A New Era: Utah Jazz (Live 08) - Week 5 Update (Sort of)

[jonthefon]

FLIGHT WHITE!!!

Good to see you going on a new dynasty Lamrock.

[Lamrock]

Utah Jazz 2007-08 Season Preview

Projected Depth Chart:

C - Okur - Swift - Millsap
PF - Boozer - Millsap - Swift
SF - Harpring - Brewer - White - Almond
SG - Miller - Almond - White - Brewer
PG - Williams - Stoudamire - Hart

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Last season, the Jazz surprised the basketball world. First, they had the best start of the season in the league. Then, the Jazz finished the season with a 51-31 record, claiming the Northwest Division and #4 seed in the West, despite fading down the stretch. As major underdogs, the Jazz upset the Rockets in a seven game series, and moved on to face everyone's favorite Cinderella team: the Warriors.

The first two games of the series were closely fought, but Utah's size, experience and homecourt advantage led them to a 2-0 lead. The Warriors fought back by completely destroying the Jazz in Game 3; but their undefeated playoff home record was broken as Utah took Game 4, and then closed out the series in Game 5. Utah's miracle run was annihilated however, by the eventual-champion Spurs. Though they were defeated in 5 games, Deron Williams was spectacular, with insane averages of nearly 26 points, 8 Assists and 2.4 steals. All of the sudden, the Jazz were on the map, and people were drawing comparisons of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer to John Stockton and Karl Malone.

The Utah Jazz enter the 2007-08 season with something to prove; that they weren't just a one-season-wonder. The Utah Jazz made some surprising moves in the offseason, trading away former all-star Andrei Kirilenko, backup Center Jarron Collins, and serviceable SG Gordan Giricek for sharpshooter Mike Miller, PG Damon Stoudamire, and former #2 pick Stromile Swift, as well as the signing of highflying swingman James White. Unfortunately, Derek Fisher left the team due to his daughter's condition. Time will tell if these moves pay off, but one thing is for sure: the Utah Jazz are a force to be reckoned with.


Next Stockton-Malone?

Whats in store for this year?

Look for the Jazz to have a similar year to last season. They may struggle the first month adjusting to the roster changes, but they will likely finish with at least 50 wins and the Northwest Division title barring injuries. With Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio as the other top contenders in the West, the Jazz could finish anywhere between first and fifth place in the conference. Even lower if the Nuggets pull out a breakout year. It is highly unlikely that there will be another major upset like last year, so it will be a much tougher route to the Conference Finals. Are the Jazz up to the task?

[Phantom18]

DAMN! I like the direction of this dynasty and the presentation is actually quite nice.

[jonthefon]

There will never be another Stockton to Malone. Maybe not even a Stockton and Malone.

[Its_asdf]

Nice to see another regular back in action (I guess it's that time of year again for dynasties, huh?). Anyway, I'm liking the additions to your team thus far. I still hope that with the additions of Miller and White that there's still time for Ronnie Brewer to get some good burn.... One of my favourites on the Jazz, that's for sure.

[Chaser7]

Nah I dont think they'll struggle, i mean there is he aspect of you playing the game so I think the Jazz will be fine... good luck start soon..
also i need your help with my sliders in my dynasty...

[Lamrock]

SNARKY: Thanks; I'm trying not to just recycle my Warriors dynasty write-up styles.

jonthefon: Says you...

Its_asdf: Thanks for the praise, and I hope you continue to follow. And don't worry, Brewer will get plenty of time. He's a beast in this game, and can play 3 positions. Might actually be my main backup.

blazersrule: Well, you must take into consideration chemistry (I keep getting the "revolving door" complaint) and the fact that I intervene 90% of the games. I will start soon, but I still need to add a few players to the roster, and I want to start with opening night rosters (moves are being made daily still). Also, the end of the quarter is approaching, so I'll have a lot of schoolwork.

As for sliders, I can't really help you unfortunately, because the 360 sliders are different to the current-gen sliders. I'm just using playmakers rosters with some slight adjustments.

Next update likely in a couple days; either with schedules and/or the first game.

Keep watching!

[Cornerthree]

Awesome preview, man... I bet you could as far as 56 wins, simply because there's a lot more offense now, with the addition of Miller, and the natural progression of Williams should do the trick... I'm expecting much of this, good luck...

[McDwyane]

I'll follow this dynasty,good luck!

[Lamrock]

Okay, so I've finally finished making the rosters, and have finalized everything. The rosters are completely updated as of opening night. (Last moves were Mbenga and Udrih as FA, Pavlovic signing with Cleveland and Dallas signing Juwan Howard) As soon as I get a few games' buffer, I'll post the first recap. In the meantime; here is a minor update.

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October/November 2007 Schedule

16 Games | 8 Home Games | 8 Road Games

10/30/2007 - @ Warriors
11/01/2007 - Vs. Rockets
11/03/2007 - Vs. Warriors
11/04/2007 - @ Lakers
11/07/2007 - Vs. Cavaliers
11/10/2007 - Vs. Grizzlies
11/12/2007 - Vs. Timberwolves
11/14/2007 - @ Raptors
11/16/2007 - @ Cavaliers
11/17/2007 - @ Pacers
11/19/2007 - Vs. Nets
11/23/2007 - Vs. Hornets
11/25/2007 - @ Pistons
11/26/2007 - @ Knicks
11/28/2007 - @ 76ers
11/30/2007 - Vs. Kings

The beginning of Utah's season isn't too bad. The number of home and away games are split, and the the toughest teams to beat are Houston, Detroit and Cleveland. The season starts off with some new rivalries, as the Jazz narrowly upset the Rockets in the first round of last year's playoffs, then ended the Warrior's Cinderella run. Half of the 16 games are against teams that finished last season at or under the .500 mark.

[Clutch]

man this is coming along really nicely and i dig the Miller trade a lot; i've liked his game since his days playing with TMac in Orlando; he should be a perfect fit to the Jazz style of play and should really open things up for Boozer on the block or D-Will's drives

speaking of D-Will, just remembered i wanted to ask - what are his ratings? in my dynasty he's over all 74 (pre-breakout season) so i'm curious what he looks like (ratings-wise) in '08

also like that you've created the beginnings of a nice little rivalry with AK47 now teamed with Pau and the Grizz; looking forward to 11/10...

[Fresh8]

Good luck with this! As I said, I love the memphis team in this dynasty.

[Lamrock]

Well, here is the first weekly update. Sorry if it disappoints due to a lack of pictures, innovation or beauty. I think that it will improve over the course of the dynasty. Plus I'm saving a lot for the monthly update. Also, the first game update is abnormally long since it is the first, not all recaps will be that long. Nevertheless, Enjoy!

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Week 1: October 30-November 3

October 30 | Utah Jazz @ Golden State Warriors | Season Series: 0-0 | Played Game

Through the first two quarters of the Jazz season opener in Golden State, it looked like a continuation of last year's Western Conference semifinals, which were close in the first 3 games, but ended with the Jazz convincingly finishing the Warriors off in 5. Baron Davis was being contained, and aside of Andris Biedrins' surprisingly strong play, nothing was going for the Warriors. Leading by 17, Utah seemed to be in control of the game, but that was when Stephen Jackson went off, scoring 17 of his 31 total points in the third. In a matter of minutes, it was a single digit game, and the Jazz didn't have an answer. Boozer got into foul trouble, and by the time the third period was up, the game was tied.

The Jazz got themselves back together somewhat in the fourth, but then Golden State's star-studded backcourt of Monta Ellis and Baron Davis finally caught fire. Fortunately, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur came to the rescue, hitting some key shots down the stretch. Williams finished with 19 points and 12 assists; Okur 17 points, 13 Rebounds and 5 Assists. With the Jazz up by 8 with 2 minutes to go, Baron (who finished with 19 points and 10 assists) hit a pair of clutch threes. However, the strong Utah defense did not allow the Warriors to come any closer, and with 5 seconds to go, had a 6 point lead before Rookie Marco Belinelli hit a pointless three to end the game. The final score was 107-104 Jazz. Boozer struggled, finishing with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The one positive for him was his 3 blocks, as that is an area he struggles in.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Mehmet Okur: 17 Points, 13 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Blocks

High Scorers (By Team): UTA: Boozer (23) GSW: Jackson (31); Star Sixth Man: Ronnie Brewer (UTA): 8 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Steals

25 31 24 27 107
20 19 41 24 104

November 1 | Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz | Season Series: 0-0 | Played Game

Coming off of a miracle season, and tight win over Golden State two nights prior, the Utah Jazz got a hero's ovation as they walked into their first home game of the season. That energy continued throughout the game, as the Jazz completely dominated the Rockets... at least through the first three quarters. Led by the duo of Deron Williams (26 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REBS, 2 BLKS) and Carlos Boozer (33 PTS, 13 REBS, 2 BLKS), the Jazz pulled out to a 14 point lead after three periods of play. In the fourth, the Rockets turned it up a few notches in the fourth, however, and yet again, the Jazz almost saw a lead slip away. Fortunately, by containing T-Mac and the rest of the Rockets, Utah stayed alive to pull out with a 98-94 victory; improving to 2-0.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Carlos Boozer: 33 Points, 13 Rebounds, 2 Blocks

High Scorers (By Team): UTA: Boozer: 33; HOU: Yao (30); Star Sixth Man: Paul Millsap (UTA): 10 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Blocks

23 19 23 29 94
28 21 30 19 98

October 3 | Golden State Warriors @ Utah Jazz | Season Series: 1-0 Utah | 4th Quarter Intervention

After 2 nail biters, Utah's second game against the rival Warriors was quite easy by comparison. Like the season opener, the Jazz blew out Golden State in the first half, and contained star Baron Davis. (Who finished with 19 points and 7 assists) The difference this time was that the Warriors did not pull off a miracle comeback in the third quarter, and going into the fourth period, the Jazz were up by 22. In the end, the Jazz cruised to the win as Mehmet Okur (13 PTS, 10 REBS, 10 ASTS; Triple-Double!), Matt Harpring (18 PTS, 11 REBS) and Warrior rookie Brandan Wright (17 PTS, 9 REBS, 6 ASTS, 3 BLKS) padded ttheir stats. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams got a much-deserved rest in the fourth after posting similar games to the previous game, as the Jazz cruised to victory 122-94.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Deron Williams: 22 Points, 10 Assists, 2 Steals

High Scorers: (By Team) UTA: Carlos Boozer (26), GSW: Monta Ellis (21); Star Sixth Man: Brandan Wright (GSW): 17 Points, 9 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 3 Blocks

20 21 28 29 94
31 27 32 36 122

Team/League Leaders:

Points Per Game: Kobe Bryant (34.3, LAL); Carlos Boozer (27.3, 9th)
Rebounds Per Game: Shaquille O'Neal (13.0, MIA); Carlos Boozer (11.3, 4th)
Assists Per Game: Steve Nash (11.3, PHX); Deron Williams (9.7, 3rd)
Steals Per Game: Josh Howard (2.5, DAL); Deron Williams (1.0)
Blocks Per Game: Ben Wallace (4.0, CHI); Carlos Boozer (2.0, 10th)

Rookie Watch:

Morris Almond: 6.0 PPG; 45% FG, 7.7 MPG - With Mike Miller, Matt Harpring and Ronnie Brewer stealing all of the swingman minutes, Almond hasn't had much of a chance to shine. It will probably take an injury for him to receive a chance to prove himself.

[Chaser7]

Nice job, going 3-0, except I'll never forgive you for defeating my Warriors twice in one week (grrr). Anyways, nice to see some of my influences in here, haha. I think you should put the final score at the top, since I was little confused seeing the logos after the recap. Also player shots/more team logos would nice. Good job, and good luck.

[jonthefon]

Great start. Sweet presentation and very realistic results and simming. Keep it up!

And also, isn't there some way of capturing 360 screenshots? or is that expensive?

[Lamrock]

blazersrule: Warriors suck; they can't play Dallas every night. I don't really use any of your influences really. Its just similar to yours because this is sort of the standard way to do weekly recaps. I'd say its a simplified version of my 2k7 Magic recaps. (My first Association) I'll credit you when I start posting pics and making fun of the dimwitted rumor coach.

The reason I put the final score at the bottom is that readers will at least skim the recap, and not just look at the score and reply "good job". I don't really see the point of adding more team logos, but I will include player shots.

jonthefon: Thanks for the praise; the sim engine isn't too bad in the 360 version, although Okur is averaging 6 APG. There are a couple ways to get pics. I could take them directly off the screen, but they would look awful. The other alternative is to play through the computer monitor, but I don't have a cap card, and I want to enjoy the graphics in hi-def glory. Of course, some people (Matthew...) have good TVs, and/or camera and can get PC-quality pics, but sadly I can't.

[Chaser7]

uh.. what about rookie watch, and league leaders?
also at least our hometown team isn't threatening to leave!! haha,nor did we finish with one of the worst records in the league.

[Lamrock]

League leaders: These are in all of these; no? In my 3 2K7 Associations, I used them in all of the monthly updates. I'm just doing a watered-down weekly version, and going the extra mile by integrating my team leaders. Rookie watch has been in plenty of dynasties before yours.

Next update coming in a couple days.

[Its_asdf]

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game:

Nice subtle touch. Nice job going 3-0 in opening weekend, the Jazz are definitely one of the top teams in the West even though most of the West hype revolves around San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, etc.

[Clutch]

off to a great start but man, "Boozer struggled, finishing with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The one positive for him was his 3 blocks" - you've got some high expectations for your PF!

next time Rockets take you out

[Lamrock]

BD5: Thanks for the praise. I forgot to include that Boozer shot under 30%. And when you compare to his other monster games, 23 and 8 sucks.

Its_asdf: I agree about the Jazz. And there not the type of team to have one great year (04 Minnesota, 05 Seattle, 06 Clippers), then delve in to mediocrity. They will only improve. Also, I was waiting for someone to point out the McDwyane thing.

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Week 2: November 4-November 10

November 4 | Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers | Season Series 0-0 | Simmed Game

The perfect Jazz stayed that way, as they massacred the Lakers in LA. Led by the duo of Williams and Boozer, Utah took a small lead in the first quarter. In the second, that lead got up to a dozen, until Kobe caught on fire, scoring 15 of his eventual 28 points during the run, en route to a 2 point lead at halftime. The Jazz played huge in the third, and the starting five managed to push their team to an 8 point lead going into the fourth. Utah killed the Lakers in the fourth, and kept pulling away as their lead grew to 20. Kobe and the Jazz Big 3 of Boozer (30 Points, 14 Rebounds), Deron (25 points, 15 Assists) and Okur (18 Points, 7 Rebounds) got to sit down. The rest of the game consisted of both team's bench players padding their stats. The Jazz won 111-87.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Deron Williams: 25 Points, 15 Assists, 3 Steals

High Scorers (By Team): UTA: Boozer (30); LAL: Bryant (28); Star Sixth Man: Vladimir Radmanovic (LAL): 14 Points, 8 Rebounds

23 19 29 40 111
16 28 19 24 87

November 7 | Cleveland Cavaliers @ Utah Jazz | Season Series: 0-0 | Mid-4th Quarter Intervention

In their fifth straight win, the Utah Jazz were in the driver's seat from the very first quarter, and stayed there for almost the whole night... at least for the first 3 quarters. Behind strong games from Utah's dynamic duo, and Matt Harpring's containment of superstar LeBron James, the Jazz took an 11 point lead the the end of the first quarter, and maintained it all night. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the Cavaliers suddenly exploded.

Trailing by 21 going into the final period, the game looked all but over for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Mike Brown did not let his team give up, so he kept his starters in the game, and they managed to pull the team back into the game. With the lead dissolving into single digits, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan ordered his starters back into the game with 5 minutes to play. Any hope for the Cavs to come back and win the game were crushed as Carlos Boozer drew a pair of fouls on LeBron, who then fouled out with 23 Points and 5 Rebounds. After that, the Jazz, led by second-year swingman Ronnie Brewer, ended the game on an 11-2 run to finish the game. The final score was 99-82, Jazz.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Deron Williams: 22 Points, 14 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 3 Steals

High Scorers (By Team): UTA: Carlos Boozer (23), CLE: LeBron James (23); Star Sixth Man: Ronnie Brewer (UTA): 14 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 2 Blocks

12 23 23 24 82
23 25 31 20 99

November 10 | Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz | Season Series: 0-0 | 3rd Quarter Intervention

It has been debated about who got the better deal out of the recent Kirilenko-Miller trade, but if the first match between these two teams since the trade is any indication, it was Utah. Led once again by the dynamic duo of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer the Utah Jazz completely destroyed their new potential rivals, combining for 72 points. Surprisingly, the players in the trade did not have much of an impact on the game at all, though Kirilenko was injured and did not play. This hyped televised game was a disappointment, as Utah killed the Grizzlies from start to finish: 122-85. With this victory, the Jazz improve to 6-0, and are the only undefeated team in the league.

MCDWYANE M.V.P. of the Game: Carlos Boozer: 31 Points, 18 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Blocks

High Scorers (By Team): UTA: Deron Williams (41); MEM: Rudy Gay (18); Star Sixth Man: Mike Conley (MEM): 16 Points, 8 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Rebounds

19 23 22 21 85
28 29 33 32 122

Team/League Leaders

Points Per Game: Kobe Bryant (34.5, LAL); Carlos Boozer (27.7, 7th)
Rebounds Per Game: Carlos Boozer (12.8, Leads League); Chris Bosh (11.6, 2nd, TOR)
Assists Per Game: Deron Williams (11.5, Leads League); Steve Nash (10.1, 2nd, PHX)
Steals Per Game: Josh Howard (2.6, DAL); Deron Williams (1.5, 11th)
Blocks Per Game: Jermaine O'Neal (2.7, IND); Carlos Boozer (1.8, 9th)

Rookie Watch:

Morris Almond: 5.5 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.3 APG; 42% FG, 9.4 MPG - Is still low on the depth chart, but in under 10 MPG has managed to get his first assist far sooner than Yinka Dare did. Is still waiting on an injury to get more minutes, but at least hes getting more playtime than James White.

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Notes: Apologies for a lack of player shots (I played the games and recorded the stats before your comments, and the game doesn't save boxscores) but they should be there next update. Also, it it is odd that Utah, and its players are dominating all the stat categories, please know that it is two weeks in, and the competition has been weak. The monthly recap will be more in-depth and have some good features that I hope you guys will like. Its a shame EA got some of the schedules wrong. I wish I could have played the Sonics like they will in real life, but alas.

[Fresh8]

Why the 'McDwyane' MVP award... am i missing something?

[jonthefon]

His seven MVPs

And you're still undefeated!

[Clutch]

my god

Boozer's the wrecking ball and D-Will's the chain.

they'll be whispering about the Bulls' 72-10 record soon... stay healthy

[Lamrock]

Sit, You need to hang around in the General Chat forum man. Even though he is banned now, hes still a legend. Check out the food thread, or the countless others he has posted in that became "Ban conversewade/dwyane/smush/mcdwyane/xbox360/nbalive07/etc." topics.

jonthefon, Still undefeated, though the competition hasn't been all that great. McDwyane is teh pwn!

P-JAC, New name? Nice analogy, but 72-10 is a bit of a stretch. Remember the Jazz went 14-1 or something in the beginning of last season, and 6 wins against mediocre opponents is nothing compared to Dallas's streak in 2002-03.

Thanks everyone for following!