The first week of the NBA season presented some potentially interesting scenarios that could continue to develop as the season progresses. The Charlotte Bobcats won their first game ever over the Orlando Magic and have looked far better than many expected at the beginning of the season.
The Sacramento Kings, a playoff fixture for the past several years, have limped out to a 0-3 start. Among the six teams without a loss are the Indiana Pacers, who are winning despite a hobbled Jermaine O'Neal, and the Toronto Raptors, whose biggest star, Vince Carter, demanded a trade in the off-season.
The most surprising team thus far might be the squad least likely to be undefeated: the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have started the season with four consecutive impressive outings in the more competitive Western Conference, including two victories over the Denver Nuggets and one over the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. They've scored over 100 points in every game so far, and their average margin of victory is nearly 21 points per game.
This has all been done despite losing their starting point guard, Carlos Arroyo, and primary backup Raul Lopez to injuries. Keith McLeod and Howard Eisley have provided a huge boost to the fast start in Utah, mitigating the loss of Arroyo and Lopez. Eisley was not even a part of the team until he was signed on Nov. 3 to fill the void left by the injuries. The duo are now splitting time at point guard, combining for nearly 15 points and 12 assists per game, a significant contribution.
The Jazz offense has also shown balance, with five players posting double-digit scoring averages. Leading the pack is free agent pick up Carlos Boozer, who came over from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boozer is living up to his billing, averaging a double-double (19.5 points, 11 rebounds). Behind him is Andrei Kirilenko, the All-Star utility man who was signed to a six-year contract extension in the offseason. He is off to the best start of his career, putting up 17.5 points, six rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.25 steals and an astonishing 6.5 blocks per game thus far.
Matt Harpring is healthy and making a solid contribution of just over 12 points per contest. Raja Bell and Gordon Giricek, who have been sharing the shooting guard duties, have together averaged 22 points per game. The balanced attack has made it difficult for opponents to single out a particular key to the Jazz offense, and has been instrumental to the team's explosive start.
The other key to Utah's undefeated start is its improvement in the low post. The Jazz released center Greg Ostertag, who had been with the team since the 1995 season. They then signed Boozer to a long-term deal after his breakout season with the Cavs, and he has given them the significant presence in the frontcourt they have lacked since Karl Malone went to the Lakers.
Utah's other important acquisition on the front line is Mehmet Okur, who was lured away from the Detroit Pistons in the offseason after Detroit failed to match Utah's offer. While Okur's numbers thus far are nothing special (eight ppg, 5.3 rpg), they are as good as any during Ostertag's tenure with the team. Boozer is only 6'9", and at 6'11" Okur provides much needed size at the center position. He also can be a dangerous scorer from outside the low post, which makes him harder to defend and frees up more space for Boozer and Kirilenko to operate.
Jarron Collins serves as an adequate reserve who can contribute a handful of quality minutes each night. The combination of 22 year-old Boozer, 23 year-old Kirilenko, and 25 year-old Okur will continue to improve in coach Jerry Sloan's system and should solidify the Utah frontcourt for several years to come.
The first week is often a misleading indicator of the course teams will take over the NBA season. However, it seems as if the Jazz will be a serious contender, not a pretender, in the Western Conference. After just falling short of the playoffs last season, Jerry Sloan's team looks poised to change its fortunes and is off to an extremely promising start to the season.
