats, jerseys, warm-ups and sneakers.
The Jazz place an importance on having their players make community appearances and Collins was one of the best when it came to visiting schools and such.
* * *
The Jazz and Blazers play twice in the preseason, so we'll be seeing a lot of Collins in October. If I could have one wish, it would be for Carlos Boozer to try to bull his way to the basket, Collins to hit the deck with one of his patented flops and the NBA's replacement refs to fall for it and call the offensive foul.
* * *
There's a side of Deron Williams that perhaps can best be described as a playful instigator. Case in point this video of Williams asking Dallas Cowboys fans leaving Sunday night's game who won from his car window. It's at http://www.twitvid.com/6A173.
* * *
Turns out the Jazz will only have the second-biggest media day circus in the NBA after the Lakers if Lamar Odom does wed Khloe Kardashian this weekend as reported. If you're scoring at home Kardashian/Odom > Boozer.
* * *
For those who are interested, the Tribune's Jazz Twitter feed is @tribjazz. Please bear with us as I might be the only person posting to Twitter without a BlackBerry or iPhone. I promise there'll be a picture up before opening night.
--Ross Siler
Collins said Tuesday that he's heading to training camp with Portland after spending eight seasons in Utah. All indications, meanwhile, are that Harpring will not be able to play this season on account of his continued ankle and knee problems.
With the above numbers in mind, it's reasonable to assume the Jazz will be able to fill the void left by Collins and Harpring on the court. Where the Jazz could take a greater hit is in terms of veteran experience and professionalism.
Between them, Collins and Harpring have 19 combined seasons of NBA experience, and what the Jazz have lacked most since Derek Fisher's departure in 2007 has been a veteran like Derek Fisher.
Collins and Harpring were the closest approximation and offered a voice of accountability, despite the limited playing time they saw.
It was telling after last season's catastrophic home loss to a seven-man Golden State team that Harpring looked at the reporters in the locker room and volunteered to answer questions, declaring that the Jazz were at "rock bottom."
Both Harpring and Collins unmistakably had earned coach Jerry Sloan's trust over the years. It was no coincidence that both saw increased roles late last season and it will be interesting to see what Sloan does going forward without them.
Without Harpring and Collins, the Jazz now have one player (Mehmet Okur) who is 30 or older. Andrei Kirilenko is the Jazz's longest-tenured player (entering his ninth season) and the last former teammate of John Stockton's and Karl Malone's still with the team.
Deron Williams already is expected to play beyond his years, but the Jazz even more will become his team to lead without Harpring and Collins, though it's worth remembering that Williams is just 25 and entering his fifth season.
* * *
At least from a beat writer's perspective, Collins and Harpring were two of the best-educated and smartest NBA players to be around. Given their political preferences, they could hold their own version of "Crossfire" in the locker room.
Collins, in particular, could laugh at himself. When the Kings left behind a scouting report after a preseason game in Albuquerque, N.M., two years ago, Collins took stock of what was written about him and conceded, "It's all true."
Reflecting on his eight seasons with the Jazz, Collins joked that the team had never sold a replica No. 31 jersey in all those years. The Jazz sold John Amaechi, Kris Humphries, Gordan Giricek and Dee Brown jerseys, but never a Jarron Collins jersey.
* * *
Talking about his time in Utah, Collins thanked a list of people that included everyone from the Miller family to individual season-ticket holders he knew by name to members of the front office (including the community-relations staff and secretaries) to former teammates like Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek and Greg Ostertag to the owner of Cucina Toscana restaurant.
He singled out a former Tooele High teacher named Kendra Smith, who now lives in San Antonio. She created a Jarron Collins Wall of Fame in her old classroom that included autographs, photos, stats, jerseys, warm-ups and sneakers.
The Jazz place an importance on having their players make community appearances and Collins was one of the best when it came to visiting schools and such.
* * *
The Jazz and Blazers play twice in the preseason, so we'll be seeing a lot of Collins in October. If I could have one wish, it would be for Carlos Boozer to try to bull his way to the basket, Collins to hit the deck with one of his patented flops and the NBA's replacement refs to fall for it and call the offensive foul.
* * *
There's a side of Deron Williams that perhaps can best be described as a playful instigator. Case in point this video of Williams asking Dallas Cowboys fans leaving Sunday night's game who won from his car window. It's at http://www.twitvid.com/6A173.
* * *
Turns out the Jazz will only have the second-biggest media day circus in the NBA after the Lakers if Lamar Odom does wed Khloe Kardashian this weekend as reported. If you're scoring at home Kardashian/Odom > Boozer.
* * *
For those who are interested, the Tribune's Jazz Twitter feed is @tribjazz. Please bear with us as I might be the only person posting to Twitter without a BlackBerry or iPhone. I promise there'll be a picture up before opening night.
--Ross Siler
6:18 PM
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1 Comments:
I must say the 2009-10 Jazz season is going to be one interesting ride without Harpring & Collins, a European pre-season trip, newly inducted HOF Coach Sloan, a new radio play-by-play personality in David Locke, a full Jazz season without Larry H. Miller, and the Carlos Boozer experiment.
I fully expect this season to be chalk full of surprises and oddities. And I think I speak for most of the blog readers here by saying, we can't wait to read about the interesting subject matter, opinions, and insider information to be covered here for the upcoming season. You guys do great work. Here's to a new season and the massive uncertainty it will surely bring.
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