NW Division Report Card.....

[Pinwheel1]

It will be very interesting to see how well Al Jefferson works out as compared to Boozer. One thing I am not sure about is AJ's passing ability. Malone and Boozer were both very good. Is Jefferson? I have no idea. But he better be or he will have problems with Sloan's offense. (Which means he will have problems with Sloan)

 

[STOMP]

Big Al will be two years removed from his knee injury. I expect he'll at least be back to the level he was prior to last year when he took a substantial dip in production. He's a bit more of a low post player then Boozer... I'm thinking he'll fit in really well

STOMP

 

[maxiep]

If I were Jerry Sloan, I'd have the Mailman drive over to the practice facility in his 18 wheeler and start kicking the crap out of Jefferson. If Al's potential can be harnessed, he'll be a top five PF in the league.

As for Matthews, we overpaid, but we had the MLE asset, so it was use it or lose it. There's almost no chance we're under the cap for the duration of his contract, so as long as we don't mind possibly paying some luxury tax in the future, it's no big deal.

 

[crandc]

If I were Jerry Sloan, I'd have the Mailman drive over to the practice facility in his 18 wheeler and start kicking the crap out of Jefferson. If Al's potential can be harnessed, he'll be a top five PF in the league.
QUOTE]

And then have Brian Grant start kicking the crap out of Karl Malone!

One of the best Blazer memories ever.

 

[maxiep]

If I were Jerry Sloan, I'd have the Mailman drive over to the practice facility in his 18 wheeler and start kicking the crap out of Jefferson. If Al's potential can be harnessed, he'll be a top five PF in the league.

And then have Brian Grant start kicking the crap out of Karl Malone!

One of the best Blazer memories ever.

I loved Grant not backing down with blood running down his face. Malone was shocked someone wasn't backing down from him.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...uSAAg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0

 

[oldmangrouch]

Yep, and their "valued reserve" is as good, or better (and a decade younger) than Utah's potential starter, who they just committed to for three years.

So, the Blazers upgraded their bench and Utah's starting backcourt got 10 year's older and most likely worse. Please explain how that is a win for Utah.

BNM

I already did. The Blazers are paying for the hope that Matthews becomes as good a defender as Bell.

By the third year of the contract, it will be a "win" for the Blazers. Next season is another matter.

 

[THE HCP]

Al Jeff will average 20/10+

 

[Boob-No-More]

I already did. The Blazers are paying for the hope that Matthews becomes as good a defender as Bell.

By the third year of the contract, it will be a "win" for the Blazers. Next season is another matter.

And, the Jazz are paying for the hope that the 34-year old Bell will be the same player he was 3 - 5 years ago. To me, that's a much bigger gamble. I think the odds that the 24-year old Matthews will improve are much better than the odds the 34-year old Bell perform at the same level he did earlier in his career. Last season, he only played in six games. Not exactly a positive trend for someone his age.

And, the Jazz are planning to rely on him as starter playing big minutes. If he can't cut it, what's their plan B?

Matthews will be a back-up on the Blazers, a role player, not a starter. If he fails to live up to expectations, it's a much smaller impact than if he were a starter playing big minutes.

If you ask me, the Jazz are at greater risk, both short term and long term than they would be if they'd been able to keep Matthews - unless Raja Bell has found the fountain of youth and can miraculously perform at the same level at age 34 as he did at age 29.

BNM

 

[Pinwheel1]

Al Jeff will average 20/10+

No doubt. But will it be a Zbo 20/10? Again I don't remember if this guy is a good passer or not, but with the way the Jazz players cut to the basket, it is huge if he is good at it. If he is a "black hole" then their offense will not be as good as last year with Boozer.

But hey maybe he is a good passer. I just don't remember

 

[mook]

I'm with BNM. The Jazz are gambling that Bell is still a useful player when he's 37, when he's missed nearly an entire season at 33. Bruce Bowen, a comparable player who suffered no such injury, was pretty much done at 35.

If I were a Jazz fan, I'd be pretty pissed off that my team went with a guy who is clearly on the tail end of his career instead of the promising second year player.

 

[mook]

No doubt. But will it be a Zbo 20/10? Again I don't remember if this guy is a good passer or not, but with the way the Jazz players cut to the basket, it is huge if he is good at it. If he is a "black hole" then their offense will not be as good as last year with Boozer.

But hey maybe he is a good passer. I just don't remember

He's pretty much a Zach Randolph-level black hole. At least right now. But you have to remember that Zach was that way in his early years because he really didn't have a coach in his ear yelling at him to share the ball so...uh....Telfair or Khryapa could score. Jefferson was pretty much in the same situation in Minnesota.

If there's a team that can break Jefferson out of his bad habits, it's the Jazz. He's going to have Sloan screaming in one ear and Williams in the other.

I really like the acquisition for the Jazz.

 

[THE HCP]

And, the Jazz are paying for the hope that the 34-year old Bell will be the same player he was 3 - 5 years ago. To me, that's a much bigger gamble. I think the odds that the 24-year old Matthews will improve are much better than the odds the 34-year old Bell perform at the same level he did earlier in his career. Last season, he only played in six games. Not exactly a positive trend for someone his age.

And, the Jazz are planning to rely on him as starter playing big minutes. If he can't cut it, what's their plan B?

Matthews will be a back-up on the Blazers, a role player, not a starter. If he fails to live up to expectations, it's a much smaller impact than if he were a starter playing big minutes.

If you ask me, the Jazz are at greater risk, both short term and long term than they would be if they'd been able to keep Matthews - unless Raja Bell has found the fountain of youth and can miraculously perform at the same level at age 34 as he did at age 29.

BNM

Am I the only one who thinks the fact that he only played six games last year is a good thing for the Jazz. he's gonna come in rested and fresh.

 

[Pinwheel1]

If there's a team that can break Jefferson out of his bad habits, it's the Jazz. He's going to have Sloan screaming in one ear and Williams in the other.

I really like the acquisition for the Jazz.

They can scream all they want, but some big guys just are not very good passers. My hope is he is one of them. In any event even if if he is "adequate", I would be surprised if he is as good as Boozer at that one area of his game.

 

[mook]

They can scream all they want, but some big guys just are not very good passers. My hope is he is one of them. In any event even if if he is "adequate", I would be surprised if he is as good as Boozer at that one area of his game.

Well, in the past he's a guy you automatically double and triple team when he gets the ball, because no matter what he was going to shoot. So you didn't even have to play the pass.

He probably won't be a very good passer in his first few years in Utah. (He's never done it before!) He'll probably just throw it to the top of the key every time. But at least he'll become a guy who makes teams more hesitant to double.

But yeah, he's definitely a significant downgrade in midrange shooting, and a vast downgrade in passing, over Boozer.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Am I the only one who thinks the fact that he only played six games last year is a good thing for the Jazz. he's gonna come in rested and fresh.

And 34. Rested and fresh at 34 isn't the same thing as rested and fresh at 29. In adition to only six games last season, Bell played in 67 the season before with a PER of 10.7. The last time he played in more than six games and posted a PER better than what Matthews did as a rookie was 2006-07, four seasons ago at age 30. Very few players, rested or not, coming off a major injury at the age of 34 are capable of playing at the same level they did when they were 4 - 5 years younger.

BNM

 

[mook]

Am I the only one who thinks the fact that he only played six games last year is a good thing for the Jazz. he's gonna come in rested and fresh.

I dunno. The season before last, he only played 67 games and missed the playoffs. So it's not like it was a particularly grueling year that year either.

Usually role players who miss an entire season at that age don't really come back and play spectacularly.

 

[oldmangrouch]

I'm with BNM. The Jazz are gambling that Bell is still a useful player when he's 37, when he's missed nearly an entire season at 33. Bruce Bowen, a comparable player who suffered no such injury, was pretty much done at 35.

If I were a Jazz fan, I'd be pretty pissed off that my team went with a guy who is clearly on the tail end of his career instead of the promising second year player.

Or they could have avoided the entire issue by keeping Brewer.

 

[THE HCP]

I dunno. The season before last, he only played 67 games and missed the playoffs. So it's not like it was a particularly grueling year that year either.

Usually role players who miss an entire season at that age don't really come back and play spectacularly.

He missed the playoffs because he got traded to Charlotte right? I think it was a nice pickup for them. But I think they lost more then they brought in and might struggle this year. I think Okur is out til January.

 

[THE HCP]

Or they could have avoided the entire issue by keeping Brewer.

Amen to that! I like his game.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Here's what I don't understand.

The Jazz signed a 34-year old shooting guard who played in a total of six games last season. In his prime, he had way below PER for a starting SG. If he was on the Blazers roster, he'd be 5th on the depth chart at SG behind Roy, Rudy, Matthews and Bayless. At this point in his career, Raja Bell is not good enough to start on 95% of the teams in the league. In fact, he may very well be the worst starting SG in the entire league this coming season.

Yet, certain posters in this forum think this was a good move and somehow make Utah better???? I just don't get it. He wouldn't even be able to make our team, but he'll be starting for Utah. And this makes them better? At best, he'll be a Juwan Howard type who will be a good locker room presence and not totally suck when on the court, but he's not a good NBA caliber starting 2 and makes the Jazz very vulnerable at this position.

Utah is often forced to move players they'd like to keep for financial reasons. They lost Eric Maynor for financial reasons and signing Raja Bell to replace Wesley Matthews was a cost cutting measure, not an upgrade.

BNM

 

[Masbee]

But yeah, he's definitely a significant downgrade in midrange shooting, and a vast downgrade in passing, over Boozer.

And a big upgrade over Boozer on the low block.

Now we see if Sloan is a real coach, as he will have to change his system to max the skill set of Jefferson. If Sloan tries to make Jefferson into Boozer or a poor-man's Malone it will flop. If Sloan changes his offense so they post-up Al a lot, it could work.

 

[mook]

And a big upgrade over Boozer on the low block.

Now we see if Sloan is a real coach, as he will have to change his system to max the skill set of Jefferson. If Sloan tries to make Jefferson into Boozer or a poor-man's Malone it will flop. If Sloan changes his offense so they post-up Al a lot, it could work.

No doubt. Lots of really interesting new questions coming into this season:

1. Can LeBron/Wade/Bosh be as good in reality as they are on paper?
2. Can Sloan coach Jefferson?
3. What's Portland going to be like with the RAMBO (Roy/Aldridge/Miller/Batum/Oden) lineup?
4. Is Amare as good without an elite point guard setting up all his dunks?
5. How long will Chris Paul keep his mouth shut?

I can't wait for the season to start.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Here's what I don't understand.

The Jazz signed a 34-year old shooting guard who played in a total of six games last season. In his prime, he had way below PER for a starting SG. If he was on the Blazers roster, he'd be 5th on the depth chart at SG behind Roy, Rudy, Matthews and Bayless. At this point in his career, Raja Bell is not good enough to start on 95% of the teams in the league. In fact, he may very well be the worst starting SG in the entire league this coming season.

Yet, certain posters in this forum think this was a good move and somehow make Utah better???? I just don't get it. He wouldn't even be able to make our team, but he'll be starting for Utah. And this makes them better? At best, he'll be a Juwan Howard type who will be a good locker room presence and not totally suck when on the court, but he's not a good NBA caliber starting 2 and makes the Jazz very vulnerable at this position.

Utah is often forced to move players they'd like to keep for financial reasons. They lost Eric Maynor for financial reasons and signing Raja Bell to replace Wesley Matthews was a cost cutting measure, not an upgrade.

BNM

Honestly? Part of it is playing devil's advocate.

This is the third year in a row people here have been lining up to proclaim that *this* is the season that Denver, Utah, and now the Thunder are going to suck mud. Every other team in the division has rotten players, an inept coach, a horrible GM, every move they make is a mistake, etc, etc. Of course, this is often followed by a chorus of excuses as to why they actually did better than the Blazers. (Well sure the Nugs went to the WCF, but we had to play the Rockets!)

As you point out, Utah is battling financial constraints the Blazers don't have - but year in and year out, they are as good or better than the Blazers. That suggests to me they have a better coach and/or front office. That hasn't changed for the up-coming season. If they prefer Bell to Matthews, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[STOMP]

Honestly? Part of it is playing devil's advocate.

This is the third year in a row people here have been lining up to proclaim that *this* is the season that Denver, Utah, and now the Thunder are going to suck mud. Every other team in the division has rotten players, an inept coach, a horrible GM, every move they make is a mistake, etc, etc.

thats not an honest assessment of the overall tone of people's statements in this thread at all. Most of the comments on Al are that he's at least a solid Big to replace Boozer. I just scanned the thread and if anyone said that Utah or Denver or the Thunder are going to suck they're in the decided minority.

As you point out, Utah is battling financial constraints the Blazers don't have - but year in and year out, they are as good or better than the Blazers. That suggests to me they have a better coach and/or front office. That hasn't changed for the up-coming season. If they prefer Bell to Matthews, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

you should give that credit to their superior PG or maybe their higher payroll. Even without Matthews, Utah is already into the lux tax... Portland with him on his new deal is right at the line. I highly doubt that they truly preferred Bell to Matthews. That they just didn't want to commit the $ is far more likely especially with DWilliam's FA looming after next year. 5 years for 34M isn't the same chunk of change as 3 years for 10M... especially when you're paying double for being over the lux line. Most NBA careers are over by 34 years old, especially wing players... we'll see what sort of return on this cheap gamble they receive.

STOMP