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SALT LAKE CITY — Wow, that was fast. Just like that, the 2011- 2012 NBA season was over in an instant.
The summer was dominated by the lockout and the season was more of a sprint than a marathon (Or maybe the distance of a marathon at the pace of the 100-yard dash). Some fans say they love the shortened season while others say they needed more.
Let's take a look back and then a look forward.
The preseason rankings had the Jazz anywhere from dead last to winning half of their games at best. Nobody had the Jazz in the playoffs. Even the die-hard Jazz faithful were hoping for a .500 season (judging from my twitter polls at the beginning of the year).
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The preseason was only two games, as opposed to eight, and nobody had a real clue what kind of team the Jazz would become. Questions were all over the map; who is going to start, who is the go to guy, who is the leader, how good are the draft picks, how have Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward progressed, etc.
Two things most people realized the Jazz did possess were depth and young talent.
Needless to say, the NBA doesn't wait and the season must go on. Jazz started the season off on the road and were dealt some disappointing losses. Jazz fans were tested and even more people jumped on the "Jazz are even worse than we thought" bandwagon. The team stayed together and Coach Ty Corbin did an excellent job in making his young team believe they could win.
Paul Millsap went back into the starting line-up and Favors went to the bench. The team battled, but the first half of the season boiled down to Millsap and Al Jefferson playing incredible. This was offset with poor guard play and trouble winning on the road. Terrible shooting percentages were across the board and the three-point shot was virtually non-existent.
At one point, the Jazz were almost the worst in both road win percentage and three-point percentage. However, the team got better through out the year and the youth movement was becoming fun to watch. Again, Millsap and Jefferson carried the Jazz the entire year. Hayward and Devin Harris came alive post all-star break and finished extremely strong. Favors showed glimpses of greatness and consistently improved throughout the year. Rookies Alec Burks and Enes Kanter were getting much more comfortable and minutes increased as the season wore on. Veterans Raja Bell, Earl Watson, Josh Howard, and C.J. Miles all had great moments, but also had injuries that kept them from seeing more action. All four had times during the year that played crucial roles in the Jazz winning some games.
Jamal Tinsley ended up being a huge surprise and a great addition to the team. Last but not least, we can't forget the slam dunk champ Jeremy Evans for his bursts of excitement during his minutes on the court.
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The playoffs ended up being a huge learning experience for this young team. Yes, Jazz lost their draft pick, but they gained playoff experience that they needed more. The Spurs showed them what it takes to be an elite team. Jazz found in the playoffs their weaknesses and what holes need to be filled. They also found they have some terrific young talent and a couple really good veterans.
As a side note, the one player I am most excited about is Favors. He is beyond his years on the defensive end and showed signs of improvement in the offensive end this season. At 20 years old, he has the brightest future of anyone else his age in the NBA. Just like Dwight Howard currently is to the Orlando Magic, Favors is going to be for the Utah Jazz.
No one really believed that this would be the year of a deep playoff run. Let's conclude with hope for the future based on the promising youth of the Jazz. There is no other NBA team that has four guys 22 or younger that are better than the jazz young four (Favors, Kanter, Burks, Hayward). How much they improve and how hard they work will determine how bright the Jazz future will be.
This offseason, as with all offseasons, will be interesting. Locker rooms change every year and players come and go. Kevin O'Conner has done a great job in years past of getting talent that fits the Utah Jazz way. For better or worse, the Jazz have now set the bar by being a playoff team.
Am I crazy for thinking this team next year could be a Top 4 seed in the west?
I for one am a believer.
