From the book Dinosaurs

Much has been made by some fans of the Utah Jazz about how the franchise should attempt to follow the vaunted “OKC model,” which is highly constituted of heavy doses of luck, good and bad. Oklahoma City Thunder GM, Sam Presti, appeared genius for successful draft after draft, then when forced to make the difficult decision of choosing, with a new punitive luxury tax looming, is now getting roasted for a fool for trading away James Harden before he demanded a max contract, which he received immediately after being moved to the Houston Rockets.

Such is the reality of the NBA and it’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, an agreement that when entered into by both parties to end a lockout had many fans of the game foaming at the mouth and feeling like the owners had been scammed, that parity or competitive balance was as unreachable as ever. Yet, a mere 18 months later we very nearly had a Golden State Warriors – Memphis Grizzlies Western Conference Finals, before even the real changes in the new CBA have taken effect.

The very nature of the game of basketball dictates that over time talent tends to win out and bring you a title, the gap in top-tier talent on down to the ends of benches being a vast one. How vast? This gap in the game is so big that even a bench warmer like Brian Scalabrine can beat down ballers that fancy themselves NBA-ready in the rec rooms. And badly.

Tired of verbal beatings from fans, the “White Mamba” invited Boston’s best amateurs to try and take him down a notch.

Scalabrine — who spent the last few seasons of his career seen as the “human victory cigar” — easily defeated all four of his opponents, throwing down monstrous jams and sinking smooth jumpers as he beat them all by a combined score of 44-6.

-CBS Boston

This gap from rec-league-best to end-of-bench in the NBA is just as large as the one from 12th man to the top-end-talent in the NBA. Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder managed to assemble some of the top talent in the league in consecutive drafts, but not solely by design — there is always a modicum of luck involved in taking a team to title contention.

Had Portland taken Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA draft, then Presti would have taken Greg Oden and we’d be talking about the “Blazers model” instead of the OKC model. Luck, good and bad, is always in play. The OKC model isn’t necessarily a predestined path to prosperity as many would have you believe — at this point how do we even know that Durant and Westbrook aren’t simply the next Stockton and Malone, who make finals trips only to be sent fishing time and again by even more transcendent talent?

A key factor that will leave supporters of the OKC model stammering and grasping for excuses also comes into play and is often conveniently ignored for the narrative’s sake. Discount a key injury, like that to Russell Westbrook, and boom, the model crumbles. Injuries, like luck, are also always in play.

All you can really count on is to maximize your chances with good scouting and hard work as a team, much like the Memphis Grizzlies have, much like the Utah Jazz do year after year.

Some, like the Salt Lake Tribune’s Kurt Kragthorpe, are only now noticing that success can come from more than one master plan, while we here at USN discussed in length with each other how the Grizzlies and Jazz were similarly constructed some months ago.

It’s ironic how some of the Jazz fans that complained incessantly about how Utah and Al Jefferson have played the game over the last couple of seasons are now praising and enjoying Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies. Al Jefferson and Zach Randolph are throwbacks to a time when the game played primarily in the post and favored big men more than today, a time before “no-hands” rules on the perimeter when pace and scoring were down, and attendance plummeted along with it. And hey, at least Big Al can leap over a metro area phone book, unlike Randolph.

Z Bo is an All-Star, but an argument could be made that Jefferson is the better player

Zach Randolph’s game hasn’t changed much. Like Jefferson, neither are very good defenders, and both excellent scorers. What has changed for the Grizzlies is Marc Gasol’s continued emergence as a force and slow, but steady metamorphosis into the game’s best all-around center, and something even more key, even more vital, a key factor missing on the Jazz’s roster: perimeter defense.

Mike Conley is arguably the best defensive point guard in the NBA, and alongside Tony Allen they make up what is surely the overall best defensive backcourt in the association. Throw in a revitalized and lengthy Tayshaun Prince on the wing — acquired in what appears to many in hindsight to be a genius trade for an inefficient and high usage Rudy Gay — and the Griz boast a throwback defensive mindset, the likes of which historically make deep playoff runs, provided proper direction from the coaching staff and enough talent are in place.

The Utah Jazz have had some of the pieces already in place — if Al Jefferson is invited back and accepts a reasonable contract offer — to duplicate this “Memphis Model,” with Marvin Williams, who might be the most underrated wing defender in the NBA, surely picking up his player option for another season, in the role of Prince, now that Ty Corbin has discovered that Marvin is best used as the first small forward off the bench where he can excel offensively to match his tenacious defensive tendencies.

And obviously, Derrick Favors is the player in the role of defensive big man that covers up for the offensive scorer, so the main ingredients lacking now are competent backcourt defenders and playoff experience, something the Grizzlies have in abundance at this point, but only recently.

When it comes to model-building in the NBA, a blueprint such as the Jazz and Grizzlies favor is far more stable and sustainable for a small market franchise. And Memphis has proven to doubters that it is indeed a model built for success.

Revenge series? Two years ago the Grizzlies ousted the top seeded Spurs in Round 1

Ed: We’re proud to present The NBA Mistress, Tammeh Treymayne, aka @Mrs__NBA on board for NBA postseason coverage for you, the reader. Feel free to add your thoughts, and we encourage you to keep up with her excellent coverage of all things NBA.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)

• Game 1 in San Antonio: Sunday, May 19
• Game 2 in San Antonio: Tuesday, May 21
• Game 3 in Memphis: Saturday, May 25
• Game 4 in Memphis: Monday, May 27
• Game 5 in San Antonio: Wednesday, May 29
• Game 6 in Memphis: Friday, May 31
• Game 7 in San Antonio: Sunday, June 2

Season Series: 2-2 Road To Conference Finals: San Antonio swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

Notable Matchups: Tony Parker (22.4 points, 45.2% FG, 37.5% 3P, 6.3 assists, .9 steals in 2013 Playoffs) vs. Mike Conley (17.6 points, 38.5% FG, 7.6 assists, 1.6 steals). Parker’s offense will be put to the test against Memphis’ insatiable perimeter defense and Conley will have the perfect opportunity to firmly situate himself as a steadfast point guard against one of the best in the game.

Tim Duncan (18.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks) vs. Marc Gasol (18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks). Tim Duncan is one of the greatest players to play the game and what he lacks in flash and pizzaz, he more than makes up in the fundamental department. No question, Duncan can handle his own, but he will be challenged by the agile – and Defensive Player of the Year – Marc Gasol.

 San Antonio has averaged 102.8 points 46.0 percent FG, 35.6 percent from three-point range, 43.8 rebounds, 10.2 offensive rebounds, 9.0 steals, 23.0 assists,  4.5 blocks per game in the playoffs.  Parker is leading San Antonio in the playoffs with 22.4 points per game, followed by Tim Duncan with 18.7 points, and Kawhi Leonard with 13.7 points.

 It’s not a surprise San Antonio holds the shooting advantage over Memphis; SAS has the 4th ranked offense in the league. With stellar coaching from Gregg Popovich, San Antonio has one of – if not THE – best team in the league; they utilize their impeccable basketball intelligence coupled with ball movement, premier shooting capabilities, and contain an enviable defense.

 However, that enviable defense doesn’t quite stack up to the Memphis Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind defense. Memphis has averaged 97.2 points on 43.3 percent FG, 31.4 percent from the perimeter, 40.1 rebounds, 1o.2 offensive rebounds, 19.5 assists, 7.2 steals, 4.1 blocks per game in the playoffs. Zach Randolph is leading the Grizz in scoring with 19.7 points followed by Marc Gasol’s 18.3 points and Mike Conley’s 17.6.

While Memphis isn’t known for their connective offense, what they will do this series is disrupt San Antonio’s perimeter game as aforementioned as well as limiting Tim Duncan’s astute offensive force in the paint and from the mid-range. While, the acknowledgement of the arsenal of outside shooting that San Antonio has (Danny Green,Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Matt Bonner) is important, equally – if not more – important is Memphis’ ravenous defensive scheme.

It’s also fair to mention, three of the four regular season meetings between this squad were decided by four points or less.

The biggest question when predicting this series is understanding Memphis has done an outstanding job in defending the NBA’s best scorer, Kevin Durant, and freezing the Clippers’ offensively. However, San Antonio has a myriad of scoring options; they are textbook definition of a team, so can Memphis game-plan appropriately and evenly defend San Antonio?

San Antonio has more than enough experience and fortitude to win this series, but Memphis has all the momentum and swag at the moment.

Prediction: Memphis in 7

Remember, you can watch us live every Thursday at 9:30 MT on the Utah Sports Net YouTube channel. Also catch us on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.

USN Podcast #12 – Aggie Football Preview (right click/save to download)

Utah State Junior Quarterback Chuckie Keeton
Photo courtesy of Deseret News
Photo taken by Ryan Talbot

For many years, going to school at Utah State, most students would brag about the excellent Business Programs, Accounting, and Engineering degrees and other programs that are some of the best in the country. One thing Aggie Fans didn’t usually brag about was their football program which for many years was the ugly step child for Utah Collegiate football. While Utah and BYU were dominating the Mountain West and even going to BCS Bowls, the cold city of Logan was watching icy cold football.

Fast forward five years and it is the opening game of the 2011 season. Utah State is scheduled to play the 2010 NCAA Football Champion Auburn in what is expected to be a route for the defending champs. Utah State, being coached by second year coach Gary Anderson, opts to start then freshman Chuckie Keeton. This was a surprising move and started what would propel a complete 360 for a team that at one point was ranked dead last in the college rankings.

Chuckie Keeton is a 6-foot-2, 200 pound junior quarterback from Houston, Texas. He is coming into his junior year with high expectations and a city that is looking for him to make this year’s Utah State the best in the history of the school. Ask many around and they will probably tell you that Keeton is arguably the best player in the state and absolutely the most important piece for Utah State.

Chuckie Keeton is coming off a record year for Utah State where he set single season records for touchdown passes (27), completions (275), passing yards (3,373), completion percentage (.676), and only throwing nine interceptions. Not only was Keeton an amazing passer but he could also run the ball where he ran the ball 129 times for 619 yards (47.6 ypg) with eight rushing touchdowns. Utah State finished a school best 11-2, claimed the WAC Division Title for the first time ever, and went on to whoop Toledo Rockets in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. They finished the season ranked 16^th in the AP Top 25 which was the highest ranking for Utah State since Merlin Olsen was running the team. After the abrupt exit of Coach Gary Anderson, Utah State made the smart decision of promoting Keeton’s QB Coach, Matt Wells, in order to keep continuity with this team. With numerous seniors coming back, followed by the exciting first year in the stacked Mountain West, and Chuckie Keeton making his way on the Preseason Heisman watch, everything is lining up nicely for Keeton to place himself in USU history as the best quarterback in the history of the school.

Go back to the first game that we got to see young Chuckie Keeton against powerhouse and former Champion Auburn in a nationally televised game. Keeton threw 21-30 for 213 yards and also rushed for 2 touchdowns in a game that Utah State had no business playing. Auburn player Philip Lutzenkirchen said after the near loss, “We were wrong for thinking coming in that they might be a cupcake team and they really ran it down our throat the first half,” he said. “We got lucky with this one.” Utah State put a lead on Auburn that they would eventually relinquish in a heartbreaker after Auburn came from behind in the last minutes

Utah State lost that game but Aggie fans were able to see the future of the program. I could argue that the addition of Keeton with some amazing recruiting from Coach Gary Anderson and Coach Matt Wells have brought much more to Utah State than just wins and losses. They have helped with recruiting as Utah State has seen Aggie players turn into amazing NFL Players. They got the opportunity to play national bowl games and it is my opinion that they might have had something to do with them being accepted into the Mountain West and the reputation of a winning program is intangible.

Chuckie Keeton is not only my pick for best college player in the state, but he is more valuable and important because the entire success of the Utah State Aggies rests on his shoulders. Do I think that he can handle it? Absolutely, just ask the Utah Utes that were able to watch his magic last season. He is a special player and I can’t wait to watch him go down as the greatest quarterback in Utah State history.

Now it is your turn. Who do you think will be the best player in the state next season and why? I strongly encourage your comments and opinions.

Some lucky RSL fans won an autographed Javier Morales poster – Via Real Salt Lake Facebook

Real started out with what we’ve come to expect from RSL and their style of play. Good possession and good movement leading to good chances. In the seventh minute Lovel Palmer, getting the start in place of Tony Beltran, took what must have been a 35 yard crack at goal. Montreal’s keeper looked to be on track to cover it up, but Matteo Ferrari tried to clear it as it was going by him and instead deflected it into the back of his own net.

The lead would not hold however, as Montreal would pull even 30 minutes later. Justin Mapp was able to break free and made a great run down the right side crossing it in and finding the feet of the trailing Felipe Martins who slotted it home.

Salt Lake would once again pull ahead in the 77^th minute on a Javier Morales corner kick. Olmes Garcia met the short corner and headed the ball across the box where, after bouncing around, it found Kyle Beckerman who turned and put it in.  This seemed to secure the three points for the visitors.

However, Montreal had different ideas, scoring 2 goals in the final 10 minutes to pull out the come-from-behind victory. Di Vaio put one past Rimando in the 80^th minute on what should have been an offside call, but the goal stood and pulled the Impact level once again.

And finally the dagger; Matteo Ferrari, in the 3^rd minute of stoppage time, went unmarked on a corner kick and found the back of the net for his first ever MLS goal.

Real had their chances but just couldn’t convert. Joao Plata and Devon Sandoval both had 1-on-1 opportunities that they just couldn’t finish.

Overall a tough one to swallow. Real just needed to hold on and couldn’t get it done. A lot of fans will want to put much of the blame on the official today. Yes, he was absolutely terrible but Real still had plenty of chances to win. Allen Chapman (the main official) does seem to repeatedly have it out for RSL and there is controversy almost every time he officiates a Real game. How he is still allowed to work Salt Lake games is beyond me, but we need to move past the officiating and not leave it up to the man in yellow.

You can catch all of all of the goals and highlights through Real Salt Lake’s web site by clicking here, and Like Real Salt Lake on Facebook.

Salt Lake pitching gave up eight hits and four walks, striking out New Orleans five times over eight innings for a WHIP of 1.5. Starting pitcher A.J. Schugel (0-2) took the loss, giving up two hits, two runs, three walks, and striking out two in five innings. New Orleans pitching gave up five hits and nine walks, striking out ten for a WHIP of 1.56. Starting pitcher Brian Flynn (1-2) got the win, giving up three hits, one run, and six walks, and striking out seven in six innings.

Box Score

5/8- Salt Lake 2, New Orleans 3
New Orleans handed Salt Lake their fifth straight loss, getting the job done at home. Salt Lake started the night off with a bang, as the number two hitter Trent Oeltjen took a 3-2 pitch for a ride, shooting it past the center field wall to give the Bees a 1-0 lead. The Zephyrs struck back in the fourth on a Jordan Brown RBI single. New Orleans scored two in the sixth, on a Ed Lucas RBI double, and a Jordan Brown double, which would ultimately be the winning run. Trent Oeltjen led off the seventh with his second solo homer of the game, but Salt Lake only got one hit after the homer, striking out four times in three innings.

Salt Lake pitching gave up seven hits and zero walks, striking out five over eight innings for a WHIP of 0.88. Starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker (2-5) took the loss, giving up seven hits, three runs, and no walks, striking out three in 7.1 innings. New Orleans pitching gave up three hits, one walk, and two home runs, striking out Salt Lake seven times for a WHIP of 0.44. Starting pitcher Jacob Turner (2-3) got win win, giving up two hits, two runs, one walk, two homers, and striking out four in 6.2 innings.

Box Score

5/9- Salt Lake 2, New Orleans 1
Salt Lake broke into the win column after a five game losing streak and a franchise record nine game road losing streak. In the top of the first, after Trent Oeltjen stole third base, Roberto Lopez brought him home on a RBI single to give Salt Lake a 1-0 lead after one. New Orleans struck back in the bottom of the first, as Jordan Brown lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Gorkys Hernadez. In the top of the second, what would be the winning run was scored by the Bees, as a throwing error by Matt Downs scored Brad Hawpe.

Five Salt Lake pitchers gave up five hits and two walks, striking out seven for a WHIP of 0.78. Starting pitcher Kip Wells (1-2) gave up four hits and two walks, striking out three in five innings. Three New Orleans pitchers gave up six hits and five walks, striking out six for a WHIP of 1.22. Starting pitcher Duane Below (2-1) took the loss giving up five hits, two runs, and four walks, striking out one in 5.1 innings.

Box Score

4/10- Salt Lake 2, New Orleans 3 (10 Innings)
Salt Lake lost in extra innings, dropping then to 5-11 on the road. New Orleans scored first on a Bryan Petersen RBI double. Salt Lake scored in the fifth on a Brad Hawpe RBI single to tie the game. Salt Lake took a 2-1 lead on Andrew Romine RBI single in the eighth. New Orleans tied the game on a Byan Petersen hit a solo homer in the eighth, which would be the run that would send the game to extra innings. New Orleans won the game on a Gorkys Hernandez sacrifice fly to center field that scored Kevin Mattison.

Five Salt Lake pitchers gave up four hits, four walks, and a home run, striking out seven in 9.2 innings for a WHIP of 0.87. Salt Lake’s fifth pitcher, Chad Cordero (1-1) took the loss, giving up one hits and one walks over 1.2 innings. Four New Orleans pitchers gave up 11 hits, five walks, and struck out 11 over 10 innings for a WHIP of 1.6. New Orleans fourth pitcher, Chris Hatcher (1-0) got his first win of the year, giving up three hits and one walks, striking out three in three innings.

Box Score

Salt Lake loses the series 3-1

Bees Series Averages

Hitting
Batting Average: 0.264
Runs: 2.25
Hits: 4.5
RBIs: 1.5
Walks: 5
Strikeouts: 8.5

Pitching
Runs: 3.5
Hits: 6
Walks: 2.5
Strikeouts: 6
WHIP: 1.01

Via Deseret News – Scott G Winterton

Until the 89^th minute it looked like the best news of Wednesday’s match was the fact that we only had to wait two days until the next game in Montreal, but then RSL’s game winner happened—we’ll get to that in a minute.

New England started the match as the aggressor. The Revs earned four corners in the first ten minutes of the game. The storm was weathered by the RSL players who were able to eventually slow down the Revs through good possession, but were never able to muster up a storm of their own.

The first half ended 0-0.

The second half started in similar fashion, but RSL was unable maintain the clean sheet this time. RSL defender Chris Schuler over-committed while challenging Kelyn Rowe who then had a free run into the penalty area. He crossed the ball back to the eighteen and Ryan Guy one-timed it past Rimando.

RSL was unable to put together consistent attacks until about the 71^st minute. Devon Sandoval nearly scored in the 76^th  by heading in a Grabavoy cross, but Rev goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth made a terrific diving save.

Sandoval would be back soon, however.

In the 77^th minute, Tony Beltran sent in a long cross from the right side. It went over Garcia’s head, but Grabavoy was able to beat a Rev defender to the ball and get a pass off to Velazquez. Velazquez forced Shuttleworth into another diving save. Sandoval simply out muscled his defender and sent the rebound into the top netting.

Sandoval and Plata started up top together for the second straight game.  Sandoval started off a little shaky in the first half. He was unable to keep possession, but his quality got better and better as the game went on. Plata turned in a solid performance to follow up his great game against Vancouver until being subbed off for Olmes Garcia—a substitution that proved to be critical.

RSL set up for a corner kick in the 89^th. Javier Morales took it and floated it to Kyle Beckerman who was waiting for it at the top of the box. While the ball made its way to Beckerman, flashbacks of Beckerman’s goal last year at Portland flashed before my eyes. That goal came from a similar floating ball sent to him from Fabian Espindola. Remembering that goal, I knew Beckerman was going to put this shot on frame as well. Beckerman’s brilliant shot forced yet another diving save from Shuttleworth. The ball rebounded to Olmes Garcia who then netted his second goal of the season.

A minute later during a Revs attack, the ball hit Tony Beltran’s arm inside the penalty area. His arm was lined up with his body and should not have been called a handball, but the ref blew his whistle anyway. Then, to make it worse, he mistook Beltran for RSL rookie Carlos Salcedo and showed him his second yellow which sent him off the pitch. Enter your instant replay argument here.

Per the Real Salt Lake Twitter account, RSL will be appealing the second yellow card mistakenly shown to Salcedo.

Rimando seemed to know exactly where Saër Sène was putting the ensuing penalty kick from the very beginning. Rimando drifted right before Séne got his shot off and blocked the PK easily, securing RSL’s first consecutive win of the season and showing yet again that he is the best keeper in MLS.

Real Salt Lake moves to 5-4-2 on the season and into 2nd place in the western conference. New England falls to 2-4-3, which is still good enough for 7th place in the East with Chicago, Toronto, and DC behind the Revs in the standings.

This game was RSL’s best chance at points on this road trip. Saturday’s match will take place in Montreal. The Impact (5-2-2) sit three points behind the first place Red Bulls in the eastern conference, but with three games in hand.

The match in Montreal will be Real’s third game in a week. I have to keep reminding myself today is not Saturday, even though it was a game day. Which brings me to the worst news of the day: I have to work tomorrow.

Read more about RSL’s win from the Deseret News.

There is very little argument that top to bottom, the Western Conference is far superior to the East. The Eastern Conference might have the best team in the league, but the top five in the Western Conference all finished with a better season record than the number two seed Knicks. If the Jazz played in the Eastern conference, they would have finished 7th and would be locked in a playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Since this is not the case, let’s look at the incredibly competitive Western Conference that will only get more competitive.

Steph Curry is entering elite status very quickly
Photo courtesy of Hyperice USA via Twitter

I will briefly go over the teams that are already in the playoffs because I think that all eight teams will compete for it again next year. San Antonio will be older but we have heard that before. I believe it is another couple of years before they completely miss out on the playoffs. Oklahoma City will still be elite. Memphis is still young and balanced and has the Defensive Player of the Year. Denver, Golden State, and Houston are three great young teams that unless they have a bad injury, will be very competitive next year and after that. The two teams that might have the greatest chance of missing the playoffs next year are the Clippers and Lakers but I would never count them out. So even if the Jazz don’t do anything this year, it will be hard to get into the playoffs next year.

Sadly for Jazz fans, the Western Conference will be even harder because there are some great up and coming teams that didn’t make the playoffs.

Dallas-One should never count out Mark Cubans’s Dallas Mavericks. Two years removed from their championship, Dallas missed the playoffs while remaking their entire roster after striking out on Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. Dirk Nowitzki was injured for most of the season but showed at the end of the season that he can still be an elite player. They have a lot of pieces that management will need to look at such as OJ Mayo, Darren Collison, Vince Carter, and Shawn Marion, but with the deep pockets of Mark Cuban, they will most likely spend enough to remain competitive.

Portland-The local kid from Weber State is a star and I would put him with Kyrie Irving and John Wall as the future elite point guards. Damian Lillard had an excellent season as a point guard. Alex Kennedy tweeted:

Only three rookies in NBA history have recorded at least 1,500points and 500assists: Damian Lillard, Allen Iverson and Oscar Robertson.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) May 1, 2013

With a core of Lillard, Lamarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews, add a big and they are likely to jump up some spots if they are healthy.

Can Rubio and Love stay healthy enough to lead the Wolves to the Playoffs?
Photo courtesy of @carlasosarrocha via Twitter

Minnesota-Many “experts” had Minnesota has a surprise team that would compete to make the playoffs in the beginning of last season. On paper, Minnesota looks like they should have a great, young, fun team. Only problem is…they are as fragile as glass and were one of the most injury ravaged teams of the season. Kevin Love is a stud that when healthy he is a top five power forward. They have two excellent point guards in Ricky Rubio and Alexey Shved. Andrei Kirilenko and Derrick Williams can be great complimentary pieces and Nikola Pekovich is a great force down low. Their season might rest on whether or not Rick Adelman comes back to coach as he is potentially looking at retirement to spend more time with his wife who has experienced unknown health concerns. If he does return and IF they can stay healthy, I look for Minnesota to be much more improved.

New Orleans, Sacramento, and Phoenix- These teams round out the bottom three this year. Although I don’t think that they will be competitive to make the playoffs, those teams will be improved and will no longer be an automatic win when they face the Jazz. Of course, Jazz fans do know that any game on the road is never an automatic win.

As I look at it, because unfortunately the Jazz play in the Western Conference, the competition is getting even harder. Every night the Jazz go up against a Western Conference team that will be very good, even if their record doesn’t show it. The Jazz went 26-25 versus the Western Conference and 17-14 versus the East and I can see that record against the West being worse next year. No longer is Sacramento or New Orleans an easy win, especially on the road. That is why, unfortunately, if the Jazz start the young guys and do not bring back Jefferson or Millsap, there are 11 teams in the Western Conference that could easily finish above them. I would argue that they could still finish that low even if they brought those two guys back.
I am curious to know your opinion and would love to hear your comments. Tell me where you see the Jazz next year and whether or not with this competitive Western Conference and an excellent draft class in 2014, you think this would be a great year to develop for the future.

Salt Lake starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker got the win, improving his record to 2-4. Shoemaker pitched seven innings, giving up ten hits, one walk, and striking out the Padres seven times for a WHIP of 1.57. Fernando Cabera pitched the remaining two innings, giving up no hits and one walk, striking out Tucson one time for a WHIP of 0.5. Five Tucson pitchers saw action tonight, combining for 14 hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts over eight innings for a WHIP of 2.0.

Box Score

5/4- Salt Lake 3, Tucson 9
Saturday was “Pack the Park Pink” night at Spring Mobile Ballpark, to raise money and for breast cancer research, and to increase public awareness about this terrible disease, which claims about 40,000 lives in the U.S. annually. The Bees partnered with Papa John’s to give out pink Bees t-shirts to the first 2,000 fans in the gates at the ballpark. Hundreds of people lined up an hour before the game to get the shirts, and it was great to see so many people supporting breast cancer research and everyone struggling with cancer. Daughters of breast cancer patients that had passed away this year sang the national anthem, and the Bees presented a check for $9,000 dollars to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, along with selling the pink and black player worn Bees jerseys after the game.

The game didn’t go quite as well as the pregame, as Tucson scored nine runs to end the Bees three game winning streak. Salt Lake led by one after four innings, but the Padres scored three in the fifth, on a sacrifice fly, and a Brandon Allen two run RBI triple. In the sixth, Tucson increased the lead to six, scoring on a Dean Anna two RBI single, Travis Buck RBI single, and Daniel Robertson scored on a fielder’s choice. Tucson added another run in the eighth, and Salt Lake scored one in the ninth to end the game a 9-3 Padre victory.

Salt Lake pitching gave up 15 hits and eight walks, striking out Tucson six times over nine innings for a WHIP of 2.56. Kip Wells (0-2) took the loss, giving up four hits, three runs, and five walks in four innings. Tucson pitching gave up seven hits and nine walks, striking out Salt Lake five times in nine innings for a WHIP of 1.78. Jorge Reyes (3-0) got the win, allowing one hit and zero walks, striking out two in 4.2 innings.

Box Score

5/5- Salt Lake 1, Tucson 6
Brandon Allen hit a solo home run to lead off the top of the second for Tucson, and things only got worse for the Bees as they dropped their second straight game. Allen scored again in the sixth inning to make it 2-0 game, and Travis Buck hit a rare three run inside the park home run in the seventh, the first player to hit a inside the park homer against the Bees since June 11, 2011, when Fresno’s Brett Pill hit one. Salt Lake scored their only run on a Roberto Lopez solo homer in the seventh, Lopez’s second homer of the season. Tucson put their sixth run on the board with a Jaff Decker RBI single.

Salt Lake pitching gave up 11 hits, two walks, and two home runs, striking out Tucson four times for a WHIP of 1.44. Orangel Arenas (1-5) took the loss, going 6.1 innings, giving up five hits and one walk, striking out Tucson one time and giving up one home run. Tucson pitching gave up seven hits, no walks, and one home run, striking out the Bees five times for a WHIP of 0.78. Robbie Erlin (3-0) got the win, giving up two hits, no walks, striking out the Bees three times over five innings.

Box Score

5/6- Salt Lake 1, Tucson 6
Dean Anna blasted the third pitch of the night just inside the right field foul pole for a lead off home run at Spring Mobile Ballpark Monday. Tucson never looked back, winning by the same score as Sunday as they handed the Bees their third straight loss, and first home series loss of the year. Tucson added another run in the fourth, and Salt Lake narrowed the gap to one on a bases loaded walk, but that would be the closest the Bees would get, as Tucson scored a run in the six, and added three in the seven to win the series.

Salt Lake pitching gave up 11 hits, four walks, and one home run, striking out Tucson five times for a WHIP of 1.67. Billy Buckner (3-2) took the loss, giving up seven hits, three runs, and three walks with two strikeouts in six innings. Tucson pitching gave up eight hits, three walks, and struck out Salt Lake 11 times for a WHIP of 1.22. Tim Stauffer (2-2) got the win, giving up seven hits, two walks, and had eight strikeouts over six innings.

Box Score

Bees lose the series 1-3

Bees Series Averages

Hitting
Batting Average: 0.274
Hits: 9
Runs: 3.25
RBIs: 3
Walks: 3.5
Strikeouts: 7

Pitching
Hits: 11.75
Runs: 6.25
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 5.75
WHIP: 1.75

Picture via Salt Lake Bees Facebook

Ed: We’re proud to present The NBA Mistress, Tammeh Treymayne, aka @Mrs__NBA on board for NBA postseason coverage for you, the reader. Feel free to add your thoughts, and we encourage you to keep up with her excellent coverage of all things NBA.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22) vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets (45-37)

Series: Oklahoma City won in 6 games

This should have been an easy sweep for OKC, but after Russell Westbrook fell to an injury, the Thunder had to rework their schemes. Thanks to added offense from  Kevin Martin in Game 6, OKC moved on to the Western Conference semifinals.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)

Series: Memphis won in 6 games

Despite Los Angeles’ early 2-0 lead, they weren’t a match for Memphis physical defensiveness. Clippers’ early first round demise reflected many criticisms of this season of the team; despite obvious depth, they weren’t prepared for the toughness of the postseason.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22) vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (50-26)

Season Series: 2-1; Memphis

Key Players: Kevin Durant (32.5 points, 48.5% FG, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists in playoffs); Serge Ibaka (13.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 blocks); Kendrick Perkins (2.0 points, 3.3 rebounds)

Mike Conley: (17.3 points, 40.8% FG, 8.3 assists, 1.2 steals); Zach Randolph (20.8 points, 8.0 rebounds); Marc Gasol (17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists. 1.7 blocks).

Without OKC’s second option on offense in Russell Westbrook, OKC is going to have to have consistent scoring from all players not named Kevin Durant; Reggie Jackson and Kevin Martin will have to step into that role. Mike Conley has come to life in the past 4 games in the playoff posting beautiful numbers as aforementioned so the Thunder guards have their work cut out for them.

Sure Kevin Durant can score his 35 points a game, but with Tony Allen making him work for it, it will not be an easy task for Oklahoma City.

Series Prediction: Memphis in 6 games

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (45-37)

Series: San Antonio won in 4 games

This was an easy sweep for San Antonio as injury riddled Los Angeles was out-worked in every way.

No. Denver Nuggets (57-25) vs No.6 Golden State Warriors (47-35)

Series: Golden State won in 6 games

Denver diverted from what worked in the regular season – and too much Andre Miller – and their lackadaiscal defense was no much for the onslaught of offensive weaponry from Golden State.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors (47-35).

Season Series: 2-2

Key Players: Stephen Curry (24.3 points, 46.8% FG, 9.3 assists, 2.2 steals); Andrew Bogut (8.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks).

Tony Parker (22.3 points, 49.3% FG, 6.5 assists, 1.3 steals); Tim Duncan (17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks).

Spurs had an easy first round and have a week of rest time compared to Golden State who are feeling very confident since ousting Denver; while Mark Jackson had an upper hand in out-coaching George Karl, he’s met his match in Gregg Popovich.

The Warriors have an offense that can run San Antonio especially if they can get perimeter shots off before defenses get set, but San Antonio is too disciplined on both ends of the ball to lose more than 2 games to Golden State.

Oh. and there’s this guy named ‘Tim Duncan.’

Series Prediction: San Antonio in 6 games

Eastern Conference wrap, preview