Reader comments
Utah Jazz: A spot in the starting lineup was a nice surprise to Miles

fingers crossed | 12:45 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I'll be the first to say that I want Miles to do well as do most Jazz fans. I just tire of talking about potential. He shows flashes but so did Ostertag and so has Kwame Brown. Hopefully with more regular minutes he will gain the confidence he needs to knock down shots in games and not space out defensively.
Go Jazz!
We're pulling for you CJ

CJ Fan | 5:45 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Here's another one, rootin' for you! Love your style, and believe in your stroke, and we know 'you got game'--and LOT'S of it!!! Keep workin' and listenin'!!! HARDER!!!

Go CJ!!!

John Wicks | 7:06 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

The Jazz had their chance to dump C.J. and instead blew it by matching the offer. C.J. should still be in college where he belongs. He has no NBA skills and needs to play much harder if he wants to make the team.

Comments continue below

John Wicks | 7:15 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

C.J. has no skills to be in the NBA. His work ethic is terrible and attitude to laid back. The Jazz should not have matched the offer.

Casual Fan | 8:24 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Once the season starts, CJ's shooting stroke will magically come on. Why? Because CJ's body somehow knows the preseason games don't matter, so why waste all those makes so early? Don't worry, Jazz fans, his shot has been off for two straight preseasons now, so he's consistent. Consistency is good. CJ is a consistent loser, who will be out of the league once Utah finally realizes how talentless he is. You can say "But he'd barely be a senior in college right now, and he's still young." This is no excuse. If this is the case, he should never have entered the NBA. In 10 years, the Jazz will look like idiots for ever investing so much time and money in CJ Miles. He is the team's new Ostertag.

Defense | 8:28 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I don't know why everyone is getting all excited about this whole Andrei coming off the bench thing, it's irrellevant. Has everyone forgotten that he's the best defender on the team? Doesn't it make sense to have start and guarding the other teams starters?

This is a bad idea and it won't last more than a couple of games once the season starts. The instant Harpring can play Andrei's back in the starting line-up and coach Sloan will have forgotten that C.J. Miles exists. Sorry C.J.

This year or bust | 9:05 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

C.J. has had alot of chances especially the last 2 years. It was his choice to forego college, so he had better mature-up in a hurry or he won't be here long. I would like to see him and Almond have a one on one game just to see for myself who is best. I think Morris would win that one. Smiling and laughing has a place in this game, it's after you have competed if you have reason to feel that way.

Craig | 10:06 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Re:John Wicks,
It is obvious that you can't see NBA talent, CJ has more NBA talent than most. He has more talent than Brewer or Korver or Harpring and I could name alot more but what he hasn't learned to do yet is work hard to be able to use that talent to benifit the team. Talent and productivity are not the same. The Jazz kept him because of his talent and the glimpses of what he can do. NBA talent is a combination of athletism and skills (shooting, quickness, hops, ball handling, passing, etc) these CJ has alot of (they can improve and be polished). Defense is athletism and effort. Brewer is athletic and puts in more effort but he doesn't shoot as well as CJ. Korver is not nearly as athletic. If you look at the stats from last year CJ shot better from 3 than Korver, Brewer, AK, D Will,Price. CJ has alot of talent and more upside than most but he needs to work harder and learn what he needs to do to utilize that talent.

Metro 101(J-dizzle) | 10:19 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Just want to give a shout out to my man CJ. He's a baller and if we give him an extended chance he can be a star in this league, he's still so young so keep that in mind. Jazz can go all the way this year. They have all the parts they need.

PS-I'm still not sold on Fesenko but he did look promising. I think Kosta will end up being a more solid/consistent player.

Jimmy Z | 10:45 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

It doesnt matter the Jazz will never do anything
in the playoffs until they get a new man under
the helm. Who will be in the dog house this year?

Chukar | 11:07 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Re: Defense I agree, The whole team has to pick up the defense,,,, The Jazz can score thats not the problem they can't stop anybody. Linko is a better defender but he is only one guy. I'd be more exited if CJ was a defender instead of another offensive minded three shooter. Boozer has to play better D

Rare | 11:17 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I'm not sure I've ever seen a more versatile NBA team than this year's Utah Jazz.

Joe | 11:24 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I don't live in Utah so I don't see many games, but I thought CJ did pretty darn good when given the chance last year. Ideally he can grow some more this year and then step in to replace Harpring next year and Kirilenko when his expiring contract becomes attractive to other teams the year after. Ilike Harpring and AK but harpring is getting broken down and AK is just too expensive. Anyone think AK would re-sign for realistic money when this contract is up? Me neither.

Too small | 11:24 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

With every move the Jazz become smaller and smaller. This is a big man's game and the Jazz keep going smaller and smaller. Sorry no championship with this team.

magnus | 11:34 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

@ Metro 101

I hope you are right about CJ, if he gains confidence and accepts his role I think you probably are.

Also, in the long run you may be right about Kosta but I think this year it will be Fez on the team and Kosta in the D-League with Almond.

@ Jimmy Z

Just because a guy doesn't play doesn't mean he is in the doghouse. The Jazz are a deep team and there are only so many minutes to go around.

The Sloan Haters are never happy, even what he does exactly what they have been saying he doesn't do.

Say the Sloan Haters:

"he doesn't build up and trust the young guys"

Sloan is praising his young players more than ever for their effort and conditioning and thinking about starting a 21 year old who skipped college.

"he is not flexible with his System"

Sloan has talked about running all kinds of crazy lineups to maximize the ability of individual players.

Sloan haters happy???? Heck no!!!

On another note, how about Boozer in his first game back? 12Pts and 8rebs in 12minutes is pretty good but 3 turnovers, That's a problem that needs fixing.

Moto X | 11:47 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I would say "Too Small" has a potentially valid point. AK has a long wingspan and he is 6'9". CJ is simply not close in that respect. CJ is not the help defender that AK is either. What was it our starting lineup needed again? Oh ya, that would be DEFENSE!!

I am not so sure CJ can stay in the starter spot. Will we be able to stop anyone or will we just try to outscore everyone like we did last season? We are one of the top offenses and we learned last year that just trying to outscore everyone without adequate defense just does not work.

I sure hope Fes and Koufus can give us 15 big minutes of defense & rebounding this year or I fear we may be in for more of the same.

To: magnus | 11:50 a.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Why are you such a Jazz hater?

magnus | 12:04 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

ooohhh, snappy comeback. High Fives?

minutes | 12:08 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Kirilenko is still going to get the same amount of minutes. The only issue is when they will come. Hopefully it will be good for him to come off the bench so he can be more involved in the offense at the beginning of his minutes, which will hopefully motivate him to play all out on defense.

So. Jo. Sixy Fo | 12:41 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Magnus...
I really think the Fez has not stepped it up at all. I like the prospect of Kosta playing. Fez should play in the D league where he belongs!

On another note.. I love watching Miles play! I dont think there is anything to worry about with him. We all know that once the actual season starts he will be there hitting his shots! Dont be a Miles hater!
This one is for you J Dizzle.. Like the screen name?

Ing | 2:13 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

I dunno what makes anyone say the team is getting smaller. Putting Miles out there doesn't make for the tallest lineup ever, but height isn't everything. It does help a lot, but unless a guy has the skills to play, it's pretty meaningless. I do seem to recall the Jazz have drafted two 7-footers in the last two years. That doesn't sound like making the team smaller to me.

J-dizzle | 2:28 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Of course I like the screen name, I came up with it..well at least part of it.
To Moto X
You're right the jazz do need to up the defense, but in terms of ability to defend CJ can be as good or better than Brewer, in case you haven't noticed he does have a very large wing span, he's athletic, and in my opinion just needs time to adjust to game speed; then he'll be a great defensive as well as offensive plug in that lineup

J-Dizzle | 4:59 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

So I guess the previous 3 years haven't given him enough time to "adjust" to the speed of the game??? CJ does OK on offense when he is the one putting the moves on someone. On defense he looks like a clown. He can't move his feet at all. Offensively he's OK, defensively he is a big liability. If he ends up playing the 2 that kills us because that is where some of the best players in the league play!

Jazz logician | 5:27 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Many people think that CJ cannot play in NBA. I tend to trust Deron Williams who said we need him. This is the same Deron who played with Olympians and who let one close friend Dee Brown go from the Jazz and he never said we need Dee Brown yet maintains we need CJ.

Fans are entitled to their opinions but the opinons that count are those of the players and coach.

You can't teach Athleticism | 10:13 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

The owners made a commitment to Miles so just as well see what he can do. Apparently he hasn't spent the summer shooting jump shots, just playing pick up games with his budies and counting his millions. It appears that D Williams friendship has been very benefically to him otherwise I don't think he would still be on the team.
I guess the reason he is playing small forward is because that is his game, but physically he looks more like a guard. He is smaller than all the two guards. I know they are interchangeable but there are times when you have to defend the 6'9" small forwards.
He does make the team more athletic which has always been hard for the Jazz to come by. As far as potenial hope springs eternal. I am still waiting for the Dr. J to emerge.

AK=Manu? | 10:38 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008

Is Sloan trying to turn AK into a Ginobili? What I mean is that Manu is the best 6th man in the game and he gives SA great weapon off the bench. CJ is good but I do not think he is good enought to start but he is really the only other option right now at the 3 but I wouldn't be suprised to see him on the bench to close out tight games. When you play SA you have to play your starters different and have a different game plan to account for Manu coming off the bench and I think that Sloan is trying to do a little of that by bringing AK off the bench. Does anyone else think that or am I just crazy? Is Sloan trying to pull a Ginobili with AK? Am I making any sense?

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