Maxie don't you remember Larry Miller jumping out to goal tend a B-Roy buzzer beater? Or how about when Bert Kolde tripped Batum on that baseline drive?
How did the Jazz who lost three rotation players without something in return like say Babbit, beat us out again? Al Jefferson for Boozer is a wash at best IMO. They lost Boozer, Korver and Matthews and gained Jefferson and Bell...uh I see downgrade not upgrade.
Bell is what we all hope Matthews will be, and at a lower price. As for Jefferson - this is a high risk/high reward situation. Under Sloan, he will either reach his full potential and be a monster, or he will be a permanent resident of the doghouse. There is a risk, but there is also a good chance that between Jefferson and Millsap, they don't miss Boozer at all.
Lower price or older price? Maybe it was the injuries, but last year he was not the same player as he was in 2007-08. It will be interesting to see how he looks by the end of the season next year.
What's that, old? Bell is over 10 years older than Matthews and will be 34 next month. He only played in 6 games last season and will turn 37 before the start of the final year of his 3-year contract. Matthews, as a rookie, had a higher PER than Bell's career average. During the peak of his career, Bell was a very good three-point shooter and a decent defender - nothing more. Matthews, as a rookie, was already both of those. Matthews shot 0.382 from 3-point range as a rookie, a mark Bell only topped once in his first four seasons. Unless Matthews regresses, he will be as good as Bell was during his prime, which is long past for Bell and still approaching for Matthews. I just don't see how you can possibly think the Jazz came out ahead replacing the young Matthews with the ancient Bell. BNM
In the long run, of course not. For next season? I'd say the Jazz disagree with you. The Blazers just made a significant financial investment in a guy whose role looks to be "valued reserve."
I think OKC will be a pretty good team. Yes, everything broke their way last year, especially with injuries. But just as we expect Roy to keep working on his game, I expect Durant to keep working on his. They wqn't take anyone by surprise but they should continue to develop together. That being said I still don't understand the adulation. I see OKC as a highly probably playoff team. Not a top contender. A Bay Area writer named Bruce Jenkins who is such a tool he makes Canzano look like Walter Cronkite "predicted" the West before even the start of the trade/FA season, itself questionable. A Laker fan who has loathed the Blazers since at least the Drexler days (every year in the 1990s and early 2000s he said the Blazers were not a "legitimate" playoff team as they made the playoffs year after year), he not surprisingly picked Lakers #1 and OKC #2. And said IF the Blazers are healthy they SHOULD get #8. So how does one explain how an healthy Blazers team would do worse than last season's unhealthy one? And how a healthy Blazers team would be worse than 3 teams whom they beat out last year when unhealthy? Answer, don't try. Just state is. Hey, I said it, it must be true!
Yep, and their "valued reserve" is as good, or better (and a decade younger) than Utah's potential starter, who they just committed to for three years. So, the Blazers upgraded their bench and Utah's starting backcourt got 10 year's older and most likely worse. Please explain how that is a win for Utah. BNM
It will be very interesting to see how well Al Jefferson works out as compared to Boozer. One thing I am not sure about is AJ's passing ability. Malone and Boozer were both very good. Is Jefferson? I have no idea. But he better be or he will have problems with Sloan's offense. (Which means he will have problems with Sloan)
Big Al will be two years removed from his knee injury. I expect he'll at least be back to the level he was prior to last year when he took a substantial dip in production. He's a bit more of a low post player then Boozer... I'm thinking he'll fit in really well STOMP
If I were Jerry Sloan, I'd have the Mailman drive over to the practice facility in his 18 wheeler and start kicking the crap out of Jefferson. If Al's potential can be harnessed, he'll be a top five PF in the league. As for Matthews, we overpaid, but we had the MLE asset, so it was use it or lose it. There's almost no chance we're under the cap for the duration of his contract, so as long as we don't mind possibly paying some luxury tax in the future, it's no big deal.
I loved Grant not backing down with blood running down his face. Malone was shocked someone wasn't backing down from him. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...uSAAg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0
I already did. The Blazers are paying for the hope that Matthews becomes as good a defender as Bell. By the third year of the contract, it will be a "win" for the Blazers. Next season is another matter.
And, the Jazz are paying for the hope that the 34-year old Bell will be the same player he was 3 - 5 years ago. To me, that's a much bigger gamble. I think the odds that the 24-year old Matthews will improve are much better than the odds the 34-year old Bell perform at the same level he did earlier in his career. Last season, he only played in six games. Not exactly a positive trend for someone his age. And, the Jazz are planning to rely on him as starter playing big minutes. If he can't cut it, what's their plan B? Matthews will be a back-up on the Blazers, a role player, not a starter. If he fails to live up to expectations, it's a much smaller impact than if he were a starter playing big minutes. If you ask me, the Jazz are at greater risk, both short term and long term than they would be if they'd been able to keep Matthews - unless Raja Bell has found the fountain of youth and can miraculously perform at the same level at age 34 as he did at age 29. BNM
No doubt. But will it be a Zbo 20/10? Again I don't remember if this guy is a good passer or not, but with the way the Jazz players cut to the basket, it is huge if he is good at it. If he is a "black hole" then their offense will not be as good as last year with Boozer. But hey maybe he is a good passer. I just don't remember
I'm with BNM. The Jazz are gambling that Bell is still a useful player when he's 37, when he's missed nearly an entire season at 33. Bruce Bowen, a comparable player who suffered no such injury, was pretty much done at 35. If I were a Jazz fan, I'd be pretty pissed off that my team went with a guy who is clearly on the tail end of his career instead of the promising second year player.
