Will We Ever Have This Again?

Posted by Brian McCann on August 21, 2009

If you are like me, you grew up idolizing John Stockton and Karl Malone. In the late eighties and through the nineties, they were the premier duo in the NBA, smashing records by the handful while dominating their respective positions. Stockton was the text book point guard; a quarterback with unquestionable court vision and scrappy defense. At 175 pounds, Stock could take a pick better than any big man in the NBA. He was tough as nails, gritty, and determined. He never gave up. I can’t tell you how many times the Jazz were down by ten or more with 30 seconds to go, and there was John, poker face on, yelling at his teammates to get into position, orchestrating the offense. He really thought they still had a chance-in fact I think he still believed in those situations that the Jazz were going to win. John was absolutely incredible, and will go down as the greatest passer of all time. His assist record is untouchable. I know the old adage “records are meant to be broken”, but that doesn’t apply to John Stockton. Every record in every pro sports league will fall before his assist record does. The greatest passers of all time, Magic, Jackson, Kidd, and Robertson have only managed to tackle two-thirds of Stockton’s total assists in each of their illustrious careers. To put it into perspective, Jason Kidd would need to play nearly eight more seasons averaging his career average of 9.2 assists per game to overtake John. While Kidd is an amazing player, he is on the decline, and in the twilight of his career. At age 35, he probably won’t play more than a couple of more seasons at best. John really was amazing.

Just as Stockton dominated the backcourt for the better part of two decades, Malone was equally as dominate on the block. He was seen as a freak of nature, a machine, a work horse, and for many as a nightmare. Mike Tyson once said that Malone was the only person he would be afraid to fight. His work ethic was legendary and his ability to play through any injury was mythical. It has been reported that he played an entire season with a broken hand, an entire playoff series with a chipped elbow, and many, many games with sprained ankles, wrists, and knees that would have kept most of today’s NBA players out for days and even weeks. In fact, he missed more games in his first 18 seasons with Jazz due to suspension than injury. The man was automatic and un-guardable. If you crowded him, he would go around you. If you gave him space, he would knock a 15 foot “J” down in your eye. He improved his game every year. When he was criticized for his free-throw shooting, he became one of the best power forwards in the league from the stripe. When they said he couldn’t make a jump shot, he developed a fade-away jumper that was Jordan-esque. When they said he wasn’t a great defender, he made himself an all-league defensive specialist. He was dominate on both sides of the floor, and even though he fell short at times, like Stockton, he never gave up.

So my question is, will the Jazz ever have this type of one-two punch again? Most-likely the answer to that question is no. I don’t mean to say that cynically, it’s just that I don’t think any NBA team will have a duo at the point guard and power forward positions that will be as effective, durable, and relentless as Stock and the Mailman really were. As for the current state of the Jazz, Deron Williams seems to possess some of Stockton’s qualities. Deron has that relentless attitude and sheer desire to win. He is a better scorer than Stockton, but not as good of a passer (that is not a knock on Deron who is one of the best passers in the league; it’s just that no one touches John in this category). Deron isn’t yet as pesky as John on the Defensive end, but he has proven to be equal with John, in my opinion, in his ability to make clutch plays. Deron also is more of a go-to guy in clutch situations than John was, probably out of preference. Deron seems to prefer to take the last shot (which is the way all of us want it), while Stockton would take it if he were open, but never, it seemed, out of preference. All-in-all, we are lucky to have Deron, and if he continues to improve and develop his game, he has a shot at going down as one of the best point guards in league history.

On the other hand, no one on the Jazz currently can be compared to Karl Malone. In fact, it is my opinion that if you could somehow take all of the best qualities that Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap possess and morph them into one player, you would have one heck of a power forward, but he would still only be 75% of what Karl Malone was. The sad thing is, Carlos boozer posses so much natural talent and ability, that if he were to have the mental edge that Malone (and even Millsap to some extent) had, he could probably develop himself into one of the greatest power forwards of all time. That argument is futile, because we will never really know, but it is still something to think about.

The Jazz at this point are still young, and I think we will see some exceptional careers come to fruition with a few of their current players. The last few months, however, which have been anything but predictable for this organization, have made me realize just how much I miss the predictable consistency of John and Karl. They were the best, and I truly think that if they ever had a team that had as much talent as this current Jazz roster has, they would have won at least a couple of rings. Right now though, Deron needs another player to help him shoulder the load, and he just does not have it. He needs a player in the post that will dominate on both ends of the floor to help him lead the team. I hope Jazz management is actively working to make that happen, because in today’s game, it takes more than one player to lead a team to a championship. Maybe Carlos Boozer will step up this year and become that player despite all of the criticism. Maybe it will be Paul. Maybe the Jazz need to orchestrate a block-buster trade to bring in a Chris Bosh-type player. Whatever happens, something needs to be done, and hopefully sooner rather than later. I’m getting anxious.

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dwilljazz8 on August 21, 2009 said:

I agree with you on most of your points except for the fact that I do think we will have a duo that is comparable to Stockton and Malone, with Dwill and a PF from the 2010 draft. Millsap is good but he is only 6′8 and he is not as good of a shooter as Malone was. Boozer will leave at the end of this season, or get traded mid season. If he is traded we can get either Amar’e Stoudamire or Chris Bosh, Amar’e seems more possible to me. He has a great jumpshot, great rebounding skills, plays scrappy defense. He could end up being as close to Malone as you can get. Or if Boozer stays with us till the end of the season, then leaves in the off season, then we just pick up a someone in this years draft. We have the Knicks lottery pick this year, so we could end up getting someone like Ed Davis from the North Carolina or Greg Monroe form Georgetown. Ed Davis is a 6′9 power forward, that is a workhorse, but does not possess as much strength as Malone did. he is compared Amar’e but less strength. While Monroe, has great hands, a great jump shot out to about 15-20 feet. His post moves are good but not great, plays good D. And is good at rebounding, but once again not great like Malone was. He is compared Chris Webber who I personally think had the same game as the mailman did . Personally I think Monroe would be better, but either one would be great. So, yes in the future(about 2-3 years) we will have a duo that is comparable to Stockton and Malone, and will also win some championships. (We have always picked since we picked D-will in 2005, why not in 2010 also.)

Jenn Sokia on August 21, 2009 said:

I agree with you, I don’t think there will ever be a duo like Stockton and Malone. If we even want to think about it, we need to find a PF that will stay a long time (assuming Deron will, too). It takes time to build chemistry like they had. I will always remain hopeful though.

Amir on August 21, 2009 said:

can utah sign free agent desmond mason from oklahoma city thunder?starting small forward is needed forget about duo that was ok 20 years ago it doesnt have to be pg and pf all the time it can be center power forward

Jimmie on August 21, 2009 said:

We won’t for two reasons; 1- No one will ever be as good as those two were. PERIOD. You put Jordan (the “greatest player ever”) one on one with Malone or Stockton without Jordan being able to foul all over and not get called, and Jordan gets schooled. Yeah Stockton’s a little white guy, but no one can handle the ball the way he can. And Malone is just a bull in a china shop. Jordan would spend more time on his back than on his feet. Put the two of them together, and you get Stockton throwing no-look passes with pinpoint accuracy or pulling up and raining threes, and Malone with his, as Hot Rod put it “Leap n’ Leaner!!!” Best in show.
2- Players today are babies. Plain and simple. In the 90’s you had players who were commited to the game and would put their bodies on the line every night. NOW; we have giant egos dwarfed only by the mammoth paychecks. Which would be fine if they played hard enough to deserve them. Case in point; Boozer missed more games THIS YEAR than Malone missed in his entire career with the Jazz. I may not be more than an amateur player, but you give me $1 mil a year and I’ll play with a broken leg, run 48 minutes a night, and I’ll still smile for the camera and sign autographs for the fans. The commitment that is lacking from today’s players is sickening to me. Between the tantrums, the refusal to shake hands (that’s just common decency people), the pre- and post-game stunts, and the lazy play; I find it hard to watch. D-Will has that fire to carry the team and the youth to make it happen. Harpring is a little older but still has the linebacker power. I could go on, but the point is; we need to have Harpring, Thurl, and Karl putting their commitment, knowledge and desire into a young player like Stock is doing for Deron. I just don’t think that it’s going to happen. The egos are getting built up in high school now and no one is being taught the value of good hard work.

J R Stewart on August 22, 2009 said:

Their longevity and durability are going to make either one hard to replicate anytime soon.

Jazzaholic

Pelon on August 22, 2009 said:

-Amir
Nope. We’re over the cap.

Linda McFarland on August 22, 2009 said:

Really enjoyed the blog. I’m afraid that we better all keep our dreams alive because no matter who you draft or trade for, you can never get both that commitment and ability to merge into that kind of team. I fully agree about the huge salaries and the “prima dona” attitudes of the players that are in the NBA today. If you don’t want to play hard for one team and you are good enough, you just wait around for another team to grab you. Sad. You brought back great memories Brian and a hope that we have a few players who may just try to play near that catagory. The problem there again is that our best players are turning into BIG money makers and you wonder what that will do to them.

wompus on August 22, 2009 said:

Totally agree! In today’s world, it’s about the money, and less about the game! Back then, they were happy to play and didn’t complain. Perfect example, Carlos Boozer. Malone and Stockton played with injuries. They could have sat out a season and babies themselves, but playing the game was more important.

No one today is going to do that. Their agents are going to say, don’t hurt yourself, get that big contract first. Because of that attitude, we’re not going to see the hustle like we once did. Even though there are good players, we just don’t get their best!

Shannon in Sacramento on August 24, 2009 said:

Great blog Brian. I highly doubt there will be a duo like Stock and Malone again. Also, like Jimmie stated, there are too many prima donnas and big egos out there to see that level of commitment again. The only person I think that comes close to that is Steve Nash. That guy is tough as nails and wants to win. I think DWILL has what it takes, but he will get frustrated in no time flat if he doesn’t have another person on the team that will play to his level, and believe me, when his contract is up, there will be many a team waiting to snatch him up.

JayD on August 26, 2009 said:

I have to agree with all that was said , except that I do think that we could see that combo again . It will be hard but that I am sure of , but it can happen .
But we live in a time when there is not much love for the game , and those paychecks keep getting bigger and bigger . That is one of the follies of the game .
I say please lets have some fun again . Make sports a better place for the fans .
Jay

AMIR on September 13, 2009 said:

JOHN STOCKTON DOES YOU WIFE SPEAK CROATIAN? ARE HER PARENTS FROM ZAGREB?

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