Scenes from scrimmage
Some random thoughts I had while trying to recover from watching rookies and Kyrylo Fesenko dance (not together, though):
Here’s how the teams were divided:
Blue squad: Deron Williams, Raja Bell, C.J. Miles, Andrei Kirilenko, Al Jefferson. (Reserves: Ronnie Price, Othyus Jeffers, Francisco Elson)
White squad: Earl Watson, Sundiata Gaines, Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, Kyrylo Fesenko. (Reserves: Jeremy Evans, Demetris Nichols, Ryan Thompson)
The most interesting part of that was seeing A.K. start as power forward with the varsity squad instead of Millsap. Because of Achilles heel rehab for Mehmet Okur (not in attendance, by the way), the Jazz are primarily practicing with Jefferson at center and Kirilenko at the 4-spot.
This whole camp I’ve been wondering if C.J. or A.K. would start at small forward, and it’s possible they could start together at the 3 and 4, respectively, with Millsap retaining his reserve role. That’s likely to be determined and toyed with throughout the eight-game preseason.
Sloan credited Kirilenko for playing “some of his best basketball” as a power forward. Remember, that is the position he played during his All-Star season.
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Not that it matters, but the Blue team won the scrimmage — three 10-minute quarters — by the score of 49-43. At least it didn’t end in a tie like last fall.
Neither team got into much of a flow, and that’s saying it nicely. It’s obvious multiple players are still trying to figure out what’s going on in a complex offense that Kirilenko said includes 75 sets.
While I was asking Williams about the “discombobulated” play, he assessed it as “sloppy.” That works, too. But I get more Scrabble points.
“That’s what is expected,” he said. “Guys are tired from tow-a-days, no legs …”
Williams also ribbed Marketing V.P. Eric Shultz for making players do an unexpected commercial, which ate into their warm-up time. It also proved again that even though ESA fans might be loyal and loud, they are generally lousy at chanting in unison. Unless D-Will really is the M-M-V-M-P-V-M-P-P!
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Francisco Elson looked like a grumpy old man on the court. The Feisty Dutchman is intense — staring down a referee after a call, swiping away a teammate’s hand check, playing physical. He has an improving mid-range jumper that he sank a couple of times. Looks like Sloan’s kind of guy and a solid pick-up for post depth.
“We’ve always liked some of the things he does,” the coach said.
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The Jazz just might have struck gold in the second round — again. Jeremy Evans is something else to watch on and above the court. Raja Bell called him “a freaky athlete” and Sloan lauded him for his intelligence.
Only problem?
At 6-9 and 196 pounds, the rail-thin Evans makes 235-pound Andrei Kirilenko look like a bodybuilder. But, man, can he get up and around. (Teaser plug: We’ll do a story on Evans for Monday’s editions.)
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Al Jefferson has some work to do. He was visibly confused, even repeated “My bad” a few times, during parts of the scrimmage. He did show some nice interior moves, and the Jazz don’t seem overly concerned about his progress for now.
“Coach tells me every day don’t beat myself up about it. I’m just trying to learn this offense and sometimes my mind just goes blank out there,” he said. “It’s a lot to learn. So much has been thrown at me this week. I’m going to get in and watch some film every day at home on the offense.”
Tim Buckley and Brad Rock both wrote about Big Al for today’s editions.
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You can see why Sloan has been talking positively about the young guys in camp. Evans has rare athleticism, Ryan Thompson clearly has talent, and Gordon Hayward has the chance to be something special, eventually. Throw in Othyus Jeffers, who is Mr. Hustle, and local legend Sundiata Gaines, and the Jazz might have some tough decisions ahead on roster cuts. (Not counting Hayward, whose contract is guaranteed.)
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C.J. Miles sprained his left wrist while stopping his fall during the scrimmage. He wore a wrist brace on his shooting hand afterward and — after he talked about it not being a serious injury — I joked about it looking like a bowling brace.
Funny thing about that: Jazz guys had actually planned on going bowling Saturday night, Miles said. But the southpaw canceled his trip to the bowling alley. Apparently, right-handed bowling is not his specialty.
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It was announced the team will again have a Jazz Rowdies section. I’m all for that — so long as the vociferous bunch isn’t seated behind press row. It’s too bad the tryout doesn’t fall on a day the Lakers are in town and so happen to be at the same theater as the auditions, though. That was a classic story from last year.
Tryouts are on Nov. 9 during the Jazz’s game at Miami.
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Finally, the new Larry H. Miller Court is nice looking, with dark green free-throw lanes and the updated J-note logo and colors featured on the team name at midcourt. Players wore the home white and the navy blue road uniforms as well.
The only odd thing was how the Indiana Pacers’ dancers showed up to the Jazz party. OK, they were really the Jazz dancers, but their uniforms had so much yellow with the navy blue that they looked to be from Indiana.
Maybe it was just to make Hayward feel at home.