The Fresh Start Jazz

I did a lot of listening and observing at the Utah Jazz scrimmage game last Saturday afternoon and the opening pre-season game against the Portland Trailblazers. I wanted to gauge something ethereal: a feeling, a mood. What emotion was I attempting to measure? How the fans saw the upcoming season with all the major changes that had taken place with the team in the off-season. You know what the vibe was? Really great, very positive, with real hope of something special happening. It was really great watching all the people with big smiles on their faces. So what did Offseason Santa bring in his big old sack?

The Negatives:

• The trade of Kyle Korver to the Chicago Bulls. Kyle was a great guy, perfect off the bench, with a tremendous work ethic and example, who hit 3-pointers with regularity. He will be missed.
• The acquisition of Wes Matthews by the Portland Trailblazers, who made him an offer he couldn't refuse, and the Jazz couldn't (not wouldn't) match. He was a real gentleman and very humble. He too will be missed.

The Positives:

• The trading of Carlos Boozer to Chicago. Carlos is a good player, when he wants to be, but is too injury prone and not tough enough mentally. As nice a man as he was to me personally, the Jazz are better off without him for a number of reasons best left unsaid.
• The signing of Al Jefferson and Raja Bell, both of whom, WANT to be here in Utah, not like some others who will remain nameless.
• The acquisition of rookies Jeremy Evans, Gordon Hayward and Ryan Thompson who are already bringing their fresh-faced enthusiasm into everything they do.
• The physical transformation of C.J. Miles to 232 lbs of muscle just adds so much more hustle to the team who he is on the court.
• That captain and talisman Deron Williams will be as good as ever and may be even better than he was last year.
• The continued upward evolution of Paul Millsap at power forward.
  

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the list of positives is much longer than the other. No wonder then the Jazz fans feel good about their prospects for 2010-11. If you add to that that Mehmet Okur will return to the fray hopefully sooner rather than later from his achilles injury, and things look bright. Since sport at the elite level is as much or more mental than physical, all that positive energy and attitude ought to amount to something great.