The Utah Jazz are wearing Green tonight which so far this season has been a good sign that they will win the game.

I attended the last game that these two played and all I can remember is the fourth quarter steal that Chris Paul had when he was on the short end of a 3 on 1 break. He then took the ball to the other end of the floor and hit a huge shot to put the game away.

Obviously Chris Paul will not be playing tonight and could be out for the rest of the season. Bill Simmons talks about the down scaling of certain injuries in his latest post and alludes that Chris Paul is in this category.

My least favorite trend of the No Benjamins Association era: teams twisting the truth about potentially serious injuries so they don’t hurt ticket sales, or because they know the media won’t challenge their stories and call them out afterward. After seeing Boston string Celtics fans along with KG’s bum knee and the Clippers legitimately lie about Blake Griffin’s knee injury, when I heard the Hornets claim CP3 would miss only “four to six weeks” after “minor” knee surgery, my BS Detector started beeping. Especially since we learned that doctors removed Paul’s torn meniscus ligament rather than repairing it.Intrigued, I asked Will Carroll (the injury expert for Baseball Prospectus and Basketball Prospectus) for his thoughts. Will pointed me toward a piece he wrote about meniscus removal a few years ago. The key section: “One reason teams are so quick to allow this surgery is that the players come back so quickly, usually in a matter of weeks. But … surgeons don’t repair the meniscus in most cases; they just take it out, either in part or in whole depending on the size of the tearing. That leaves the athlete with no shock. Eventually, with the remaining meniscus overstressed and aging, they end up with the bones grinding together. Yes, that’s as bad as it sounds in a game of running and jumping.”

(Hold on, we have to wait for the Hornets fans to clear out that puke from their mouths. Waiting … waiting … OK, we’re good.)

Every Year we have  a the same discussion about whether or not you take Chris Paul or Deron Williams if you are the Utah Jazz ( in a side note you slit your wrists if you are an Atlanta Hawks Fan. One of the biggest problems I have with little guards is- durability. We have really only seen a couple of small guards stay in the Nba for a long productive career–/Allen Iverson And Isaiah Thomas are the two that come to mind. With today’s medical advancements Paul should be fine and continue to have a great career but every injury shortens his career a little bit especially when it has to do with knees, ankles and backs.

The Jazz are trying to their first back to back road games since FEB of 08 imagine that, two years since we have won both ends of  back to back road games.

Deron Williams should have a spectacular night tonight, exactly I just dropped spectacular. The Jazz are wearing their green Jerseys tonight and we know what that does to them.

AK has been on fire if you haven’t noticed and since being put in the starting lineup is putting up these numbers 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and is shooting .632 from the field.

Millsap is averaging  18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3 assist per contest.

Mehmet Okur It seems that Jerry Sloan,Memo, and Millsap all understand that it is better for the Jazz to have Millsap on the floor during crunch time.They talked about this on the radio this morning. It may hurt an American player more than it effects Memo. He has a championship ring is getting 10 million a year and is about to have a baby, realistically I’m sure with the playing time he is or isn’t getting. As a Jazz fan we should be happy with an outburst from Memo every once in a while but not count on him every getting back to the 2009 Memo maybe just flashes every once in a while.

Biggest Key to the game- Rebounds we have to do a better job on the boards tonight than we did last night.

Here are some extended stat break downs of tonight’s game.

Preview | GameTrax | Depth Chart | Head-to-Head

Jazz	Key Team Stats	Hornets
102.2	Points scored	100.0
97.5	Points allowed	101.2
.492	FG% own	.456
.449	FG% opposition	.473
.349	3PT% own	.363
.351	3PT% opposition	.364
513	Offensive Rebounds	551
1605	Defensive Rebounds	1601
2118	Total Rebounds	2152
1.8	Assist/Turnover Ratio	1.8
22.0	Fouls Per Game	19.8

If you are scoreboard watching tonight here are some good games to watch.

Bulls @ Knicks in the second game of a home and home.

Suns @ MAvericks on Espn and a look at the New Mavs Players.

Stat of the Day- The Utah Jazz are the only team in the league to have wins over the Lakers, Cavs, Magic, Mavericks, and Spurs.

My Prediction for tonight’s game is Utah Jazz 106 New Orleans Hornets 94

Where to begin? With the home loss to a Billups/Anthony-less Denver Nuggets, the Jazz have a lot to make up for tonight at the ESA. Hopefully the best medicine will come in the form of a struggling New Orleans squad that is not living up to their considerable potential either. New Orleans comes in to Salt Lake City having lost their last 6 games in the ESA.

Reasons to watch:

Deron Williams Vs. Chris Paul. Two of the great point guards in the NBA today. This rivalry has been decidedly one sided as Deron has put up his best stats against the Hornets but with how he has been playing lately that trend could be in serious danger.

3000 assists- Deron should pass the 3000 assist mark tonight. He only needs eight to do it.

Trade Watch 2010. This Jazz squad may not be together for much longer (hopefully) so catch them now in all their over paid splendor.

The C.J. Miles Drinking Game (TM). Every time you or someone you are watching the game with yells FREAKING CJ MILES!!!! Everyone must take a drink.

I predict the Jazz will win this game. They are simply the better underachieving team. D-Will and Boozer will both get 20 points with a good contribution from Mathews. Jazz 101 Hornets 90. Go Jazz.

Hornets	Key Team Stats	Jazz
98.0	Points scored	99.7
100.7	Points allowed	97.6
.445	FG% own	.484
.474	FG% opposition	.459
.360	3PT% own	.330
.370	3PT% opposition	.345
341	Offensive Rebounds	340
938	Defensive Rebounds	1001
1279	Total Rebounds	1341
1.7	Assist/Turnover Ratio	1.7
20.0	Fouls Per Game	21.8

Brendan Kenney

We talk about the close games this week. We call out Brevin Knight and discuss Portland, Denver, N.O. all on the road.

Breaking News.

Karl Malone, John Stockton, David Stern, and many others should be at the game tonight. We love you Larry.

SSHHHHHHHH! don’t tell anyone I can’t play anymore. It seems as though Bobby Jackson has been in the league since the merger. Udrih is hurt, so Bobby will get the nod.

I guarantee a win tonight. There is no possible way that Utah Jazz lose this game.

First, this game could be called the second Larry Miller game. The Jazz will play the kings following the funeral of the late Larry Miller. Emotions will be very very intense.

Second, the Kings are horrible on the road. They have the second worst road record in the league at 4-27 and they only have one player that could hurt us (Kevin Martin).

Third, the crowd should be pretty rowdy and full since the game is on a Saturday night. When the Jazz win it will be the first time in twelve years that the Utah Jazz have swept the season series.

Fourth, the Kings are the worst rebounding team in the league. The Jazz should out rebound them by at least 20 rebounds I say somewhere around 51 31 total rebounds.

Predictions-

Utah Jazz win 113-89

If gambling were legal I would still take the 17 points the Jazz are giving. Unbelievable.

Other stuff-

Bill Simmons backs me up on the salary cap issues (he has the inside scoop, it is here).

Thank you Milwaukee, TTTSNBN, and most of all, thank you to the Los Angeles Lakers for laying over and dying last night.

Milwaukee had the Hornets on the Ropes and gave up a last second tip in.

TTTSNBN gave up a five point lead to Dallas with about 30 seconds left.

The Lakers pulled a Nuggets think (Playoffs 2008) and didn’t show up. The Lakers shot 29.8% from the floor including 9.5% from three, yes 9.5%. Thank you for losing the gimme. Reason #43 why I hate the Los Angeles Lakers.

President Obama attended the Chicago Bulls Game last night in DC.

What if NBA Coaches were given two technicals fouls to call on/give Refs, here is the result.

I really can’t express how stoked I am for the playoffs to start. I found one of my old Junoir Jazz certificates the other day, you know the ones signed by Jerry Sloan. I missed two games last year, the first Houston game and the “Baby Game”. My wife is Due the second week of June so lets just hope I have a Jazz conflict come June right. I have decided to break down every series all the way to the NBA champion. It is like Christmas eve right about know, I am pulling out the true blue shirt, dusting of the Jazz terrible towl, and ironing my Boozer jersey.

East

Boston vs. Atlanta 4-0

With Atlanta pulling the just glad to be in the playoffs card, I think they get swept by Boston. I don’t see a game within ten points. As great as a sweep is for Boston, I think it causes some problems for them in the next round I will explain when we get there.

Wizards vs. Cavs 4-2

I know that Deshaun Stevenson can’t guard LJ, but the Cavs can’t guard Butler,Jamison or freaking agent 0 coming of the bench. Arenas is coming of the bench, how sick is that? As Jazz fans you knowthat feeling you get when when Ginobili comes in against our second team, thats how the Cavs will feel.

Magic vs. Raptors 4-2

I don’t know why Dwight Howard doesn’t go for 30-18 everynight he is a man among boys. Turkalgo will have a good series along with Bosh, but Bosh is a lonestar up there in Canuck land. I do agree with everyone else and their dogs on the fact that TJ Ford is horrible and that Calderon is a freaking stud.

Detroit vs Philly 4-3

I think this series will go much further than everyone else, I feel that Philly is playing out of their minds right now and don’t know that they are supposed to get killed here.

West
Lakers vs. Nuggets 4-1

The Nuggets can’t play defense and the Lakers can score a ton of points, which equals almost a sweep. I am giving the Nuggets one game because between AI and Melo they will both have a good game in game four and put up about 70 points combined. The Kobe factor will not let this go more than 5.

Suns vs. Spurs 4-3

This is probably the best first round matchup I have ever seen or can remember. I think the Shaq trade will play a factir and also Amare will run wild and free. Although the Spurs are the Spurs and the Championship has to go through S.A.

Mavs vs. Hornets 4-2

Maybe the Mavs can handle being a seven see much better than a one seed (see last year). Howard and Dirk will have to do most of the work because Kidd will not be good having to guard CP3 and being much slower on offense. I think the playoff expirience of the Mavs will win this series.

Jazz vs. Rockets 4-1

Dispite the loss to the Spurs a few days ago, the Jazz are playing their best basketball of the year. We have the advantage at every position except for the AK Mcgrady matchup, it would be sick if AK could make McGrady play defense. I see the Jazz stealing one of the first two, then coming back home for the 3-1 lead and just killing the Rockets will to live and they will take game 5.

The All-Star break is finally over and now we can get back to what is really important…the rest of the season. Not that I don’t appreciate the best players in the world pretending that they have never scuffled on the court before and feigning friendships; I just frankly don’t care much about the 175-163 basketball game that essentially means nothing.

That being said, I would like to congratulate Boozer on his double-double and DWILL on his skills win. I think they performed like we all know they can and showed the league that they will have to start really paying attention to the Utah Jazz very soon.

Another great thing about the All-Star break being over…we don’t have to hear anymore about New Orleans. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the city is beautiful and it was horrible what happened with Katrina, but I am tired of hearing about the Hornets and Sonics possibly moving. I think it would be a mistake if either team moved, but that is a whole other post.

Back to the subject at hand…congratulations Carlos and Deron. Now, forget all about how great it was to be there and let’s go win a title!

-Jimmy