Jazz Session 85

[Xist2Inspire]

Xist2inspire rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the podium. It was just his luck to land a job as the GM of a podunk operation like the Jazz. Had he gotten the job just a few years earlier, he could've stayed in his home state of Louisiana, and hopefully convince the team to stay there as well. At least then he would've been doing their season-opening press conference in an actual stadium, and not a podium in the middle of Salt Lake City's downtown. His sharp hearing picked up quiet whispers as he walked by.

"At least Tom and Kiki were nice boys, I don't like those Rambis and Ainge characters."

"Honey, Ainge comes from good Mormon stock, he's a BYU man."

"He looks shifty to me, he has the eyes of a common thief. And that Rambis is a thug. Did you see the kinds of things he did in Portland?"

"Sometimes a man has to stand up and fight, especially the way this league is going. They're getting bigger and stronger, you know."

"Yes, it's shameful what's happening to this sport. I've seen Craig and Peter at the Y. They're having to work three times as hard just to stay on the roster."

...Not a single word about their top draft pick, Xavier McDaniel. Typical. After getting to the podium and taking a seat, he leaned over to where both new owner Larry Miller and new coach Jerry Sloan could hear him.

"...Do y'all mind taking this one? I'm not sure they're ready to hear from me yet."

Sloan nodded, immediately understanding what Xist meant, while Miller cracked a soft, slightly empty smile. "Of course, son. Public speaking on this level must be a hard thing for someone like you to get used to. It's not an ability everyone has."

Xist had to fight the urge to roll his eyes again, instead settling on a sigh that could be interpreted as a tired or nervous exhale. He really should try to see if he can convince Miller to change the team name, appeal to tradition by suggesting that they should bring back the Stars. Utah doesn't deserve the Jazz name. Fats Domino has to be rolling around in his bed right now.

Welcome to a new era of Utah basketball! I know we've been through some tough times. The Lord teaches us to submit to authority, be obedient, accept responsibility for our actions, and persevere on. We acknowledge our wrongdoings, and understand that the consequences of those affronts led to the sale of the team, heavy fines, and replacement of coach Frank Layden and GM Kurt K. Koontz. However, we can do all things through Christ, and we are looking to build a new house upon this rock, a new family, united by faith. We were blessed to gain a great young talent in Craig Ehlo last season, and we have been fortunate to bring a brother in Christ home. We welcome Danny Ainge to the Jazz, and expect him to lead us to great things in time. We were also fortunate to acquire NBA champion Kurt Rambis from Portland. His experience will help guide some of our younger players. We also welcome our first-round draft pick, Xavier McDaniel.

The road ahead of us is rough. But we have survived a great ordeal, and we will find our way back to victory in time.

[Eazy P]

With Ehlo and Ainge on your squad, do you plan on going outside focus with your offensive game plan?

[Xist2Inspire]

With Ehlo and Ainge on your squad, do you plan on going outside focus with your offensive game plan?

Sloan: While I'm not yet willing to fully commit to implementing a midrange gameplan, the three-point shot is a strategic advantage that we'd be foolish to overlook. While championships are still won and lost in the post, we need to keep an open mind and look to exploit any advantages we have over our competition.

[Mike Lowry]

Congratulations on an excellent reload.
I'm guessing this was better and faster than you imagined.
Have you adjusted your timetable on competing?
Or will we see you leverage some of the pieces you picked up into more prospects?

[Xist2Inspire]

Congratulations on an excellent reload.
I'm guessing this was better and faster than you imagined.
Have you adjusted your timetable on competing?
Or will we see you leverage some of the pieces you picked up into more prospects?

Thanks!

So I never planned to stay in a rebuild long. My aggressive asset gathering was less of a "give myself as many options as possible moving forward" thing, and more of a "stock up on ammo so that I can get what I want when I want it" thing. This is pretty close to a finished product already, if anything I'm hoping that I didn't strike too hard too fast. There's still room for one more piece. I wouldn't expect to see any more big moves from me this season. I'll mostly be looking to trim around the margins from this point on.

[WigNosy]

Steve Duin, the Oregonian:

Between trading draft picks and making moves in RFA, the Jazz were certainly one of the key players in the offseason. Should we expect future off-seasons to revolve around Salt Lake City?

[BigDaddyd8720]

Picks Emmington of the #SLOE Gazette,

I'd say you've come a long way in your rebuild since Kiki decided to leave for the evil Spurs, but it's only been one season. That being said, are we looking at another competitive season with the Jazz trying to get back to the playoffs?

[Xist2Inspire]

Steve Duin, the Oregonian:

Between trading draft picks and making moves in RFA, the Jazz were certainly one of the key players in the offseason. Should we expect future off-seasons to revolve around Salt Lake City?

Miller: Well, we've certainly had our share of exciting off-seasons, and I'd say that this one was quite peaceful as opposed to last year's! We're hoping for quiet times ahead, we don't want the league's eyes on us again unless - if God be willing - we're competing for titles. In that case, the only noises you'll hear from us in future off-seasons are sounds of celebration.

[Xist2Inspire]

Picks Emmington of the #SLOE Gazette,

I'd say you've come a long way in your rebuild since Kiki decided to leave for the evil Spurs, but it's only been one season. That being said, are we looking at another competitive season with the Jazz trying to get back to the playoffs?

Sloan: Winning is always the ultimate goal, however, making that the sole priority leads to short-sighted moves that do not pay off in the short term. I expect only the best effort from these men, but contenders aren't built overnight. We will need time to build our strategy and learn how to maximize our talents. That's our priority for this season, not trying to get back into the playoffs.

[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: Is Danny Ainge apart of the long term build in SLC?

[Xist2Inspire]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: Is Danny Ainge apart of the long term build in SLC?

Miller: *chuckles* Why yes, of course! Though Danny's from Oregon, we've come to think of him as one of our own. As a BYU legend and fellow brother in Christ, we see Ainge as the centerpiece of everything we're trying to build here. We can't wait to see Ainge emerge as a leader, both on the court and in the community.

*Xist could not suppress the urge to roll his eyes this time*

[IamQuailman]

I feel like you have done a nice turn around in just one season after a disappointing lottery. Morale seems on the up and up. If there is a slow start to the season, will this squad be something you try pushing forward with or is it on a shorter leash?

[Xist2Inspire]

I feel like you have done a nice turn around in just one season after a disappointing lottery. Morale seems on the up and up. If there is a slow start to the season, will this squad be something you try pushing forward with or is it on a shorter leash?

The two firsts I traded to Darth puts a limit on how long I can just chill without feeling pressured to make moves, but no. I'm in this for the long haul, if this season turns out to be another rough one, that's fine. I'll just use it to build chemistry and determine what hole needs to be filled in the draft.