Utah Jazz instant analysis vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Thanks to the NBA lockout, there was a lot of anticipation leading up to the Utah Jazz regular season opener. Against an LA Lakers team playing its third game in three nights, the young Jazz squad came out flat, falling 96-71.
Utah was led by sixth man Paul Millsap who finished with 18 points.
Until Devin Harris nailed a jumper at the close of the second quarter, the Jazz had 28 rebounds – and 29 points.
Before hitting four of the last eight field goal attempts, Utah was 9 of 42 (21.4 percent). Without recently-traded Mehmet Okur, the Jazz were just 1 of 13 on 3-point attempts.
Utah’s point totals the first three quarters: 17, 14, and 15.
Growing pains: Each of the young guys— Derrick Favors , Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks , and Enes Kanter —took his lumps in the season opener. To his credit, he fought on the boards, pacing Utah with 11 rebounds.
By all accounts, the Jazz offense looked crisp.
Holidays mark the return of the Utah Jazz
Season's Greetings.
The NBA season usually starts around Halloween, and only the hardcore fans and season ticket holders pay any attention until the college football regular season winds down - usually around Thanksgiving. Why not trim some games off the schedule and make Thanksgiving weekend the NBA's big party?
It's hard to take Thanksgiving Day itself away from the NFL and the traditional Lions and Cowboys games, and Saturday usually has some big rivalry college football games. WHERE'S THE OTHER "6"?: The NBA has opted for a 66 game season. One of every three games will be a back-to-backer, and there is a three-road-games-in-three-nights stretch in February.
The 82-game schedule that was originally released for 2011-12 would have had the Jazz playing 27 games up through Christmas and then 55 games between now and mid-April. Adding 11 games but only extending seven days?
