posted October 31, 2006 at 18:24 in NBA Articles

I know the Utah Jazz have pretty much fallen on hard times ever since their two surefire Hall of Famers, Karl Malone and John Stockton, retired a few seasons ago, but they may not be as far away from bouncing back to respectability as most people may think. Here’s the skinny on the Jazz for the upcoming 2006-07 season:

Point Guard

Although talented point guard Deron Williams suffered through an up and down roller-coaster of a season in his rookie year last season, I firmly believe Williams is going to be a solid player for years to come (although he’s certainly no Chris Paul). The Jazz also signed veteran Derek Fisher to back up Williams; he will undoubtedly bring a wealth of leadership and outside shooting to the Jazz.

Shooting Guard

Gordon Giricek is a pretty good perimeter shooter. It’s too bad that he doesn’t bring anything else to the table because Utah sure could use some more athleticism in the worst way. Maybe that’s why they drafted backup Ronnie Brewer, who, even as a rookie, should see significant playing time.

Small Forward

I love do-it-all small forward, Andrei “AK 47” Kirilenko. However, I must say that for this team to even have a remote chance at being competitive, the smooth Russian needs to make it through an entire season. If he doesn’t, the Jazz can kiss whatever games he misses goodbye as, without him, they are undeniably not the same team. I do however, also like backup small forward, Matt Harpring, who is a fine shooter and all-around player himself. If Kirilenko does suffer an injury, at least they have the more than capable Harpring to back him up.

 

Power Forward

Utah has former all-star, Carlos Boozer at the four and, although he has been injured much of the past two seasons, when he is healthy, Boozer is a beast down low – and one the Jazz desperately need to stay healthy. The Jazz also drafted their backup, Paul Millsap, in this year’s draft and he should see plenty of playing time, even as a rookie.

Center

Starting center, Mehmet Okur really came into his own last season and should be even better this season. Okur averaged 18 point per games on 46 percent shooting and displayed a touch that extends all the way out past the three-point line. Okur is also a decent rebounder, but probably needs to develop a mean streak. Backups Jarron Collins and Rafael Arajuo are both suspect players who may not be in the league in another five seasons.

Prognosis:

I’ve always liked head coach Jerry Sloan and I think he’s a certified genius. If he can coax the Jazz to 41 wins last season in the tough Western Conference, without his best player for the majority of the season, I think the Jazz could actually win a few more games this season – depending on the health of Boozer and Kirilenko. I think 45 wins and a possible trip to the playoffs sounds about right to me.

Bet on the Jazz to win the Northwest Division in the BetUS.com Sportsbook!

Eric Williams is a syndicated columnist and can be heard every Wednesday at 2:15pm EST on www.BetUSradio.com. You can contact Eric at eklass66@yahoo.com.

See this section tomorrow for our continued look at every NBA team.