Its been three years since the Jazz saw John Stockton. Now
they have a PG who is doing his best to emulate the best PG of all time.
It's Deron Williams who will make this team go, and may remind
Jazz fans of a certain other player they love, and while it would sacrilege to
draw comparisons to John Stockton after one year, it's worth noting that the
Hall of Famer produced numbers (5.6 points, 5.1 assists) no better than those
Williams (10.1 points, 4.5 assists) put up last year
Deron Williams even made a four-day trip last month to Spokane
to work out with playmaker John Stockton for the second straight off-season as
he continues to try to absorb from Stockton what works and what doesn't.
Draft picks Ronnie Brewer and Dee Brown have potential, but
neither is expected to contribute immediately. Acquiring former Laker PG Derek
Fisher and former lottery pick C Rafael Araujo strengthened the bench, but the
starting five will remain the same.
Utah improved by 15 games a year ago,
despite losing Carlos Boozer and shooting guard Gordan Giricek for over half the
season, as well as star forward Andrei Kirilenko for 13 games. PG Deron Williams
made the All-Rookie Team and C Mehmet Okur averaged 18 points a game. All five
starters averaged in double digits a year ago, and Utah ranked ninth in the
league in points allowed. The Jazz are still young, and players like Okur,
Williams, and Giricek still have room for improvement.
The Jazz will generate little buzz, garner almost zero national
pub and find themselves right in the thick of the playoff race as usual.
The Jazz have a shot at a 50-win season and a return
to the playoffs if they can stay healthy.
