2006 Utah Jazz Preview

Welcome to the 2006 Utah Jazz NBA Preview page. At the time of publish preseason games are winding down and the regular season about to be begin. If you enjoy betting on NBA basketball be sure to use Maddux Sports for NBA Basketball Picks and visit the Live NBA Betting Lines to increase your winning percentage this season.

2006 Utah Jazz Basketball Season Preview

The Jazz finished second in the Northwest Division with a 41- 41 record. Hampered by injuries and weak play by its centers, the Jazz sputtered through much of the season. But there’s good news for 2006-07.

In his rookie season, point guard Deron Williams (10.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 42.1 FG%, 70.4 FT%) had an uphill battle learning to run the defense. Williams is a solid ball handler who can now parlay his experience into an even more productive year than his frosh season. The team has added eight-year vet Derek Fisher (13.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 41.0 FG%, 83.3 FT%) to the roster. The point guard will be a fine mentor for Williams, while offering solid three-point scoring. This year’s rookie, Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas) is the shooting guard of the future. The marginal Gordan Giricek (10.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 43.3 FG%, 75.4 FT%) will start for a while, with Brewer seeing progressively more action throughout the year.

Although the forwards are young, they’ve missed a slew of games in the past few years. Power forward Carlos Boozer (16.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 54.9 FG%, 72.3 FT%) is a fine bruiser who can nail the inside shot and grab the rebound. At small forward, Andrei Kirilenko (15.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 46.0 FG%, 69.9 FT%) has a tough time dealing with pressure defenses but excels at offensive rebounding.

The centers are all relatively young. Mehmet Okur (18.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.0 FG%, 78.0 FT%) has adequate inside skills and a good 3-point shot. He’s also the best free throw shooter on the team.

Coach Jerry Sloan prefers a methodical game, working the ball into the post, running the pick and roll and making the easy lay up. It’s not fast or glitzy, but it is grounded in the fundamentals of the game.

This is a team that last year was hurt by injuries to its forwards. Staying healthy and building upon their sound 2005-06 late season play can propel Utah into the playoffs-- somewhere they have not been since 2003.

For more info on the 2006 Jazz basketball team visit the Jazz official website from NBA.com or keep reading up on their division rivals including the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Sonics, and Nuggets.