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G8 @Toronto – Preview
Posted by: KCJones on November 12th, 2012
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.Game tonight. @Raptors. Here’s a little preview.
Arguably one of the worst teams in the league right now, the Canadian dinos are 1-5 and Marc Stein of ESPN fame has them in his latest power ranking at #25 in the league. Kyle Lowry, known Jazz killer, is out with an ankle injury. He was leading their team in points, assists and steals. However, known Jazz killer Linas Kleiza is still on the loose, so be on the lookout. Andrea Bargnani can shoot threes and is a big man, so also keep an eye out for him to be loosely guarded on the perimeter. Jose Calderon is a very underrated passer in the league and probably should be a starter somewhere and he’s starting in place of Lowry, so there’s your third guy to watch.. Still, the raptors are in year 13 of their rebuild after Chris Boshasaurus up and left them (apparently forgetting to pack his dreads, but not his talents) for the balmy breezes of South Beach.
So the good news is they are a bad team and have some guys out with injury. The bad news is that we’re playing this game in Toronto and not in SLC. Apparently there’s some magic essence in the air that gives the Jazz energy and nudges the ball to fall within the nets that only resides in the valleys of the Wasatch mountains. When taken outside of this zone, Jazz players’ bodies are sluggish, offensive strategies and defensive assignments fade from their memories, and no-name opposing players become superstars for a night.
We’re 0-4 on the road so far this year after going 11-22 on the road last year, which was the worst road mark for a playoff team. If there’s any hope of bucking that trend, tonight is the night to prove it. You can’t find much weaker competition out there right now than the bottom of the Eastern Conference (Charlotte, Toronto, Washington, Detroit), and if we can’t get a road win against those teams, well then honestly there’s not much hope of the playoffs, IMO.
I have faith though, that the Jazz can bottle up some of that Wasatch Mountain magic air to take with them tonight and come away victorious. Go Jazz!
On a side note, Toronto would be one of three teams I would include in a 3-way name trade, if Utah ever abandoned the Jazz name (they won’t). Jazz name moves to New Orleans, Hornets name moves to Toronto (they should probably change it to ‘Wolverines’), and the Raptor name moves to Utah. It’s the only name in the NBA that makes ANY sense for Utah.
Replies: 7
Views: 340
7 Responses
This is exactly the game that we need in this moment to doesn´t feel so frustating this moment on the road. I hope the best.
TRADE BIG AL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO JAZZ GO!!!!!!
can’t even beat the raptors haha this team is a complete mess. Why can’t we be like the hated lakers and make a coaching change? why don’t are management care what we think? seriously this management is to set on be okay never wanting to win a championship
never mind ill eat my words we are going to win as of 14 seconds left in 3ot still sloppy and i still think changes must be made still a die hard and will always be love to see the jazz win.
Great game, but obviously the Jazz are going to have to play better than that if they want to win on the road.
they raptors should also be part of a player trade with the jazz, calderon and something else, i really dont care who or what, for Al.
Foye got killed on D in the final quarter and OT. I understand that he scores, but he just cannot guard the SG position. Against, better guards, like Ginobili and Green did, Foye is a liability. I cant figure out why Hayward was on the bench?! Down the stretch and OTs?!
Favors stays in the game and the Jazz go on a monster run to close the game, why did it take so long for Corbin to figure that out?! Geez. But then he sends Hayward to the bench?! Al makes a shot and then gives up a shot. Its gonna come back to bite us against quality playoff teams. Raptors are struggling, it would be nice to be trade partners, like you guys have mentioned, but I have little faith in KOC, Im not sure if Lindsey has any power.
Didn’t I tell ya Linas Kleiza was a Jazz killer? Didn’t I? And Bargnani WAS definitely ‘loosely guarded’ on the perimeter, at least until Corbin put Favors on him (0-10 with Favors guarding him).
Calderon didn’t have a huge night, but the guy I forgot about was DeMar DeRozan, who did have a huge night.
Hey at least we pulled a win out, even though it took a miracle Jefferson three and then three overtimes. We haven’t lost in Toronto since 2004!!
Also, I don’t know how such a supposedly bad team can shoot the ball so well. From everywhere, too. Threes, posts, step back fades, lane driving. Do teams just get up for Jazz? Do the Jazz really defend that bad? I just don’t know.