This dunk by Jeremy Evans reminded me last night why it's important to watch every game —even if it's just the preseason — because you never know when you're going to see an amazing play like that. But despite that play, and the fact the Jazz did win last night, I can't help but feel worried about this Utah team.
The Jazz really do have a lot of good players. Here's a quick rundown of each player by position:
Point Guards:
Devin Harris.
He's a 7-year veteran, who started for a pretty good Dallas team until he got traded to New Jersey for Jason Kidd. He played well for the awful Nets, making the All-Star team in 2009, when he averaged 21 points and 7 assists a game. Then last season he was traded to Utah for Deron Williams. In 17 games with the Jazz, he averaged 15.8 ppg and 5.4 apg. I really like his incredible speed (I've never seen another Jazz player go coast-to-coast as quick as he does) and he should be a team leader for this young team. However, I'm a little concerned that he was the best player on a 12-win Nets team. I have a theory that players who spend too much time on losing teams become accustomed to losing. When they know they can't make the playoffs, all they focus on is getting good individual stats for a bigger contract. Sadly Devin Harris isn't the only Jazz player who falls under that category.
Earl Watson
Watson re-signed with the Jazz after a surprisingly effective Twitter campaign to bring him back caught the eye of Kevin O'Conner. I don't think the fans Twitter was the only reason the Jazz brought him back, but it certainly helps knowing he has a lot of fans here. And I count myself among his fans. Watson's been in the league for 10 years, having played for Seattle, Memphis, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Indiana. He's the kind of guy you like to have on your team, but aren't compelled to keep him for a long time. His best year was in 2008 with the Sonics, when he averaged 10.7 ppg and 6.8 apg. Playing behind Williams, Harris, and the oft-injured Ronnie Price last year, Watson averaged 4.3 ppg and 3.5 apg in 80 games. He is smart, consistent, a surprisingly good rebounder and defender, and doesn't hurt your team in anyway. But he doesn't really do anything extraordinary.
Jamaal Tinsley
This is a player the Jazz wouldn't have touched with a 10-foot pole a few years ago. Tinsley spent 7 years with the Pacers, his best year coming in 2005, with 15.4 ppg and 6.4 apg. But then his off-the-court troubles became such a problem that Indiana paid him to stay away from the team, and he spent the entire '08-'09 season out of the NBA. In '09-'10, he played 39 very quiet games with the Grizzlies, before going back to the D-League last year. Now the Jazz have brought in this washed-up head case to be the third-string point guard, which should be fine. He looked fairly decent last night against Portland, and as long as the Jazz don't expect too much out of him and as long as he stays out of trouble, he should be a good fit.
Shooting Guards:
Raja Bell
Bell has been in the league for 11 years, playing for Philadelphia, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Golden State. After the Jazz refused to match Portland's offer to Wesley Matthews, we were pretty happy to bring back Bell, who declined Kobe Bryant's personal plea to join the Lakers. Bell's career really got started during the awful non-playoff years in Utah, and it was understandable at the time when he went to a very good Phoenix team for more money. He had his best year with the Suns in 2007, when he averaged 14.7 ppg and was named to the All-Defensive 1st Team. He really is a great 3-point shooter and an excellent defender, but if we learned anything last year, it's that this is not the same Raja Bell from 2007. In 68 games with the Jazz last season, Bell averaged 8 ppg and really made me miss Matthews. The shooting guard position is the weakest for the Jazz right now, and I don't think we can expect Bell to be the starter during this brutal schedule.
Alec Burks
Last year, Burks averaged 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for Colorado, who made it to the NIT Semifinals. The Jazz picked him with the 12th pick in the draft, and I have to admit, I'm not really impressed with him. He's not a shooter, which is something the Jazz really could use. I know he scored in college, but his team wasn't that great, and somebody has to score. Burks' two preseason games were quite abysmal, which probably means C.J. Miles and Gordon Hayward will be playing a lot at the 2 to relieve Bell. That isn't a comforting thought for me.
Small Forwards:
C.J. Miles
Every year, it seems like we're hearing the same "This is Miles' year" story. I know from a good source that part of this is because the Deseret News' Jazz beat writer is good friends with Miles, and never writes negatively about his friends. As nice a person as C.J. is, I'm kind of getting sick of him as a player. I was surprised when he chose not to go to Texas after the Jazz drafted him in 2005, and instead played 60 games of mostly garbage time through his first two seasons here. We kept telling ourselves that he's still young, and can still get better. Last year was the first time he averaged double digits, scoring 12.8 ppg. Now this year, his 7th with the Jazz, Miles is legitimately talking about making the All-Star team. Yeah, right! He just doesn't seem to have that competitive edge necessary to make that leap. He's a really streaky shooter, and when he's on, it's great, but most of the time he's not. Last year, he made only 32 percent of his 3-pointers, but that didn't stop him from taking more than four a game. The Jazz really could use someone who does what he does but only more consistently and better. Personally, I'm sick and tired of waiting for Miles to develop, and I will not be holding my breath for his All-Star nomination.
Gordon Hayward
"Elder" Hayward, as I've heard him called, was the No. 9 pick in last year's draft. He didn't play much under Jerry Sloan, but he did have a couple of nice games at the end of the season when nobody cared. He scored 22 against the Lakers and 34 against the Nuggets. In 72 games, he averaged 5.4 ppg and shot 47 percent from 3-point range. I like that he is a good basketball player, able to do a little of everything, and that he took Butler to the Final Four. Like I said with Devin Harris, I really think winning and losing is a mentality, and those who have a history of winning continue to find ways to win. I think Hayward could be a really good player one day, but despite all the good he does, he doesn't do any one thing great. Maybe it could be his shooting? It was tough to tell last night because he fouled out in 14 minutes.
Josh Howard
Here's another washed-up head case the Jazz surprised me with. Howard had 6 1/2 good years with Dallas before being traded to Washington. There, he became derailed with injuries and off-the-court problems. Last year, he only played 18 games and scored 8.4 ppg. His best year was in 2007, when he made the All-Star team with 18.9 ppg and 6.8 rpg. It would be wonderful if he could approach that level again, but I have to ask: Why did so many current Jazz players hit their primes in 2007?
Jeremy Evans
He was Utah's 2nd round pick last year, and didn't get much playing time. He played in 49 games and scored 3.6 ppg. Coaches might be worried that he's so ridiculously skinny, but he's a fan favorite with his dunks (see last night's). Whenever I see him play, I like what I see, and I definitely think he made a strong case for more playing time last night. It'll be hard for him, with the Jazz's forward-infested roster, though.
Well, this is taking longer than I thought, so I'll continue with Utah's big men tomorrow.
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