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SALT LAKE CITY -- Jeremy Evans scrumptious Slam Dunk performance has momentarily created a few extra minutes of game time for him and pushed the Jazz three-game pre-All Star Break losing streak to the back of jazz fans' consciousness but reality is rolling their way right quick.
Jazz have 34 games left in this lockout-riddled season, 18 of them on the road, starting with this post- All Star road-fest where they play seven of the next 10 away from ESA. Right now the Jazz sit 11th in the Western Conference, but closer to 12th (one game ahead) than the 8th and final playoff spot (two games out, two teams in front) and the looming trade deadline is just over two weeks (March 15) away.
Shep Talk:
Wither the Jazz go?
The Utah Jazz have reached the All-Star break. It's always the time when you reflect on where you are in the season. For the Jazz, they enter the break with a record of 15-17.Crossroads for this Jazz team and… Jazz management?
We've been kicking this topic around the SportsBeat office for weeks, much the way lots of you have. If you are a .500 team, maybe sneaking into the playoffs, why not play your future. Grow ‘em now. We've seen a half season of what this haphazard juggling of youth and veteran, role players and starters, stat grabbers and the fully invested has led to a team that has no identity, no cause and no foundation.
Why not play Hayward 30-35 minutes every night? "Free" Alec Burks? Quit yo-yoing Favors minutes and PLEASE let the "UnderKanter" out of his coffin. Roll the dice and play the kids even if you'd be playing with fire by reducing minutes of veterans who could turn grumpy.
Oh yeah, that trade deadline. Kevin O'Connor is the envy of every other NBA GM because he has "pieces" and "assets," which include young players with low contracts, a fat trade exception that makes almost any deal add up and a few veterans with hefty contracts expiring next season. Those not really in play in this trade deadline window. Whatever KOC does, it's obvious there's a logjam at the several positions.
Few of the players actually see enough minutes to be comfortable and blossom. There is no rotation, just a nightly experiment to see who'll play hard and mesh with others.
#34 is another issue, it feels like we're being force-fed CJ Miles every night, hoping against years of proof that this will be the year he grows into a consistent scorer and reliable shooter. We all love CJ, but he's about to turn 25 now, 7th season here and the off-the- bench firepower is shooting less than 28 percent from 3- point land and maybe more troubling, he's taking minutes away from the young guys (that sounds strange now doesn't it?)
This Jazz team is close to putting down roots and planting a great core of young players that could contend, maybe sooner than many think. It'll take bold leadership to commit to accelerating the learning curve, give the kids extended minutes and find out what they can do over the 2nd half of the season. I believe Jazz fans would be totally on board with that bold plan.
Then imagine if O'Connor pulls a rabbit out of his hat at the deadline, clearly the Jazz need a star point guard and a bona fide 3- point shooter. A little sleight of hand with some of his assets could swing one or both. Then there's the summer to tweak the roster and a year from now when Big Al's big contract is expiring there other opportunities, and maybe extra money to spend on a star in the Summer of 2013 cause it's fairly certain Big Al will not be here after next season.
Okay, it's not exciting like it used to be, chasing a championship with John and Karl but it is, nonetheless, intriguing watching this project get off the ground, generating a different but very real level of excitement as Jazz nation watches this team learn on the job.
From Left Field:
#LetJeremyDunk, the All-Star show, T.O.
Has the NBA Slam Dunk Contest jumped the shark? Probably. Does Jeremy Evans care? Probably not.This is just my Jazz "stream of consciousness." Just throwing out some of my thoughts and I didn't even get into Coach Tyrone Corbin's role in all this. His trial by fire has turned hot and like his young foundation, he is trying to figure out his job on the fly too. We all like and respect Ty, nobody wants to win the right way more than him but his clock is ticking too.
Can't wait for the ramp up to March 15, rarely has a trade deadline been more eagerly anticipated. What will KOC do? Remember, the league is full of examples of the old adage "some of the best trades are the ones you don't make."
Two weeks of rampant speculation then we'll see which fork in the crossroad the Jazz take.
Hit me back @tksportsbeat or feel free to use more than 140 characters, tom.kirkland@ksl.com
