(Sportsbooks) - Utah has put together a solid roster is the favorite to win the Northwest Division. The Jazz had a great 2006-07 campaign, as they finished with a 51-31 record and captured the division title during the regular season.
The Jazz ended a three-year playoff drought by qualifying for the postseason. They defeated Houston in seven in the quarterfinals, knocked out Golden State in five in the semis and fell to San Antonio in five in the Western Conference finals.
Twenty-eight-year-old center Mehmet Okur and power forward Carlos Boozer played like All-Stars during the campaign, while point guard Deron Williams emerged as one of the best in the league at his position. Boozer led the Jazz in scoring (20.9 ppg) and rebounding (11.7 rpg), while Williams was the team's top assist man at 9.3 per contest.
Andrei Kirilenko had an off year, as his offensive production was way down. Paul Millsap was a pleasant surprise and veterans Matt Harpring and Derek Fisher, who was waived and signed with the Lakers during the offseason, were solid contributors. Ronnie Brewer should get more minutes during his sophomore season in 2007-08.
Head coach Jerry Sloan will once again be the leader on the bench. He has guided the Jazz to the playoffs 16 times during his tenure with the club. Sloan has been the Utah's general since the 1988-89 campaign.
The offseason was very quiet for the Jazz. They did draft shooting guard Morris Almond of Rice with the 25th overall pick in the first round. Almond is a sharp-shooting guard who has good range from the outside and will be given the opportunity to play right away.
Guards Jason Hart and Ronnie Price signed with the team as free agents during the summer. Hart and Price will both try and earn time behind Williams, who is on the cusp of becoming an All-Star.
BACKCOURT
Williams, who averaged 16.2 points per game in 2006-07, needs a partner in the backourt. The 23-year-old Williams can do it all and may be headed for a big- time season in year three of his career.
Almond, Brewer, Gordan Giricek and C.J. Miles will compete for the starting shooting guard spot. All have good size and can shoot the outside jumper. Whoever can produce consistently will most likely earn the starting spot. It would not be a surprise if the Jazz attempt to move one of the guards in a trade.
Drafting Almond showed that the Jazz are not happy with their production at shooting guard. In all likelihood, Almond is going to need time for his game to mature to the style of the NBA. Brewer, Giricek and Miles have to step up for the Jazz to reach their full potential as a team.
FRONTCOURT
Boozer, Kirilenko, who registered 8.3 points, 4.7 boards and 2.9 assists last season, and Okur are one of the top all-around frontcourts in the league. The 6-11 Okur can hit the outside jumper and will try and take Yao away from the basket, while the 25-year-old Boozer will do his best work off the boards and around the hoop.
The 26-year-old Kirilenko, who is one of the best defensive players in the league, is not happy with his current situation in Utah, but has a big contract which makes it difficult to trade him. The Jazz hope that the 6-9 Kirilenko can find his offensive game and help them win their second straight Northwest Division crown.
Jarron Collins, Harpring and Millsap will get the majority of playing time behind Utah's starting frontcourt. The 6-11 Collins will backup Okur, while Millsap is a physical player who can score around the basket and Harpring is a hard-nosed defender and can drain the outside jumper.
OUTLOOK
The Jazz are the best team in the Northwest Division and should edge out the Denver Nuggets for the division crown. Fifty wins and the third or fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs sounds about right.
Boozer, Okur and Williams are an excellent nucleus. All three are All-Star caliber players and make Utah a tough team to play. If another scorer emerges, the Jazz could be a serious contender in the West.
