With the completion of this post we have now previewed 29 of the 30 teams in the NBA. Next week we’ll take an in-depth look at the Trail Blazers over multiple days. Before we get there, though, it’s fitting that we finish with the Nuggets and Jazz, as they will be the teams Portland will have to compete with closely if they hope to make the post-season (Nuggets) or have any dreams of the sweet seed a division title brings (Jazz).
Record: 50-32, 2nd in Northwest Division, 8th in Western Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
2nd in the league in scoring (110.7 ppg)
29th in opponent scoring (107.0 ppg)
1st in free throw attempts per game
3rd in assists
1st in steals
1st in blocks
2nd in opponent turnovers
Others:
11th in ppg differential (+3.7 ppg)
6th in field goal %
14th in opponent field goal %
19th in three-point %
19th in free throw percentage
21st in turnovers
Poor offensive rebounding team
Poor defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: Chris Anderson, Renaldo Balkman, Dahntay Jones
Significant Subtractions: Marcus Camby, Yakhouba Diawara, Eduardo Najera
Roster
Coach: George Karl
Key Players
PG: Anthony Carter, Chucky Atkins
SG: Allen Iverson, J.R. Smith
SF: Carmelo Anthony, Renaldo Balkman
PF: Kenyon Martin, Linas Kleiza
C: Nene Hilario, Chris Anderson, Steven Hunter
Comments
Anyone who has read my stuff over the last few years knows that I’ve never been a huge fan of the whole Wonder Twins concept in
The frontcourt has been a mix of standout performances and misery for
The biggest issue for
Read more about the Nuggets at PickaxeandRoll.com.
Record: 54-28, 1st in Northwest Division, 4th in Western Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
5th in the league in scoring (106.2 ppg)
4th in ppg differential (+6.9 ppg)
2nd in field goal %
2nd in free throw attempts per game
2nd in assists
3rd in steals
3rd in opponent turnovers
Others:
13th in opponent scoring (99.3 ppg)
17th in opponent field goal %
10th in three-point %
16th in free throw percentage
22nd (tie) in blocks
19th in turnovers
Good offensive rebounding team
Good defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: Brevin Knight, Kosta Koufos (R)
Significant Subtractions: Dee Brown, Jason Hart
Roster
Coach: Jerry Sloan
Key Players
PG: Deron Williams, Ronnie Price, Brevin Knight
SG: Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Morris Almond
SF: Andre Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, C.J. Miles
PF: Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap
C: Mehmet Okur, Jarron Collins, Kosta Koufos
Comments
Blazer fans, desirous of an early stab at glory, have been furiously trying to concoct reasons why the Utah Jazz won’t find as much success this year as they have in the last couple. It’s wasted effort. This team is solid. Their stars are bankable every night. The supporting cast knows its role and is also dependable. The offense runs like clockwork. The defense is so-so but the team can rebound. They’re deep enough to sustain a run through 82 games and they rely on particular skills and not just athleticism. The Jazz actually have a lot of similarity statistically to the Nuggets. They just have their feet set on a wider base.
The team really starts and ends with Deron Williams. He’s not only great himself, he’s making these other players look better than they otherwise would. After that the roster reads like a list of archetypes. Boozer is the scorer, Millsap his understudy. Okur is the mid-range center who draws your big man out of the paint. Kirilenko is the defender, Brewer the percentage scorer in the backcourt, Korver is the shooter, Harpring is the bull in the china shop. These guys don’t have to fit together, but they do under Williams’ (and coach Jerry Sloan’s) hand. It’s as varied and effective of a top eight as you’re going to find. They didn’t lose anyone important either.
The teams the Jazz will have trouble with come in two flavors: teams that can match their talent and teams with in-your-face toughness and size. They don’t rely as heavily on scoring as
Fortunately for them the Jazz will be able to run up the score many nights during the regular season and squeak out plenty of wins even when they can’t. There aren’t enough truly great teams in the league to pin losses on them. You can pencil in 50+ wins again easily. The big question is not how good they are, but how much better they can get. Even if you’re skeptical about the latter, the former is enough to keep you busy for now. Yes, there are pretenders to the division crown.
Read more about the Jazz at SLCDunk.com.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)