Crescendo: A Utah Jazz MyLeague

[JazzMan]

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Jazz Can't Stop Kawhi, Lose 118 to 106

The Utah Jazz dropped their 2nd straight game, and their 4th game out of 5 games tonight in a 106 to 118 loss against the Spurs. Turnovers killed the Jazz, especially in the fourth quarter, where San Antonio outscored Utah 37 to 23 en route to the 12 point win. Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 32 points, along with 5 boards and 4 steals. Tony Parker pitched in 16 points and 8 assists, LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and 9 boards, and Tim Duncan pitched in 12, 7, and 4. The entire Spurs team combined for just 4 turnovers, and shot a blistering 59% from the three-point line.

For Utah, the team had a very balanced and effective offensive attack, if you take away the turnovers. The Jazz had a whopping 23 turnovers in the loss, which led to 24 fast break points for the Spurs. Derrick Favors led the way for the Jazz with 19 points and 5 boards, while Rodney Hood had 18, Alec Burks and Gordon Hayward had 17, and rookie Trey Lyles had 15 off of the bench. It was almost a breakout game for young Lyles, who played 18 minutes and has seemed to supplant Trevor Booker in the first big man off of the bench role. He shot 7 for 7 from the field while also getting 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Speaking of Booker, he has 2 DNPs in the last week, despite not being injured. Is Quin Snyder losing trust in the veteran reserve big? Or is he simply trying to get more development time for young big men Trey Lyles and Jeff Withey?

The Jazz round out the week with 2 games at home against the Pelicans and the Nuggets. They fall to 10-13 with the loss and are now 11th in the West.

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[JazzMan]

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WEEK 8 RECAP (12-13)

The Jazz keep sneaking closer to the .500 record that they've been striving for. With a 2-2 week which saw them play 2 of the top 3 teams in the Western Conference, as well as 2 other Western Conference foes, the Jazz were able to stay the course and keep grinding. After getting a win over the Thunder last week, the Jazz weren't able to capitalize on a weakened OKC, who was without superstar Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant and Enes Kanter combined for 50 points in the loss, while Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks led the way for the Jazz with 18 points each. Rodney Hood was 6-9 on the night and had 17 points. Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert combined for 8 blocks, as they both got 4 each.

The next night on a back-to-back the Jazz traveled to San Antonio. Despite having a 2-point lead going into the 4th quarter, Utah lost 118 to 106 due to a 37-point 4th quarter by the Spurs. 5 Jazz players scored at least 15 points in the loss, but turnovers (23) killed the team.

Utah then returned home to SLC for two games with the Pelicans and the Nuggets. The New Orleans game saw Trey Burke go off for 21 points in 21 minutes, as he shot 7-10 from the field. Gordon Hayward had 20 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the 115 to 88 victory over Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. Derrick Favors also pitched in 18 and 11, while Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 21 boards. The Jazz held New Orleans to just 36% shooting on the night.

And finally, the Jazz picked up an 89 to 84 victory against the Nuggets Saturday night. Gordon Hayward led the way with 19 points, boards, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, while Derrick Favors had 17 points and 10 boards, along with 2 blocks. It was the second straight game that Utah held the opposing team to 37% shooting or less, as Denver shot just 29 for 78 from the field.

This week sees the Jazz take on the 16-12 Suns in Salt Lake City, then they travel to Oakland for a game against the rejuvenated Warriors, and close the week on Sunday night against the 21-7 Clippers at home.

Utah Jazz Stats - 15-16
Player	GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3PT%
Gordon Hayward	25	34.2	20.4	4.8	5.0	1.3	0.7	46.7%	31.5%
Derrick Favors	25	30.3	16.7	9.0	1.2	1.0	1.6	48.3%	0.0%
Alec Burks	25	23.5	12.5	3.0	3.4	0.8	0.4	45.7%	31.6%
Rodney Hood	25	25.0	9.8	2.8	2.2	0.6	0.3	43.2%	35.4%
Rudy Gobert	25	30.4	8.9	12.7	1.4	0.6	2.1	61.1%	0.0%
Trey Burke	25	21.3	8.2	1.6	3.5	0.9	0.1	38.2%	30.8%
Trey Lyles	25	12.2	5.6	3.1	0.6	0.4	0.2	51.5%	0.0%
Tibor Pleiss	2	4.5	4.0	2.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	42.9%	0.0%
Nick Calathes	19	17.2	3.9	2.6	3.4	0.6	0.2	45.6%	28.6%
Trevor Booker	22	11.7	3.7	3.7	0.9	0.3	0.4	38.0%	22.2%
Joe Ingles	25	9.9	3.6	0.9	1.2	0.3	0.4	44.3%	48.4%
Raul Neto	14	21.4	2.7	1.1	4.1	1.2	0.5	24.1%	23.1%
Jeff Withey	24	10.5	2.5	2.8	0.2	0.2	0.5	48.9%	0.0%
Terran Petteway	10	7.6	1.8	1.0	1.0	0.2	0.0	21.4%	11.1%
Dante Exum	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0%	0.0%

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NBA Standings - Updated: Dec 20, 2015
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Cleveland Cavaliers	18	6	--	4-1	14-5
Miami Heat	18	7	0.5	3-2	13-4
Atlanta Hawks	19	9	1.0	4-1	12-3
Indiana Pacers	17	9	2.0	4-2	12-4
Chicago Bulls	15	10	3.5	1-4	8-6
New York Knicks	16	12	4.0	4-0	9-8
Charlotte Hornets	12	14	7.0	2-5	8-11
Toronto Raptors	12	16	8.0	1-3	6-9
Milwaukee Bucks	12	16	8.0	1-4	7-11
Detroit Pistons	11	17	9.0	4-3	6-8
Boston Celtics	10	17	9.5	4-1	7-12
Orlando Magic	9	17	10.0	2-1	5-8
Washington Wizards	7	18	11.5	2-4	6-9
Brooklyn Nets	6	20	13.0	1-3	3-12
Philadelphia 76ers	6	22	14.0	2-5	6-12
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Los Angeles Clippers	21	7	--	4-2	15-4
Oklahoma City Thunder	20	7	0.5	3-2	11-3
San Antonio Spurs	20	8	1.0	1-3	9-5
Houston Rockets	17	11	4.0	3-2	11-7
Minnesota Timberwolves	16	10	4.0	4-1	10-4
Memphis Grizzlies	17	12	4.5	2-5	9-9
Phoenix Suns	16	12	5.0	4-2	11-9
Dallas Mavericks	15	12	5.5	5-2	10-8
Portland Trail Blazers	14	14	7.0	2-3	10-10
Utah Jazz	12	13	7.5	3-3	5-9
New Orleans Pelicans	12	14	8.0	3-2	7-10
Golden State Warriors	12	15	8.5	3-4	6-10
Sacramento Kings	10	16	10.0	3-3	5-11
Denver Nuggets	7	19	13.0	2-5	5-15
Los Angeles Lakers	5	22	15.5	0-3	2-12

Can we all just appreciate what Kevin Durant has done since Russell Westbrook has gone down with a major injury? He's averaging 29.6 since Westbook went down, although the Thunder have been struggling as of late in the absence of the star point guard. Despite KD's best efforts, the Thunder are just 4-6 without Westbrook.

The Spurs are now cruising towards the top spot in the West, having won 7 straight games and 12 out of their last 15. Some of those wins have come against the premier teams in the league, such as the Clippers, Hawks (twice), Grizzlies, and Suns. All this with their leading scorers being Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge at 16 points each. Team basketball at its finest.

Despite playing just 2 games this season, Warriors point guard Steph Curry is currently 5th in the All-Star voting for backcourt players. People do know that he is injured... right?

Both the 76ers and the Warriors made some moves this week. The Sixers wavied point guard Isaiah Canaan and signed Jordan Hamilton to a 1 year/$1.55M deal, while the Warriors waived Brandon Rush and signed SF Elijah Millsap to a 1 year/$599k deal. The Warriors also saw the return of Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes from injury. Thompson exploded in his return, going off for 32 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists in the 95 to 91 win over Milwaukee.

NBA League Leaders - Updated: Dec 20, 2015
Points Per Game		PPG	Rebounds Per Game		RPG
	1. Kevin Durant, OKC	25.7		1. DeAndre Jordan, LAC	15.6
	2. Damian Lillard, POR	23.6		2. Andre Drummond, DET	15.4
	3. LeBron James, CLE	22.9		3. Rudy Gobert, UTA	12.7
	4. Al Horford, ATL	22.2		4. Hassan Whiteside, MIA	12.6
	5. Chris Bosh, MIA	21.3		5. Nikola Vucevic, ORL	12.5
Assists Per Game		APG	Steals Per Game		SPG
	1. Damian Lillard, POR	9.9		1. Eric Bledsoe, PHX	2.5
	2. Russell Westbrook, OKC	9.8		2. Damian Lillard, POR	2.1
	3. Chris Paul, LAC	8.7		3. LeBron James, CLE	2.1
	4. Reggie Jackson, DET	8.4		4. Jimmy Butler, CHI	1.9
	5. Elfrid Payton, ORL	8.3		5. Deron Williams, DAL	1.9
Blocks Per Game		BPG	Field Goal Percentage		FG%
	1. Anthony Davis, NOP	3.2		1. DeAndre Jordan, LAC	63.0%
	2. DeAndre Jordan, LAC	2.8		2. Rudy Gobert, UTA	61.1%
	3. Tim Duncan, SAS	2.5		3. Tyson Chandler, PHX	59.1%
	4. Brook Lopez, BKN	2.3		4. Tristan Thompson, CLE	58.7%
	5. Marcin Gortat, WAS	2.3		5. Tiago Splitter, ATL	57.5%
Three-Point Percentage		3PT%	Free Throw Percentage		FT%
	1. Mario Chalmers, MIA	49.3%		1. Myles Turner, IND	93.3%
	2. Jose Calderon, NYK	48.3%		2. J.J. Redick, LAC	92.9%
	3. Ben McLemore, SAC	47.3%		3. Pau Gasol, CHI	92.3%
	4. Terrence Ross, TOR	44.6%		4. Meyers Leonard, POR	90.6%
	5. P.J. Tucker, PHX	44.3%		5. Rodney Hood, UTA	89.3%

[JazzMan]

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NBA Rookie Ladder - Dec. 20th, 2015

It's been almost 2 months since the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season, and it's time to start ranking the class of 2015! Now that we have a good feel of most of the rookies in the league, it should be pretty fair to rank them, measuring their individual performances, contributions to their team, and potential shown.



#1: Karl-Anthony Towns, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves
#1 Overall Pick
26 GP, 33.5 MPG, 17.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 45.6% FG, 36.4% 3PT

Towns has been exceptional for the Timberwolves and has been arguably the biggest reason as to why the Wolves are 5th in the West with a 16-10 record. Towns is boasting a 20.7 PER, while also having a rookie-high 23.8 efficiency rating. With KAT at the anchor of the team, the Wolves now have the 4th best scoring defense in the league at 96.1 points per game. Not bad, Mr. Towns, not bad...




#2: Jahlil Okafor, Center, Philadelphia 76ers
#3 Overall Pick
28 GP, 17.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 48.1% FG, 20.0% 3PT

There is no doubt that Jahlil Okafor is a talented offensive big man. But there are some doubts about his work ethic and his character. After getting into a few incidents since drafted by the Sixers, the big man has essentially forced Philly to trade for veterans in order to reign him in and settle him down. The additions of JJ Barea and Zaza Pachulia have done wonders for him, but he still has a lot of work to do on and off the court to realize his full potential. He has the highest usage of all rookies this season.




#3: Kristaps Porzingis, Forward, New York Knicks
#4 Overall Pick
28 GP, 25.0 MPG, 12.4 PPG, 9.0 MPG, 0.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 47.4% FG, 41.3% 3PT

In some ways, Kristaps Porzingis has been the most impressive rookie this season. After being drafted 4th overall, most Knicks fans were already lashing out on the 20 year old big man from Latvia. The 7'3" Latvian was viewed as too skinny and soft and that he would end up like other international busts, such as Jan Vesely, Darko Milicic, and so and so forth. However, he has come into this league with a deadly touch from outside, shooting 41.3% from three, while also being a revelation for the Knicks defense.




#4: Emmanuel Mudiay, Point Guard, Denver Nuggets
#7 Overall Pick
28 GP, 31.5 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 32.9% FG, 24.5% 3PT

Many people's pick to be the 2016 rookie of the year hasn't really worked out so far this year. Although Mudiay is having a great debut season running the point guard spot for the Nuggets, his shooting has been so, so bad. He's shooting just 33% from the floor and 24.5% from three. If he ups those percentages, he could be averaging 15/16 points a night as a 19 year old, and that's pretty scary. Though he's been a poor shooter, he's still looked very promising as a floor general.




#5: D'Angelo Russell, Point Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
#2 Overall Pick
27 GP, 25.6 MPG, 12.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 43.0% FG, 34.2% 3PT

D'Angelo Russell has been playing well for a rookie guard, but he's not quite the budding star that we expected him to be coming out of Ohio State. However, the kid is just 19 years old and has to work with Kobe Bryant on his team. Ouch. Having the incompetent Byron Scott as your coach certainly doesn't help either. Scott has yet to instill trust and belief in Russell's abilities as a starting guard in the league. Let's hope that the Lakers don't let Scott squander the potential of D'Angelo Russell.




#6: Stanley Johnson, Forward, Detroit Pistons
#8 Overall Pick
28 GP, 22.9 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 40.2% FG, 26.9% 3PT




#7: Frank Kaminsky, Center, Charlotte Hornets
#9 Overall Pick
26 GP, 18.3 MPG, 9.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 43.3% FG, 36.6% 3PT




#8: Jerian Grant, Point Guard, New York Knicks
#19 Overall Pick
28 GP, 17.5 MPG, 9.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 45.0% FG, 35.1% 3PT




#9: Myles Turner, Center, Indiana Pacers
#11 Overall Pick
26 GP, 21.5 MPG, 7.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 44.4% FG, 0.0% 3PT




#10: Montrezl Harrell, Forward, Houston Rockets
#32 Overall Pick
28 GP, 21.1 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 54.4% FG, 20.0% 3PT

[trekfan]

That's a tough upcoming schedule for the Jazz. Not only do they face the Warriors this week, they also get the Clippers. You need that Suns game to be a win.

[JazzMan]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

That's a tough upcoming schedule for the Jazz. Not only do they face the Warriors this week, they also get the Clippers. You need that Suns game to be a win.

Yup, tough week ahead. At some point this team is going to have to string wins together if we hope to make the playoffs. The West is still very tough.

[JazzMan]

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Gobert Shines In Jazz Win Over Phoenix 97-92

That's a good way to start off the week. Coming into tonight, the Jazz had won 2 straight games, albeit against inferior teams in New Orleans and Denver. But this was a must-win game for the Jazz and they came in and took care of business. Although turnovers and poor free throw shooting almost did the Jazz in late, Utah was able to hang on, mostly due to the all-around efforts of the starting lineup.

Gordon Hayward led the way offensive for the Jazz, scoring 18 points off of just 8 shots, but there's no mistake about it that this was Rudy Gobert's game. Rudy had 16 points off of 8 for 10 shooting, and had 19 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks as well. Truly a phenomenal performance from him, and if he keeps putting up numbers like that, the Jazz have nothing to worry about in the near-future.

Derrick Favors finished with 17, 6, and 4, and got to the free throw line 12 times, making 7 of his attempts. Alec Burks pitched in 15 points off of the bench, and Rodney Hood was an efficient 4 for 6, finishing with 13 points.

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[JazzMan]

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WEEK 9 RECAP (13-15)

This Jazz team just can't get over the hump. After a three-game winning streak, which saw wins over the Pelicans, Nuggets, and Suns, the Jazz dropped 2 straight games to close out the week to Golden State and the Clippers. A second-half comeback by the Warriors netted them a 2-point win over Utah, and last night the Jazz dropped to LA by 15, despite Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan sitting on the 2nd game of a back-to-back. It's puzzling.

Let's start with the 5-point win Tuesday night against Phoenix. The Suns shot just 38% due to the stifling defense of Rudy Gobert and the Jazz. Gobert had himself a monster game, as he put up 16 points, 19 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks while shooting 8-10 from the floor. The Jazz offense was balanced and looked great, aside from the turnovers and free throw shooting.

Against Golden State, the Jazz had to take on a now-healthy Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. Thompson had 21 points off 16 shots, while Draymond Green had a double-double with 18 points and 14 boards. Gordon Hayward had his first career triple-double in the loss, putting up 15 points, 10 boards, and 12 assists, while also nabbing 5 steals in the 97 to 95 loss.

Rodney Hood went down with an injury against Golden State, as he twisted his left knee. He's currently listed as out with an estimated return in 1 to 2 weeks.

And finally, last night, the Jazz were thoroughly beaten by an undermanned Clipper team. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin sat the game out to rest, but Chris Paul made certain that his team was going to come away with the W. He had 23 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists in the 115 to 100 win. Hayward finished with 31 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists, as well as 2 steals and 2 blocks. Trey Burke had 16 and 5 off the bench.

This week should be a bit more manageable for the Jazz. They take on the 6-26 Sixers in Salt Lake City, then play a game in Minnesota on Thursday, come back home for a game with the Blazers on Friday, and finish off the week at home against the Grizzlies. Hopefully the Jazz can come away with at least 3 wins this week.

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Al Horford went down this week with a broken left kneecap that will keep him sidelined for 2 to 4 months. This is a crushing blow to a Hawks team that has been playing terrific basketball all season. Horford is having the best year of his career and is an MVP candidate. He's averaging 21.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.5 BPG while shooting 53% from the floor and 63% from behind the arc.

To make things worse for the Hawks, back up big men Tiago Splitter and Mike Muscala have suffered injuries, as well. Splitter is out with a severe ankle sprain, and Muscala suffered a foot stress fracture. Walter Tavares has been placed into the starting lineup.

James Harden broke his right toe this week, and he will most likely miss action for 2 to 4 weeks. Harden is averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, but is shooting just 39% from the floor and 31% from 3.

Mike Conley is also injured after suffering a severe ankle sprain in a win against the Wizards. He is expected to miss 2 to 4 weeks with the injury.

Randy Wittman has been fired by the Washington Wizards. Wittman was only able to muster a 7-21 record for the Wizards, who were expected to make a run for a top 4 seed this season in the East. Former Rockets coach Kevin McHale was immediately hired for the new head coach job, as he takes in a team with young star John Wall and a bunch of veterans.

[trekfan]

Good hire by the Wizards. McHale got shafted in Houston (he's a solid/good coach -- depends on the roster), and he should thrive with John Wall and Bradley Beal as his backcourt.

Tough losses to the Warriors and Clippers, but expected. There's just a whole 'nother tier between the two teams.