#36 Mikki Moore
Points 128
Rebounds 82
Blocks 13
Steals 7
Assists 19
Mikki could, quite possibly, be the most overrated (by Jazz Fanz) center to ever play on the Utah Jazz. I remember people trying to work out trades for him YEAAARS after his stint in Utah, and would bring up his name every time he was "available." It says a lot about his demeanor and popularity. In reality he was the textbook definition of Journeyman, playing for 14 different teams since he entered the league in 1997. He played with the Jazz in 2004 after being called up from the D-league. 2004 was probably one of the most fun teams we ever had which contributed to Moore's popularity. If you still want him, he is currently playing for the Reno Big Horns.
#37 Steve Hayes
Points 92
Rebounds 78
Blocks 17
Steals 5
Assists 7
When I mentioned Jeff Cook being the pride of Idaho State University, I neglected Steve Hayes who is their most legendary player. All he did in college was keep UCLA out of their 11th consecutive final 4 by defeating them in the Sweet 16 in 1977, scoring 27 points and 12 rebounds. This 7 footer had a 13 year pro career internationally, in the NBA, and in the CBA. He completed his NBA stint on the Utah Jazz, where centers apparently go to die, in 85-86. He has since worked in the athletic department at Idaho State, had his own IT firm, and is secretary of the NBA retired players association (Big T is vice chairman.) He was inducted into the state of Idaho's athletic hall of fame. This was the only pathetic pic I could find of him playing basketball:
#38 Billy Paultz
Points 89
Rebounds 104
Blocks 12
Steals 7
Assists 18
Paultz was an NBA veteran and played 8 years in the NBA out of St. John's. He played his final year in Utah in 1984 and is important as a milestone to show Utah fans everywhere just how bad Houston sucks. They still suck today. In the 1985 playoffs, The scrappy Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets in an upset in game 5. As a part of the game, Paultz was able to get under the skin of Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon with his tenacious defense until "The Dream" actually hit Paultz in the mouth. Like this:
Amazingly, Olajuwon wasn't even ejected but stayed on the court to be defeated by rejuvenated Paultz and company in what would become a glorious tradition of sending Houston home. Also, it has to be noted that Paultz's nickname was "The Whopper," which drives my estimation of him up further. Who DOESN"T want to be known as "The Whopper." Here's to you Mr. The Whopper!
#39 Rafael Araújo
Points 83
Rebounds 77
Blocks 2
Steals 7
Assists 11
The moment that many have been waiting for, Rudy Gobert has eclipsed the legend of Araujo. Araujo was a standout at BYU and was drafted, inexplicably, by the Boston Celtics at 8. Being too uncoordinated and slow to succeed at the NBA level where his superior mass was equalized, it became quickly apparent in Boston that he wasn't going to pan out. So in what some would consider one of the greatest tragedies in the Modern Jazz era, Araujo was traded for Bobby Williams and Kris Humphries. Arujo immediately found a place in Jerry Sloan's doghouse and remained there until he was let go at the end of the season. Realistically Rafael should be ranked lower, but I gave him a bump based on a summer league altercation with superpunk Marvin Williams. Whatever happened to THAT guy!?
#40 Jerome Whitehead
Points 67
Rebounds 97
Blocks 11
Steals 7
Assists 18
Entered the NBA as a second round pick of the San Diego Clippers at a lanky 6'10" right after winning an NCAA championship with Marquette in 1977. Jerome had a Journeyman 11 year career in the NBA with a stopover with the Utah Jazz in 1979. In his 11 year career, Jerome only made the playoffs once. He passed away relatively young in 2012 from complications due to a lifetime of alcohol abuse.
#41 John Gianelli
Points 55
Rebounds 62
Blocks 7
Steals 6
Assists 17
Another Center that we picked up for the tail end of his career back in 1979. Out of the University of the Pacific he spent half of his career as a Knick. Averaging 10 and 9 in 1974. He won a ring as a sophomore on the 73 Knicks. Went on to play in his home country of Italy where he won a championship with teammate Mike D’Antoni. Was also known as the G-Man
#42 Pete Chilcutt
Points 47
Rebounds 43
Blocks 4
Steals 5
Assists 10
For some reason I had high hopes when the Jazz acquired Chilcutt even though he was eight years into a mediocre career. He was brought in to replace the departing Greg Foster. He certainly wasn't the answer to getting us back to the finals in 1999. It also amuses me that him and Scott Padgett were on the same team for some reason. It's like we were into collecting white college allstars with no NBA game at precisely the point that we should have been getting real help for Stockton and Malone. But hey, at least we didn't trade Danny Ainge for the right to draft him like the Kings did. Chilcutt currently works as a sixth grade teacher, which is kind of cool.
It appears that all pictorial evidence that Chilcutt played on the Jazz has disappeared since I made this post. So here he is as a Rocket:
#43 Walter Palmer
Points 42
Rebounds 21
Blocks 4
Steals 3
Assists 6
I personally remember Walt Palmer as the worst player on the first NBA simulation game I played at my friend's house on his Sega (I think.) You would start the game up, select the Jazz, then immediately cut him. In real life, Palmer played in 28 games for the 90-91 Jazz, including 6 minutes in the playoffs. Drafted in the second round by the Jazz out of Dartmouth, Palmer went on to play one more year for Denver then headed to Europe. There, he single handedly unionized European basketball. Seriously, look it up. Definitely a living embodiment of the age old maximum, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, head to Europe, fail there, then discover a need to unionize European basketball players."
#44 Brett Vroman
Points 34
Rebounds 25
Blocks 5
Steals 5
Assists 9
This Provo, Utah product played 11 games for the 1980 Utah Jazz squad and 12 more seasons in Europe. He skipped BYU to go to UCLA then ended up playing his senior season for UNLV. he played on the '75 National Champion UCLA team. He was drafted in the 4th round by the 76rs but never played a game for them. His son, Jackson, played 2 years in the League starting in 2004. In the end, all that can be said is "Dat HAIR, Doe!"
#45 John Block
Points 27
Rebounds 18
Blocks 1
Steals 4
Assists 7
Is there a more perfect name for a center than John Block? "Block defends his man on the low block, then rises up and blocks the shot cleanly!" Not to mention that Block was pretty damn good, just two years removed from an all-star campaign. Unfortunately for the 74-75 New Orleans Jazz, they seemed to still be under the stipulation that no center worth anything at all could play more than 4 games for the Jazz. Block got all of those numbers in 4 games. He finished his career in Chicago with 2 games in 1976. Dude even looks like a stud:
