Season over, YES the refs sucked, but what now...

It seems to me that every Jazz and neutral fan I talk to saw how atrocious the refs were in Game 2 and 5 of this series.  The Jazz will never get the calls versus a team with a bonafide star who also has a coach on the sidelines who owns the refs (Kobe and Phil, Duncan and Pop, etc.).  Those things are true, and unfortunately, I don't believe they will ever change.  Despite the fact that the league loses fans over these same things, we have to live with those truths. 

However, we have to move on and start planning for next year.  Here is the roster, and, in my opinion, which players have value to next season and the future of this franchise:

• Williams - Stud has to be signed to long term extension this summer
• Boozer - Great player who must stay because he is a value for his contract
• Okur - Just like Boozer - great value, great player
• Brewer - Exciting future ahead, must keep
• Millsap - stud who has to get signed to extension this summer
• Price - Great backup point who should come back
• Korver - Great value - should script more plays for him in offseason
• Fesenko - Look forward to seeing him suit up
• Almond - Look forward to seeing him suit up
• Harpring - Interesting.  He shot poorly and had suspect D in the playoffs.  I like him a lot, but he's not a value for his contract.  We probably keep him because he has very little trade value.

These players, in my opinion, are those that are expendable and/or are not a value to the organization:

• Hart - making twice as much as Price, not a value, but probably no trade value
• Collins - for making $2.5 mil, not a value, but probably no trade value
• Miles - he could be and probably will be special. He reminds me of a poor man's Michael Redd.  At an athletic 6'8", I think he will go somewhere and have the Jazz kicking themselves (see Pavolic & Stevenson). Wish we could keep him.
• AK - for the most part, he got torched against Kobe and McGrady.  He has a reputation as a defender, but he is only a help defender. The Jazz desperately need a perimeter defender, and he's not that guy. Okur & Booz are not great help defenders, so that means we need a guy that keeps a perimeter player away from the rack.  Also, despite those two 3's at the end of Game 6, AK has very limited offensive game.  Add that he makes max money ($14 mil+ in 08/09, even more after that), he is not a value. The Jazz must look into trading his bloated contract in order to afford the list of players in the portion above. 

Utah should look to deal Kirilenko to a team looking for D.  He would excel playing the 4 in an up-tempo offense. By playing the 4, he could be that help defender and not have to play perimeter D on the likes of Kobe.  AK would never be allowed to do that in the Jazz system. 

In my opinion, the Jazz should trade AK, Hart and Collins to the Knicks for Marbury's expiring contract and Ronaldo Balkman. AK would be great in D'Antoni's system, and the Knicks want to deal Marbury badly.  Utah would then have the money to afford Millsap's and Deron's extensions that would start in 2009. Balkman might be the perimeter defender the Jazz lack (he reminds me of Bruce Bowen). Balkman is also very athletic and plays with a lot of hustle and energy, and Sloan loves that.  Marbury, of course, would be immediately released. Utah might even be able to score a draft pick in this trade.

If this trade were to happen, the Jazz could potentially re-sign Miles.  They would then have Korver, Brewer, Almond, Harpring, Balkman and Miles to share at the 2, 3 , and sometimes 4 (Balkman and Harpring could play the 4 in a small lineup). All those contracts combined would almost be as much as Kirilenko by himself. 

 Let me know what you think.......

It was very frustrating watching all of the continuous fouls on the Jazz called.  We I think, outplayed the Lakers because they would not have won if Kobe or the rest of the team received so many free throws. 

I think the C.J. Miles should be re-signed after watching him play this past postseason.  Also, we have some nice players waiting in the wings, but we are still missing something to win a championship.  Ronnie Brewer is a good on-ball defender and I love watching him play on offense.  D-Will is the best point guard in the league, but then we have some holes.  Mehmet Okur is a good 3-point shooter, but not a good defender and not a great post presence.  Carlos Boozer is good, but had trouble in the playoffs.  His defense again is suspect and he takes too many jumpers.  Boozer needs to drive because he has some very nice moves.  We definitely keep these guys, but Paul Millsap is going to overtake Okur I think down the road or be a stud 6 man off the bench because we need a legit. post presence if Boozer and Okur are going to take jump shots.  Also, what's the word on Dee Brown?  I really liked him.  Our starting 5 of Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer, AK-47, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur is good, but what do we need to win a championship?  A better post presence center?  A more dynamic scorer?  If so, what could we do? 

Yes, the calls sucked big time . . . . . for both teams, all series. Do stars get calls? Yup! Ask MJ in '98 when he pushed off on Russell in game 6 to win in Utah . . . . even the refs have finally come clean on that one. Does Kobe get calls? Sure he does!

That having been said . . . . . did we lose because of the calls? No, we got outplayed by the NUMBER ONE seed!!! Kobe is the MVP, and we all knew they were going to be better when they added Gasol . . . . . Odem is good, and they have a good supporting cast . . . . that is a good team . . . . . can't believe I am saying this as a Jazz fan . . . . and got beat by a good team. Better? Well, they did win the series. Hard to argue with that!

Jazz had a good year, and next year can be better. How about finding a trade package to get Dirk from Dallas? Would it be worth something to the Jazz? A friend today suggested Boozer, CJ, and Collins . . . . . just a thought . . . . .