Dennis Lindsey brings the Jazz a championship

[str8line]

To all the older fans, why werent the jazz more successful with Mark Eaton? You had Stockton, Malone, Thurl (young Lamar Odom clone), and the DPOY and we still couldnt make it to the finals? WTF?

Jeff Hornacek was a huge acquisition for the Jazz. Jazz fans at the time knew that he was the key to taking us to the next level. Bryon Russell, who came in the same year as Horny was another key to the Jazz with his defensive abilities. Also, as Stockton and Malone matured they willed the team to a ton of victories.

 

[zman1527]

To all the older fans, why werent the jazz more successful with Mark Eaton? You had Stockton, Malone, Thurl (young Lamar Odom clone), and the DPOY and we still couldnt make it to the finals? WTF?

I moved to SLC in 90 and became a jazz fan that so was not watching closely when with those earlier teams. I DO remember watching them some in the PO series in 87(?) where they took the laker to the brink and was amazed by Stockton. Next year they lost in the first round to a way lower seed in 3 straight first round. What changed? jerry took over for frank. Too bad that frank did not hang around longer, it took jerry awhile to get the hang of PO b-ball.

 

[framer]

Eaton blocked a lot of shots, but the NBA as a whole had a better mid range game back then. Also, with the old rules you could move Eaton out of the paint because he had to defend someone or get called for illegal defense. He didn't have the footspeed to recover if you drew him out far enough. Teams would go small ball with the Jazz and have good success. Jazz couldn't reciprocate because there wasn't anyone to make teams pay for double and triple-teaming Malone. Eventually Malone learned his fall away and we got Hornacek, but by that time, Eaton was too old.

 

[akirac73]

My take on why the Jazz of the 80's couldn't get to the finals with the best rim protector in the league:

1. Mark Eaton's best years were from 1983-89. Both Karl and John didn't establish themselves as "superstars" until 1987-88. So as Stockton and Malone started their ascent to greatness, Eaton was on the decline.

2. The Jazz teams with Mark Eaton always had difficulty with smaller/quicker/athletic teams. We struggled mightly against teams like Golden State and Milwaukee that had smaller but more athletic teams. Reference the 1989 playoffs where the Jazz were swept by the RUN TMC Golden State Warriors...

3. As someone else also mentioned, Mark Eaton's best years also coincided with the great Lakers/Celtics/Pistons "dynasty" teams in the 80s.

Comparing today's Jazz team...

1. Gobert is the same age or younger than are core group of players...They will all grow together.
2. Our frontline of Gobert/Favors/Hayward as a whole is far more versatile/athletic than the Malone/Eaton/(Dantley/Bailey/Tripucka/Iavaroni) frontline of the 80's. The current Jazz team can defend any team in the league (slower/deliberate teams like the Grizzlies or run and gun teams like Golden State) it doesn't matter.
3. There are no "dynasty" teams in the NBA right now. Even as dominant as Golden State & Atlanta have been, it's likely neither team will be in the finals. San Antonio is on the decline. No big 3 in Miami. Lakers/Celtics both are horrible. The NBA title is up for grabs...

 

[kanye]

Yeppers

what did i tell you about yeppers

 

[b_line]

what did i tell you about yeppers

Yesh

 

[Stifle Tower]

Yep. Utah was always trying to find a SG until that trade for Horny. Then they needed a center. Always one player short in the starting lineup and the bench was generally pretty shallow.

Lindsey has built a pretty decent bench. It's young but promising. And a lottery pick will add to that depth. We obviously have a hole at SG right now, but Burks is returning. We know what kind of numbers he can give us. He was our 3rd leading scorer at 14/per. It ALL comes down to getting production out of our PG's.

 

[jope]

Winning on the road, competing in b2bs. Not even the Deron/Booze/Memo teams could satisfy us like that.

you mean the team that made it to the western conf finals right? cuz that was less satisfying than the loss to a ****ty boston team.... (but i get what youre getting at)