The story's getting old, but Jazz fans won't mind if you repeat it. Utah again took down the Rockets in Salt Lake City, pulling away for a 99-86 win. The game remained in contention until the final two minutes, with Deron Williams finally spreading the margin with a few possessions of nasty.
But Houston can take something from this defeat: it is highly unlikely they'll shoot this poorly should the teams meet (again) in the postseason.
The Rotation is a weekly study on the NBA by one of our All-Star voices. In rotation this week is Tom Ziller.
Depending on your interior biases, the Utah Jazz either represent a flimsy facade waiting to be knocked over or the last gasp of insurgent power willing to make the Western Conference playoffs compelling.
As always, the truth falls somewhere in the middle. The public consensus, however, has cast Utah as more bit player than force to be reckoned with. But mis-measuring the Jazz as a Western also-ran is a huge mistake.
Kyle Korver used to play for the 76ers. You figure he's friendly with a few former teammates ... like gregarious Reggie Evans. The Sixers visited Korver's new home last night. Korver and Evans tussled for a ball for a second. Once the whistle blew and the players walked away, well ... just watch.
Next time, Mr. Evans, a simple "Well done Kyle! Bully for you" would be preferred to a violent butt-slap. At least we know Brett Favre will never make it in the NBA now. He'd be the new Rasheed Wallace.
If you're Kyle Korver, and you're not busy perfecting the worst possible defensive stances ever, what do you do with your summer? Do you work on that deadly three point shot? Get yourself a tan on the coast? Maybe go camping with some buds?
No, of course you don't. You help set a Guinness World Record for the longest game of kickball ever played. Of course.
Inside Hoops lets us in on the charity plans of Mr. Korver, which include a 25 hour kickball tournament held tomorrow in Philadelphia. The benefit goes towards the Helping Hand Rescue Mission and will feature a 25 hour kickball game with over 40 participants (Guinness stipulates that 4 players must be on the field at all times), sponsored by the Kyle Korver Foundation.
So the next time you see Korver curl into a tight ball in fear and anticipation of a driving small forward and decide to mock him for his girlish approach, maybe you should remember the man could trounce you at marathon kickball. Word.
Crystal Ballin'takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.
Thelma, Marvin, Provo, Carlos and Deron: five of my favorite names. The Jazz will look to add a name during the draft that gives them more help now, rather than later. They just happen to be ready to contend now, so why not?
Picks: #23, #44, #55 Needs: Paul Millsap is a meast, but he alone can't create defense in the Utah frontcourt, so expect the Jazz to try and beef up their inside presence with the first pick, unless someone with a ton of upside drops. Another legit point guard or a scorer off the bench to help Ashton Kutcher ignite the second team wouldn't hurt either.
Best case scenario: Roy Hibbert, meet lap. If the big man from Georgetown falls, he would give Utah the ability to really get crazy with their lineups, going large -- when Hibbert wasn't in foul trouble -- and giving Mehmet Okur some freedom away from the paint to jack threes over smaller opponents. Courtney Lee or Chris Douglas-Roberts also seem like they'd be pretty nice fits at the two. If they go backcourt in the first, Joey Dorsey could land to Utah in the second.
In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Rockets-Jazz game tonight.
1. Home Is Where The Last Stand Is: Let's make this clear. Yes, Utah won Games 1 and 2 in Houston. But that was the old new Houston. This is the new new Houston. With Alston back, a nothing-to-lose attitude, Tracy McGrady resembling an actual player of substance, and a rotation starting to click again, a loss tonight in Utah for the team with the best home record would be an absolute disaster for the Jazz. There seems to be a prevailing current that this is a mere formality. Maybe I'm tempered by some anti-statutory-rape feelings. Maybe I'm tired of kicking dirt on the Rockets and promptly having their hand shoot out of the ground and attack me. Or maybe it's because all season long I've had the same feeling about this Jazz team. Good. Not great. And very succeptible to a hot team. A game seven would be nightmarish pressure for the Jazz, much the same way the Rockets felt (and whithered under) pressure last year in Game 7. The Jazz have to end this, tonight. 2. Bench Evaporation: An excellent article out of the Salt Lake Tribune today brought up an excellent analysis about the Jazz bench: it's completely evaporated. Jerry Sloan is a pretty tight-reined coach. He's not going to let a lot go by. So if you're out there and you're not producing, he's going to yank you. Especially in a series as tense as this one has gotten. But if you're not playing, how do you work out of your slump? The Jazz need to be a force on the boards and on the perimeter. Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver can go a long way in that direction. They need to step it up tonight to end this.
In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Rockets-Jazz Game 3 tonight.
1. Return O' Da Rafer:Rafer Alston is probable for tonight, but will probably come off the bench. The problem is that at this point, Deron Williams is feeling comfy. He's got his offense, they're shooting 48% from the field in this series, he's creating opportunities for his teammates, and now they're back in the loving arms of the Utah faithful. Let's all pause ten seconds to applaud me for not making a single Mormon or Bucher joke in that entire sentence. ... Got it? Good. Alston needs to come off the bench, set up Luis Scola in the block, and immediately knock down a three. He needs to do it for his own confidence, for his team's confidence, and to quiet the crowd. He needs to send a message, and do it without opening his notoriously loud mouth.
2. Pout Or Power?:Tracy McGrady has had his little tantrum with the press. He's complained and moaned and done everything short of donning eye-liner and putting on a My Chemical Romance album. But let's be clear. The Rockets cannot, and will not win without a stellar performance from McGrady for all four quarters. These next two games don't just decide this series. They could very well decide whether T-Mac is in Houston next year. And as much as he may be frustrated with his struggles, there are much, much worse places he could be traded to. He should think about that before putting it in cruise control tonight.
B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.
Cup of Coffee There's just something wrong to me, that even with Zach Randolph nursing a sore foot and not playing, David Lee still doesn't get to start. What does the guy have to do? Grab 16 rebounds in 30 minutes? Oh right. He did that. He did shoot two of nine, but if my coach didn't let me on the floor, I'd be hoisting shots every time I got on the hardwood too. Usually Lee, is the king of the plus/minus, but there wasn't a single Knick in the plus last night, so solace is at least found in him being their leading rebounder.
Hot Cakes Andrei Kirilenko took a nasty little hit from Dirk Nowitzki last night and had to leave the game with only four minutes under his belt. The primary beneficiaries in terms of playing time would be a mix of Kyle Korver (who I think the Jazz actually like off the bench) and Matt Harpring. Harpring's worth an add and Korver is probably owned, although the latter would be must start material if he ended up in the starting lineup.
Tiny little tip of the cap to Deron Williams who decided to let Jason Kidd know who the elite in the L are, with a 17 point, 20 assist night that included five boards and two blocks. We'd like him to shoot a little bit better, but it's tough to be picky. Very nice.
Brevin Knight appears to be back at regular PG duties for the Clipjoint now that Sam Cassell is gone -- he's certainly always a nice add if you're looking for steals and assists. The guy that's worth keeping an eye on (because Knight tends to get hurt) is *shudder* Dan Dickau. He played 16 minutes last night and recorded four dimes in that span. A starter is a starter, folks.
Since we have a quick moment to breathe between All-Star weekend and the rest of the season, let's take a look back at the winners and losers of the first half.
Winners:
Lakers: LandedPau Gasol for Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton, also known together as "basically nothing." Started a chain reaction of trades in the West, and even after those are considered by many to be the favorite to reach the Finals.
Suns: Traded for Shaq, as an obvious response to the Lakers' deal. They're winners because a motivated Shaq for a season-and-a-half is definitely worth something, and the guy still has a little left I think. Remember, Shaq returned from injury earlier this season to put up a strong effort of 24 and 10 against the Bulls ... but his team lost the game by 30. He'll definitely contribute something positive to his new team.
Heat: Anytime you get $40 million in contracts off the books when you're the worst team in the league, you win. Plus, the Heat have played with more energy since Shawn Marion has arrived, and now they have some cap space to rebuild for next year.
Pistons: Very quietly, the Pistons have racked up the league's second best record at the break, and are currently riding a 10-game winning streak. No one's paying attention to them right now, and that's just the way they like it. This team will be extremely dangerous come playoff time.
The story's getting old, but Jazz fans won't mind if you repeat it. Utah again took down the Rockets in Salt Lake City, pulling away for a 99-86 win. The game remained in contention until the final two minutes, with Deron Williams finally spreading the margin with a few possessions of nasty.
If you're Kyle Korver, and you're not busy perfecting the worst possible defensive stances ever, what do you do with your summer? Do you work on that deadly three point shot? Get yourself a tan on the coast? Maybe go camping with some buds?
Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.
NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.
In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Rockets-Jazz game tonight.
In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Rockets-Jazz Game 3 tonight.
B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.
Since we have a quick moment to breathe between All-Star weekend and the rest of the season, let's take a look back at the winners and losers of the first half. 
