So this is more to spur discussion than to be the end all statement. But it can be a repository for analyzing Utah, from matchups to coaches etc. First i would like to start with the record. Looking just at their schedule it seems Utah had 4 phases of their season. Part 1 12-1. Utah comes out strong to start the season and really gets on the national radar. Its basically the first time all these players have played together. Teams dont really know how to play them. Part 2 31-18 This is their stretch run. They dont play as well as they did early, but still are playing at a 50 win pace. Part 3 7-12 This is the end of the season. I'd like to think that this is teams finally adjusting to play them better, having a full season of tape to analyze and getting a 2nd and 3rd shot at them. Also i think its fatiuge. Carlos Boozer hasn't played this many minutes since 2003-04, and Deron Williams never has. Kirelinko's injury is also a factor. So what team will we see in the playoffs?
Honestly I really don't know because the Jazz are a very inconsistent team. For a stretch of games they play really good basketball and then they suddenly collapse. Also, just because we clinched homecourt does not mean we are guaranteed out of the first round. I hope the Rockets stay motivated after that win against Pheonix last night. I know it was a big win but we have not proved anything yet.
Interesting topic. My take is Utah as a young team of several playoff misses took many teams by surprise in the beginning of the season, but as the season dragged on, the novelty along with whatever the magic it brought with had run its course and teams had Jazz more or less figured out. In many ways, Utah's season is reminiscent of Rockets' own mini-season in Yao's absence -- the end wasn't pretty.
First of all, all teams have bad stretches. The Rockets even had several, including a big one just around the time of Yao's return. The Jazz could very simply be playing through a bad stretch, which may or may not extend into the playoffs. I'm thinking this is the case. The biggest factor, in my opinion, is Deron Williams' groin injury. He's been hampered by it, and really affecting Utah's offense lately. He is by far the biggest mismatch that Utah has over us. If he lacks the speed to kill us on pick and roll plays, the Rockets pretty much have the series in the bag.
Yeah, I think at the start of the season, most teams were not prepared for the sudden leap in the level of Utah's play. They had the same gameplan, but they were executing it more efficiently. Add Boozer and the new and improved Deron Williams, and you've got a pretty good team. However, once the other teams had gotten used to thinking of Utah as a good team, and then playing them accordingly, the Jazz stopped winning as much. I like your analogy where you compare the Jazz's season to the mini Yao-less season the Rockets had. The ending definitely was NOT pretty, haha!
