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SALT LAKE CITY — On the verge missing the playoffs for just the fifth time in the past 30 years here in Utah, (to boil the stat down, it's also the fifth time in the past 10 years) this could also be the beginning of the largest overhaul in franchise history.
Big Al's big game performance can't be questioned after he ripped his old T'wolves team, going for 40 pts, hauling down 13 rebounds in Friday's "must-win" home game, but it's stunning to realize that could've been the final home game not only for Big Al but for seven other players on this year's team.
I'll let that intriguing thought simmer in your brain for a few minutes while we retrace what went wrong here with this Jazz team's drive for the playoffs.
At the NBA trade deadline the Jazz were humming along, 31-24 with a fat five game lead on the Lakers for eighth place, the final playoff spot in the West. One might think the passing of the trade deadline would allow Jazz stars Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, who were front and center in most of the Jazz trade rumors, to finally relax and the entire team to play loose and confident knowing that nobody would be going anywhere for the rest of the season.
Actually, maybe they collectively exhaled and relaxed too much, immediately losing seven out of the next eight games and 12 out of 15, while the Lakers were warming to the playoff challenge by winning 10 of their next 13 games.
Now, granted, in those first 15 games after the trade deadline, the Jazz schedule was brutal — nine out of 15 on the road, and 11 games against teams going to the playoffs. This is the resonating reality that typifies this season, with the Jazz losing 10 of 11 games against playoff teams, including three losses in EnergySolutions Arena, where they should play better and have historically. Since that noted trade deadline the Jazz lost 14 of their 25 games, and 12 of their last 15 away from the comforts of ESA.
To Ty Corbin and his team's credit, after that slide that saw the Lakers surge past the Jazz from five behind to two games up in one crazy month, Corbin said the following:
"We can't get the games back that we've lost. All we can do is throw it all out there for these last dozen games."
The Jazz have done just that. Helped by a softer schedule, the Jazz have won eight of their last 10 — but the Lakers have turned up the intensity too, matching the Jazz game for game.
So here they are. Closing in on the end to another transition season. Of course the Jazz still could steal the eighth spot by winning their final two, putting the ultimate pressure on the Lakers later Wednesday night and forcing them to beat a Houston team that is immensely talented and could very well be playing to pass Golden State into the sixth spot — if the Rockets really want sixth, which would result in a first round matchup with a very dangerous Denver team, rather than settling on seventh and a first round playoff series with a fading Spurs team.
No time to celebrate
Normally after a win players are fooling around in the locker room. Jefferson and Paul Millsap will make jokes about other players haircuts, shoes, pants, coats, hats and whatever else Enes Kanter was wearing at the time. There would be a buzz in the room about where they were going after. Rarely anything off the wall, but jokes would be made with reporters and between the team. There was none of that after this winIn case you're curious, if the Jazz played in the Eastern Conference, they'd be very much in the playoffs, chasing Chicago for the sixth spot, one game behind the Bulls with two games remaining in the regular season.
When this season does finally end for the Jazz then the real intrigue and "fun" begins for new GM Dennis Lindsey, "retiring" VP Kevin O'Connor and the Miller family.
Eight players on this current team have expiring contracts (Hayward, Favors, Kanter, Burks, Evans and Marvin Williams — player option; only ones signed past this July) so Jazz management must decide who they want to re-sign, how much they want to pay and, most importantly, who they want to bring in to shape the future of this franchise. There's also a fat payroll to play with, something like $30 million - $40 million to spend, adding key pieces for next years' team.
That's all.
Want to discuss this? Twitter @ tksportsbeat. Email tom.kirkland@ ksl.com
Collapsing since the All-Star break?
| W-L | FG-FGA | 3P-3PA | FT-FTA | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 30-24 | 36.9-81.8 | 6.0-16.6 | 18.4-24.0 | 42.0 | 22.8 | 8.4 | 6.4 | 14.2 | 98.3 |
| Post | 12-14 | 38.1-82.3 | 6.7-17.9 | 15.7-20.7 | 41.8 | 22.7 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 14.3 | 98.7 |
