What Good Is Preseason Hoops?
In the eyes of many, preseason basketball is pointless. In my eyes there is much to learn during the 8 games the Jazz have this preseason. The following is a guide of 4 things to pay attention to for the next month before the season begins:
1- What kind of shape are the players in? If a player is in poor physical condition, it can indicate they have work ethic issues. That combined with a Jerry Sloan system and you can figure out pretty quick who might be in the dog house for the rest of the season.
2- How are the rookies/free agent additions executing the offense? Of course the veterans who have been around will know how to run the Jazz system. However, the new guys trying to learn the system have a chance to earn the trust and future minutes the quicker they are able to figure things out. This is also a good way to gauge the basketball IQ of the new players.
3- What player combinations are Jerry Sloan tinkering with? Not all lineups are created equal. We have already heard rumblings regarding Milsap spending time at the 3 with AK at the 4. If I were the coach, I would try a lineup of Collins, Okur, Boozer, Milsap, and Fesenko just for kicks.
4- How are the position battles shaping up? I would assume that 4 out of the 5 starting positions are locked up with the only opening being at shooting guard. With plenty of options at this point, I am interested to see how it will pan out. Also, look for other bench players to fight for backup roles on the team.
Feel free to add to my list with any ideas you have. On a personal note, I also use the preseason to shake the rust off of my heckling and work on new material. I am planning on a heckling tutorial within the next few weeks here on Jazzbots.com.
8 Comments to “What Good Is Preseason Hoops?”
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5- How often the band of brothers are using terms like execution and fully invested.
Oops wrong team
I like to use the preseason as a time to figure out who the fan favorite is going to be. With Dee Brown and Araujio gone, the position is wide open this year.
The other thing I like about preseason is we get to see Collins play 35 min. Oh wait, I don’t like to see Collins play 35 min.
@ Bryan
Good to know your band of brothers is fully invested to the University of Utah. Bryan Johnson has looked great coming back off his injury.
@ Mark
My early prediction for fan favorites this year will be Fess and Ronnie Price. Fess is already the media favorite after his comments this summer.
I don’t think preseason ball is very critical to our veterans, as long as they can shake off the cob-webs and build up AK’s confidence. I am most excited to guage our depth, and try and figure out what the jazz are going to do at the 2 this year.
I think that Brewer has continued to do everything necessary to secure the 2 spot (nice shooting no turn-overs). Almond had some nice contributions as well. Giricek went 1-6, but hit 5-5 free throws.
I think that Fesenko is going to be the crowd favorite, plus lots of love for Millsap.
Even AK had a decient start 5-7 for 10 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and a steal.
@ Chris
I have to agree with most of what you said….
I was at the game last night and here are my observations.
Brewer really looked good (except on his missed dunk). He is strong athletic and able to get to the free throw line. Defensively he did ok. I personally am rooting for him as a Razorbacks fan.
Almond looks great moving without the ball, but he is thinking too much out there. He will get it down sooner than later.
Fess - He will be a fan favorite, but I think for the fans in Orem. Defensively he is awful. He does not know how to defend the pick and roll and was constantly out of position for defensive rebounds. Offensively he had some nice move especially the one he finished with his left hand. That being said, he does not crack the rotation for any meaningful minutes this year.
Ak- Was pretty good last night too. Great help defense which was lacking last year for the most part. I hope he can keep it up.
Here’s my point:
CJ Miles!
First of all, heres my starting lineup: C Memo PF Boozer SF Brewer SG Almond PG Williams. If youre asking where AK is, then I’d have to say hes PF alternate. I dont like that Boozer started at SF at the Suns game. Just to make it clear, does Boozer look small to you? Based on his performance last season, he deserves it more than AK. I didnt put AK at SF because he cant play any good there. I loved Millsaps minutes last year…he didnt get many, but when he did he played spectacularly.
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