Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 | 52 Comments
What in the Name of Karl Malone is Going On Here?
His tie was too short to box with God. Russ Bengtson ruminates.
If you’d told me 10 years ago that the Utah Jazz would be a) averaging 100-plus per game in the Western Conference Semis, and b) being led by a Dookie—and c) that I’d be rooting for them, I probably would have punched you in the face. Or at least laughed derisively.
Instead, that’s EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Next up, the Apocalypse.
Discuss.
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52 Responses to “What in the Name of Karl Malone is Going On Here?”
May.9 at 11:24 pm
nzballer#4 says:
First!
May.9 at 11:25 pm
MagicMike2k7 says:
its a sign of things to come.
May.9 at 11:37 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Looking at that photo reminds me: did the mountains on those Jazz jerseys turn purple when they got cold?
May.9 at 11:41 pm
Ben Collins says:
I want the Jazz to win for the Derek Fisher Willis Reedness of it all. But, come on, Utah-San Antonio Conference Final? Russ, I’m gonna need one of those punches in the face.
May.9 at 11:42 pm
Ben Collins says:
Ten bucks it goes to Memo at the top of the key. Again.
May.9 at 11:43 pm
Ben Collins says:
Nevermind.
May.9 at 11:44 pm
Sesa says:
Not fair, Current PF was better than Malone.
Boozer is much more athletic, better shooter and don’t like throw an elbow to intimidate other players.
May.9 at 11:46 pm
Sesa says:
Ben Collins: It’s overtime game
May.9 at 11:48 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
There’s also been this disturbing trend towards my actually liking NBA players who went to Duke. Grant Hill used to be the exception to the rule. Now there’s Booze, Elton Brand, Chris Duhon, Luol Deng—even Shane freaking Battier. Oh well, at least I’ve still got Mike Dunleavy to make fun of.
May.9 at 11:49 pm
David says:
As interesting as the current rounds are, there seems to be a painfully realistic possibility that we’ll have a boring finals.
Spurs - Pistons or Jazz - Pistons = I’m guessing both would be terribly boring.
May.9 at 11:52 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Guess I don’t have to write a late-night post now.
May.9 at 11:54 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I don’t get how anyone thinks those teams are boring? Have any of you actually been WATCHING the playoffs? I actually hope the Jazz win the whole damn thing.
May.9 at 11:56 pm
Sesa says:
Russ:
I guess you forgot to put JJ Reddick on that list. Lol.
May.9 at 11:58 pm
David says:
Come on, compared to the Suns or the Warriors? Which teams would you rather watch in the finals? Although, to be fair, I don’t know that the Warriors could actually match up with the Pistons. Maybe against the Cavs… Boozer’s now officially a great player, and it looks like AK47 just needed to let out his emotions. But they still have that Jazz=boring stigma.
May.10 at 12:01 am
Sesa says:
I’m not jumping to the Jazz Bandwagon here David. But have you seen tonight’s game?
The Jazz have become much more uptempo and fun to watch just like the Phoenix Suns.
May.10 at 12:01 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Who cares about stigma? The Jazz just outgunned the Warriors in TWO STRAIGHT GAMES. That’s boring? And if Jerry Sloan can’t get a Coach of the Year award, I’d be stoked (yes, stoked) to see him get a ring.
May.10 at 12:04 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Ultimate respect for Derek Fisher, too. He’s always been a good dude, but tonight was crazy. I kind of want to go out and cop a No. 2 Jazz jersey right now.
May.10 at 12:08 am
1hush D says:
It looks like the Warriors lost for 2 reasons- the missed free throws and Derek Fisher’s God.
May.10 at 12:08 am
gelly says:
the warriors have to win, the spirit of the 1999 Knicks are inside of them, they will move on
May.10 at 12:10 am
Ben Collins says:
Russ, pick one up for me. Good for the guy with his priorities straight.
May.10 at 12:11 am
1hush D says:
It looks like that may be the same God that answers Magic Johnson’s prayers. I am going to apply for a grant to see if God is racist…whose prayers are getting answered most. It looks like it was the team with more white guys tonight. Curse you God!
May.10 at 12:13 am
Sesa says:
I’d pick the Jazz to win these series. GS uses an 8 man rotation while the Jazz uses a 10 man rotation. So, I think the Jazz had more depth and more energy to play.
May.10 at 12:13 am
2G40 says:
I said over on mutoni’s post that AK47 would breakout big…18pts, 10rbns, 4blks.
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Tonights game; 20pts, 9 boards, 5 assist, 6 bloked shots. GS is built for this kid’s game.
May.10 at 12:25 am
2G40 says:
I think a Utah, Cleveland finals would be the bomb.
May.10 at 12:36 am
dj says:
you knew fisher was gonna hit a dagger when he came out of that tunnel
May.10 at 12:40 am
LuckyLuciano says:
Be thankful you get to watch anything- There hasnt been more than 2 games shown on Australian ESPN- ITs an outrage.. Go Warriors
May.10 at 12:46 am
Western_dream says:
Golden State!!!!!!!! what i wouldn’t give for a GS to beat Utah, play the Suns in an epic 7 game 350 points a game Western Conference finals series then dispose of Detroit in the Finals, thats a dream come true right there… pity Utah are going to beat them 4-1 Baron Davis is amazing but Deron…
May.10 at 12:59 am
J-Bird says:
Damn!!!! The Jazz got so lucky! Damn!
May.10 at 1:13 am
Co Co says:
Russ, I’m just as devastated as you to be rooting for a Coach K product! Well, not actually rooting for, but have a healthy respect for.
May.10 at 1:18 am
pacifico says:
dick stockton got lucky that biedrins and pietrus are pronounced similarly because it reduces the amount of players he confuses
May.10 at 1:35 am
Dan says:
A Dookie? Last time I checked, the Jazz were most indefinitely being run by a Fighting Illini! ! !
May.10 at 1:59 am
Morgan says:
The Jazz play the Suns better than the Warriors, and Jazz-Suns games are always exciting and fast paced. Jazz-Spurs games, while not as fast paced, usually come down to the wire. As do Jazz-Pistons. Jazz-Cavs would be amazing just because of their hostility towards Boozer.
May.10 at 2:45 am
Dan says:
Let me clear-up any confussion involving the above statement: I do realize that you used the phrase “led” to describe the player who is responsible for Utah’s current run of post-season success, but through my excitement from that rather innacurate statement, I used the wrong word. But then I began thinking. Whether one were to use “run” or “led”, we are getting at the same thing: who is taking charge of the Utah Jazz through this streak of second-season prowess? And that player is cleary Deron Williams. When you consider the facts, Boozer isn’t the “leader” you are making him out to be. Baron Davis has the potential to be one of the top guards in the NBA on any given night, and instead of bowing down to the greatness of a player of Davis’ calibre, Deron Williams has not only met the challenge that faces him, but also elevated his own game to a dominating level that Davis cannot match. Now let us observe Boozer. Although he may be an above average offensive rebounder when comparing him to other NBA bigs, he has absolutely NO competition is this series whatsoever. Now don’t get me wrong, Boozer has had an outstanding season that has been relatively injury-free and thus, has elevated himself to the top of the rankings in a relatively competitive Western Conference forward position, but the match-ups that he faces in this series are clearly in his favour, as Golden State does not have a single player that can rival Boozer’s size or inside presence.
Now I am hoping that each and every member of the Slam staff is directed to this post, and furthermore, I am hoping that each and everyone of you will reply to it as you see fit. . .
May.10 at 3:39 am
Sesa says:
Dan, I agree with you. That Deron Williams can create his own shot in the perimeter and he’s a good perimeter shooter. He’ll be an all-star next year.
May.10 at 5:38 am
FLUD says:
‘Relatively competitive Western Conference forward position’??? It’s murder in the western front court man… MURDER. Carlos Bruizer
May.10 at 6:38 am
Joe_x says:
How did this lame team beat Dallas? They can’t play defense and can’t rebound. They’re also a bunch o’ whiners, too. I’m not a bitter Mavs fan, believe me, but I am anti-Golden State. It’s fun watching the superior team win - now all the Jazz have to do is cut down on the turnovers and maintain the defensive focus for 48 minutes and the series is over.
May.10 at 6:40 am
Petter says:
I know your old hate/disdain for Utah, but I like that you have dropped it, grudgingly but anyhow… The only thing that remains from the Stockton/Malone era, is the venerable dinosaur that is known to man as Jerry Sloanosaurus. And look at the players and personalities that they have: Deron, Memo and Booz, three top quality players with some flavour, and that without mentioning the guy that´s to crazy to be official player of the links: AK-47! I´m hoping for a long, highscoring series with more drama. I love the play offs!
May.10 at 9:12 am
1hush D says:
Williams is very good but keep in mind Davis is playing on a strained hamstring and with a head cold. You are going to see a different matchup in game 3 and 4. Williams IS strong and he is more of a poor man’s Chauncey Billups but he does not have the handle that Too Easy Davis has. Not even close.
May.10 at 9:14 am
1hush D says:
If GState does not overcome Utah and SA prevails over the Suns, I will ride with Utah to the finals. I would love to see Timmy get roughed up. But America wants Suns v Warriors. Sternbot, get on it.
May.10 at 9:58 am
shu says:
Who the hell said Boozer is better than Malone? They probably remember Malone only in a Laker uniform. UTAHCOVER. 5 points down with 50 secconds left? It’s an amazing comeback/amazing collapse. How could you not root for either of these teams? Dang what a series. UTAHCOVER
May.10 at 10:40 am
2G40 says:
@Dan, You could also say that the GS match ups were in Dirks favor too. But he failed to step up and perform at the same level as Boozer. It’s not Boozer fualt that he’s playing the GSW’s now is it?
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Give credit where credit is due!
May.10 at 10:44 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Dan, thank you for that long and entirely unnecessary lecture. I’ve been watching the playoffs, and entirely respect what Deron Williams has been able to do—both against Houston AND Golden State. I also appreciate that he’s the point guard, and is thusly the de facto leader of the team. However, considering a) my nearly lifelong hatred of Duke, and b) the fact that Carlos Boozer has so far destroyed both Yao Ming and anyone the Warriors have thrown at him, you’ll perhaps allow me a bit of latitude when writing a short post purely intended to create a little bit of discussion about a single playoff game.
May.10 at 10:45 am
Ryan Jones says:
“Looking at that photo reminds me: did the mountains on those Jazz jerseys turn purple when they got cold?”
Quote of the year, Russ.
May.10 at 11:24 am
Cub Buenning says:
As a Denver-native, I have never had love for our neighbors to the West. This Jazz team, however, I love. DWill, Booz, AK-47, and even guys like Harpring and Milsap are supremely fun to watch. Milsap and Minny’s Craig Smith being drafted in the second round is ridiculous. These guy were dominate 4-year college players, but you know, “little upside.”
May.10 at 12:21 pm
Dan says:
2G40: All it takes is the slightest bit of hustle to diffuse Dirk on the offensive glass, which is CLEARLY what the Warriors did. As for what happened to his offensive repetoir, I have no idea what happened to Dirk’s game, but I most certainly was not discussing that aspect of his play. Russ: Unnecessary?!?!?! I do hope you are joking. You have essentially contradicted yourself in your response, as you said that this post was meant to stir-up some discussion, but then you proceeded to get rather defensive when my post has clearly discredited your own! ! !
May.10 at 3:44 pm
Paniscus says:
Harping cover!
May.10 at 3:47 pm
Mike C. says:
I’m with the majority here. I used to hate watching Utah. Now that that the personnel has changed, I enjoy watching them. It could be something as simple as having a power forward that dunks with two hands.
May.10 at 3:54 pm
Dennard says:
The Jazz are a lot of fun to watch. D-Will runs the point so efficiently, they will be a team to be reckoned with for a long time.
May.10 at 4:16 pm
Chris says:
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer should watch a lot of old Jazz tape and work on their pick and rolls this summer…
May.24 at 1:54 pm
DK52 says:
Hey Dan I know this is a kind of late response but I just read it now, Boozer may have not had any competition againt GS but he single handedly destroyed Yao Ming, Battier, Hayes, and Howard in the first round against Houston. He obliterated all of them got and got rebounds over the top of the taller players. And had 12-15 dunks that series. He’s putting up big numbers against Duncan but I don’t think they can beat the Spurs. Utah deserves the next Slam cover, AK47, DWill and Boozer.
May.28 at 10:32 am
Goody says:
Help! I’m torn between Utah and San Antonio. Deja Vu could this be the dream that I once new. Damn you! Dionne Warwick.
May.31 at 12:07 pm
Chris says:
DUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKE!!!!!!