canadajazz on March 03, 2009 said:

I couldn’t agree more. I was shocked at this announcement. Not that Gasol is a slouch, but the impact on his team’s success is much less significant compared to Deron Williams’ contribution.
Gasol is a Pau choice for this one. Very Pau.

Boondock Saint on March 03, 2009 said:

Smurf the smurf…I love it. I’m just as angry man. Anyone who doesn’t think assists out ranks rebounds is clearly misguided. Example there are 7 players in the NBA currently averaging more than 10 rebounds a game (after playing enough games to qualify to make the NBA stats leaders) and only 2 players averaging more than 10 assists. Furthermore, in fantasy basketball an assist is worth 2 points as opposed to a rebound being 1.5. I’m telling you this is a travesty. They beat the lakers, Deron has had to adjust without AK and Booz and still the NBA says Pau Gasol is the player of the month. I think I just threw up in my mouth. Thats just disgusting. I’ve seen other fans get on here and complain about our homering for the Jazz. First of all its a Jazz website and to be expected but why in the world don’t they complain about the homering for the Lakers and this is a clear cut case. You could have made an argument for Kobe and even then I think Deron wins but you could have made a case but Pau…COME ON!

JazzManSLC on March 03, 2009 said:

‘They’ don’t complain about homering for the Lakers because the people who complain about us ‘Jazz homers’ are all LAKER FANS! Of course they aren’t going to complain when one of their own illigitimately wins an award.

Smurf the living smurf is GENIOUS! Love it dude. Oh no, I won’t hold you back. I’ll be right there with ya. Bring it Laker fan! Let the Jazz play you at FULL STRENGTH in a playoff series, and see who wins.

Yours truly,

Papa Smurf.

J R Stewart on March 03, 2009 said:

You’re right, Deron deserved it, but. . .

Let Deron play angry!

We need some more Jazzmen playing angry, too.

Jazzaholic

mesaak47 on March 03, 2009 said:

wow i hate the lakers, their fans, their players their whole organization!!!!!!

Armin on March 03, 2009 said:

This really ticks me off because everything has to be about money even in college football to every logical person the national championship game should of been between Utes and Boise state (the only undefeated teams) but no they gave it to Florida anyway why do people keep screwing over Utahns

J R Stewart on March 03, 2009 said:

Laker haters ARISE!!!

Jazzaholic

Dallin T on March 03, 2009 said:

Hey, we need to applaude the NBA. Giving Player of the Month to the 2nd leading scorer and 2nd leading rebounder on the team with the 2nd best record for the month was clearly the most fair and logical choice.

mesaak47 on March 03, 2009 said:

Hey ARMIN where are you from? Bosnia?
I hate the LOS ANGELES FAKERS AND ALL OF THE MEDIA AND EVERY SPORTS TEAM OUTSIDE OF UTAH. i just wanted to let some anger out

Levi on March 04, 2009 said:

I didn’t get it when I read that Gasol got the award either. I assumed the best player on the team with the best record in the month of Feburary was a shoe in for the monthly award. Doesn’t matter though, I’m looking forward to winning a playoff series against the Lakers.

P.S. I did a little scouting of our Laker competition on Sunday, and while watching the game I was shocked to see Kobe in a rage telling coach Phil Jackson how to do his job. Kobe screamed to the bench for Phil to run the offense through him. I couldn’t believe Phil didn’t pull him from the game for insubordination. Kobe then proceeded to repeatedly hack Barbosa, with the referees ignoring very obvious fouls, until enough complaints from the suns coach finally got a ref to call Kobe for his crime. I am glad our players show more class on the court, than I saw from Kobe on Sunday.

Lisa on March 04, 2009 said:

Just another reason to hate the Fakers and Gasol! Well Deron will now come out and kill/slaughter/whatever the competition. The team will end up with homecourt advantage in the playoffs, blow past the competition (including eating the Lakers for lunch) and then go on to win the whole kit and cabuddle. And the Jazz will still be under rated after all of that! Did I mention how much I hate the LA and their second rate team, who only gets the publicity because they are in LA?

Chris on March 04, 2009 said:

The Utah Jazz organization is the red-headed step-child of the NBA. It’s always been that way and always will be. For us to win a title would be a travesty to NBA executives which is why if you look at the last 30 teams to win a title they are all from huge markets. Boston, LA, San Antonio, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia. But a place like Utah, Sacramento, Minnesota, Toronto or Phoenix? It’s much more difficult which is why it’s never happened for any of those teams. Besides the Heat winning in 06 you have to go back to 1979 when Seattle won to find a team that could even be remotely considered small or even medium market that won the title. Is it a coincidence that David Stern took over in 1980 and since then we have not seen a small market team win the title once? Assuming Miami is mid-market. Let’s hope that one day Utah can get recognized for the amazing sports talent it truly has and maybe our beloved Utah Jazz can win one title for the people of Utah. Until then, we are all just going to have to get used to being snubbed and disappointed.

Chris on March 04, 2009 said:

The fact is that Stern wants it to be obvious that if players want to sign with a team like Utah they are going to pay the price. That is why Sloan gets no recognition, that is why crap like this happens. It ensures that all of the talent stays in large market cities like LA, Boston, Chicago, etc. where there is a large enough fan base to continue to boost the leagues popularity. It’s sad. But I honestly wouldn’t have it another way. Utah plays for a purpose and the fans feel that. How much would another title for the Lakers mean to Lakers fans vs. how much a title for the Jazz would mean to us? That is why the ESA sells out every night. That is why our season tickets sell out quicker than any other team in any size market in the NBA. That is why we have (by far) the loudest arena. We are fighting for recognition, hope, respect. The Lakers? They are handed all of that on a silver plate. So what are they fighting for??

J R Stewart on March 04, 2009 said:

Levi:
The Rapist shows his true colors again!

Chris:
The Utah Jazz organization is the freckle faced, red-headed step-child of the NBA
But, I think the Suns are also part of the favored group, despite no championships. The Spurs are also a small market team. I think the “favored child” are the Knicks, Celtics, Lakers and Bulls. The other 26 are part of the background.

Jazzaholic

CC on March 04, 2009 said:

Hats off to you J R for calling a spade a spade………. Kobe is a rapist that had enough money and back up to avoid going to prison for such a horrible crime against women and humanity…….Rape should never be bought off…….. Kobe should have been dismissed/ ejected from the NBA he is not someone anyone should look up to and I get sick to my stomach every time I see young children wearing his jersey… Parents should be ashamed when they let young children idolize someone like Kobe Bryant. They print how he has talent… he sure does he tricked the system into getting off on a charge that should never have been even allowed to pay off………In the history of NBA I have never heard of anyone having a rape charge against them …. correct me if I am wrong and tell me the outcome of the charge…….. better yet look up how many violent rapist’s have been able to buy their way out of prison ????

Chris on March 04, 2009 said:

Player of the month is now officially a joke in my mind. If you guys want to email the league office about this decision click or go here

http://www.nba.com/email_us/contact_us.html

It may be futile but I say we flood the box with complaints. I just wrote one. But be sure to keep it clean.

J R Stewart on March 04, 2009 said:

CC:
He bought off his accusor with money and his wife with a wieghty rock for her finger. The charges were dismissed, because the girl wouldn’t testify and smiled all the way to the bank.

Chris:
Thanks for the link. My email is on the way.

Jazzaholic

Aaron Allen on March 04, 2009 said:

Am I actually about to come to the defense of Kobe Bryant?

While I agree that he shows very little class on the court, and I admit I am still peeved, joshed and flummoxed by the player of the month choice, I never meant to spiral into the whole “rapist” discussion. He admitted he was a womanizer and an adulterer, so he is that (but so are a TON of NBA players). Do you feel ashamed when you see kids wearing a Jordon Jersey? Because he is an admitted womanizer/adulterer too. It goes too far to call Kobe a rapist. Accused, certainly. But, words have power and we should be careful to use them more wisely.

P.S. Pau Gasol looks like a Stork.

Aaron Allen on March 04, 2009 said:

Did i just spell Michael Jordan’s name wrong? Wow.

P.S. He fouled Russell, and Pau Gasol still looks like a stork.

JazzManSLC on March 04, 2009 said:

Aaron, I have loved the blogs I’ve read of yours, and this is no exception. Way to try to keep your responses going on the right track. I wasn’t expecting the ‘rapist’ turn either.

For the most part, Kobe’s on-court antics and demeanor piss me off. That and the fact that the Lakers get so much run just because they’re the Lakers.

PS: Jordan DID foul Russell, and yes, (HA HA!) Gasol looks like a stork. That’s hilarious!

CC on March 04, 2009 said:

Aaron, did you see the photos of the young girl Kobe paid off ??? Trust me if you saw your daughter look that beat up you would hang the guy …
Men are womanizer’s and women love the attention of men –human nature… women do not deserve to be man – handled- beat or abused. Have a daughter and see if you feel the same.

Levi on March 04, 2009 said:

Chris said something here that I sometimes think, but don’t usually say. That is that it seems teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Knicks, basically larger markets seem to have an advantage that makes it seem like a possibility that the league is on thier side. Because what’s good for them is good for the league right? It goes even further when a superstar player is on one of those teams. Jordan got away with a lot in Chicago, and Kobe has almost every call go his way with the Lakers. Let’s admit something here, the league wants it’s superstars to succseed, especially Kobe. He is the most popular player in the world and a serious asset to the NBA financially. I wonder if the revenue brought to the NBA through Kobe’s popularity worldwide is connected to why he gets away with fouls and the opposition gets called for minor touch fouls that they would not have got had they been garding anyone else in the league, or are officials simply star struck?

I’m not saying this conspiracy against small market franchises exists, just sayin I don’t get how Mr. human stork gets player of the month over Deron Williams in February.

Doesn’t make sense to me. Neither did last years playoffs. I ran into a website, I think it was called sim match up, and you pick any team from any year, and put them against any other team, when I put the 07-08 Jazz against the 07-08 Lakers the Jazz won the series every time, the same thing happened with the old John and Karl finals teams, they beat thier competition the bulls in each series I ran. This sim thing is ran by season long stats, and I know stats don’t always tell the whole truth, but yes Jordan did foul Russell, and yes Kobe did take a fade away jumper in which he kicked Harpring in the final game the jazz played last season, and for kicking Matt, Kobe got a freethrow after he sunk his shot,( to Kobe’s credit it was a smart play to try and draw the foul, I just couldn’t believe the refs went for it.) and yes over the course of that series Kobe shot an amazing amount of freethrows off calls that no one else in league would have gotten.

Anyway, I hope Chris and I are off our Rockers and there is no favoritism towards larger markets. Either way, the Spurs are a small market team with multiple rings. They got there by really being the most talented and hard working team of the last decade. The Jazz are playing awesome now and constantly improving. I believe the Jazz can be good enough to blow out the Lakers in a playoff series, making any favoritism theory irrelevent, by blowing out the Lakers, and never giving them the chance to steal a game away with a few give me free throws.

Utah Jazz, small market team, and 08-09 NBA champions! Individual awards be damned!

Chris on March 04, 2009 said:

Amen Levi. As Memo put it when asked whether they could bring home the title this year: “Why not?” But it needs to be a blow out because the refs are going to give (favoritism) Kobe and whoever else those game changing calls. We can’t allow the games to be close enough for the refs to make a difference without blatently blowing their cover (illegal conspiracy) to ensure the financial stability (money gorging) of the NBA and it’s executives. It’s a tough game but I’m 27 years old. So I’ve got 30-40 more years to root for the Jazz and I won’t stop. How sweet will it be and it damn well better happen before I expire. That’s all I got to say. Go Jazz! Go Deron! Your the freaking shiz niddle bang. I wonder if the players ever read these blogs? Hmmm.

Derrick Daye on March 04, 2009 said:

Chris,

The players and the management read Jazzbots. Getting them to comment is another story.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Derrick

Chris on March 04, 2009 said:

Alright well then I just got to say Deron you’ve got the heart of a champion and you inspire me and surely thousands of other people. Memo we all love you man! You took it hard, the loss of Larry I mean and it’s obvious that you are playing for him and playing with a purpose. Carlos, we all love you and love having you here you just need to resign with us to shut up all of the critics and let’s bring it home. AK47 your a freaking magician on the court and we would be lost without you. Brewer, hahahaha. Keep throwing it down we are loving it bro!! Milsap you are definitely a Jerry Sloan prototype Jazzman and I mean that in every positive possible way. Kyle Korver, your stroke is on and you electrify all of us when you hot. Make sure your body moving forward when you shoot not side to side that’s when you miss. Trust me a watch very closely. So I guess that’s all. I don’t know who if any of them will read that. Maybe I should just write fan mail instead but I’m lazy. Go Jazz we love you guys. K, bye.

Cory on March 04, 2009 said:

Deron Williams-

Averaging near 20 points a game the last 2 years and 10.5 assists. Set a record for the NBA skills challenge. One of the best players ever to play for the Jazz and by the end of his career may be the best player ever to play for the Jazz. The best point guard in the NBA.

0-time all-star, 0-time player of the month.

The league needs to give d-will some respect. Last year Williams was considered one of the two top point guards in the NBA, then Tony Parker comes along scoring 50 point games, and Devin Harris, and all of the sudden sharing the ball is overrated and D-Will is seemingly forgotten by everyone around the league. Watch out, if any PG is ever going to be better than Stockton its Williams.

Pelon on March 04, 2009 said:

There is a conspiracy. The only low-market team to ever be a multi-championship winning club is San Antonio. Tim Duncan and the low draft (mid-50s, I think) finds of Ginobli and Parker were the worst thing to ever happen to David Stern.

Linda McFarland on March 04, 2009 said:

Same conspiracy I have been talking about all year!

Sheri on March 05, 2009 said:

What the heck Deron deserves it more than Gasol does.

Kait on March 05, 2009 said:

So I left this comment in the NBA mailbox:

Your selection of Pau Gasol for player of the month in February is despicable. Deron Williams had a far better record, and that was without Carlos Boozer for the entire month and Andre Kiralinko for part of the time. I applaud your having finally recognized Jerry Sloan for something, but to have never recognized a coach of his caliber for coach of the year is an outrage. This coach of the month award is nice and all, but Coach Sloan deserves far more for his dedication to his team, and his outstanding win record. The Lakers, including Gasol, performed second-best in every respect to the Jazz in the month of February, and the Jazz deserved some recognition for having such an outstanding month. Deron Williams’ record for assists was most impressive. Much more impressive than Gasol’s rebound record. Yet you had to play nice to your favorite spoiled children, the Lakers once again. Have you no shame?

The link to the mailbox is here: http://www.nba.com/email_us/contact_us.html, just in case you want to leave your own strongly-worded message of outrage.

JazzManSLC on March 05, 2009 said:

Kait,

First, I totally agree with your opinions on Deron Williams having a better month than Gasol, and what a travesty it is for Sloan not to have yet won coach of the year.

However, on the coach of the year thing, I don’t think that is the league’s fault. Others please correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the coach of the year is voted on by media members and sports writers. If this is the case, the league office would have nothing to do with selecting coach of the year.

I was happy to see that the league chose Sloan as coach of the month, and he greatly deserves it, as well as coach of the year. To my knowledge though, coach of the month and coach of the year are selected by different people.

Can someone clarify this, and tell me if this is correct or not?

If it is, I just don’t think it’s fair to blame the league for something over which they have no control.

I’m all for sending comments in to the league office, but let’s do our research and make sure we have our facts straight.

GO JAZZ!!! Win the title in ‘09!

Aaron Allen on March 05, 2009 said:

It’s the media that votes on COY award. That’s why the result tends to follow the coach with the best storyline (like when Hubie Brown beat out Sloan in 04-05) as opposed to the coach who did the best job. Maybe i should save this for a blog post but the reason I think Sloan will win the COY this year is not because he is the best coach (he is always that) but because for once he has the best storyline for the media to latch on to. Injury plagued season + Loss of LHM + near simultaneous loss of two of his old Bull teammates. It’s sad that it has to come to that, but I think that’s what its going to take.

Gary on March 06, 2009 said:

Hey reading some of these comments are hilarious. Let me first say that yes I am a Laker and Rockets fan (born in California and spent much of my life in Houston) and been one since the 1980’s.

Now with that said let me give you people all the facts straight and debunk some of these comments I am reading. I will also be objective unlike you homers.

Pau Gasol winning player of the month was an absolute travesty. David Stern should be ashamed of himself. Pau had a great month but, it was typical by his standards. One could argue that he was the third best player on the court for the Lakers for most of the month. Lamar Odom went on a three week stretch where he averaged 16 rebounds a game Also, Kobe’s play across the board significantly increased. Him not winnining it is just as big a travesty as D-Will or D-Wade not winning. However, the league has no agenda in awarding Pau player of the month. If they had an agenda Kobe or Shaq would have won it. It was just a bunch of morons who decided the award.

As far as D-Will not getting any respect. You guys need to stop crying. There are a lot of guys in the league who are just as crucial to their team and are superstars who get snubbed with regards to national respect. No one gets overlooked more than Tim Duncan. Brandon Roy makes almost as many big shots as Kobe and he still does not get as much pub. Do you guys even know who Joe Johnson is? Before last season Paul Pierce was a forgotten man. Heck I can even go back to Hakeem Olajuwon. For a twelve year period during his career he was nearly as dominant as MJ yet nationally it was all about Jordan, Barkley, Miller, Ewing and Shaq once he entered the league. Remember how for about a six year period Gary Payton used to routinely hand your boy John Stockton his backside when they played each other (Kind of like how D-Will does CP3 when they play) yet, for almost that entire time Stockton was considered a better player. It is starting to happen with Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo. Derrick Rose is getting all the attention but, OJ Mayo has been just as good. Inevitably it will happen with Andrew Bynum too. The League is waiting for Greg Oden to become an all-star so they can salivate at the idea of a showdown between him and Dwight Howard and overlook Bynum who is a budding star in his own right. The point is if you win respect will come.

For you people who keep calling Kobe classless. I do not get it. He never disrespects his opponents and rarely do you see him taking needless cheap shots at other players (Unlike the great Karl Malone, the pastie gangsta John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek who were are all known for that throughout the league). You do not see him flopping on several occassions during games (Another thing the Jazz are known for around the country).

Finally, the Utah Jazz are a victim of their own reputation and that is why they get less respect. A lot of people who are not fans of the Jazz view them as a one-trick pony. They win at home because the crowd intimidates the refs (which is a great homecourt crowd) and they get away with things like the aforementioned flopping (Ask Yao about the flopping) and taking cheap shots. However, when they go on the road they lose that luxury and then it comes down to actual basketball. They then lose. So the Jazz are caught in this neverending cycle. They will win a lot of games during the regular season because they will win at least 30-35 at home but, in the playoffs when they play elite teams like San Antonio or the Lakers on the road they will lose and because they do not have homecourt advantage (ala Boston last year) they can never win a championship.

If you think Utah is going to beat the Lakers in the playoffs then you are just as delusional as Rocket fans thinking they will beat Utah in the playoffs this year…lol

>>>FYI for you people who think assists are more vital than rebounds you are wrong. Rebounds correlate directly to defensive prowess which is difficult to statistically measure. I looked it up and of the last 28 NBA Champions all 28 were ranked in the top 5 for team rebounding while, only 15 were even ranked in the top 8 for team assists.

P.S. Getting on you guys blog is fun….

CC on March 06, 2009 said:

Gary– you are a prime example of someone that has nothing better to do with his life or time than to get on the Jazz blog. When you reference FYI for you people you need to blog the entire fan base of the NBA for most people find that either rebonds or assists play a key part in the outcome of the game….
The reputation of the Utah Jazz is that we are very proud and loud and if the teams that come into our house find that annoying and bothersome — TUFF… the rumors of the Utah Fans being too loud to tolerate did not start here in Utah … it came from someone that didn’t have much of anything better to blame a loss on so he blamed the fans……..
Now just as you have done the entire NBA has joined in with the comments about the fans in Utah — truely you can find something better to talk about that how loud and proud we are here in Utah….
final note…. We play like a team … everyone in the ESA shows how proud they are to call these men and coaching staff “” OUR UTAH JAZZ “”"

Gary on March 06, 2009 said:

LOL…CC did you even read what I typed? I complimented your homecourt advantage. However, to be an elite team you must also win on the road. Remember that 11-17 record.

Say what you want I am telling you the Jazz have a reputation of flopping. I give this new Jazz team credit because although the are floppers too they play clean and are not cheap shot artists like the Jazz of the 90’s.

I am sure Jazz fans are not the only ones who are proud of their team. Ask Lakers, Celtics, Knicks or Spur fan if they are proud.

You are right I do not have anything better to do with my time. I am a daytrader and that means I get to stay home during the day. Truth telling you homers is fun.

Trent on March 07, 2009 said:

I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear you over the sound of our TEN GAME WIN STREAK!

I guess opinion is truth. It’s interesting how some people think.

Trent on March 07, 2009 said:

A Rocket’s fan will always completely ignore one of the kings of flop, Shane Battier.

Gary on March 09, 2009 said:

Hey Trent,

Quick question. Of those ten games: How many have been in Salt Lake? Once you answer that you will prove my point about the Jazz being a great home team and a below average road team.

As for your comment about Shane Battier being a flopper. I really could care less because I am first a Lakers fan (born in California) and second a Rockets fan (live in Houston). However, Shane Battier is known around the league for taking some of the most violent charges. How do thing he got injured at the end of last season and spent the entire first half of this season battling that same injury. He took a charge from Carlos “I choke in big games not against the Rockets” Boozer at the end of last season that resulted in a foot injury. Battier is also known around the league as a guy who will get flattened if it will draw an offensive foul. Notice how no other fans call Battier a flopper but, it is basically known throughout the league that the Jazz are floppers.

I will admit the greatest flopper of all-time is probably Vlade Divac an ex-Laker but, better to have a player that flops than to have an entire franchise known for it.

CC on March 09, 2009 said:

Gary:

It is very human of you to want to debate what you feel so strongly towards…..but I seriously hope we all just ignore you in the future and maybe … you will go away. I am happy you are a daytrader and have nothing better to do. Your job and life is very secure ..
There is no need for further comments as you only want to engage in negative comments. Keep watching and keep cheering on your favorite teams….it is wonderful that we have such professional athletes to live our fantasy’s through… we all wish deep down we could be a professional at something …

Gary on March 09, 2009 said:

LOL…Hey CC this is all in fun to me. Ribbing Jazz fans that is. There is probably only one other fanbase I like to torment more than you guys and that is Cowboy fan. Trust me with the world we live in today I do not take this too seriously. I do believe it provides to nice escape from things like people losing half the value of thier 401k/403b’s in less than a year and watching a country spiral toward socialistic agendas. Anyway to get too political but, that is what sports do. They give us an escape. So I will keeping ribbing you and you can keep ignoring me.

BTW: I am only calling it like I see it. I am not totally being negative. I agreed that Gasol winning player of the month was ridiculous. I also stated that the Jazz have arguably the best homecourt in the league and that Deron Williams is at worst the second best PG in the association and at worst a top 10 player. See you only read the flopping and cheapshot artist part.