Jerry Sloan Resigns and Deron Williams Traded to the Nets: What the future has in store

Big changes have happened in Utah over the past 2 weeks. Jerry Sloan has resigned from coaching the team, and Ty Corbin has stepped in to take his place. Then, the Jazz have traded away their franchise player to the Nets who desperately wanted to make a big splash in the NBA trade frenzy after getting the cold shoulder from Carmello AnthoNY. But what does this all mean for the Jazz?
Well first off, lets talk about the Sloan deal. Coach Sloan's bizarre end to an illustrious career is perplexing, confusing, and strange. Very odd for him to leave the team mid season during a tight race out west. The theory that Deron Williams was the reason seemed unlikely at the time since Sloan has coached for so many years and has "seen it all" so to speak. But then when everybody wakes up to find Deron Williams traded to the Nets for Devin Harris and Derrick Favors plus two first round picks (one from New Jersey in 2011 and the other from Golden State in 2012) everybody has to step back and ask more seriously if D-Will was the reason Sloan left. Perhaps Sloan returns now that Williams is gone. I doubt that, but who knows.
As far as what the trade does for Utah on the basketball court it actually isn't that bad a deal. If Williams was going out anyways, then the deal is a good one. Get a good solid replacement PG in Devin Harris, and get a rookie Power Forward with a lot of upside and potential. Jazz were in need of drafting another big body, and this might do the trick. If Harris plays better in Utah than he did in New Jersey (which I expect him to do because Utah has a better system), then the trade may not affect Utah at all, and if anything benefit them. Still, the deal is a stunner. Who saw this coming? This was like an atomic bomb was dropped in the NBA trading frenzy.
Nobody, I mean nobody saw this coming. Talk about coming out of left field. I found out about this in my college classroom. I was checking my phone and the trade popped up, and I was stunned. Couldn't believe it. I thought Utah would right the ship and keep going. I thought a trade was possible, but nothing like this. Honestly, when you think about it, the trade isn't a bad one. Get a PG that is almost as good, and also get a Power Forward that has a lot of potential to grow. It could be a blessing in disguise. I can see what Utah likes out of the deal, and what New Jersey likes out of the deal except for the fact that if New Jersey doesn't convince Deron Williams that they will and can succeed in the future, then Williams will leave and the Nets could be left with nothing. Remember, D-Will is a free agent at the end of the 2011-2012 season. If he doesn't like New Jersey at the end of next season, he won't re-sign. I guarantee it. New Jersey made a very risky move here. If they don't get better quickly, they will lose Harris, Favors, and then Williams. Leaving them with nothing. Very risky move by the Nets. It could pay off though if they are aggressive in making more moves.
What does this mean for Utah this season? I think the Jazz are in trouble for the rest of this year. Harris will have to learn the system on the fly, as will Favors. Luckily, Denver is depleted, Memphis has lost Rudy Gay for a month and they have a ridiculously hard schedule (Memphis has Sacramento, San Antonio, @ San Antonio, New Orleans, @ Dallas, Oklahoma City, New York, @ Miami, LA Clippers, @ New York, Indiana, UTAH, @ Boston, @ Chicago, San Antonio) all in a row! Those are tough games, and I expect the Grizz to fall apart at fade away. The Nuggets probably struggle too without 'Melo and so, they could fall apart as well. The Jazz are not as hurt by their deal as the Nuggets are, and aren't as hurt as the Grizzlies. The Jazz in my mind end up in the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. Maybe even a 6 or a 5. They can make the playoffs, and maybe get a decent seed. All in all, the Jazz aren't in a bad spot considering what is happening in Denver and Memphis. They should leap frog both those guys to 7 and maybe even creep up to the 5 spot. It's all possible. In my honest opinion, Utah will get the 7 seed,and get bounced out by the Mavs in 6 games. That is my call, but knowing how Dallas plays in the playoffs, Utah may have them beat in the mental department. Who knows. Let's hope the Jazz don't totally fall apart and are able to get things together to get a playoff spot and get some mo going into next season. Go Jazz!

Jazz/Nuggets Game 1 Results/Game 2 Preview

The Utah Jazz had one slip away Saturday night as they went into the 4th quarter in a 2 point struggle with their arch-rival nemesis Denver Nuggets. It was Adrian Dantley's first career playoff game as a head coach and it was Jerry Sloan's 193rd playoff game. That in itself indicates that Sloan has better coaching experience, and that the Jazz have more than an edge in the coaching department. But despite all that the Jazz had going for them with Deron Williams and the fact that he's a better PG than Chauncey Billups, the Jazz didn't account for Carmello Anthony having 42 points, and J.R. Smith going off like a mad-man too take over the game, and seal the deal for AD's first career post-season victory. Other events came into play that also effected the outcome of the game. Mehemet Okur was injured after being one of 3 jazzmen to slip in the same right spot on the court under their basket. CJ Miles got the wind knocked out of him, and Carlos Boozer's Oblique injury seemed to slow him down to just 20 points (haha, just kidding on that one). The biggets problem in the game was that Deron Williams had a weak first half, and there was no interior defense to stop the nuggets from having a layup-fest. If Williams is off, and there is no defense, it's a miracle they were even in the game going into the 4th quarter, and they really let one slip away in the 4th quarter.
But moving on to game 2 without Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko, the Jazz find themselves needing to make adjustments on the defensive side of the ball and the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side, the Jazz need to stop Denver from getting to the foul line, and getting easy shot opportunities. In the NBA, AND-1 defense doesn't work, and the only guys on the Jazz who plays any defense is AK-47, who is injured, Paul Millsap, and Deron Williams who doesn't play the interior well because he isn't tall enough. The rest of Jazz need to step up their Defense, and their is one guy in particular that I want to see more out of. That would be Kyrylo Fesenko, the 7 Foot 1 inch, 300 lb Ukrainian who could be the new Mark Eaton for the Jazz. He has the potential to shut down the middle and keep the Nuggets out of the paint, which has been the Achilles Heal for the Jazz all season long. In addition to shutting down the middle and keeping Denver off the charity stripe, the Jazz need to find away to control the damage done by Carmello Anthony, and preventing anybody else from making a run (i.e. J.R. Smith). If the Denver Nuggets have 'Melo and somebody else going hot, then they will win the game. If the Nuggets struggle to get anybody else going besides Carmello, then Utah can win, and if Utah can stop Carmello, they will win. That simple.
Now, on the offensive side of the ball, the Jazz have to pack the ball into the paint, and only occasionally kick the ball out for 3's. The Jazz have one of the best shooting teams in the NBA with Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, CJ Miles, and Mehemt Okur (who is done for the season). When these guys get hot, they can do a lot of damage. If they shoot 3's like a spice, they can be lethal, if they shoot 3's like a main course meal, the team suffers. Missed 3 pointers lead to long rebounds which favors Denver in the transition game. Utah can't beat Denver in the transition game, but they can in a half-court setting by dumping the ball into Boozer , and getting to the Foul line. If the Jazz attack the hoop with reckless abandon, and get foul shots, then they are playing their style of basketball, but if they don't play in the paint, they are not gonna win. Jerry Sloan Basketball in and inside-out offense in order of priority. They always win games when they out score their opponents in the paint, grab boards and get to the foul line.
The Keys to the game in short for Utah are: 1. Stop Denver from getting hot, and getting on streaks.
2. Keep Denver out of the paint, make them hit tought shots: NO LAYUPS!!!
3. Keep Denver off the foul line, and get to the line yourselves.
4.Shoot 3's sparingly, and pack the ball in.
5. You can't stop Carmello Anthony, but at least slow him down!
6. Win the Turnover battle, and get back on defense.
7. This is perhaps the biggest of all: Stay out of foul trouble, and get Denver in foul trouble.