Jazz Notes

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2009-10-08T21:47:00.002-06:00

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Bulls 102, Jazz 101

2009-10-06T19:23:00.003-06:00

After watching Tuesday's game, just wondering if anybody else flashed back to last season, when the Jazz were playing the Bulls and the long rebound from Derrick Rose's jumper went right to Larry Hughes, who let fly with a game-winner at the buzzer?
Different continent, same result, I guess, although it was the preseason and neither Jerry Sloan nor Vinny Del Negro opted to bring back his starters in the final minutes.
More on the game in a second. NBA commissioner David Stern held a news conference beforehand and had several interesting things to say about some issues of the day around the league.
It's fascinating to watch Stern, who's essentially a head of state for an entertainment. He walked into The O2 arena interview room with no fewer than eight people in tow. He's heading from London to Taiwan for another preseason game the NBA is hosting.
The most interesting thing Stern had to say was in response to a question from the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson about his reaction to Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech. Stern was present for the ceremony in Springfield, Mass., last month.
"What I took from Michael was that he needs to feed off of perceived disrespecting," Stern said. "He looks for the motivation - - not uncommon in our league. And I think that is what drove him to probably be the greatest competitor in the history of our game.
"And he put some of that on display for us and he knowingly did it. He said, ‘I want to tell you what motivates me' and then he shared it with us.
"I think it's interesting for those of us who seek to be great, it was an interesting insight into how one great athlete in this history of the world probably uses perceived slights, real or imagined, and likely if those weren't the slights he would have invented a few more because he motivates himself."
Stern said he is hopeful of bringing a regular-season game to London in either 2010 or 2011 ahead of the 2012 Olympics. He also talked about the league's new television deal in the U.K. with ESPN to broadcast 100 games through the NBA Finals.
He also said there has been no progress with the league's officials in respect to a new contract.
"Right now we are not discussing anything with the union, but they know how to reach us," Stern said. "They haven't even told us why they rejected [the last offer], and left us with little choice but to go ahead and start the exhibition season with replacement referees."
Stern said the league has been "stealth hiring" at its offices, despite the recession, and said the league is planning to open several new international offices - - one in India, one in the Middle East and one in Africa, likely South Africa. He added that the league expects to have three offices open in Africa by the 2012 Olympics.
"We are very intently focused in Africa, based upon the response and the 900 million people that Africa represents," Stern said. "In addition to the extraordinary richness of the talent pool coming from Africa, the business opportunities are going to be very important to us."
Stern even entertained a question from an international reporter about his expectations for the Jazz and Bulls this season.
"I'm fascinated by Utah, which now has four international players," Stern said, "and what can I say, they always make the playoffs with rare exception."
Stern went on to call Deron Williams "one of the point guards of our future."
* * *
As for the game, the Jazz opted to finish with a lineup of Eric Maynor, Ronnie Price, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap and Kosta Koufos. Millsap scored 10 points in the fourth quarter while Koufos had two shots blocked by Joakim Noah in the last 1:10.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan by Maynor's play, saying: "I thought Eric did a good job for us trying to run our offense and get us decent shots every time. . . .It's nice for him to have the opportunity to be in there in those situations and hopefully he'll grow from that."
* * *
Neither Derrick Rose nor Tyrus Thomas played for the Bulls, offering another reminder that Tuesday's game was just the preseason. Have to admit that I'm shocked that Luol Deng didn't play a minute in the fourth quarter of what was a homecoming game for him. Deng scored 18 points in the 25 minutes he did play.
* * *
Jazz president Randy Rigby said the team's decision not to broadcast this week's games in Europe on the radio was purely based on cost as well as potential audience in the middle of the workday.
* * *
Got the chance to do a morning of sightseeing in London, including a stop at Harrods, where we saw not one, not two, not three, not four, but five watches on display costing 125,000 pounds or more. Harrods is so spectacular, it has everything from an entire area devoted to pre-Colonial maps to a section of ancient fossils. Upon closer inspection, the fossils come from Lincoln County, Wyo., and are sold through a company in Logan. Two of the most impressive cost 10,000 pounds or more.
--Ross Siler

Monday report

2009-10-05T16:11:00.005-06:00

From the beginning, the Jazz regarded this trip to Europe as their version of NBA jury duty. After watching C.J. Miles go down Monday with a ruptured ligament in his thumb, I'm sure they're probably ready to head home.
It's pretty sobering to learn that a guy will miss the start of the regular season - - and almost certainly longer - - with an injury that happened on what was supposed to be a happy-go-lucky trip.
Miles had been planning to go sightseeing after practice. In fact, at practice, it seemed as if the Jazz's biggest concern was how to keep this preseason trip from turning into a five-day vacation with many players and staffers bringing along their wives.
"I told the players I hope they have some fun and see some things and that sort of thing," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said, "but they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for basketball and you've got to take care of your job first."
The Jazz were debating whether to immediately fly Miles back to Salt Lake City so he could undergo surgery as soon as possible or keep him with the team for the rest of the trip, which ends with a Thursday game against Real Madrid.
You never know, but having the surgery two or three days earlier than if the Jazz waited to get home could give Miles a chance to play in an extra game or two during the regular season.
* * *
You've got to love these descriptions of the Jazz's biggest stars in Monday's edition of The Times of London.
Andrei Kirilenko: The Russian wears No. 47 on his shirt, hence his AK 47 moniker, and is one of the most solid players to leave Europe for the NBA. Best known in the United States, perhaps, for a bizarre interview given by Masha, his pop star wife, in which she revealed that her husband is allowed one night a year to cheat on her, a confession that earned him national fame and/or notoriety.
Carlos Boozer: Born in Germany, to American military parents, and raised in Alaska, Boozer has been a key member of the US national team at the past two Olympic Games. While an excellent workhorse on the court, Boozer has a bad reputation in contract talks with clubs past and present and is at loggerheads with the Jazz.
Deron Williams: One of the sport's unsung but bona fide superstars in waiting. The Utah playmaker's understated game results in him being overlooked for honours such as the All-Star Game (voted by fans) but makes him an automatic choice on the US team, which he helped to gold in Beijing last year. Expect him to be leading the US to gold at the O2 Arena in 2012.
* * *
It was fun listening to Kyle Korver talk about the experience of attending Sunday's Chelsea-Liverpool game. He mentioned Chelsea's Russian owner as well as what the victory meant in the Premier League standings.
As subdued as he was about this trip in the States, Korver was enthused Monday.
"I wasn't super excited going into this," Korver said. "I really like London. It's a really cool spot. The building's are so old. They really are. It's a whole different culture and it's fun to see."
* * *
Not making this up: Asked how London was treating him, Sloan said that he was having a tough time staying on his regular schedule of medication.
"It's thrown me off a little bit," Sloan said. "I have to count backwards."
* * *
Wish I had more to report from the tourist side, but I spent all afternoon and evening writing. I did venture to a pub across from the hotel to watch Monday night football - - Manchester City-Aston Villa, of course - - but this trip is anything but a vacation for the beat writers.
Hopefully, we'll get to Harrods on Tuesday and enjoy some time in London before the game, which will be shown on ESPN here and NBA TV back in the U.S.
--Ross Siler

Live from London

2009-10-04T17:18:00.000-06:00

   Believe it or not, this trip to London has been less rough than your garden variety back-to-back during the regular season. I've had a lot worse weekends going from New Orleans to Memphis on no sleep than going from Salt Lake City to London over two days.

    There's a host of logistical issues that would have to be resolved before they could ever bring an NBA team(s) to Europe, but sitting here across the Thames from the O2 Arena, it's not as far-fetched as it might seem.

    We got here Saturday afternoon, so we're 24 hours ahead of the Jazz in terms of jetlag. The team arrived midmorning Sunday, having been delayed an hour and a half on the ground at JFK in New York, stuck in a line of 60-plus planes waiting to take off.

    The highlights from Saturday included the world's longest/most expensive cab ride from Heathrow to our hotel (checking in at a cool 80 pounds) as well as a stop at a pub/restaurant across West India Quay from our hotel.

    It was simply impossible not to watch the second half of the Manchester United/Sunderland game when we walked by and every person in the pub was transfixed by the action. Man U. scored in stoppage time to secure a dramatic 2-2 tie.

    (That also started a streak of having sausage as part of every meal that thankfully ended at two with dinner and breakfast the following morning.)

    The Jazz followed through on their plan to hold a brief practice soon after arriving in London. They got out on the floor at The O2 arena for about a half-hour, with practice ending as Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko started juggling a basketball, soccer style.

    It should be noted that The O2, built by the same people as Staples Center, would be the most impressive NBA arena today if it housed a team.

    The O2 is home to 25 different bars and restaurants, which are open to the public even when there's no event, as well as a 12-screen movie theater and a British music museum. There's not one, but two Starbucks along its main walkway.

    It's an especially incredible arena when you consider that it doesn't house a team as an anchor tenant, like Staples Center does with the Lakers, Clippers and Kings. The O2 has been largely a concert venue since it opened in 2007.

    After wrapping up practice, Kirilenko, Okur, Kyle Korver and Deron Williams went to the Chelsea-Liverpool game, with Kirilenko and Okur making an appearance on the field during halftime along with Luol Deng.

    Unfortunately, we couldn't go. The concierge at our hotel said if - - if - - they could even find tickets to the game, they would cost 350 pounds (550 dollars) apiece. There's still the possibility of heading to Birmingham to see a game tomorrow night.

    The NBA has both the Jazz and Bulls staying at the same hotel. The English soccer club Fulham also was here Saturday night. We're only one stop on the Underground from the arena, but the hotel is not centrally located.

    We still managed to head into the city Sunday night for some dinner in the Holborn/Covent Garden area. It was amazing how many people were out after 10 p.m., more than you'd see in an equivalent neighborhood in New York.

    We even saw a couple of guys in kilts. There also was also a store that sold military medals (not sure if they were antique or fake) that would have been perfect for former Jazz guard Gordan Giricek's Croatian bomber jacket.

    There's no way to know how many of the Jazz players will break out of what we like to call the NBA bubble and get to experience a little of the city, but it's an incredible city in which to spend four days.

    It was pretty cool to see Ronnie Price walk into the arena with a video camera recording, as well as Spencer Nelson having his picture taken with Okur on the court after practice. To some guys, this trip is a pretty special deal.

    --Ross Siler

Friday report

2009-10-02T12:45:00.002-06:00

   Yahoo.com's Marc Spears checked in with the Jazz at practice Sunday and offers a pretty sharp analysis of the Carlos Boozer situation in this Friday story. Most significantly, Spears touches on the sensitive subject of Boozer's decision not to attend Larry Miller's funeral last season.

    As Spears writes: "When Miller died later in February, team sources say Boozer again raised the eyebrows of some in the organization by not attending either the funeral or the wake. Center Mehmet Okur was the only other player absent at the funeral - he didn't attend because of his Muslim faith, but did go to the wake."

    If you remember, Miller's funeral was held the same afternoon as a Jazz home game. The Jazz officially deemed the decision to attend personal for each player and suggested it was an optional activity. In reality, though, people obviously were keeping score.

    According to our account in the Tribune, 11 of the Jazz's 15 players last season attended Miller's funeral. Boozer wasn't one of them, but neither was Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap or Okur, if memory is correct. Some of them attended a wake the day before, some didn't.

    The Jazz also paid Miller a hospital visit in the weeks before his death. Thinking back on that time, I remember Deron Williams saying that he didn't plan on going to Miller's wake simply because he doesn't like them. He didn't even attend one for his grandfather. Williams did go to Miller's funeral.

    The point is that everybody handles death differently, and it is very, very complicated to hold it against Boozer for not attending Miller's funeral. It's also understandable that some people were offended by the decision, reading into it the back-and-forth between Boozer and Miller over the years.

    "Funerals are a tough thing to go through," Boozer told Spears. "After I saw [Miller] in the hospital, I wanted to remember him how I just saw him last. Confident. Happy. Not happy-happy, but happy enough to give us some words of wisdom for the rest of our season.

    "That's how I want to remember him. I didn't want to go to his wake and see his body lying there. I didn't want to go to his funeral, where it would be sad. I wanted to remember Larry as Larry, as a fiery competitor - happy, emotional, a leader."

    * * *

    Williams sat out Friday's practice with a sore right heel but is expected to play Tuesday. Kyle Korver was set to take part in some of practice as he continues to recover from an inflamed left knee. Korver is questionable to play.

    * * *

    Next time we see the Jazz will be a Sunday afternoon practice at the O2 Arena in London. It's a long way from here to there.

    --Ross Siler

Jazz 103, Nuggets 87

2009-10-02T00:43:00.001-06:00

   The replacement referees were competent. Carlos Boozer heard cheers from the crowd. Those were the two things to take away from the Jazz's preseason opener Thursday, a game that should best be forgotten by lunch Friday.

    With overseas trips, the Jazz and the Nuggets played their first preseason game less than a week after opening training camp. Neither Kenyon Martin nor J.R. Smith played for Denver, so be careful about putting too much stock in the Jazz's victory.

    Some observations from the game:

    --Not even three minutes in, Mehmet Okur hit a running hook against top shotblocker Chris Andersen. It's the shot Okur has talked about adding in the off-season. Okur then nailed a three-pointer a minute later and had 10 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.

    --C.J. Miles got off to a fast start and drew a three-shot foul just before halftime on the way to scoring 16 points. Miles hit one three-pointer after Denver had come out in a zone defense following a first quarter timeout. He went 5-for-7 for the night.

    --The Jazz outscored Denver a combined 61-43 in the first and third quarters. The Jazz mixed and matched lineups during that time, but both teams had their best players in the game those two quarters. The Jazz used 16 players, all of whom scored in the game.

    --Deron Williams took over in the third quarter, scoring 14 of his 16 points. That included two three-pointers, the first of which was anything but a preseason shot. Williams brought the ball up court and buried a three over Chauncey Billups with 19 on the shot clock. His shot bumped the Jazz's lead back up from seven to 10.

    --Paul Millsap has talked about expanding his game, especially if he's going to play small forward, and showed some range on his jumper in hitting an 18-footer in the third quarter. The story of the preseason might be how much small forward Millsap ends up playing.

    --Kosta Koufos really struggled in going 1-for-8 overall and 1-for-7 in the fourth quarter. Most notable was Koufos difficulty in timing rebound attempts and other plays around the basket.

    --Eric Maynor had four points and an assist in his Jazz debut, even hitting the type of runner in the fourth quarter that eluded him throughout summer-league play. For what it's worth, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan used Ronnie Price as his first point guard off the bench.

    * * *

    It was such a rough game for Koufos that Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen, who was seated courtside, sent the following Tweet in the fourth quarter: "Please welcome Kosta back. He is having a tough night."

    One preseason game and Koufos is already ticketed for the D-League? It's worth noting that the Jazz only have 12 healthy players under contract right now, which means they're going to need Koufos in uniform for the sake of numbers alone.

    * * *

    By my count, the replacement referees called two delay of game warnings, one lane violation and several offensive fouls. It took 2 hours, 34 minutes to play a regulation preseason game, with the two teams combining to shoot 88 free throws.

    They whistled four fouls in the last minute of the fourth quarter with the Jazz leading by 15. And they made the kind of call you almost never see at the end of the first half, whistling a blocking foul on Goran Suton against Renaldo Balkman with 0.1 seconds left.

    At least in the Jazz's locker room, though, the sentiment was that Tre Maddox, Deldre Carr and C.J. Washington did a commendable job.

    "I'm going to be honest, I was impressed with the referees," Boozer said. "They did a good job and they called a fair game on both sides. They were unintimidated. They were great. I was impressed."

    Added Deron Williams: "The officials were good. I thought they did a good job. They didn't look like replacements to me."

    Most remarkable was how little was said between the players and replacement referees. You hardly ever see a game without a running dialogue between the players and refs.

    "I don't know their names," Williams said. "I'm trying to not talk to refs as much. I'm trying to just play and let coach talk to the refs. I want to save my money this year."

    * * *

    The Jazz's attendance is going to be closely watched this season, but they had to be happy with the numbers from their first exhibition game. The Jazz announced a crowd of 18,114, which is comparable to their first home preseason games in 2008 (18,761) and 2007 (18,707).

    * * *

    Deron Williams isn't going to have any problem complying with the league's new Twitter policy, but he did admit Thursday that he might have texted from the bench when he was out last season with a sprained ankle. You could see Williams, in fact, send messages a couple of times from the back of the Jazz's huddle during timeouts. In his own defense, Williams noted that he was never caught on camera doing so, as Carlos Boozer was last season.

    --Ross Siler

Wednesday report

2009-09-30T18:17:00.002-06:00

   From my first year covering the Jazz, I'll never forget Jerry Sloan joking that the greatest value of the first home preseason game was making sure his players knew how to get to the arena. It was Kyrylo Fesenko's rookie season, so Sloan sounded perfectly reasonable.

    There's not a lot to love about the preseason, but Thursday's opener against Denver will have more intrigue than usual. There'll even be national interest, with the NBA set to use replacement referees for the first time in more than a decade.

    Even more attention will be paid to the reception Carlos Boozer receives from the EnergySolutions Arena crowd as well as Sloan's starting lineup and how he decides to use Boozer and Paul Millsap.

    With Andrei Kirilenko, C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver all nursing injuries this week, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Sloan play Millsap extensively at small forward, something he has discussed doing as a way of finding Millsap additional minutes.

    We'll also get a chance to appraise Fesenko and Kosta Koufos as they enter their third and second seasons, respectively. Both will have the chance in the preseason to make the case that they deserve a role in Sloan's rotation.

    The word on the street, meanwhile, is that the Jazz have been putting in one to two new plays a day, in addition to their renewed commitment to defense. So much, I guess, for the perception that Sloan's been running the exact same plays for two decades.

    One of Sloan's comments Wednesday hinted at the new plays the team has been putting in.

    "You're always curious to see how we're going to play and see how they're going to compete," Sloan said, "because sometimes when you put plays in and guys are trying to figure out what they're doing and try to get comfortable with one another, you know they panic a little bit.

    "You see that and then you have to go back over it again, and try to get them comfortable to where they know if somebody puts a little pressure on them, hopefully they know what they're doing."

    The Jazz also supposedly are breaking their huddle with "1-2-3-Defense" this season, which is symbolic if nothing else. I have yet to see the new plays or the new chant, but that's what somebody in the know told me.

    Andrei Kirilenko also mentioned Wednesday that the Jazz have started to make more extensive use of scouting and video preparation when it comes to defense. The goal is to reinforce defensive concepts better visually.

    "We're not concentrated on it [before]," Kirilenko said. "Right now, we're kind of more passionate about it. We'll see how it goes. I think it's a great idea, you can see what mistakes you did last game and kind of concentrate on this game not making it."

    * * *

    While saying that Ronnie Price was probably ahead of Eric Maynor in the backup point guard race, Deron Williams added Wednesday that Maynor had the potential to be what he described as a "special player."

    For a rookie, Maynor has been anything but rattled, according to Williams.

    "Usually, they come in here and they're going a mile a minute," Williams said. "We're still trying to slow some of the young guys down to this day. For him to come in and be that poised and just be under control, that's what I'm really impressed with."

    Williams also acknowledged that having improved backup point guard play could buy him some rest when the Jazz are facing a set of back-to-back games.

    "I think that's important for us this year because that was such a big problem last year," Williams said.

    * * *

    The Jazz will play under a hybrid set of NBA/FIBA rules for their Oct. 8 game against Real Madrid, general manager Kevin O'Connor said. O'Connor still was reviewing everything the rules entail.

    * * *

    You can't make this stuff up: Sloan's commute to the Jazz's practice facility has been negatively impacted by construction for a new highway off-ramp for a Karl Malone Toyota dealership.

    "I'm going to get on his butt and see if he can get that done with," Sloan joked.

    --Ross Siler

Tuesday report

2009-09-29T18:31:00.000-06:00

   Unfortunately, we don't get a chance to watch the Jazz practice this year during training camp - - they've opened one practice to the public in years past at Boise State - - so there's no way to assess how things stack up early in some of the position battles.

    We don't know yet whether Carlos Boozer or Paul Millsap is going to be starting in Thursday's preseason opener, whether Ronnie Price or Eric Maynor is going to be the first point guard off the bench or whether Kyrylo Fesenko or Kosta Koufos will see more action.

    Just from listening to the Jazz players, though, you can tell how much emphasis coach Jerry Sloan has put on defense so far in camp. The Jazz gave up 100.9 points on average last season, the first Sloan-coached team to do so in more than a decade.

    Both Boozer and Deron Williams said the Jazz have been working to sharpen their defensive rotations so far in camp. At least in Williams' opinion, help defense has been the focus of camp.

    "We got away from that last year, we didn't trust each other last year," Williams said. "We've got to get back and start helping out, start trusting each other and rotating better."

    The Jazz's defensive breakdowns were magnified by their abysmal record (3-18) in the second game of back-to-back sets. I haven't done the math, but if you took away five to seven of those games, the Jazz's defensive numbers wouldn't look as bad.

    This season, Williams has vowed to take it upon himself to set the tone for the Jazz on the road and in the second games of back-to-backs.

    "Just making sure we get out and have energy, get out and push the ball," Williams said. "Sometimes we start off a little complacent. It'll be my job to get out and push the ball and if people don't want to run, I'm sure coach will sub them out."

    At the same time, Williams acknowledges that he can't shoulder the entire weight himself.

    "We've got to get tougher mentally," Williams said. "It's on me, but it's on everybody else as well. We've got to step up to the challenge and play better on the road.

    "Another problem we had was playing bad against teams under .500. We let too many games slip away that if we'd just put our foot on people early, we'd have the game."

    Sloan pledged to make changes this year to increase defensive accountability. In particular, he said he would bench players who refused to run the floor or play as physically as he'd like to see.

    You can talk about strategies all day, but Sloan never fails to describe defense as being a matter of effort first and foremost.

    "We've got to do a better job defensively," Sloan said. "I think everybody's tried to work hard and do a better job there. And that's effort. It's not a matter about athletic ability. It's about effort and who's going to stick their nose in and get after it, try to help us take away some of the easy baskets that we gave up."

    * * *

    I've gotten a couple of e-mails from fans interested in the Jazz's television schedule this season. (One of the fans splits season tickets, makes the drive from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and tries to pick the KJZZ games he can't get on television at home. Pretty impressive.)

    Here's what it says on the Jazz's pocket schedule: "All games televised on FSN-Utah in high definition (except nationally televised games on TNT or ABC)." From that reading, it's unclear whether the Jazz are airing any games at all on KJZZ.

    And if that's the case, my question is why the Jazz pushed so hard for a KJZZ retransmission agreement last season with DirecTV.

    It also doesn't appear that the Jazz are televising Thursday's preseason opener. According to tvguide.com, KJZZ is set to air game shows and Dr. Phil while FSN will be carrying a Rockies game.

    --Ross Siler

Monday report

2009-09-28T15:58:00.002-06:00

   You might have missed the news this summer, but the WNBA for the first time allowed teams to have game jersey sponsors. The Phoenix Mercury wore jerseys featuring the logo for LifeLock, an identity theft prevention company, while the Los Angeles Sparks wore jerseys sponsored by Farmers Insurance.

    The NBA hasn't gone as far yet, but this season teams can start selling practice jersey sponsorships. So far, two teams have taken advantage. The Nets will practice in jerseys sponsored by PNY Technologies and the Suns will do likewise in jerseys sponsored by The Annexus Group.

    As for the Jazz, president Randy Rigby said at Friday's media day that the team is investigating the possibility. The sponsorships apparently extend to the shooting shirts that players wear on the court at the start of pregame warm-ups as well as the coaching staff practice attire.

    Given the Jazz's luxury-tax situation, you have to figure the team is exploring any and all potential options to increase revenue. Having a practice jersey sponsor can be worth six to seven figures annually. The NBA hasn't yet made the leap, but it's probably inevitable that we're going to see game jersey sponsors soon.

    The Jazz's most logical sponsor has to be Zions Bank, which already has a naming rights deal for the team's practice facility (the Zions Bank Basketball Center) in place. The Jazz also could follow the Nets' and Suns' lead in going with a technology company eager to make a name for itself.

    Or the Jazz could decide to cross-promote another of the Larry H. Miller companies. One can imagine the Jazz taking the practice court each day in a jersey sponsored by Karl Malone Toyota.

    * * *

    Jazz coach Jerry Sloan made a comment Monday in response to a question about bringing Andrei Kirilenko off the bench again this season that suggested he's inclined to have Paul Millsap come off the bench at least to open the preseason.

    "He's not a guy that has to take five possessions to warm up," Sloan said of Kirilenko. "That's the way Paul Millsap plays. He steps on the floor and he's energized right off the bat. That's one of the reasons why I did what I did with those guys.

    "We'll have to see where we are this year. I don't know how it'll work out. That's why I don't make the decision until we get ready to start the season."

    * * *

    Although he's a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Deron Williams was part of the record crowd of 105,121 at the Cowboys Stadium opener earlier this month. He admitted to thinking about the NBA's All-Star Game, which is set to be played in the stadium in February.

    "It'll be crazy to see how that sets up," Williams said. "That's a big ass arena."

    Having been passed over three times for the All-Star Game, Williams has all the motivation he needs with the game scheduled for his hometown.

    "Every season, I want to make the All-Star Game - - everybody does," Williams said. "It'll be great to have my first one in Dallas. I feel like this should be my third one at least, but what can you do?"

    As for the gigantic video board at Cowboys Stadium, Williams suggested it's even more impressive than advertised. "I watched the game on there pretty much and I had great seats," he said. "You see everything."

    * * *

    Even Williams has things he wants to work on this season. He listed cutting down on turnovers and improving his three-point percentage as top priorities. Williams also said he wants to be a better leader and push the Jazz into more consistent play, especially on the road.

    * * *

    Believe it or not, Sloan has a little sympathy for the replacement referees set to work Thursday's preseason opener. Asked about the circumstances, Sloan thought back to 1977, when the NBA also used replacement refs while he was in Chicago.

    "They, I thought, did a terrific job," said Sloan, who will caution his players Thursday about not getting caught up in the officiating. "They have a tough job, so you give them a little bit of slack to do their job, I'm sure."

    --Ross Siler

Williams sizes up his understudies

2009-09-28T14:59:00.003-06:00

I talked to Deron Williams the other day, and he was certainly in a good mood.
I asked the Jazz's incumbent point guard about first-round draft pick Eric Maynor.

His response?

"Should I be scared?" Williams said.

It wasn't the answer I expected, so I felt compelled to follow up my original question. I asked Williams how he planned to mentor Maynor, who will likely end up battling veteran Ronnie Price this season for the job as his primary backup.
Still smiling -- like he enjoyed throwing the newspaper guy a little off balance -- Williams said, "... You just talk to him. I'm sure he'll have a lot of questions for me. Hopefully, he can learn a lot by watching me, as well as Ronnie [Price].

"It will be interesting to see those two battle it out. I definitely think Ronnie has the upper hand right now. He's been here and proven himself. But I like what I saw from Eric, playing pick-up. He's definitely got the tools to be a great point guard. He knows how to run a team already. ... He takes his time and has a great feel for the game."

I replied, "So, you are scared?"

"A little bit," Williams said.

Williams, by the way, says he has gained about 10 pounds of muscle since last season.
“... I'm still four percent body fat,” he said, "[and] I feel stronger. Hopefully, that will help me throughout the season."

-- Steve Luhm

Sunday report

2009-09-27T15:58:00.001-06:00

   For the first time since 2003, the Jazz are holding training camp at their practice facility. Given their weeklong trip to Europe in the preseason, general manager Kevin O'Connor felt it would be too much travel to leave town for camp as well.

    It creates a different feel for camp, especially for those of us who liked going to Boise State. The players are free to go home to their families not just every night, but between two-a-day sessions as well.

    Deron Williams was enthusiastic about staying home for camp, in particular the whirlpools and cold tubs that weren't available in Boise. "That's tough [not to have] during two-a-days," Williams said.

    He also dismissed any concerns about the loss of team bonding, saying most players went back to their hotel rooms and slept after two-a-days in Boise. Now they just go home and do the same thing.

    Jazz coach Jerry Sloan acknowledged, "I always thought as a player, I'd rather be at home." With the Jazz having a young team in recent seasons, though, Sloan made the decision to go away for camp.

    That the Jazz will host their first preseason game Thursday - - less than a week after starting camp - - also was a consideration. "We're going to be going right off the bat," Sloan said, adding that staying home was easier on the training and equipment staffs.

    * * *

    The Jazz's trip to Europe is going to be so quick that you might miss it if you blink. They'll have at most two days in London before playing Chicago a week from Tuesday and even less time in Madrid, Spain, before returning home.

    Even so, the trip has been a big concern for general manager Kevin O'Connor on down.

    "When you take people out of their routine . . . you concern yourself with it," O'Connor said, noting that the Jazz were going to return Oct. 9 and were able to open camp three days early to accommodate the trip.

    "We've got enough time to assimilate ourselves back into going on the road, playing back-to-back games, coming back and all that stuff. But you always worry about it."

    O'Connor went so far as to say, "You get a little nutty with it," including examining the records of teams that had gone to Europe in previous seasons. The results have been mixed, though Boston did win a championship after holding training camp in Rome.

    It's going to be a long month on the road regardless for the Jazz. Even after returning from Europe, the Jazz will play four preseason games on the road - - two in the L.A. shootout hosted by the Lakers, one at Portland and one at Sacramento.

    * * *

    Kosta Koufos had no complaints about jet lag, even if he was playing for the Greek national team at the European championships in Poland this time last week. He spent not even a full day at home in Canton, Ohio, before arriving in Utah for the start of camp.

    Although he saw only limited action and battled stomach flu in the middle of the tournament, the 20-year-old Koufos came home with a bronze medal from his debut with the Greek national team.

    "It was a great experience," Koufos said. "I got a lot of games in. It's just a different type of basketball. There was good talent there, a lot of NBA talent playing in the European championships, and I was blessed and fortunate enough to be a part of it."

    Added Koufos: "We played well, we played hard, and we turned a lot of heads, because a lot of people didn't think we were going to make the top four, and we did." With its showing, Greece also qualified for next summer's FIBA world championships in Turkey.

    After spending two months with the Greek team - - and speaking Greek on the court - - Koufos has had to adjust to playing with the Jazz.

    "You've got to adjust quickly, and that's part of the game, too, is adjusting," he said.

    * * *

    There's one change that jumps out in the Jazz's preseason media guide. For the first time, Gail Miller is included.

    The wife of late owner Larry Miller is listed as both the Jazz's owner and chairman of the board; son Greg is the chief executive officer of the Miller group of companies.

    From her biography, Gail Miller's accomplishments and civil service include overseeing the Miller family foundation, serving on the Salt Lake Community College board of trustees and being a member of the President's Action Committee of the United Way of Salt Lake.

    It also notes that she was named The Tribune's Most Influential Sports Figure of 2009.

    --Ross Siler

Media day

2009-09-25T20:40:00.002-06:00

   It was difficult to listen to Carlos Boozer on Friday and not come away convinced that a trade would be in the best interests of both the Jazz and Boozer, which brings us back to square one as we head into the new season.

    Boozer offered no apologies for his comments this summer, in fact blaming the questions he was asked in those radio interviews. All he said he was trying to do was promote the basketball camp he was holding in Alaska on a Chicago station.

    Funny thing is, I think Boozer actually did go on the radio in Chicago to do just that, then got blindsided with a series of questions about getting traded and gave the answers he thought that audience would want to hear.

    That's no excuse for the three (at least) subsequent interviews in which he alternated lavishing praise on Chicago and Miami as trade destinations, nor is it an excuse for Boozer's failure to clarify his comments in the subsequent two months.

    There's blame on all sides, though. It's hard to argue with Boozer's claim that the Jazz - - both with actions and words - - gave him the impression that he was no longer in their future plans.

    Start with Greg Miller's comments criticizing Boozer's defense and leadership. The Jazz then declined to offer Boozer a contract extension while signing Mehmet Okur to one for two years and $20.8 million, followed by matching Portland's offer sheet to Paul Millsap.

    Boozer did not back down Friday in insisting that he was told by management he was no longer in the Jazz's plans, which only contributes to the perception that this is a lame-duck season for the former All-Star.

    * * *

    Several times during his session with reporters, Boozer talked about a dedication to play better defense, including an answer to my question about his reaction to Miller's comments.

    "I'm looking forward to playing better defense, you know I need to," Boozer said. "I'm looking forward to proving it out there on the court. I think as a team we all have to play better defense, otherwise we're not going anywhere.

    "For me, I'm going to take on that challenge of being a better defender. Our team as a whole, if we do a better job of team defense together, then we have a chance of being really good."

    Asked about addressing what happened this summer with his teammates, Boozer sounded as if he didn't feel the need.

    "This is my eighth year," he said. "It ain't the first time somebody's talked about trading me. It ain't the first time I've dealt with it. Some of these guys have been traded before. For us, we're just going to get going.

    "I talked to everybody, said, 'What's up?' I'm happy to see everybody. Everybody looks great and everybody looks like they're in great shape and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

    We'll see what reception Boozer gets at the Jazz's first preseason game Thursday. After that, it's off to London for a game against - - wouldn't you know? - - Chicago, which is sure to lead to continued Boozer-related questions. Point is, this isn't going away quietly.

    * * *

    Mehmet Okur has been in Salt Lake City for more than 40 days, which should give him a head-start on the season. Okur said he'd worked in the off-season on adding a jump hook that he could use around the basket.

    "Most people can do like three, four moves good," he said, "but it's hard to add one more because you don't want to mess up the [other] ones."

    We hadn't had the chance to talk to Okur since he signed his extension with the Jazz. He reminded us that he left for the off-season talking about Utah as his second home and wanting to stay with the Jazz.

    "I kept my promise and I didn't go anywhere," Okur said.

    * * *

    Much as he did in July, Paul Millsap repeated that he felt he would play with less pressure than before after signing his huge contract this summer.

    "I can go out there and really show what I can really do," Millsap said.

    Asked what he worked on this summer, Millsap said conditioning and shooting. "Eighty-two games is a long season and I need my body ready to play all 82 games," Millsap said, "so conditioning, shooting, just continue to get better, period."

    * * *

    Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said keeping a team together was worth three to four additional wins a season. With all the focus on Boozer, there wasn't a lot of attention paid to overall expectations for the Jazz's season. Most of them were centered around staying healthy. Deron Williams did acknowledge that Dallas, San Antonio and the Lakers all got better while the Jazz stayed the same.

    * * *

    Eric Maynor spent time in Houston training with John Lucas before arriving in Utah two weeks ago. Among the pros who were in Houston with Maynor were T.J. Ford, Daniel Gibson, Mike James and Chris Wilcox.

    * * *

    Turns out that Ronald Dupree once was cut from the Jazz's Rocky Mountain Revue summer-league team. Now he's probably the leading candidate to win a roster spot with Matt Harpring out indefinitely with ankle and knee injuries.

    Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor compared Dupree to Raja Bell and John Starks as players who took the long road to the NBA.

    "Those guys get better and guys that get better wind up playing," O'Connor said. As for Dupree, he added: "I've never heard of anybody getting yelled at for playing too much defense or getting too many rebounds. I think if he does those things, we can take a look."

    * * *

    Alex Johnson explained his decision to come to camp with the Jazz and said he wouldn't be here if he didn't think he could make the team.

    "I thought it would be a good fit, especially playing the power forward," Johnson said. "I've seen them develop a lot of power forwards and I just thought it would be a good fit with the style they play and a couple other things."

    * * *

    I'll write a little more about this in the coming days, but C.J. Miles spent much of the summer working out in New York with a pair of NFL players. Miles agreed with my assessment that he benefited from not having to worry about his contract situation this summer.

    * * *

    Syracuse guard Paul Harris, a training camp invitee, suffered a sprained right ankle playing a pickup game this week and was on crutches and in a walking boot at media day.

    --Ross Siler

The final hours of the off-season

2009-09-24T21:46:00.001-06:00

   If nothing else, this preseason is going to be more interesting than last, when the Jazz had 15 players with guaranteed contracts and no roster spots left to claim.

    They will enter camp with 13 players under contract this year, one of whom will be two time zones away in Matt Harpring. The Jazz have to carry a minimum of 13 players under NBA rules, but would have only 12 available if they don't make an addition.

    That would make things pretty easy when it comes to filling out the active list, but the Jazz have to decide if they are best served with such a thin roster, especially if they're concerned about the possibility of injuries.

    For years, the Jazz carried just 12 players when the NBA would have allowed them to keep additional players on the old injured list. That changed as Karl Malone and John Stockton moved into the final years of their careers.

    Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor isn't opposed to what in effect would be a 12-man roster. His biggest concern, in fact, is not with the games but maintaining quality in practice when players inevitably get banged up.

    The Jazz might have to stay at 12 simply because of economics. They have an $82 million payroll and are facing a $12 million luxury-tax bill.

    Keeping second-round draft pick Goran Suton (or any other player on a rookie minimum contract) would cost more than $900,000 because of the tax. A five-year veteran like Ronald Dupree would cost approximately $1.65 million.

    O'Connor also prefers to keep at least one roster spot empty in the event of a two-for-one trade in which the Jazz would have to take back an extra player with a guaranteed contract. That probably goes double this season as long as Carlos Boozer is around.

    The Jazz will have six players fighting to show the Jazz they are worth keeping around. We've already reported on Dupree and Suton, but the Jazz also will be bringing Syracuse guard Paul Harris and Marquette guard Wes Matthews to camp.

    Also coming to camp will be former Utah State forward Spencer Nelson, who went to camp with the Jazz in 2005 and twice played for them in the Rocky Mountain Revue. Nelson has played professionally in Germany, Italy and Greece.

    The final name is an interesting one in Alex Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 102 games over two seasons with Memphis and Miami. Something about the Jazz's situation obviously attracted Johnson.

    * * *

    If media day two years ago with Andrei Kirilenko was any guide, don't expect anything earthshaking out of Carlos Boozer's return Friday. I'm guessing there's going to be 600 quotes all centered on the same old NBA theme: "It's a business."

    I am interested, though, to hear what Boozer has to say about just what he was promised as far as a trade, his reaction to Paul Millsap's new contract and how he plans to make the best out of a most uncomfortable situation this season.

    --Ross Siler

Malone's stepfather dies

2009-09-23T19:35:00.002-06:00

I met Ed Turner a couple of times over the years. I remember him being a quiet man with an ever-present grin who obviously preferred staying in the background.

Turner, the stepfather of former Utah Jazz star Karl Malone, died Tuesday after suffering a stroke about three weeks ago.

Over the years, I remember Malone often crediting Turner as being someone who helped him grow up, mature and learn to work hard. Not a bad legacy for a stepfather.

Turner's illness prevented Malone from attending the Hall of Fame induction of coach Jerry Sloan and ex-teammate John Stockton on Sept. 11.

Malone did make a quick trip from Ruston, La., to Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 12th in order to attend a post-induction ring presentation ceremony and dinner.

At the time, he told ESPN, " ... My family and I decided to get away from that [situation] for a few hours and come here and then go right back."

Malone added: "... It was just a respect thing. I came to get a hug from John and Jerry Sloan."

According to a brief announcement by the family, Ed Turner died of "natural causes." He married Malone's mother in 1971, when Karl was eight years old. He was a local grocer and plumber. "Miss Shirley" operated a general story in Malone's hometown of Summerfield, La.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorials in Ed Turner's name be made to the Huntsman Cancer Institute or Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, Larry H. Miller Group CEO Greg Miller said, “On behalf of the entire Utah Jazz family, our love goes out to Karl, Kay and the Malone family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”

-- Steve Luhm

The Harpring situation

2009-09-23T17:10:00.000-06:00

   There's been a lot of questions all summer about the financial implications of Matt Harpring's status. To the best of my understanding, here's the breakdown. For starters, Harpring's $6.5 million salary for 2009-10 became fully guaranteed midway through last season.

    Although there were injury provisions in his contract, they were all related to Harpring's surgically repaired right knee. He missed exactly zero games for knee-related reasons, so his salary became guaranteed after the Jan. 31 game in Portland.

    Harpring's salary also will continue to count against the Jazz for salary cap/luxury tax calculations. The NBA requires a one-year waiting period before teams can look ahead to relief if a player suffers a career-ending injury.

    Because Harpring played in last season's playoffs, that waiting period extends all the way through this season. Since this is the final year of his contract, there's no future relief that could be obtained.

    Where things get interesting is the insurance issue. For those who were unaware, NBA teams are allowed to insure their players' contracts and collect in the event of a season- or career-ending injury.

    Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor declined to comment earlier this summer when I asked about Harpring and insurance. So I went to somebody from outside the organization who deals with these issues daily and could speak generally on the subject.

    Although the person had no direct knowledge of Harpring's situation, he guessed that his contract was insured. The NBA requires teams to carry insurance for the top five salary commitments they have on their roster.

    Heading into last season, Harpring was the Jazz's No. 5 salary commitment after Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur.

    (Some teams opt not to insure players entering the final year of their contracts, believing that there's little reason to do so. A player has to miss a minimum of 41 games as a result of the same injury before insurance even kicks in.)

    From this explanation, you'd have to believe the Jazz have insurance on Harpring. My biggest question has been whether the Jazz face any kind of exception when it comes to Harpring as a result of the microfracture surgeries he's had on his knee.

    It turns out - - and I don't think I've seen this written anywhere before - - that the insurer is allowed to make 15 league-wide exceptions each season.

    The exceptions are even more specific that just a certain player. They can apply only to a certain injury involving a certain player. For example, the insurer can make an exception for Player A's back or Player B's knee, but has only 15 total for the league.

    From experience, it was further explained that with so few exceptions, the insurer typically uses them on players with max or near-max contracts. Harpring's four-year, $25 million contract seemingly wouldn't fall into this category.

    Granted, this is all the analysis from somebody outside the organization, but I think it's reasonable to assume the Jazz will be able to collect 50 percent to 75 percent of the $6.5 million that Harpring is set to make.

    Of course, not having Harpring means things can only get more expensive in one respect for the Jazz.

    Even with Harpring, the Jazz had just 13 players under contract. That's the league minimum, which is one reason why they might want to keep him on the roster. But it leaves them with 12 available players to start the season.

    The Jazz will have options to explore in training camp and could add a player - - like Ronald Dupree or Goran Suton - - on a minimum contract. Even a minimum contract, though, would cost the Jazz double dollars given their luxury-tax situation.

    Which means the Jazz are going to have to ask whether it's worth adding a minimum-contract player who could cost them upwards of $2 million, in the case of a veteran like Dupree.

    --Ross Siler

Changing of the guard

2009-09-22T18:18:00.005-06:00

   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

Koufos, Greece lose in Eurobasket semis

2009-09-19T13:15:00.001-06:00

Jazz center Kosta Koufos played the final 7:14 of Greece's 82-64 loss to Spain in Saturday's semifinals of the European championships in Poland. By the time Koufos checked in, Greece already was trailing by 22 in the fourth quarter. Koufos finished with four points and three rebounds and went 2-for-5 from the field, including a layup blocked by Marc Gasol. While Spain advances to the championship game, Greece will play the loser of Saturday's other semifinal between Serbia and Slovenia in Sunday's bronze medal game. Koufos had missed Greece's previous two games white battling stomach flu/food poisoning.

--Ross Siler

Koufos, Greece advance to Euro semifinals

2009-09-18T13:52:00.000-06:00

Kosta Koufos' chances of returning home with a medal increased Friday as Greece edged Turkey 76-74 in overtime in the European championships quarterfinals. Greece advances to play Spain in a Saturday semifinal and clinched a spot at next year's world championships in Turkey with the victory. Koufos did not play - - he has been battling stomach flu/food poisoning in recent days - - and Greece shortened its rotation to nine players for the game. Vassilis Spanoulis had 23 points for Greece and hit two three-pointers in overtime. Led by Pau Gasol's 28 points and nine rebounds, Spain crushed France 86-66 in its quarterfinal.

--Ross Siler

Wednesday report

2009-09-17T00:41:00.002-06:00

   The Morris Almond era - - if you can call 34 games that - - officially came to an end Wednesday with the news that the Jazz's 2007 first-round draft pick is headed to training camp with the Orlando Magic.

    Almond was widely expected to go to camp with New York after playing in summer league with the Knicks. Instead, he'll get the chance to prove to the Magic that they never can have enough three-point shooters.

    I've said it here before not to count out Almond. He's been a slow starter his entire basketball life, whether it was being stuck in Josh Smith's shadow in high school or his first two college seasons at Rice. We'll see if the pattern repeats itself in the NBA.

    The Jazz decided last fall not to exercise the third-year option in Almond's rookie contract for the 2009-10 season, thereby leaving Almond an unrestricted free agent.

    * * *

    Nothing sounds worse than getting food poisoning in Poland, yet that's supposedly what's been keeping Kosta Koufos out of action with Greece at the European championships.

    Koufos missed his second consecutive game as Greece lost to France, with what was described earlier as stomach flu being revised to food poisoning.

    After opening the tournament 4-0, Greece has dropped games to Russia and France. They nevertheless advanced to the quarterfinals and will play the Mehmet Okur-less Turkish team on Friday.

    --Ross Siler

Ronald Dupree

2009-09-14T22:43:00.001-06:00

   There are going to be a lot of folks in Orem rooting for Ronald Dupree when he goes to training camp with the Jazz next week. By all accounts Dupree was a great guy who helped the Utah Flash to the D-League Finals last season.

    Most fans have an appreciation for just how tough life in the D-League can be, with players making $30,000 a season along with $30 a day in per diem on the road.

    Not only was Dupree, a five-year NBA veteran, willing to spend all of last season in the D-League, but he did something sure to bring a smile to Jazz coach Jerry Sloan's face when he learns about it.

    While he was with the Flash, Dupree would cook meals at home to bring on the Flash's road trips. The team would get on its flight to wherever in the D-League and Dupree would have a tub of red beans and rice with him.

    Not only was he able to save some money, Dupree figured he was eating better than he would at whatever fast-food joint on his D-League per diem. Needless to say, with his appreciation for self-sufficiency, I'm sure Sloan would be impressed.

    Dupree came to the Flash in a mid-season trade from Tulsa and made an immediate impression. He flew into town and arrived so close to game time that the Flash coaches basically diagrammed three plays for him under the bleachers.

    Although he came off the bench, Dupree went out and totaled 16 points and eight rebounds and played 30 minutes in that game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

    He's described as having a lot of similarities to Matt Harpring, whose role Dupree could wind up filling. Not a great shooter, Dupree nevertheless has proven he can score as an explosive slasher and impressive athlete.

    Dupree's greatest strength is probably as a defender. During another game with the Flash, Dupree found himself switched onto Sioux Falls point guard Sean Singletary, even though Dupree is 6-foot-7 and Singletary is listed at 6-foot.

    On assignment from the Charlotte Bobcats, Singletary scored 14 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Dupree drew the assignment from there and Singletary scored just two points the rest of the way.

    We're going to have to revisit the cooking story, though, before the Jazz leave on their preseason trip to London and Madrid, Spain. That certainly would be a lot of red beans and rice for Dupree to have to make.

    --Ross Siler

Talk from the Hall of Fame

2009-09-14T09:36:00.000-06:00

Ten of the best quotes from Hall of Fame induction weekend that I have not yet used, just to put a cap on the enshrinement of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and and former point guard John Stockton:

--

Asked what his family members' reaction was when they first heard the news that he had been elected to the Hall of Fame, Stockton said, "I don't know that my family had a lot of reaction. Similar to when I heard the news -- it was kind of wait-and-see what happens. We had no experience with this. ...

"I guess we're not a family of jumping up and down and cheering and hugging each other. In fact, the hugging part usually comes pretty hard around our house. But I think everybody [was] excited."

---

On playing with Karl Malone for 18 seasons, Stockton said, "... He's just such phenomenal athlete. He'd catch the ball if you threw it at his shoelaces. If you tried to throw it over the backboard, he'd go get it there. First of all he'd catch it and then complete the play with three guys draped all over him. ...

"His impact on my career and my teammates' careers is really immeasurable. It's off the charts. And, as a friend, we learned so much about each other. We come from two different environments -- two different worlds -- and meshed quickly and continuously for a long, long time. So [he's] a great friend -- thrilled to have spent nearly my whole career with him."

---

Sloan was asked about coaching Stockton's for 19 seasons, including the last 15 as head coach:

"... He was ready to play whenever he was called on to play," Sloan said. " He's a terrific guy. He was a terrific guy to coach. He was a once-in-a-lifetime guy to coach. I can't say enough about what he's been able to do. He's definitely one of the main reasons I'm here. I don't think he would let them fire me."

---

Asked if John Stockton was the "dirtiest" player in the league, ex-Chicago Bull megastar Michael Jordan said, "I wouldn't say that Stockton was the dirtiest player in the league. I could name a few other ones. But you can say 'dirty.' I would say he's a tough, hard-nosed type of guy who played with every inch of his body -- physically and mentally.

---

Former San Antonio star David Robinson delivered a lengthy analysis of the Spurs-Jazz rivalry that developed during the 1990s.

"Utah was, wow," Robinson said. "That was just a great, great rivalry for us. John was on our refrigerators as one of the most disliked guys. I think John and Karl had a nice little spot on our refrigerator.

"But they were such professionals. And I think the thing we disliked most about them was because they were so much like us. They were so disciplined and they played defense. It was kind of like playing your mirror image."

"We respected them tremendously. We knew they were going to execute. We knew they were professional. We knew when John Stockton and Karl Malone walked out on the floor, those guys were going to knock your block off. ...

"There was just a great deal of respect between the two teams. The battles were very intense. Year in and year out we were trading the division -- who was going to win the division? But I think it made both teams better. It made us both reach higher. It's what made our careers fun and exciting and great. You have to have competition like that."

---

Sloan was asked if the Jazz's win in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference finals at Houston was his all-time favorite memory as Utah's head coach.

His answer was a little surprising, and it might have helped explain Stockton's decision to have former Piston star Isiah Thomas as his Hall of Fame presenter.

"We had a lot of good games when you look at the whole picture," Sloan said. "That game probably had the most attention drawn to it. But we had a lot of great games. We had a lot of great games with Detroit, I thought, over the years. They had very good teams -- tough teams -- and our guys battled and played them pretty well. We never got the chance to play them in the Finals, but ..."

---

Sloan is regarded by many as a demanding coach, but he disagrees.

"I was told I wouldn't last too long in coaching in the beginning because I expected too much out of players," he said. "... [But] I haven't had too many problems with players. Yeah, I've had a problem or two with players who don't really like to play -- don't like to work, that sort of thing. But guys who like to work and play, I hardly ever had a problem with them."

---

Pro basketball had a difficult time gaining a foothold in Chicago until Sloan joined the expansion Bulls and coach Dick Motta arrived a couple of years later.
Together, Sloan and Motta were the foundation of several teams that, like the Jazz, just missed winning a championship.
When I asked Sloan if he thought Motta helped the franchise survive in Chicago until Jordan arrived, he said, "No question he helped keep the team there. Same thing here when Karl and John came along. That pretty much solidified the team wasn't going to move because Larry [Miller] came in and bought the team and kept it here. There was quite a bit of talk we were going to Minnesota, but Larry bought the team and solidified the team in the community and did a great job."

---

Sloan took over as head coach from the Jazz on Dec. 9, 1988.
He replaced Frank Layden, who graciously calls the switch a turning point in the careers of Stockton and Malone.
"I never said this before and I don't say it in a condescending way," Layden said. "But when Jerry took over, I think it was in John's best interest. The system Jerry implemented used John and Karl in the best way possible. ... It was a thing of beauty."

---

What his Sloan's least favorite memory of his years in Utah?

"Every game you lose," he said. "Those are the things that make you stay awake at night. You wonder what happened -- why you did this, why did you do that, why did you substitute this guy, why didn't you call time-out? All those things. And it's not a pleasant thought all the time.

"I've always been that way, even when I played. Winning is one thing. You've got to go play again. But losing is something that really bothers you. It's not a thing that's easy to accept. But you go on and maybe it makes you work harder, as a player or a coach."

-- Steve Luhm

On speeches, dodgeball and stirring it up

2009-09-13T19:10:00.001-06:00

   There was a lot to like about Jerry Sloan's speech Friday night as he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame - - particularly Sloan's description of "drugstore cowboys," as borrowed from his old basketball coach in McLeansboro, Ill.

    Those who were listening carefully also might have noted that Sloan included Carlos Boozer as he listed some of the players he was privileged to have coached over the years.

    "As a head coach, I had the opportunity to coach great players and watch them develop," Sloan said. "You all know about John and Karl. Jeff Hornacek, Mark Eaton, Adrian Dantley, Artis Gilmore, Reggie Theus, Howard Eisley, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Greg Ostertag, Matt Harpring, Thurl Bailey and Bryon Russell among the many."

    Between Boozer's campaign this summer for a trade and the Jazz's decision to sell his jerseys for 50 percent off and cut him out of their marketing campaign, Sloan's mention was significant if the Jazz are to move ahead with Boozer on the roster this season.

    It also was notable given Boozer's injury-plagued tenure with the Jazz. Sloan has faced an endless number of Boozer questions these last five seasons, but that didn't stop him from reaching out to his All-Star forward from that stage in Springfield, Mass.

    * * *

    The Jazz are believed to have invited Ronald Dupree to training camp. Dupree is a 6-foot-7 forward who has played in parts of five NBA seasons with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Seattle, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 154 games.

    Dupree is familiar with the Jazz's system, having finished last season with the NBA Development League's Utah Flash. Dupree averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds with the Flash and offers an option if Matt Harpring is unable to play this season.

    * * *

    Not only did Greece suffer its first loss of the European championships Sunday to Russia, but Jazz center Kosta Koufos also didn't see action. The Greeks fell 68-65 to Russia, leaving them with a 3-1 record in their group. They will play 4-0 France on Tuesday before heading to the quarterfinals.

    UPDATE: Koufos was suffering from the stomach flu and stayed behind at the hotel for the game. He should be fine to play Tuesday.

    * * *

    The original estimate was $10,000, but it turns out Deron Williams and Kyle Korver will be donating at least $15,000 and possibly as much as $20,000 to The Christmas Box House shelters for children from the charity dodgeball tournament they hosted Saturday.

    * * *

    Williams said the season had come up quick the last month-and-a-half after he'd started working out again after resting his sprained ankle much of the summer. Some thoughts from Williams and Korver looking ahead to the start of camp.

    "We definitely don't want to play like we did how we finished the season and on into the playoffs," Williams said. "We want to definitely be more competitive than that and not have so many ups and downs this year.

    "We've had a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of years, especially towards the end of the season where we've fallen off and kind of limped into the playoffs when other teams are playing their best basketball."

    Korver shared Williams' surprise that the Jazz didn't make a significant move this summer: "Definitely a little bit surprised. I mean, it's not what we thought was going to happen. But you never know. We have a good team, and when we're healthy, we feel like we're right there."

    * * *

    Korver on Boozer: "I think he felt like he was going to be somewhere like the next week for sure, and that's why he said the things that he said, I'm guessing. It's a business and we know that. We expect him to come back and play really well and try to be healthy and earn back the respect that whoever people think that he needs to earn it back to."

    * * *

    There's obviously a lot of speculation about the potential distractions that Boozer's return could pose, but nobody has really considered the effect on other players left to wonder if they'll be included in a Boozer deal, if and when it happens.

    Williams, though, largely dismissed the notion.

    "Our team, since I've been here, we've done very little in the middle of a season," he said. "We're not very aggressive during the season. Coach, I think he's one of those coaches who likes to finish with the same team he starts with, for the most part. Maybe tweak it here and there, but nothing too major."

    * * *

    So is Williams concerned about the distraction issue with Boozer's return?

    "You know, Ross Siler and Tim Buckley come in, stirring stuff up," Williams said, laughing. "I'm sure there's going to be a lot of questions that have to be answered, but a lot of that's from Carlos. I've said I want to be here. I don't have any questions to answer."

    That quote, by the way, is fantastic on so, so, so many levels.

    --Ross Siler

Malone surprises Sloan, Stockton

2009-09-13T12:24:00.000-06:00

A couple of things today:

No. 1: Karl Malone missed the Hall of Fame induction ceremony of Jerry Sloan and John Stockton on Friday night, but according to ESPN, he flew in from his home in Ruston, La., to join them for Saturday night's invitation-only ring ceremony and dinner at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Conn.
Sloan and Stockton knew that Malone's stepfather has been on life support since suffering a stroke several days ago. They did not know Malone would show up for the final event of induction weekend.
"... My family and I decided to get away from that [situation at home] for a few hours and come here and then go right back," Malone told ESPN.
Malone and Stockton played for Sloan for 18 years with the Jazz.
Because Malone played one season longer than Stockton and a player must be retired for five years before becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame, the Mailman will likely be inducted in 2010.
"Stock left me messages all day and wanted to know how things were going," Malone told ESPN. "I didn't text him back because I would've told him I was coming. We're only going to be here for three or four hours. It was just a respect thing. I came to get a hug from John and Jerry Sloan."
Malone indicated that the family might have to decide on Monday whether or not to take his stepfather off life support.
"We have a real tough decision to make," he said.
Malone was born on July 24, 1963, the son of Shirley and J.P Malone. They were divorced in 1967 and he died of cancer in 1977.
Shirley Malone remarried and, through the years, Karl Malone credited stepfather Ed Turner, a local grocer and plumber, for being instrumental in his growth and development and being a loving husband to his mother.

---

No. 2: Sloan underwent knee replacement surgery in May, immediately after the Lakers eliminated Utah from the playoffs.
In an "Off the Beaten Path" column on Page 2 of Sunday morning's Tribune, I referred to Sloan having had hip replacement surgery.
Actually, Jazz assistant Phil Johnson had hip surgery a couple of years ago.
I know it seems like Sloan and Johnson have been joined at the hip for the last 30 years, but I apologize for the mistake.

-- Steve Luhm

A long way from home

2009-09-10T17:10:00.001-06:00

Let me tell you something that probably you already know.

It is a long, long way from Salt Lake City to Springfield, Mass., home of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

I left my house at 5 a.m. on Thursday for my seven o'clock flight. I flew to Detroit, where I had an hour-long layover and before continuing on to Hartford, Conn. I must tell you, however, that the folks at Northwest Airlines gave me a first-class upgrade for the last leg of the trip without me even requesting it and that made the two-hour flight seem shorter.

Anyway, from the Hartford airport, it's a 30-minute drive to Springfield. I arrived at my hotel at 5:30 p.m. local time.

Fortunately for me, there is nothing to cover until Friday morning at 10 a.m., when the Class of 2009 -- Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Vivian Stringer, John Stockton and Jerry Sloan -- is made available to the media for the first time. As my colleague Ross Siler noted earlier, the official induction ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. MDT and will be televised on ESPN, so Utah Jazz fans can watch Sloan and Stockton go into the Hall of Fame.

Sloan and Stockton will have a boat-load of family and friends in Springfield for their induction, and I saw a few of them during my day of travel.

University of Utah sports psychologist Keith Henschen, who has worked with Jazz players for years, was on my both of my flights.

At the baggage claim area in Hartford, I ran into Frank and Barbara Layden, as well as Phil and Ann Johnson. Jazz broadcaster Craig Bolerjack was also just arriving via Cincinnati.

Waiting for my bag, I also saw two current members of the Hall of Fame -- former Texas women's coach Jody Conradt and ex-high school, college and professional star Ann Meyers. Seeing Ann made me think of the night I met her late husband, baseball great Don Drysdale. He was broadcasting games for the California Angels and, during the players' strike in 1981, he was sent to Salt Lake to call some Triple-A games that were being aired back in Los Angeles.

The Tribune's baseball writer, Ray Herbat, invited me up to the press box at old Derks Field to meet Drysdale. I took Ray up on the offer and he introduced me to Drysdale, who I remember being extremely friendly and incredibly gracious. When he died in 1993, I was deeply saddened because he seemed like such a good, down-to-earth guy,

Sorry, I digressed again.

Frank Layden gave me the day's best tidbit of news: Stockton is scheduled to throw out the first pitch before Sunday afternoon's Red Sox-Tampa Bay game at Fenway Park.

I guess locating the Hall of Fame in Springfield -- about 90 miles from Boston -- has some advantages after all.

-- Steve Luhm

Thursday report

2009-09-10T16:19:00.001-06:00

   There's going to be a lot more interest than usual in the Jazz's Oct. 1 preseason opener against Denver if the NBA does in fact have to use replacement referees for the game. Talks between the league and the referees union have broken down, with the union bracing for a lockout. Here's a link to today's ESPN.com story about the impasse: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4463154. The NBA is pushing for a 10 percent cut in the referee budget and could turn to D-League referees as potential replacements. The Jazz/Nuggets game is the first preseason game scheduled for this season.

    * * *

    For all those interested, ESPN and NBA TV will be providing coverage of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Friday evening in Springfield, Mass., involving John Stockton and Jerry Sloan. Also, ESPNEWS will be carrying press conferences from the Hall live at 8 a.m. MDT and NBA TV has some kind of red-carpet pre show before the actual ceremony begins. Part of me really, really, really wants to see Sloan interviewed on a red carpet by the likes of Craig Sager and David Aldridge.

    * * *

    I had the chance to catch up with Kosta Koufos this morning (this evening in Poland) as he plays with the Greek national team at the European championships. Greece is 3-0 and will carry two victories into the second round of group play beginning Friday against Germany. He professed to be working hard, playing well and enjoying himself. The story is at http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_13308302.

    --Ross Siler