Well, this is a shock. Kind of. The Jazz have declined the 3rd-year option on Morris Almond, meaning that he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Though, based on history, we should’ve seen it coming. Right around the time he was drafted, in fact.

My very early, simple thought? Bad idea.

Well, it definitely wasn’t pretty. But a win is a win, and now the Jazz are 1-0 on the regular season. It was a lot closer than many expected, largely because it was a very sloppy game featuring a lot of missed shots and without the presence of 2 of the stars… 1 from each side.

There may have been a lacking of stars with Deron & Hit-N-Run out, but the teams made it close and exciting. But in the end, Good prevailed, and the Jazz are 1-0 on the season.

Exactly what the title says. Surprise(s?) below.

Well, the regular season is finally here. And what better way for the Jazz to start the season than with a home game against the division rival Denver Nuggets?

We already know what the Jazz did this offseason… and a quick recap can be found here (just read the beginning if you so desire). As for those Nuggets? Full reviews here and here. The quick rundown? They let Eduardo Najera walk, and dealt Marcus Camby for nothing. They traded for Renaldo Balkman, added Chris Andersen and resigned JR Smith. There you go… the Denver Nuggets, now with even less D?

As was completely expected, the Jazz have waived PG Gerry McNamara, cutting the roster down to 15 players. McNamara was the only one of the 16 players left that didn’t have a guaranteed contract, and the presence of 3 solid point guards made his likeliness to stick around very low.

Add in a not so hot preseason in which he didn’t even play very much, and the writing was on the wall a while ago. Best of luck to McNamara, where ever he ends up.

Atlanta Hawks
Matt McHale: Basketbawful
Hoopinion: Peachtree Hoops

Charlotte Bobcats
BrettL: Queen City Hoops 
Ziggy: BobcatsPlanet

Miami Heat
Darren Heitner: SportsAgentBlog.com
Gregory Broome: The Peninsula is Mightier

Orlando Magic
Ben: Third Quarter Collapse

Washington Wizards
Rashad: Hoops Addict
HoopsAvenue: HoopsAvenue
Mike Prada: Bullets Forever
Truth: Truth About It Dot Net

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

We’re nearing the end. Already previewed… the Atlantic, the Southwest, the Central and the Northwest division.

Ouch. The game started off horribly for the Jazz. They couldn’t stop the Blazers to save their lives (6-7 from long range in the first quarter… the 1 miss being a like 80-footer at the buzzer… and 8-11 in the first half). And these Blazers were without Brandon Roy & Greg Oden. And I don’t think Deron would’ve made a huge impact defensively with the way the Blazers were shooting. Of course, he might’ve stayed in front of his guy, which would be a start… The Blazers finished with 63 points in the first half (49 for the Jazz). Ugly.

And then something happened. J-Slo yelled. The Blazers cooled down. The Jazz took off. They not only started scoring, they really quieted the Blazers (26 points total in the 2nd half, 13 in each quarter). And just like that, the Jazz had themselves a 100-89 win to end the preseason.

Jeremy from Pickaxe And Roll put out a survey for bloggers of teams in the Northwest Division (such as the Jazz), and it’s time to release the results to everyone interested (and even those of you that might not care).

1. Who will be the Newcomer of the Year in the Northwest Division?

1. Greg Oden – 69.2% (9 votes)
2. Kevin Love – 15.4% (2 votes)
3. Mike Miller – 7.7% (1 vote)
4. Rudy Fernandez – 7.7% (1 vote)

I don’t remember my vote here, but it wasn’t Oden. Maybe Mike Miller?

2. Who is the most overrated player in the Northwest Division?

1. Carmelo Anthony – 46.2% (6 votes)
2. Carlos Boozer – 15.4% (2 votes)
3. Kevin Durant – 7.7% (1 vote)
4. Al Jefferson – 7.7% (1 vote)
5. Andrei Kirilenko – 7.7% (1 vote write-in)
6. Jeff Green – 7.7% (1 vote write-in)
7. Chucky Atkins – 7.7% (1 vote write-in)

How is AK overrated? Everyone already knows he’s overpaid, and rates him accordingly (aka, not very high). Haven’t seen enough of Durant or Green, Jefferson is huge for Minnesota, and Chucky Atkins was obviously written in by an unhappy Nuggets fan or something. Maybe. I agree with the top though.

With the preseason all but over, it’s time to cut the roster down to 15 players from the current 18. And the Jazz started by requesting waivers on Kevin Lyde & Gabe Muoneke. To be honest, Lyde probably outperformed a couple guys in the preseason (Fesenko & Flop come to mind), but was done in by the fact that they have guaranteed contracts. In fact, he might even be a better option than them… Muoneke really didn’t seem to impress in the limited time that he got.

The roster is now at 16, with there being the 15 guys with guaranteed contracts, and Gerry McNamara. I’m guessing he could potentially play some point in the last preseason game with Deron out, but he’s not going to be on the opening day roster barring some very surprising move. Not because he doesn’t deserve it (I’m not quite sure if he does or not), but again, because he doesn’t have a guaranteed contract.

Denver Nuggets
Jeremy: Pickaxe and Roll
Nick Sclafani: The Nugg Doctor

Minnesota Timberwolves
Derek Hanson & Staff: TWolves Blog
Andrew Thell: Empty the Bench
wyn: Canis Hoopus

Oklahoma City
xphoenix87: BallerBlogger
Zorgon: Blue Blitz
Royce: The Thunderworld  

Portland Trail Blazers
Mookie: …a stern warning
Benjamin Golliver: Blazers Edge

Coup and SJ: Rip City Project

Utah Jazz
UtesFan89: The Utah Jazz
Basketball John: SLC Dunk

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

The 4th of the 6 division previews (and obviously the best, since it has our Jazz). Already done… the Atlantic Division, the Southwest Division and the Central Division.