Who’s Going To Be Better: Jazz or Blazers?
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated ran a poll with a bunch of NBA scouts for their season’s predictions. Not surprisingly, the scouts had the Lakers and Spurs at the top of the Western Conference, but what struck me as interesting is they had the Jazz fourth behind the Blazers. I love my Jazz don’t get me wrong, but I also try to be objective with my opinions.
I like and still like Denver to finish in the third spot, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought the Jazz had a chance at that four spot over Portland. Utah has kind of been that forgotten team in the West. It was just two seasons ago when they were in the Western Conference Finals. The Jazz are coming off a disappointing season where they finished 48-34 and went into the playoffs as the eighth seed, getting dusted by the Lakers in the first round. The team battled injuries all year long and never really caught their stride.
The case could be different this year. The Jazz have started the preseason well, posting a 5-2 record. Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap get better every season. This is a contract year for Brewer, so you know he’ll be motivated to play well. The team took a hit with C.J. Miles hurting his hand in the preseason, but if he can get healthy, he could have a huge year and start at that two-guard position.
Although the Jazz aren’t the deepest team they have maintained their same core for years. Andrei Kirilenko provides that spark off the bench, Mehmet Okur is probably the best shooting center in the league and Kyle Korver is a reliable outside scorer. One of the team’s biggest weaknesses outside of centers has been the team’s back up point guard spot. Brevin Knight was horrible for the Jazz in the playoffs, but I think the team got a steal in Eric Maynor. I think the rookie out of VCU could have been a lottery pick and will be the perfect back up behind Williams. He’s already looked good in the preseason. The question mark is Boozer of course. After a rocky summer, Boozer has come into camp with a good attitude and looks to be on board. If he stays on this team and starts to play at his 20-10 potential than the Jazz could climb their way back to the top of the conference.
Portland is a team that has a scary young core of players. Everyone knows what Brandon Roy does. LaMarcus Aldridge is on the cusp of being a special player. Greg Oden has shown some flashes in the preseason and still has a tremendous upside. Andre Miller could be a great addition to the team, but like Boozer, might be a possible distraction if he becomes unhappy about his role. Portland finished the ’08-09 with a 54-28 record and the fourth seed but looked nervous and timid in their first round series against the Rockets. They’ll be better in the playoffs this time around but I would take the Jazz over them in a seven-game series.
Who do you think will have a better 2009-10 season: Jazz or Blazers?
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October 21st, 2009 at 12:43 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Blazers..
Blazers way deeper.. Jazz is Williams and Williams alone.. Boozer DOES have great 20-10 potential but it doesnt help when u let ur man drop 30-10..
October 21st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
JCARR says:
Blazers… they have a lot more pieces than the jazz
October 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm
RonNation says:
lolol
The blazer are [/u]not[u] deeper than the jazz.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Ducky The Truth says:
Blazers. The most of the bench can start, been together for a few seasons and no drama/distractions(that we know of). Plus Roy can make your life miserable.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:05 pm
AB_40 says:
Blazers. Utah is a strange mix of players that hasn’t worked out for them they should have traded andrei kirilenko years ago and a 6-5 6-7 power forward tandem is never a good thing. Deron Williams is a great players brewer is a solid defender… who they have at the three? nobody knows boozer/millsap is gonna be a distraction and ak 47 has his best numbers at the four so that’s also a problem okur is ok and koufous is far from ready. a rookie backup is never good for a contender. they’ve hit their peak with this core and that was 2 years ago?
Portland has depth at every positon with no real rookies. they’re not all batlle tested but they have expierience. they’re a team on the rise that hopefully can build on last years playoffs. but as far as contending they’re at least a full season away… maybe two. can management wait that long? can the fans wait that long? can the players wait that long? I don’t know but if they win it they’ll be the prime example for rebuilding from within
October 21st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
IGP says:
I’ve never been a really big Andre Miller fan (but I will admit he is an excellent player), but I just don’t have good vibes about him in Portland. I feel like he’s gonna fuck it up. I still think the Blazers are better than the Jazz though.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
IGP says:
Also, what are the Jazz doing really? This team is basically the same team every year, but they never get anything done besides simply making the playoffs (which is great, but the goal is to win a championship). They should start over or something. I just think that this team, and a few others are just not setting themselves up to succeed.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Big Sia says:
Utah… Health depending.
Ain’t no one sticking that cat out of Illinois and Maynor can ball
October 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Mack Brownee says:
come on man, everybody that’s taking the blazers, what did they do in the playoffs last year? nada and neither did the jazz but the jazz have way more experience and play better as a team when everyone is healthy
October 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Mo says:
Jazz is not Williams and Williams alone. The Jazz has nice pieces and nice depth as well.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Soda says:
I have the Jazz finishing seventh in the West. Here’s my predictions for this year.
http://www.vancouverbasketball.ca/blog/2009-10-predictions/
October 21st, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Mo says:
As good a coach as Sloan is, I can’t believe he’s still their head coach seeing as they haven’t ever won anything. Was he Larry Miller’s (rest in peace) long lost brother or something?
October 21st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
JH says:
While pre-season games don’t count…they do give us some insight into the question at hand. The Jazz have beat Portland in both pre-season games.
Portland has more hype…but my vote goes with the Jazz.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
aj says:
The Jazz are winning the Northwest this year.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Colton says:
subjective? how many paragraphs about the jazz?
how many about the blazers?
hmmm? hmmmm?
jk. just thought id flip you shit. but … my blazers are gonna take that spot. sorry.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
KenAdams says:
It is going to be the Jazz. The Blazers have a nice group and will do well, but they Jazz play better team ball. Deron is the main reason. With Steve Blake and Andre Miller fighting for the starting job it will mess things up and they could loose their chemistry. Deron is the leader and will lead them to the Northwest Title. Hopefully no one gets hurt…. I miss those days of Stockton…. he was never hurt or played through it like a man.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Dagomar says:
The Jazz are so stacked with talent that it’s hard for me to identify precisely what that team is missing. Of course injuries took their toll last year, but I guess the biggest things I can think of is the team’s general lack of scorers at the 2/3 positions, the fact that it’s best shooter (Korver) can’t play decent defence, and beyond that it’s weak interior defence. That’s coupled with some really bizarrely poor performance away from home. The Blazers have their problems too, but that team has a better shot at putting it all together next year. I like Portland and Denver for the 3 and 4 spots out west, and then Dallas and Utah for the 5 and 6 spots. I’m pretty low on the Hornets after last season but they’ll probably snag 7th.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:19 pm
RPXXXIV says:
The Blazers don’t seem to be Overachieving, like they have in the past. Maybe this is a way to save the momentum buildup until later in the season.
Look at the Spurs for the last 5 or 6 years. Out of the gate slow, but the them they begin to pick up steam around December, leaving them to peak around Playoff time.
Maybe the Blazers are adopting this philosopy, hoping to find a way to play games without having to expend so much energy during the season.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:36 pm
knock knock says:
when was the last time the blazers overachieved?? You mean last year when they finally made the playoffs?? Sometimes, you blazers fans are so funny.
The point position is what will make the jazz better. Andre miller gets killed by any fast guard out there.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Brado says:
The Jazz are better, only if they can stay healthy. D-Will is one of those players that can take any team the distance. He’s up there with Kobe, CP3, Lebron, D-Wade, etc.
Utah will do better, but not much.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Ian says:
i like dallas to take that 4th seed
October 21st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
dreams says:
Jazz are better.
D-Will>B.Roy
October 21st, 2009 at 4:28 pm
ProphetGK says:
Blazers to make top 4 for sure.. Jazz should reach 5th highest…
October 21st, 2009 at 5:02 pm
the cynic says:
Blazers and B. Roy > D-Will
October 21st, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Baby Huey says:
The Blazers have the deeper team. The Blazers have an enormous rebounding advantage. The Blazers got a taste of the postseason and the experience that goes with it. Lastly, the Blazers have an extremely young core that is going to get better organically this year with 4 players making that leap from year 1 to year 2. It might very well be close, but I have to go with the Blazers.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:24 pm
SayItAintSo says:
B-Roy is a better all around player and a better team player than D-Will…
The Jazz are boring…very boring…they don’t get better they just keep acheiving at an OK level and not getting better. The Blazers will continue to get better and have already surpassed the Jazz. Remember the Blazers straight had the Jazz’s number there for a while. This shouldn’t even be up for debate…where is the who is better: The Jazz or The Knicks column, haha
That ish makes more sense.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:28 pm
steven says:
The Blazers! D. Will is the only consistent threat on the Jazz plus, like the Clips and Rockets, they’ll eventually get hit with the injury bug. Blazers all day!
October 21st, 2009 at 8:33 pm
fred a stair says:
jazz are wwwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better then the portland fail gayzers
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:10 am
Utah Jazz Blog says:
On paper, Portland has the better team. I’m just not sure they will be able to put it all together. If both teams stay healthy, it should be a tight race.
Sayitaintso, if you think the Jazz are boring, you either haven’t watched them much or just don’t appreciate basketball played the right way.
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 am
pak-yaw says:
portland has been receiving the most hype going into the season.
hope they live up to it.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:15 am
Caderade says:
SayItAintSo: B-Roy is a better team player than D-Will? You can’t argue with 10.7 apg. The Jazz being “boring” doesn’t make Portland a better team. People call the Spurs boring too. When the Jazz are healthy, they’re one of the deepest teams in the league. Millsap, Kirilenko, and Korver would be starting on 90% of the teams in the NBA. Aside from Brandon Roy, Portland doesn’t have a single player that would be starting if they were on the Jazz. Your second best player, LaMarcus Aldridge, would be our third-string power forward behind Boozer and Millsap (or preferably behind Millsap and Boozer). Oden looks like he could be a good defender (if he can stay healthy, which is a big if), but he offers little on offense. The Jazz are a more experienced, more complete, and more consistent team. Barring major injury, they will win the Northwest Division this year.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Coultin says:
I can’t believe this is even up for debate The Jazz had ALMOST THE SAME RECORD AS THE BLAZERS LAST YEAR, with the injuries the Jazz had, how is this even up for debate?
The Jazz are a better team, and this year they will prove it to all of you nay sayers!
Blazers are so over hyped this year, it’s making me sick!
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Dave says:
as with any comparison you have to assume each team will stay healthy, and if that’s the case the Jazz should contend for the 2 spot in the west. Every time you count them out they come back strong and I suspect they will have a breakout season.
Portland has my favorite non-Jazz player, BRoy is for real and could be the only player on that team to match DWill, but I still give the nod to the Jazz.