Not all hope is lost
Good grief. A man goes away for a weekend vacation in Las Vegas, and look what happens.
Losing Deron Williams for any amount of time is certainly a bummer for the Jazz, but maybe it’s a sign of things to come. John Stockton missed 18 games at the beginning of the 1997-98 season, and that year turned out pretty OK for the two-time defending NBA runner-ups.
It helped, of course, that Utah had a reliable backup in Howard Eisley. Perhaps my judgment is fuzzy from a decade of memories, but I personally like what Ronnie Price brings to the Jazz even more than what Eisley brought back then — and I liked Eisley. Brevin Knight could quickly earn his keep, assuming his thumb heals up by next week.
If this is, indeed, the deepest, fittest and best overall Jazz team — as coach Jerry Sloan has indicated this fall — then they should be able to hold their own for the first little while without their gold-medal floor general.
It helps that Denver will be without Carmelo Anthony in the opener next Wednesday due to his season-opening suspension. It also helps that the Jazz get back-to-back games against the depleted Clippers opening weekend.
So, a 3-0 start without D-Will isn’t an impossible task by any means. Not that I’d go bet my house on it, either….
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Speaking of betting my house, don’t tell my bosses, but I picked up an interesting piece of paper from the Sports Book at my Sin City Hotel the other day. As of the most recent update at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, the Jazz’s odds of winning the 2009 NBA championship are 12/1.
The Lakers are this sports book’s preseason favorites with 5/2 odds, followed by Boston (3/1), San Antonio (8/1), Detroit (10/1), New Orleans (10/1), Phoenix (10/1) and Houston (10/1).
But only suckers put their money on those guys. As for me, I was going to put my life savings on the Oklahoma City Thunder and cash in on 150/1 odds. Too bad I threw it all away in a crazy high-risk gamble called my 401(k) account. Thanks Wall Street.
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Before practice, Matt Harpring spent time with Jazz assistant coaches Ty Corbin and Scott Layden doing some shooting drills. From across the court, he looked to be in a pretty good groove and he let out a groan after one 18-footer bounced out of the rim. To me, Harpring looks thinner than I remember him being last season. Still no word on his return.
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Backup backup point guard Brevin Knight was wearing a brace on his left thumb but planned on practicing today and playing in Thursday’s preseason finale. He said the brace is a good reminder for him not to reach with that hand as much as he’s used to — both on the court and while just doing everyday stuff.