Out With the Old, In With the New

The Utah Jazz have become a team defined by its point guard/power forward combos. The Stockton-to-Malone era set a standard that will probably never be equaled. And after 5 good years of Williams-to-Boozer I believe we have maxed out the potential of that duo. Now it’s time to usher in a new era. Williams-to-Jefferson.

A quick reflection on the Williams-to-Boozer era: it was good. The two played All-Star caliber basketball for much of their time together, and played a lot of playoff basketball that included a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Boozer caught a lot of flack from fans for injuries and comments about wanting to play elsewhere, but when he left for Chicago this summer, everyone realized that he left a huge whole in the team that needed to be filled. Enter Al Jefferson.

Months of planning and negotiating finally came to fruition when the Jazz and Wolves at last came to terms on a deal that brought Al Jefferson to Utah. Many pieces had to fall into place to make the deal possible, including the Ronnie Brewer trade and the trade exception the Jazz got from Chicago in exchange for Boozer. The Jazz front office is very excited about Al Jefferson. And here are 3 big reasons why Jazz fans should be as well –

1. Al Jefferson is really good. He is one of only five players in the last decade to have averaged 23+ points and 11+ rebounds for a season. Jefferson did it two years ago. The other four: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, and Chris Webber. That is impressive company. Voice of the Jazz David Locke described Jefferson as having “an array of moves” and “unstoppable at the rim.” Kevin O’Connor believes Jefferson would have been a top 5 free agent this off season. And at 25 years old, his years with the Jazz should be his prime years.

2. He is excited to be here. There is a commonly accepted sentiment in Utah that most big name players don’t want to come play for the Jazz, but Al Jefferson appeared to be very happy to play here in his first press conference as a Jazzman. You might expect a player to pander a little to the media and fans in his new home, but Jefferson went as far as to say that he “can’t wait for training camp to start.” He even said that the “basketball gods” were thinking of him the day he got traded here. Those statements suggest that Jefferson is genuinely excited to be with the Jazz. He is excited to play with Deron Williams, he feels healthy, and he understands and embraces the high expectations that come with his new position. This is a guy ready to win.

3. Deron Williams is excited that Al Jefferson is here. D-Will reportedly called Jefferson after the trade and said “I’m gonna make you an All-Star.” Jefferson is certainly chomping at the bit to play with the superstar point guard, but Deron also recognizes that Jefferson is a highly talented big man. This maybe the most important reason fans should be happy about Jefferson considering the comments D-Will made after the Ronnie Brewer trade hinting that might be out of here when his contract is up. Al Jefferson might just be the glue that holds Deron and the Jazz together. And if the duo reach their massive potential together in the next couple of seasons, the Jazz just could finally break through the Western Conference Playoffs again and return to the Finals.