Oh shoot, Utah Jazz need the 3-ball

SALT LAKE CITY — Kyle Korver and Jeff Hornacek walked to a sideline basket at the Jazz practice gym Friday, talking about — what else? — shooting.

If you see Rachael Ray and Wolfgang Puck together, they'll be talking about food. Mario Andretti and Roger Penske will be discussing speed.

You get the idea.

It takes one to know one.

Korver set the single-season NBA record for 3-point shooting this year, nailing 53.6 percent of his attempts — easily the best of his career. Hornacek previously held the Jazz mark at 47.8 percent, set in 1999-2000.

After fighting off injuries, Korver is back shooting the Korver Way, which is best described by the imagery of former Jazz announcer Hot Rod Hundley: "A gentle push, a mild arch, and the ol' cowhide globe hits home."

With the playoffs opening tonight at Denver, the big question for the Jazz is whether Carlos Boozer will be healthy enough to be himself. The next concern is stopping Denver's Carmelo Anthony.

But another key is whether the Jazz are making shots from 3-land.

Just don't try to suck Korver into the discussion.

"You've got to start inside first. You don't want to come out and jack up the first shot you get," said Korver. "That's not the way we play anyway. You try to get the ball in(side) first, and once that's established, and you get (the outside shots), you've got to make them."

For whatever things the Jazz lack entering this year's playoffs, there's one thing they have: scorers. They finished the regular season fourth in scoring (104 ppg), second in field goal percentage (49.1) and seventh in 3-point shooting (36.4 percent).

In a sense, the Jazz have never been better equipped from the outside. At least they have more threats. Besides Korver, Mehmet Okur is a 38.5 percent 3-point shooter, with Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews not far behind. When C.J. Miles is rolling, too, as Hornacek put it, "that makes it awfully difficult for a team to guard."

The struggle to build outside shooting has been an ongoing issue in Utah. Opponents in some years have dared the Jazz to beat them over the top.

Hornacek was deadly from outside and John Stockton could make them, too. But Stockton often used them as a last resort.

Being an outside scorer with the Jazz isn't easy. Because the team likes going inside first, the ball often doesn't return to the perimeter until the shot clock is expiring. Finding a rhythm is hard.