Our team's Deron is the best.
GO DERON, GO MEMO, GO JAZZZZZZZZZZZ

. . .but reality bites hard with Utah. In the run-up to the playoffs, no one at ESPN or anywhere else is even talking about this series. The small-market Jazz team is never going to garner any headlines compared to other teams in the NBA. "Cinderella" is the only way the Jazz can be characterized as the unlikely spoiler to the pre-destined outcomes already being posited by the so-called "experts." There is no other path to prominence that will suffice except winning it all, and that's a very tall order -- it could happen, but don't bet the farm on it.

No matter how good one is during the regular season nows the time to prove it in the post season. Do you have what it takes to be part of the championship team. You see I've always known that the Utah Jazz is the best team in the NBA. But they don't have the crunch time ability. They did have it have back when they played the Bulls. But it's hard when you're playing against cheating refs. In my book the Jazz have 2 championships. If the Refs are fair they will have another this year.

It's really a shame that Derron Williams doesn't get the same type of publicity that these other points have garnered when he is definitely deserving of it. It's ok though, because like he stated, he's all about winning championships. I'm sure other Jazz fans, like me, would love to see a championship banner raised here in the near future rather than Williams receiving indivdual accolades. Go Jazz, rip the Rockets!

Sad to say... do you read ESPN.com? Hollinger has the Jazz winning the Western Conference playoffs. TNT's Charles Barkley has them playing the Celtics in the Finals too. The Jazz are getting plenty of well-deserved pub. Deron Williams is a big reason why.

Good luck tonight DWill.

I know this might sound harsh (and I don't want it to), but the media these days is intent on casting all the positive light they can on the city of New Orleans. In the wake of Katrina, that city needs all the boost it can get, and I think a lot (not all) of the media hype generated about New Orlean's teams and players is somewhat insincere, but for a good reason.

You know what? Its "sad to say" that ESPN actually has the jazz picked to go to the finals against Boston. Read the headlines, the Jazz are the team to beat! Mark my words, if the Jazz get to the finals against boston.... Just give 'em the ring. Jazz 103- Rockets 96

You have to win and keep on winning to get the recognition.I agree the Jazz will have to win it all to really get the full recognition that they deserve being in a small market. Who knows they have the talent and are improving in many areas (except season finale) let's see what happens...Defense and more defense.Win just win. HUSTLE AND EFFORT ABOVE ALL ELSE.Above stats.Above ego.Above all else.Mix it up Memo.Boozer find your Power.Brewer think like a thief. Korver swish just swish.Price make them run.Millsap look to the sky and get what you need to get.Harpring to the backdoor.CJ watch Andrei (you got the ability too)Deron it's time to give the gift that keeps on giving.All the rest do what needs to be done and do it well.Andrei it's time....

I hope Utah loses four in a row!

Ya BABY!!! It's playoff time!!

Jazz by 3 tonight. Memo has a big game (25/15) and so does Williams (35/10)

PATIENCE, jazz fans, patience. If they don't go all the way this year, they're likely to next year or even four or five years from now. At the rate they're going, Williams and Boozer will eventually get MVP's, but they're YOUNG.

The Jazz are still in the building phase. With some more playoff experience, more maturity(particulary on the road), etc., they could be a dynasty.

You need the right players or you will never win a championship.

Money spent on boozer is wasted money if you want to win a championship.

You need a dominant bigmen like kareeem or hakeem or duncan.

You need players that can make things happen and can take over game when you need it like magic, or jordon or bird.

These players are you first tier players.

Then you fill the pieces like worthy, pippen, etc. These are your secontier stars. Boozer falls into this class. (he is not dominant bigman, he cannot make things happen, malone was really the same way which is why the jazz didn't win in the nineties, that and they didn't have a go to guy either).

When you build your team around a player that is not a first tier start you can't ever win a championship.

Look at at chicago when it built it around pippen and kokoc.

What would have happened if the lakers built it around worthy and scott and had no kareem or magic?

You waste your time and money on second tier stars you get second teir results: no championships.

It happened with stockton and malone it's happenng now.

Alot of people like to pretend like they know what it takes to win a championship, but they don't know. Before the Pistons won in '04 everybody thought their whole team was second tier talent. Before the Rockets won in '94 people said a team built around Hakeem could never win a championship.

I agree that there are certain things that make a team more likely to win a championship, namely the following:

-Solid interior players
-Clutch perimeter scorers
-Some veteran experience

But just because you have them doesn't mean you are going to win.

You are putting to much of your focus, and too much of the Jazz success, on Boozer and forgetting that in crunch time the Jazz either go to Okur or Williams. This team isn't built around Boozer.

Jazz Fans don't get to excited that some legend has said that your team will win the West. Most likely it won't happen. I think they will beat Houston but they definately will not make it past the second round faceing a very good Laker team that always brings their best game when they play you.

You must remember...when we do get to the Lakers, we have not only to beat Kobe and Co., we have to beat the refs, the media, and every adoring fan that Kobe has not truly earned. Kobe never has been or never will be the player that the Michael Jordan that beat Utah single-handedly was. He was supposed to be the next Jordonesque player in the NBA...HA, HA, HA.....Utah will get to the Lakers and beat them in 6! This is not just hope...it will be a fact!
Kobe-----over rated..
Pau------under rated...
Jazz team.....underdogs and under rated...

When the Jazz win it all this year, they will have beaten one of the all-time toughest paths to get there and NO ONE will be able to deny it. I'm hoping they not only get a championship, but one with an exclamation point instead of an asterisk... GO JAZZ!

Yep! A lot of people underrated another great point - John Stockton. I can still see when Magic received the assists crown (beating Oscar Robertson) and saying, "I'm just holding this for John" in the after game interviews. John was truly the best Point guard ever. Could Derron pass him? I wondered if we would ever see someone pass Stockton, but if he has the staying power, Derron could well do so.

Go JAZZ!!!!