All Jazzed Up!

Growing up with the Chicago Bulls as my chosen team (thanks to MJ), I learned to despise several squads; The Pistons, The Knicks, and the Jazz. It was just the code. If you loved the bulls you had to hate their foes, which ultimately is respect for them. Knowing this, I knew I hated Stockton-Malone and their coach Jerry Sloan. Guys like Ostertag didn't add any love either.

In the current season, as of this writing, the Jazz have as good a record as the NFL's Bears or Colts, with just 1 loss and about 9 wins. It's an amazingly rapid start for this team, and it goes to show how great a coach they have. Sloan obviously has a great understanding of how to utilize each player's strengths, how to create a winning offensive style and how to relate to his players.

The Jazz right now are lead by 2nd year PG, Derron Williams, who is third in the league for assists. He's distributing the ball as well as or better than J-Kidd, Steve Nash, and CP3, to name a few. The Jazz also have 1 of the best if not best front courts of big men in Okur, Boozer and AK47. Boozer, a Duke product was ripping up the league through his games so far, and can rebound with the best of them. AK47, although injurred is a fantasy basketball stat machine, in that he does a little of everything and can lead the league in blocks. Okur is another inside force, providing them a very dangerous, solid front court. Add to that the sharpshooting of Matt Harpring and solid bench contribution from Giricek and Derek Fisher, and you have the makings of a fundamentally sound contending NBA team.

Last season the Jazz barely missed the playoffs. Right about now they look like Western Conference contenders and possible champions. If I were in Utah, I'd be jazzed up.