Jimmer Fredette or Utah Jazz? NBA Fans in Utah Are Split
For the first time in his short NBA career, Sacramento Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette will return to Utah to play a regular-season game against the Utah Jazz.
While the once-stronger rivalry between these two teams has long since cooled off, Fredette’s return is one of the most highly anticipated games of the entire season for many fans in Utah.
Already a celebrity in the state of Utah for his college career at Brigham Young University where he became the Naismith College Player of the Year last season, Jimmer, as he is known by only his first name, will split the Jazz fanbase in Utah for at least one game.
Never before has this fanbase been so excited to see a rookie from another NBA team who attended college in the state of Utah.
Not since Andrew Bogut, Keith Van Horn and Andre Miller, all heroes at the University of Utah, came back to play have Jazz fans been excited about a rookie’s return.
The excitement for those players, however, was not nearly at the same level as the Jimmermania that occurred last season, which is still alive and well.
When the two teams meet on the court, it is expected that a large percentage of loyal Jazz fans will have a split allegiance between the Jazz and the Jimmer.
It is not crazy to think that there will be more Jimmer jerseys in the stands than Jazz jerseys and he will receive a louder welcome than anyone from the hometown team.
This topic came up recently on the Utah local sports talk radio station 97.5 The Zone and the feeling from the fans that responded was that many would root for Jimmer over their own team.
Jimmer’s return to Utah is similar to the hype that Tim Tebow had when he and the Denver Broncos played against the Miami Dolphins early last season. That was, however, before Tebow’s popularity took off nationwide.
So what do you think Jazz fans? Are you excited for Jimmer to return? Will he get a better reception than the Jazz, and which side of this issue do you fall on?
Would you be willing to sacrifice a Jazz win to see Jimmer play well?
Leave your thoughts and let me know what you think.
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George Mason Basketball: What Patriot Fans Want to See Against JMU
The Patriots are currently working their way through certainly the most grueling part of their CAA schedule, which has Mason, as well as every other CAA team, playing four games in only eight days.
So far during this “four in eight” stretch, the Patriots have gone 3-0, but haven’t exactly looked great doing it, thanks to their offensive woes of late. Mason had to use late runs to put away Towson and UNCW, and actually had to come from behind and use some Sherrod Wright heroics to finish off Hofstra.
However, Saturday is a new day and at 2:00 PM on Comcast SportsNet, the Patriots return home to take on an old school rival—the James Madison Dukes.
These two teams met only two weeks ago at JMU, and Mason came away with an 89-83 victory in an ugly, hard fought game.
With Mason’s less than convincing victories of late, Patriot fans will be hoping that the team can once again return to the high scoring, dominating team that they can be. Here are five things that Mason fans will be looking for against JMU on Saturday.
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Golden State Warriors Keep Losing: Loyal Fans Deserve Much Better
The Golden State Warriors entered the second season of the Joe Lacob-Peter Guber ownership era with high hopes.
Armed with a tough-minded rookie head coach in Mark Jackson, a new assistant GM in Bob Myers and The Logo himself, Hall of Famer Jerry West, in an advisory role, surely the Warriors would be a new-look, playoff-caliber team in 2012.
Uh, nope.
On Monday night, Golden State suffered an absurd, self-inflicted 91-90 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, in which the Warriors squandered their biggest lead of the season—a 20-point second-half advantage—by committing nine turnovers in the fourth quarter.
The loss was a microcosm not only of Golden State’s season to date (5-11 record, 15th place out of 16 Western Conference teams) but also of the Warriors franchise over the past several years. Remember, this is a team that has had a total of two winning seasons and just one playoff appearance since 1994.
A team whose roster has for years been mostly comprised of exciting, talented, offensive-minded shooting guards and wings, many of whom have been undersized and slightly built—that can be a nice formula for scoring points and selling tickets, but not for winning games.
And, while Coach Jackson’s squad seems slightly more willing to play defense than previous Warrior teams, there is still no one on the team who appears to enjoy defense or rebounding.
There’s also no sign of a closer anywhere. Monta Ellis may be one of the league’s most electrifying scorers during the first 45 minutes of a game, but he is not a Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant with the outcome on the line.
Finally, the management “dream team” inexplicably failed to “amnesty” center Andris Biedrins and his $9 million annual salary. Biedrins is a likable yet hopelessly overmatched center, whose double-double potential seems farther than ever from being realized.
After another dismal showing against the Grizzlies (16 minutes, no shots attempted—and, therefore, no points—two rebounds and three fouls), there may be only three people left who still believe Biedrins will become a legitimate NBA center: Biedrins, his mom and Bob Fitzgerald, the Warriors’ irrepressibly optimistic play-by-play announcer (“if Andres Biedrins can just average 12 and eight, or even 10 and seven, the Warriors can contend for the NBA title!”).
To be sure, the team’s recent travails have been compounded by the seemingly chronic weakness of Stephen Curry’s ankles and the absence of Kwame Brown, sidelined by a torn pectoral muscle. Brown was the team’s only real power presence inside. Because, you know, the roster was otherwise full of guards and wings.
The result of all this is another season of what the incredibly loyal fans at Oracle Arena have witnessed for years: a vastly entertaining, high-scoring outfit that can compete with any team in the league, even pull off the occasional upset, but which more often gets overpowered in the fourth quarter.
Despite this record of sustained futility, the loyal Warriors fans continue to sell out Oracle. Sports Business Journal recently reported that Golden State is one of only 12 NBA teams to have sold over 10,000 season tickets. The other 11 include a who’s who of NBA royalty: Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic.
If the Warriors ever want to match that upper echelon in something other than ticket revenue, most or all of the roster needs to be overhauled—the sooner the better.
No more stockpiling of slender shooters who think defense is what happens in between the fun parts of the game. No more power forwards who look and play like small forwards. More guys who like to play defense and get rebounds.
Look at the recent transformations of the Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. It can be done. No fanbase would be more deserving of such a turnaround than that of Golden State.
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Kansas fans use Cundiff to distract shooters
During Texas A&M players’ free throw attempts, fans held signs that spelled C-U-N-D-I-F-F and waved their arms to the left.
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Mavericks Fans Shouldn’t Be Concerned About Dirk Nowitzki’s 3-Point Shooting
Through the first 17 games of the regular season, Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks haven’t looked like themselves. Currently sitting at 10-7, many things could be used as an excuse for the team’s lackluster performance, including the drawn-out NBA lockout, questionable roster changes and the team’s age.
Yet one of the biggest concerns for Dallas is that their star player hasn’t played like a star at all. Nowitzki, the MVP of last season’s NBA Finals, is currently putting up just 17.5 points per game, which would be his worst season offensively since his rookie year in which he only scored around eight ppg.
Dirk’s offensive struggles could be related to his mere .235 three-point percentage, also his worst since his 1998-99 rookie campaign.
Mavericks fans need not worry, however, because Nowitzki has a viable excuse for his dismal shooting from beyond the arc.
In recent games, Nowitzki has been wearing a protective brace over his right knee, which has been giving him trouble for months now. He sprained the knee during the spring of last season, causing him to miss nine games in which Dallas went just 2-7.
Now that same injury is giving him problems again, which certainly explains some of the issues with his jump shots. Because of the knee issues, Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle and the team’s medical staff have decided to sit the 7’0” German for four games in order to return full strength and mobility to the knee.
Nowitzki has reported that he’s been unable to lift weights or run for extended amounts of time due to the tremendous swelling, so hopefully the rest will get rid of all of those problems.
Nowitzki also noted that he didn’t come into this season in good enough shape. After winning the NBA finals, Nowitzki traveled back to his native Germany to play in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Following games in Europe, he took a few months off from basketball, basically burnt out from the sport.
He didn’t return to the game until November, which didn’t leave him much time to get back in shape for opening day against the Miami Heat.
Hopefully for the Mavericks, Dirk will be able to get his cardio strength back in prime condition during his four games in a suit on the bench. If he’s able to do that, as well as heal from his still-nagging knee injury, Nowitzki should be able to come out on the 29th firing on all cylinders against the rival San Antonio Spurs.
In 2006, Nowitzki won the NBA’s three-point contest, and as players like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen have shown, the last thing a superstar loses is his shot. A healthy Nowitzki will still hit his shots, but unfortunately, fans have yet to see him at 100 percent this season.
Struggling free-agent pickup Lamar Odom will likely see significantly more floor time in the star’s absence, which may be just what he needs to get his confidence back. If Odom and Nowitzki can both return to their 2010-11 selves, the future looks bright for the Dallas Mavericks.
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Stuff Washington Wizards Fans Say
Do not be surprised if while you’re single tracking on the Red Line, you hear these things being said about the 2-14 Washington Wizards.
No. 1: Wait, we won? Really?
No. 2: I really miss Gheorge Muresan.
No. 3: When does the Mystics’ season begin, again?
No. 4: I envy Supersonics’ fans.
No. 5: Even the Bullets weren’t this bad.
No. 6: Is Gilbert still a free agent?
No. 7: They changed their uniforms for this?
Disgruntled Wizards fans, please, feel free to add your “Stuff Wizards Fans Say” in the comments box. Think of it as free therapy. Carl Jung would agree.
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How Bad are the Wizards? Fans Were Doing Homework and Sleeping at the Game
On Wednesday night, the Washington Wizards defeated the Oklahoma City thunder in a close game. Believe it. That improves Washington’s record to a whopping 2-12 on the season, but it was nice for Wizards fans to see their team show some sort of pulse in holding on to defeat Kevin Durant and company. That is, if the fans were watching. According to Oklahoman writer Darnell Mayberry, not everyone in the stands was giving the home team their undivided attention.
Before the opening quarter had grown eight minutes old, a female fan seated in Section 119 pulled out a stack of papers and a purple highlighter. While her boyfriend appeared focused on the action that actually brought the couple out, the woman deemed it a better use of her time to review a market report for her consulting company.
By the midway point of the third quarter, an adult male fan halfway down Section 102 was slumped in his seat…sleeping.
It’s still very early in the season, but Wednesday night’s win could serve a purpose for both the Thunder and the Wizards. Oklahoma City got a true taste of humility for the first time this season, which should provide a friendly reminder that bad things happen when you take nights off in the NBA. On the other side, Flip Saunders’ team knows they have the talent to hang with the NBA’s elite for 48 minutes. Perhaps it was the benching of Javale McGee that ignited the Wizards. I guess we’ll see on Friday night when they take on the Nuggets.
Chest bump to I Am a GM for the story
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Kobe vs. Jordan: Can Jordan’s Fans Finally Accept the Truth About Kobe?
It was recently revealed that former Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan acknowledged that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was the only NBA player he felt to attain his level of play, which takes a lot of wind out of the sails of the crowd who refuses to accept any Kobe comparison to Jordan.
How can you argue with his “Airness” in the flesh?
I’m sure Jordan’s fans will still find reasons to denigrate Bryant after having the scales cast from their eyes by the only person who really has a definitive say in the matter. And the first point that will likely be brought up is Kobe is still not a better player.
And I would agree, but that’s not the point.
Until now it has been a sacrilege among Jordan’s most ardent supporters to even acknowledge the similarity in Bryant and Jordan’s games, their attitudes, their mannerisms or their skill sets.
But Jordan saying that Kobe is the only player to reach his level must mean that all of the imitation has paid off.
After all, it’s one thing for a player to try to imitate a player like Jordan, but it’s entirely something else when a player is dedicated and driven enough to live up to the comparisons.
There have been many players labeled as the heir to Jordan’s throne (Harold Miner anyone?), but only Kobe has crafted the type of legacy that stands up under all scrutiny.
Kobe will likely finish his career ahead of Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, especially if he continues at his current rate. And there is still an outside chance that Bryant can finish with a higher ring count as well.
If Bryant does achieve those lofty goals, then where would that place him on the NBA’s all-time player list, since most honest people agree that he was already top 10 before Jordan’s comments were revealed?
Unless you think Jordan resides at the bottom of the top five, you would almost have to rate Bryant solidly in the top five as well if you believe in Jordan’s judgement.
I consider Jordan to be a top-three player myself, and I think it’s revealing that Kobe’s name was the only one mentioned during his moment of reflection.
If Jordan really feels that Bryant is the only player to ever reach his level of excellence, and the fact that Kobe has all the necessary historical hardware to back that claim up, one could reasonably assume that Kobe is a legitimate top-five player, right?
That list will always be a subjective matter, but Jordan’s opinion must be hard to swallow for those who argued that Bryant would never even be in a top-five-player conversation.
Jordan may not be a great judge of talent when it comes to running an NBA team, but he is an expert witness when it comes to recognizing greatness in one of his peers.
And Kobe is definitely one of Jordan’s peers, if not his equal, which is something that Kobe’s supporters have known all along.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to anoint Kobe to one of those hallowed spots in the top five just yet, but how could I disagree with the opinion of Jordan, who is arguably the greatest player to ever grace an NBA court?
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Ricky Rubio: Small Town Preference Gives Minnesota Fans Reason for Hope
That loud exhale you’re hearing is coming from the state of Minnesota’s basketball fans, who are hearing that emerging star Ricky Rubio enjoys the environment there.
In an interview with J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today, Rubio said that the environment in Minnesota is close to perfect for him.
I prefer a small town where everybody knows everybody. I like Minneapolis because it’s not a small city or a (big) city. I call it a big town because it’s not like (Los Angeles) or New York. I prefer this style a lot.
He didn’t stop there, taking a soft jab at Los Angeles.
They don’t attack you (in Minneapolis) like they do in L.A., for example, with Pau Gasol. It’s easier starting here…You don’t feel the pressure, but you know that you have to win here, too, and give 100%.
This is what small market teams need to do to be competitive over the long term. They need to find stars that enjoy the small market environment (Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant), and build around those guys. So, when you get a player outwardly stating that he prefers the small town way of life, it gives you something to build on.
Rubio is a player to build around. Yes, they’re 5-8, but take a look at the records of this team since losing Kevin Garnett after the 2006-2007 season.
| 2007-2008 | 22-60 |
| 2008-2009 | 24-58 |
| 2009-2010 | 15-67 |
| 2010-2011 | 17-65 |
Even in Garnett’s last two seasons, they were 33-49 and 32-50. All of a sudden 5-8 doesn’t look that bad. Rubio is not a small part of that.
In 13 games, he’s averaging just less than 11 points a night, complimenting it with better than eight assists a game. Remember that he’s still only 21 years old and in his first NBA season. There is plenty to build on in Minnesota, especially if they can lock up Kevin Love.
That would give the Timberwolves a young presence both at the point and in the paint for a long time. That’s a solid building block for anyone, and gives the Timberwolves a good shot at winning. Small market or not, other players will want to go play with those two in the future.
Rubio liking Minnesota means that the franchise has a foundation player at an important position that’s not looking to bolt or get traded. It may not show this year, but that’s a good start to building a long term winner.
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Patrick Ewing Warns Dwight Howard that Most Nets Fans are Knicks Fans First
At this point, nobody really knows where Dwight Howard will end up next season or before this season is over. In fact, there is a good chance not even Howard knows. We’ve all heard rumors about the Lakers, Nets, Knicks and more recently the Clippers. Although Deron Williams would love it if Superman would join him in Brooklyn next season, former Knicks legend Patrick Ewing has lightly cautioned Howard to stay away from the Nets.
“Most of the fans will still be Knicks fans,’’ Ewing said according to the NY Post. “Brooklyn is a great town, great city. It’s New York. But most of the people, like most people going to Nets games, are Knicks fans. They’re going to have their work cut out for them to try to change the culture.’’
Did I say former Knicks legend Patrick Ewing? What I meant to say was current Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing. It’s no secret Ewing wants Howard to remain in Orlando — as he should. However, if we know anything about sports fans it’s that most of them go whichever way the wind blows. There are certainly more Knicks fans in New York than Nets fans and the Knicks have a more defined history, but winning can change that in a hurry.
If Howard joined Williams with the Nets and the team started racking up wins, the fans would come crawling out of the woodwork. In fact, a rivalry between the Nets and Knicks would probably make basketball that much more exciting and popular in New York. But hey, you can’t blame the big guy for trying.
H/T I Am a GM
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