Utah Jazz
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| Utah Jazz | |
 |
|
| Conference | Western Conference |
| Division | Northwest Division |
| Founded | 1974 |
| History | New Orleans Jazz 1974-1979 Utah Jazz 1979-present |
| Arena | EnergySolutions Arena |
| City | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Team Colors | navy blue, ice blue, and silver |
| Owner | Larry H. Miller |
| Head Coach | Jerry Sloan |
| Championships | 0 |
| Conference Titles | 2 (1997, 1998) |
| Division Titles | 7 (1984, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) |
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The team was originally the New Orleans Jazz but was financially unsuccessful and moved to Utah. The Jazz were one of the most successful teams in the late 1980s and 1990s, making it to two NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 under coach Jerry Sloan and anchored by John Stockton and Karl Malone, a point guard/power forward combination noted for its remarkable on-court rapport. Malone and Stockton were often seen as two of the best players at their respective positions.
Contents |
[edit] Home arenas
In New Orleans
- Loyola Field House (1974-1975)
- Municipal Auditorium (1974-1975)
- Louisiana Superdome (1975-1979)
In Salt Lake City
- Salt Palace (1979-1991)
- EnergySolutions Arena (formerly the Delta Center) (1991-present)
[edit] Franchise history
[edit] Early years
In 1974 the Jazz franchise began in New Orleans. The franchise proved unsuccessful, both on the court and financially, even though they had "Pistol" Pete Maravich as the star player. Though Maravich was viewed as one of the NBA's most entertaining and talented players, the Jazz were continually a losing team. After five losing seasons in New Orleans, they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979.
[edit] Move to Utah
Although the team nickname was not fitting for Salt Lake City at the time, with Utah not being known for its jazz culture like New Orleans was, the franchise decided to keep it. When asked why the team didn't change its nickname, one-time Jazz head coach Frank Layden (who later served a stint as team president) quipped that nobody thought the team was going to last long enough to bother with a name change.[citation needed] Before the 1979-1980 season, Utah obtained high scoring guard/forward Adrian Dantley from the Los Angeles Lakers. He would go on to be the NBA scoring champion in both the 1980-1981 and 1983-1984 seasons. Maravich was waived during the season. With the #2 draft pick in 1980, they obtained Darrell Griffith from the University of Louisville. During the 1980-1981 season, Frank Layden became the head coach, and in 1982, the Jazz selected big man Mark Eaton in the fourth round of the draft. These four additions to the team would serve to set the seeds for the future success for the team. Despite these additions, however, the team continued to languish toward the bottom of the standings. The Jazz improved slightly in the 1983-1984 season, despite the fact that Dantley missed 60 games with a wrist injury, but still fell far short of the playoffs. During the 1983 NBA Draft, the Jazz selected Thurl Bailey out of North Carolina State University in the first round. He would eventually become a key contributor to the team. During the 1983-1984 season, the Jazz finally clicked, going 45-37 in their first winning season ever, winning the Midwest Division and advancing to the playoffs, beginning their streak of 20 consecutive appearances. In the playoffs they advanced to the second round, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns. Frank Layden won the NBA Coach of the Year Award that season for bringing an unheralded team to unprecedented success, while Dantley was the NBA scoring champion with 30.6 per game and was also named the NBA Comeback Player of the Year.
[edit] Success
In 1984, the Jazz drafted point guard John Stockton from Gonzaga University and the next year added the second half of one of the NBA's greatest pairings in power forward Karl Malone from Louisiana Tech. In both the 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 seasons, the Jazz barely scraped into the playoffs. In 1986, the Jazz traded Adrian Dantley. During the next few seasons, the Jazz began to establish themselves as a respectable team in their own. Mark Eaton was perhaps the best defensive player of the era while Stockton and Malone soon became superstars. Stockton and Malone developed a remarkable rapport with each other, running pick-and-roll plays with great success. "Stockton to Malone" became a common phrase, as Stockton regularly found ways to pass the ball to Malone in good scoring position. Despite the regular season successes, however, the Jazz were never able to advance past the second round of the NBA playoffs during the 1980s. During the 1988-1989 season, Frank Layden stepped down as head coach to become president of the Utah Jazz. Assistant coach Jerry Sloan took over head coaching duties. Sloan guided the Jazz to their first 50-win season ever with a 51-31 record, also winning the Midwest Division. Once again, however, the Jazz flopped in the postseason, losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
[edit] 1990s
Throughout the early 1990s, the Jazz's playoff woes continued, with the Jazz losing in the first round in 1990 to the Phoenix Suns and in the second round in 1991 to the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1990-1991, the Jazz acquired Jeff Malone, and after the 1991-1992 season they waived veteran Darrell Griffith. In 1991 the Jazz also moved out of the old Salt Palace and into the new Delta Center. In 1992, the Jazz finally made it to the conference finals, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. In 1993, the Jazz had a disappointing run in the playoffs again, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round. During the 1993-1994 season, the Jazz traded Jeff Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers for shooting guard Jeff Hornacek, who provided outstanding three-point and free throw shot percentage. The Jazz made the playoffs with a 53-29 record, shutting down NBA scoring leader David Robinson and San Antonio 3-1, then fought off a determined, upstart Denver Nuggets team 4-3 in the Conference Semifinals, and wearily advanced to the conference finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion Houston Rockets 4-1.
In the 1994-1995 season, the Jazz had amazing depth and talent at their disposal and were expected to make a serious run for the championship. The Jazz finished with a 60-22 record during the regular season. Despite this, however, the Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Big man Greg Ostertag and long-range shooter Bryon Russell were added to the team for the 1995-1996 season, and the Jazz reached the conference finals for the third time in history, almost overcoming a 3-1 deficit and narrowly losing to the Seattle SuperSonics 4-3.
In the next two seasons, the Jazz were finally able to capitalize on their regular season success. In 1996-1997, the Jazz had a legendary team, with such players as Stockton, Malone, Hornacek, Russell, Ostertag, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, and Shandon Anderson. The Jazz had their best record in franchise history at 64-18. They finally reached the NBA Finals for the first time ever after beating the Los Angeles Clippers 3-0, Los Angeles Lakers 4-1, and Houston Rockets 4-2 to meet Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. A three-pointer at the buzzer by John Stockton in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Championship sent the Jazz to the finals. This shot remains one of the highlight shots of the Jazz franchise. In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz lost to the Chicago Bulls 4-2 after fighting the first four games to a 2-2 tie and losing the last two in the last seconds of the game 90-88 and 90-86. Karl Malone won the MVP for the regular season for the first time ever.
During the offseason, the Jazz, happy with their success, made no significant changes to their roster. During the 1997-1998 season, expectations were high for another championship run. However, John Stockton suffered a serious knee injury before the season began and missed the first 18 games. Despite the setback, the Jazz were still able to finish at 62-20. In the playoffs they beat the Houston Rockets 3-2, the San Antonio Spurs 4-1, and the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 to advance to their second NBA Finals appearance in a row. In the 1998 NBA Championship, the Jazz took Game 1 at home 88-85. However, the Bulls overcame a slow start to win Game 2 93-88, easily took Game 3 96-54 and won a closer Game 4 86-82 to lead 3-1 in the series. The Jazz fought back to win Game 5 83-81 at the United Center and the series swung back to Salt Lake City, where the Jazz had always been dominant. The Jazz held a lead in most of Game 6, but the Bulls rallied, and in the last seconds of the game, Michael Jordan pushed off Bryon Russell, sending him to the floor, and swished a jump shot to win, 87-86. This shot is one of the most famous (albeit controversial) shots in history and highlights the Jazz's struggles in the postseason, despite their overall, consistent success.
In the 1999 season, shortened to 50 games due to a lockout, the Jazz finished the season 37-13, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league. They defeated the Sacramento Kings in five games in the first round of the playoffs. However, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite yet another disappointment, Karl Malone was awarded his second MVP.
[edit] Early 2000s
During the 1999-2000 season, the Jazz won the Midwest Division but once again struggled in the postseason, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers, again during the second round. During the offseason, Jeff Hornacek retired and Howard Eisley was traded in a four-team deal that brought in Donyell Marshall. They selected promising high school basketball star DeShawn Stevenson in the first round of the NBA Draft. In the 2000-2001 season, they went 53-29, but their playoff woes once again struck when they blew a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks.
In the 2001-2002 season, Andrei Kirilenko made his rookie debut, but overall the Jazz began to show their age and dwindling talent. The Jazz finished just 44-38 and lost to the Sacramento Kings 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. In 2002-2003, Donyell Marshall and Bryon Russell moved on to other teams. Matt Harpring, however, was brought over from the Philadelphia 76ers, contributing to the offense and experiencing his best season. The Jazz barely scraped through into the playoffs, going 47-35 and again losing to the Sacramento Kings 4-1. After the season, the end of an era came when John Stockton retired and Karl Malone moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in the hunt for a championship ring with three other future Hall-of-Famers. The Lakers fell to Detroit in the Finals the following season, after which Malone retired.
[edit] Rebuilding
In the 2003–2004 season, the Jazz were expected to be one of the weakest teams in the NBA, but instead they greatly exceeded most analysts' expectations. The team featured several unheralded players who emerged into key contributors, including Andrei Kirilenko, Raja Bell, Matt Harpring, and Carlos Arroyo. In particular, Andrei Kirilenko demonstrated tremendous versatility on both offense and defense and earned a spot in the All-Star Game. Kirilenko helped the team late into the season's playoff hunt, in which the Jazz missed out by just one game to the Denver Nuggets, ending their streak of 20 consecutive seasons in the playoffs. Jerry Sloan finished second in the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year Award, losing to Hubie Brown of the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the 2004 offseason, the Jazz obtained free agents Carlos Boozer (from the Cleveland Cavaliers) and Mehmet Okur (from the Detroit Pistons) and Greg Ostertag left as a free agent to the Sacramento Kings. The franchise was again expected to contend in the West. The season began well for the Jazz, but a series of injuries, first to Arroyo and Raul Lopez, and later to Boozer and Kirilenko, caused the team to fall to the bottom of the division. There were rumors of internal discontent between the younger players and Sloan, leading to the trading away of Arroyo mid-season to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Elden Campbell (who was immediately waived). They ended the 2004-2005 season with a record of 26-56, their worst since the 1981–1982 season.
In the summer of 2005, the Jazz continued to shape their roster by dispatching some of their underperforming young players and trading three draft picks in order to acquire the #3 pick overall, point guard phenom Deron Williams of the University of Illinois. Raja Bell left the team for the Phoenix Suns and the Jazz re-obtained Greg Ostertag from the Kings and dealt oft-injured point guard Raul Lopez to the Memphis Grizzlies and shooting guard Kirk Snyder to the New Orleans Hornets as part of the largest trade in NBA history.
Problems arose even before the beginning of the season, when Carlos Boozer was injured and missed the first 49 games. Kirilenko and several other young players saw sporadic but sometimes devastating injuries. Gordan Giricek missed most of the last half of the season. Okur and Kirilenko showed consistently good play, while Williams, despite a mid-season slump, did not disappoint. However, rumors of discontent between Jerry Sloan and the young players persisted, while team owner Larry Miller continually expressed his discontent with the team's effort. Sloan, however, was content with his lineup, making no changes before the trade deadline. They stayed in the playoff race until the third-to-last game, when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz ended the season 41-41 and just 3 games out of the playoffs. The 15 game improvement from last season, however, was the second greatest improvement in the league from the previous season (behind the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets). Greg Ostertag retired at the end of the season, having spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Jazz.
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Jazz selected promising University of Arkansas shooting guard Ronnie Brewer with the #14 pick, and in the second round selected point guard Dee Brown (Williams's former teammate at Illinois) and power forward Paul Millsap with the #46 and #47 picks. Not long after the draft, they dealt Devin Brown, Keith McLeod, and Andre Owens to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for guard Derek Fisher, giving them a veteran shooting guard and a potential backup to Williams. The Jazz have been heralded by several major sports websites for drafting well. [1] [2] [3]
[edit] Current Season
The Jazz have had a surprisingly good start to the 2006-2007 season, despite an early injury to Andrei Kirilenko that caused him to miss 5 games. Unlike two seasons ago, however, when an injury to Kirilenko essentially derailed the Jazz's season, the Jazz went undefeated without him. They won their first four games of the season, then, after a single loss, went on to an eight game winning streak, giving them their best start in franchise history at 12-1. They currently have the best record in the NBA at 17-5 (.773). Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams have formed a remarkable tandem, while rookie Paul Millsap has been very surprising, and is currently near the forefront of rookie of the year praise. On December 11, 2006, Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan recorded his 1,000th victory as a head coach when the Jazz defeated the Dallas Mavericks 101-79 in the EnergySolutions Arena.
Like the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, the Jazz currently have a team rule that prohibits the wearing of headbands by its players during games.
The Jazz are expected to get their own D-League team that will be in Orem, Utah in the beginning of the 2007-2008 season.
[edit] Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Jazz | |||||
| 1974-75 | 23 | 59 | .280 | ||
| 1975-76 | 38 | 44 | .463 | ||
| 1976-77 | 35 | 47 | .427 | ||
| 1977-78 | 39 | 43 | .476 | ||
| 1978-79 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
| Utah Jazz | |||||
| 1979-80 | 24 | 58 | .293 | ||
| 1980-81 | 28 | 54 | .341 | ||
| 1981-82 | 25 | 57 | .305 | ||
| 1982-83 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1983-84 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Denver 2 Phoenix 4, Utah 2 |
| 1984-85 | 41 | 41 | .500 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Houston 2 Denver 4, Utah 1 |
| 1985-86 | 42 | 40 | .512 | Lost First Round | Dallas 3, Utah 1 |
| 1986-87 | 44 | 38 | .537 | Lost First Round | Golden State 3, Utah 2 |
| 1987-88 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Portland 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Utah 3 |
| 1988-89 | 51 | 31 | .622 | Lost First Round | Golden State 3, Utah 0 |
| 1989-90 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Lost First Round | Phoenix 3, Utah 2 |
| 1990-91 | 54 | 28 | .659 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Phoenix 1 Portland 4, Utah 1 |
| 1991-92 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Utah 3, L.A. Clippers 2 Utah 4, Seattle 1 Portland 4, Utah 2 |
| 1992-93 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Lost First Round | Seattle 3, Utah 2 |
| 1993-94 | 53 | 29 | .646 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Utah 3, San Antonio 1 Utah 4, Denver 3 Houston 4, Utah 1 |
| 1994-95 | 60 | 22 | .732 | Lost First Round | Houston 3, Utah 2 |
| 1995-96 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Utah 3, Portland 2 Utah 4, San Antonio 2 Seattle 4, Utah 3 |
| 1996-97 | 64 | 18 | .780 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Utah 3, L.A. Clippers 0 Utah 4, L.A. Lakers 1 Utah 4, Houston 2 Chicago 4, Utah 2 |
| 1997-98 | 62 | 20 | .756 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Utah 3, Houston 2 Utah 4, San Antonio 1 Utah 4, L.A. Lakers 0 Chicago 4, Utah 2 |
| 1998-99 | 37 | 13 | .740 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Sacramento 2 Portland 4, Utah 2 |
| 1999-2000 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Utah 3, Seattle 2 Portland 4, Utah 1 |
| 2000-01 | 53 | 29 | .646 | Lost First Round | Dallas 3, Utah 2 |
| 2001-02 | 44 | 38 | .537 | Lost First Round | Sacramento 3, Utah 1 |
| 2002-03 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Lost First Round | Sacramento 4, Utah 1 |
| 2003-04 | 42 | 40 | .512 | ||
| 2004-05 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
| 2005-06 | 41 | 41 | .500 | ||
| 2006-07* | 17 | 5 | .773 | ||
| Totals | 1404 | 1209 | .537 | ||
| Playoffs | 94 | 99 | .487 | ||
*Games completed through December 14, 2006
[edit] Current roster
| Utah Jazz Current Roster |
||||
| Head Coach: Jerry Sloan | Edit | |||
| C | 55 |  |
Rafael Araújo | (BYU) |
| PF | 5 |  |
Carlos Boozer | (Duke) |
| SG | 9 | |
Ronnie Brewer | (Arkansas) |
| PG | 11 | |
Dee Brown | (Illinois) |
| C | 31 | |
Jarron Collins | (Stanford) |
| PG | 2 | |
Derek Fisher | (Arkansas-Little Rock) |
| SG | 10 |  |
Gordan Giriček | (Croatia) |
| SF | 15 | |
Matt Harpring | (Georgia Tech) |
| SF | 47 |  |
Andrei Kirilenko | (Russia) |
| SG | 34 | |
C. J. Miles | (Skyline HS, Dallas, Texas) |
| PF | 24 | |
Paul Millsap | (Louisiana Tech) |
| C | 13 |  |
Mehmet Okur | (Turkey) |
| PG | 43 | |
Roger Powell, Jr. | (Illinois) |
| PG | 8 | |
Deron Williams | (Illinois) |
| Utah Jazz | ||||
STARTING LINEUP
- PG - Deron Williams
- SG - Derek Fisher
- SF - Andrei Kirilenko
- PF - Carlos Boozer
- C - Mehmet Okur
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Basketball Hall of Famers
- Pete Maravich
- Walt Bellamy - only played one game with the Jazz
[edit] Persons associated with the Jazz in the Hall of Fame
- "Hot" Rod Hundley (inducted as a broadcaster)
[edit] Retired numbers
- 1 Frank Layden, Head Coach, 1981-88
- 7 Pete Maravich, G, 1974-79
- 12 John Stockton, G, 1984-2003
- 14 Jeff Hornacek, G, 1994-2000
- 32 Karl Malone, F, 1985-2003
- 35 Darrell Griffith, G, 1980-91
- 53 Mark Eaton, C, 1982-93
[edit] Other notable players
- Thurl Bailey
- Raja Bell
- Adrian Dantley
- Howard Eisley
- Rickey Green
- Bob Hansen
- Jeff Malone
- Greg Ostertag
- Bryon Russell
[edit] Broadcasters
[edit] Franchise Leaders
- Career
- Games: John Stockton (1,504)
- Minutes Played: Karl Malone (53,479)
- Field Goals Made: Karl Malone (13,335)
- Field Goal Attempts: Karl Malone (25,810)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made: John Stockton (845)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: John Stockton (2,203)
- Free Throws Made: Karl Malone (9,619)
- Free Throw Attempts: Karl Malone (12,963)
- Offensive Rebounds: Karl Malone (3,501)
- Defensive Rebounds: Karl Malone (11,100)
- Total Rebounds: Karl Malone (14,601)
- Assists: John Stockton (15,806)
- Steals: John Stockton (3,265)
- Blocked Shots: Mark Eaton (3,064)
- Turnovers: Karl Malone (4,421)
- Personal Fouls: Karl Malone (4,462)
- Points: Karl Malone (36,374)
- Per Game
- Minutes Played: Truck Robinson (43.35)
- Field Goals Made: Adrian Dantley (10.65)
- Field Goal Attempts: Pete Maravich (22.75)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made: Jeff Hornacek (.92)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: Bryon Russell (2.32)
- Free Throws Made: Adrian Dantley (8.27)
- Free Throw Attempts: Adrian Dantley (10.11)
- Offensive Rebounds: Truck Robinson (3.50)
- Defensive Rebounds: Truck Robinson (11.42)
- Total Rebounds: Truck Robinson (14.92)
- Assists: John Stockton (10.51)
- Steals: John Stockton (2.17)
- Blocked Shots: Mark Eaton (3.50)
- Turnovers: Pete Maravich (4.25)
- Personal Fouls: Danny Schayes (3.85)
- Points: Adrian Dantley (29.58)
- Per 48 Minutes
- Field Goals Made: Adrian Dantley (13.16)
- Field Goal Attepmts: Pete Maravich (28.48)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made: Chris Morris (1.85)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: Chris Morris (6.08)
- Free Throws Made: John Drew (10.97)
- Free Throw Attempts: John Drew (14.28)
- Offensive Rebounds: Ron Behagen (5.52)
- Defensive Rebounds: Truck Robinson (12.65)
- Total Rebounds: Rich Kelley (16.72)
- Assists: John Stockton (15.88)
- Steals: Carey Scurry (3.65)
- Blocked Shots: Mark Eaton (5.84)
- Turnovers: Jim Les (5.55)
- Personal Fouls: Eric Leckner (10.30)
- Points: John Drew (36.98)
[edit] Coaches
| Years | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1974-75 | Scotty Robertson | 1 - 14 |
| 1974-75 | Elgin Baylor | 0 - 1 |
| 1974-77 | Bill Van Breda Kolff | 74 - 100 |
| 1977-79 | Elgin Baylor | 86 - 134 |
| 1979-81 | Tom Nissalke | 60 - 124 |
| 1981-88 | Frank Layden | 277 - 294 |
| 1988-present | Jerry Sloan | 984 - 658 |
| 1974-2006 | 1465 - 1309 |
[edit] External links
- UtahJazzhistory.com
- Utah Jazz official web site
- Utah Jazz fan site and discussion board
- MARAVICH Book site
- Utah Jazz Historical Archives
- Sports E-Cylopedia
