One Down, 81 To Go

The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets 98-94 Wednesday night in their first game of the season. It was a close game, and pretty sloppy at times, but the Jazz did enough to come out with a win. If there were any naysayers claiming that the Jazz couldn't win without Deron Williams, they have been proven to be idiots. Tonight was evidence that Utah has a very deep and very talented team.

Game Ball: Carlos Boozer. He came out ready to make a statement this season, possibly trying to make up for his late-playoff collapse last spring. He was active on offense and defense, and ended with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Although he turned the ball over on more than a couple occasions, he was hustling all game long. And with the game on the line, Boozer came through. He hit a huge baseline jumper to give the Jazz a three point lead with the game winding down, and that was right after he made two clutch free throws. Here's hoping that he keeps this kind of play up all season long!

Surely Jerry Sloan was able to find some things to curse violently about (turnovers, interior defense, AC/DC blasting from the loudspeakers, etc.); however, it was a good win to start out the season. Hopefully D-Will returns to the lineup by Saturday when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town. And as we all know, the Jazz really have to play their absolute best to beat the Clippers in Salt Lake City.....

And... Here... We....... Go.

Tonight is the season-opener for the Utah Jazz. They are hosting the Denver Nuggets at EnergySolutions Arena tonight at 7 p.m. MT. They will have to try to get a win without their star point guard, Deron Williams, who is still trying to recover from his ankle sprain. It will be interesting to see how the supporting cast performs tonight under genuine pressure. I'm confident that -- between Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Ronnie Price, and Paul Millsap -- the Jazz will have enough people to step up and get a victory tonight! It feels good to have a fresh start with an energized team; let's hope that we'll have a season worth remembering!!!

D-Will.... D-Won't.... D-Might??

Well, the Jazz took a hit in the mouth this past week when Deron Williams went down with what looked like a major ankle sprain. Williams had to be wheeled off the court, and it was pretty scary for a minute. However, initial medical reports say there is no bone-breakage and that he should be out at least two weeks. That would put him at least three games into the regular season before he has a chance to come back. Then again, it is D-Will we're talking about, and he's a real fighter (as evidenced by his facial hair), and he says in this Deseret News article that he is still holding on to the hopes of playing in the season opener. We can only hope for a quick recovery!

Meanwhile, Utah has a preseason game tonight against the Portland TrailBlazers, which will end the preseason. Then all eyes will be on Wednesday, October 29 when Denver comes to SLC to get this thing started!!!!

Let's Get This Party Started!!!!!!

Well, the season is just around the corner, and things are looking good in Jazzland. Deron Williams has had a busy summer with the Olympics, charity events, and basically just being The Man here in Utah. He has risen to the challenge and become the leader of this Utah Jazz squad. Carlos Boozer has been in the middle of nationwide trade chatter, but he is disregarding it for now and playing well in the preseason. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are looking good; both of them seem to be playing with energy and enthusiasm. Ronnie Brewer is a little bigger, stronger, and still a major hustler. Jerry Sloan is still alive. All the ingredients are there for a big year for the Utah Jazz!!

Of course, everybody wants to give 100 percent to start out the new season. The question is: will it last? Will AK and Memo still play with this much heart? Can Boozer and Williams stay healthy all year? What will happen with the young players (Ronnie Price, Kyrylo Fesenko, Morris Almond, etc.)? It's almost time for the regular season to kick off. The Jazz start out against the Denver Nuggets on October 29th, so until then -- enjoy the preseason!!!!!!