My opinions of the Utah Jazz

I see where your coming from with trading Big Al and/or Millsap and/or Harris for an allstar PG. But here's the problem. I don't know of all any allstar point guard who is on his way out of his current team. Possibly Rajon Rondo, but I've heard that Doc Rivers loves him and has never had a better relationship so I don't see that either. Maybe Russell Westbrook, then again he has a good relationship with the true leader of the Thunder, Kevin Durant. So I have little to no doubt that he will stay. Try Steve Nash, wait a second, he's old, will never ask for a trade and the Suns won't trade him unless he himself asks for a trade. Which tells me if he leaves the Suns it will be for the Hall of Fame not for another NBA team. There aren't any other high caliber PG's that I know of that are on their way out of their current teams. So unless you want to bring back Dwill, then there's no chance the Jazz could get an high caliber PG for Big Al and/or Millsap and/or Harris. Very few NBA teams are willing to give up high caliber PG's.

The second thing I disagree with is when you said you were impressed with Gordon Hayward. You must not be watching much Jazz games because Hayward has had very few solid games. Last night's game was one of those few. Yes, its true he can do practically everything on the basketball court but he also lacks the ability to take over a game. He is good at everything but a master of nothing. Sometimes I get the feeling that he is too passive and therefore tends to disappear more often than not. Although there are those games where he does have a solid game but those games are few and far between. I actually think that he is the least impressive out of all of the Jazz youngsters. So with that being said, I'd be more happy if the Jazz draft either Kendall Marshall or Damian Lillard and then in the offseason trade Big Al and/or Devin Harris and/or Paul Millsap and/or CJ Miles for a solid 3. Maybe Danny Granger, or Gerald Wallace,(with Dwill on his way out, Wallace isn't the player to attract other stars so both Dwill and Wallace are probably on thier way out) or Josh Smith (not quite sure if you should really count him as a 3, but he is a top caliber talent that is on his way out of Atlanta) With that solid 3, the Jazz's starting line will be just as good as their bench. Hayward can move to the bench and become the team's 6th man.

One thing that is clear is that the youngsters on the Jazz have developed well despite playing behind veterans and consequently not getting the playing time that other young lottery draft picks usually receive.

I think we will make the playoffs. We got some good vets like big Al, Millsap and Harris (whos game has gotten so much better). Favors is a double double machine when he gets some minutes, and looks ready to take over the pf spot at anytime. Hayward has been ballin lately. Burkes has finally gotten his chance and hasnt disapointed. Kanter gives them size and rebounding. The future is looking very bright in Salt Lake.

The goal and expectation for the Lakers is to sign newcomer Dwight Howard to a long-term extension next summer starting at about $20.5 million, which would keep the Lakers deep in the tax. Next year the rate increases so dramatically, the Lakers could conceivably double-up into uncharted territory.

Bryant would be eligible for a new deal starting at around $32-33 million (a number no other team would reasonably be capable of nearing). Is there a dollar figure both Bryant and the Lakers would be comfortable settling on and does that negotiation go smoothly or contentiously? Could Bryant actually end his career on a different team altogether?

This season might turn out a bit differently with nearly every team in the loaded West improving over the summer, although the Jazz will certainly be expected to remain right in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Every game is not going to be like that for Drummond. At the NBA level, every player is talented, and there are quite a few big men who have plenty of tricks up their sleeves.

“Dwight, to be a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, you’ve got to have a little of that dog in you,” Bryant said. “It’s just a matter of him digging deep and just pulling it out. But it’s already there. It’s just a matter of him having it become habit.”y4343

If anyone would know about how being an a$$hole on the court can benefit your game, it’s Kobe Bryant. Kobe has the reputation of being one of the most competitive, driven and cold-blooded players in the league. That type of attitude has helped Kobe become of the best to ever play the game.vbsaf

This team is not to be confused with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where Lior Eliyahu, whose rights the Timberwolves acquired in the trade that brought them Chase Budinger, plays. Maccabi Bazan Haifa played Golden State on Thursday, losing 108-100. Their top scorer that night was Smith, a small forward out of Southeastern Illinois who played with the Hawks from 2004-06.

"The other night was a good example of hopefully where he's gotten to in his career," Skiles said. "He wasn't pressing in the first half; nothing really came to him. A lot of young guys don't really understand how long the game is and how many possessions there are. You average 16 points per game — and there have been some All-Stars averaging that — and that's four points per quarter, a basket and two free throws in every quarter. ... People panic, they get stressed, and they get anxious, and they miss open shots. I think it's fair to say Ersan has done that in the past, but he's really calmed himself down."

Aldridge, 27, is starting his seventh season with the Blazers. He's averaging 17.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for his career, but last season he averaged 21.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a career-high 51.2 percent. And he made his first All-Star team.

“We’ve had positive dialogue with Eric and he’s a guy that means a lot to this ball club. We value him. He’s continually gaining more confidence coming back from injury and looks fantastic. Whether or not we’ll ultimately do anything with him and in terms of extension is not a reflection of his wanting to be here or our wanting to keep him in the program.

Competing from Jose and Kyle, to me and DeMar [DeRozan], to Amir [Johnson] and [Andrea] Bargnani, we are competing all the way across the board,” Anderson said. “It is a big difference [from last year] because guys are actually trying to [help] each other get better and want to play and prove that they can play.”

Now in my opinion, with the emergence of Favors and Kanter in the frontcourt, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap become expendable. These two guys could attract a team with a good set of guards to pull the trigger. Both guys are young, talented bigs who could really help out a team's inside scoring and rebounding.