Magic Spray
Well-Known Member
I am watching Coach Kos and Solvenia play Serbia in the FIBA Final and I'm thinking of things like Rodney Hood breaking out, Ricky Rubio slinging the ball to Gobert and Favors, Alec Burks going full Manu Ginobili drive the hoop, Donovan Mitchell doing his best Oladipo impression, and Joe Ingles doing very dirty things to opponents.
And I'm trying very hard to care about the Celtics as little as I have since Larry Bird retired.
I feel deep in the marrow of my bones that this Jazz team is going to break through very very big this season. It reminds me of another time...
I was still in college when Stockton and Malone left the Jazz. Many national writers and fans figured that the Jazz were heading for poop city. After all, their team consisted of Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, and little else. The offseason didn't deliver much as deals for restricted free agents Corey Magette and Jason Terry were matched by their teams and another offer for Elton Brand went unsigned when he went with the Heat instead (the Clippers ultimately matched anyway as well). Things were looking grim.
Some doucher in Seattle predicted that the Jazz would break the all-time loss record and win fewer than 9 games.
Jazz fans knew that something else was brewing though.
What followed was the epitome of Jerry Sloan basketball. Players nobody had ever heard of like Ben Handlogten and Mikki Moore started delivering really great competitive games. The Jazz were in contention for the playoffs until game 81 or something like that. It was Jerry Sloan's finest season of coaching. As one final shot from the national media for the season, Hubie Brown was awarded the Coach of the Year award. Brown went on to quit on Thanksgiving Day the next season.
Even though the Jazz were left on the outside looking in in almost every respect, it was my absolute favorite Jazz season. Better than going to the Finals. Better than Stockton/Malone getting the All-Star game co-MVP award in SLC. Better than taking the Showtime Lakers to 7 games in the semis. This was the greatest Jazz season that there has ever been.
Until now? I feel in my soul that this is going to be an even better season. Casual NBA fans and national writers (outside of Zach Lowe, natch) are going to be puzzled that the Jazz are somehow better after being spurned by a grudge-holding non-confrontational perennial second banana. Gobert, Favors, Sephalosha, Mitchell, and Exum are going to hold teams scoreless. Joe Ingles is going to lead the league in 3-pt % and trash talk. Gobert's going to breakthrough and be an All-Star and player of the month. Auntie Viv, after all her enhancements, is going to be bangin' once again. And even though capacity is going to be lower, it's going to be once and for all superior in noise to any other arena in the league.
It's not going to go perfect. It's going to suck at times. But it's going to be the best.
And I'm trying very hard to care about the Celtics as little as I have since Larry Bird retired.
I feel deep in the marrow of my bones that this Jazz team is going to break through very very big this season. It reminds me of another time...
I was still in college when Stockton and Malone left the Jazz. Many national writers and fans figured that the Jazz were heading for poop city. After all, their team consisted of Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, and little else. The offseason didn't deliver much as deals for restricted free agents Corey Magette and Jason Terry were matched by their teams and another offer for Elton Brand went unsigned when he went with the Heat instead (the Clippers ultimately matched anyway as well). Things were looking grim.
Some doucher in Seattle predicted that the Jazz would break the all-time loss record and win fewer than 9 games.
Jazz fans knew that something else was brewing though.
What followed was the epitome of Jerry Sloan basketball. Players nobody had ever heard of like Ben Handlogten and Mikki Moore started delivering really great competitive games. The Jazz were in contention for the playoffs until game 81 or something like that. It was Jerry Sloan's finest season of coaching. As one final shot from the national media for the season, Hubie Brown was awarded the Coach of the Year award. Brown went on to quit on Thanksgiving Day the next season.
Even though the Jazz were left on the outside looking in in almost every respect, it was my absolute favorite Jazz season. Better than going to the Finals. Better than Stockton/Malone getting the All-Star game co-MVP award in SLC. Better than taking the Showtime Lakers to 7 games in the semis. This was the greatest Jazz season that there has ever been.
Until now? I feel in my soul that this is going to be an even better season. Casual NBA fans and national writers (outside of Zach Lowe, natch) are going to be puzzled that the Jazz are somehow better after being spurned by a grudge-holding non-confrontational perennial second banana. Gobert, Favors, Sephalosha, Mitchell, and Exum are going to hold teams scoreless. Joe Ingles is going to lead the league in 3-pt % and trash talk. Gobert's going to breakthrough and be an All-Star and player of the month. Auntie Viv, after all her enhancements, is going to be bangin' once again. And even though capacity is going to be lower, it's going to be once and for all superior in noise to any other arena in the league.
It's not going to go perfect. It's going to suck at times. But it's going to be the best.
