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2008 Utah Jazz Season Preview & NBA Basketball Predictions

Written October 8, 2008 by Luke Knight

Jerry Sloan is entering his 21st season as the coach of the Utah Jazz. He still gets results and ranks 4th all-time in NBA coaching victories with 1,089, behind only Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, and Pat Riley. The Jazz will once again expect to be a serious contender in the Western Conference, as they bring back essentially the same group as last year. There will be concerns in the offseason because Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur can opt out of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents, but for this season at least they will be Jazz. Read on to find out whether we think that the Utah Jazz will once again be in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. The Jazz are +600 odds at BetUS to win the Western Conference Championship.

Deron Williams improved in every offensive category last season, with virtually no change in minutes played. Williams averaged 18.8 points per game, 10.5 assists per game, while playing 37.3 minutes per game. Williams was just better than 50% from the field, just below 40% from 3-point range, and 80% at the foul line. If that wasn’t an enough, Williams boosted his scoring average to 21.6 points. Williams ranked third in the league in turnovers at 3.4 per game, but he was behind Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash, so while it is a bad he is in good company I suppose. Ronnie Price will backup Williams. With Williams’s minutes, Price won’t get a ton of playing time, but when he did he showed a knack for hitting important shots. The Jazz also added Brevin Knight in the offseason to add depth at guard with the departure of Jason Hart.

Ronnie Brewer, much like Deron Williams, was nothing special as a rookie in 2006-2007, but Brewer’s production more than doubled last season. Brewer gives the Jazz the tall, athletic 2 guard they have wanted for so long. Brewer was the team’s 4th leading scorer and posted the highest field-goal percentage of any guard in the league at .558. Kyle Korver is Brewer’s backup. The Jazz were 16-16 when the trade for Korver with Philadelphia became official, then the Jazz went 38-12 with Korver in uniform. Korver only averaged 9.8 points per game and a mere 38.8% from 3-point range, but it is entirely possible that his 3-point threat made things easier on his teammates. Morris Almond, 2007 first round pick, was a scoring machine in the D-League last season, breaking the 50-point barrier twice. He could pick up some minutes.

Andrei Kirilenko averaged 11.0 points and 4.7 rebounds last year, better than 2006-2007 but well below his 2005-2006 totals. His best basketball in the last 2 years was when he led Russia to a surprise victory in the 2007 European Championships. Kirilenko’s numbers won’t be like 2005-2006 when he averaged 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds because Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have emerged as the stars of this team. Matt Harpring could get some time here or at the shooting guard position while Kyle Korver could play some small forward as well.

Carlos Boozer’s averaged 21.1 points per game, 10.4 rebounds, and .547 field goal percentage. Boozer’s playoff scoring average dropped from 23.5 points per game in 2006-2007 to 16.0 last season. Boozer and Deron Williams both played on the Olympic team this summer. Paul Millsap averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in limited minutes last season. He had surgery last summer after being injured in the final playoff game against the Lakers where he put up 15 points and 8 rebounds, despite suffering a torn ligament in his left thumb.

Mehmet Okur posted double-doubles in 9 of Utah’s 12 postseason games, including 21 points and 19 boards in Game 1. Jarron Collins is listed as the number 2 guy at this position, but the Jazz drafted Kosta Koufos who was the MVP of the NIT which his team, Ohio State won. Koufos also turned down big money to play in his parent’s homeland, Greece in order to play in the NBA. Initially he was a top-10 projected draft pick, but fell to 23. He is willing to put in the work and could become a major player in this league. Kyrylo Fesenko, the second-year man out of Ukraine had a quiet rookie year, but was selected to the D-League all-star game.

Final Analysis

The Jazz have one of the best point guards in the league and one of the league’s most dynamic young duos with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who have fantastic chemistry together. Ronnie Brewer had a breakout year last season and looks to continue improving. We have the Jazz finishing first in the Northwest Division ahead of the Blazers, Nuggets, Thunder, and Timberwolves. They should win their first series in the playoffs, but I don’t expect them to get past the Lakers, Hornets, or Spurs. The Jazz are +1200 odds at BetUS to win the NBA Championship.