Future of the Jazz? Don't Look Too Far....

To describe this year as tumultuous for the Utah Jazz and their fans would be like describing snow strictly as being "wet". From the 0-2 start, to the comebacks in Miami, Orlando, Charlotte and essentially everywhere else in the NBA, to the resignation of Jerry Sloan, the Deron Williams trade, and ending a "once-in-a-lifetime" seven game home skid, the season has been a roller coaster of the finest variety. No one would blame fans or even Jazz Management if they started to focus on looking ahead to the off-season, what with the Nets Lottery pick in possession, possibility of two lottery picks, and the freeing up of cap space due to Andrei Kirilenko's expiring contract, but to do so may be the biggest mistake that an otherwise efficient, effective, winning franchise could make.

In times of upheaval, whether in life, business, sports or relationships, there is a key component that can help every individual to weather whatever disasters or storms may be dominating their attention. In times of difficulty, it can be easy to lose sight of who you are and what you stand for, to drift from the beliefs you have and the truths that you know about yourself. People who are successful tend to continue to do what they know how to do best, which typically leads them to grind through whatever challenges they face, and in doing so, overcoming them. When posed the question of what the face of the franchise was now that Deron Williams was traded, Jazz owner Greg Miller responded, "Getting back to classic Jazz basketball, it's lunch pail, and work boots, go to work, everybody's gotta step up, everybody's got to overachieve." One comment that Miller neglected to mention at the time was winning, and with due credit. The team had just traded its' star point guard, a bona fide all star, and top three at his position. The Miller family is well-known for the number of car dealerships that they own, and no doubt he realized that talking about the move being made in order to win this year would be a tough sell.

The most obvious and accredited stat line of Jerry Sloan's career was the number of seasons the Jazz had made the playoffs, something no other small-market team has been able to duplicate up to this point, and by doing so with the Jazz, Sloan established this team and this market as a winning franchise. Despite what Utahns may want to believe, the most attractive part of summer acquisition Al Jefferson's arrival here in Utah was not the beautiful Rocky Mountains, or abundance of streams for fishing, it was the opportunity to win games and be a playoff team. Jefferson has had a difficult first season in the City of Salt, losing both a hall of fame coach and an all-star quality point guard. There have to be questions in Jefferson's mind right now as to why these things seem to be happening wherever he goes, and the only way to resolve any and all lack of confidence or concern is, to quote Charlie Sheen, winning. The pieces are in place for this Jazz team to make the playoffs, Jefferson has become a cornerstone of the franchise, surrounded by a mix of experienced playoff veterans, and young, integral pieces for the development of the future. Add in a playoff-hungry Devin Harris, and a fanbase that, to their credit, has been supportive and encouraging despite all the upheaval, and anything less than making the playoffs this year would be, simply put, a disappointment. The possibility of a second lottery pick in a less-than-exciting draft is nowhere near worth the experience, confidence, and positive energy that a trip to the playoffs would provide this team. Sometimes when face with the doldrums of a rough patch, the best way a boss or manager can motivate his employees is to give them a taste of what they might be able to experience if they were to work harder, sell more, and get better. No different with a basketball team. If you really want your players to chase the ring and winning as much as your fan base and previous coaches and players did, without a doubt the most effective way possible is to show them what they are missing. Playoff basketball at Energy Solutions Arena is one of the most electric atmospheres in sports, something 70% of the current Jazz roster has never experienced, but is necessary to show this team and these players why they need to be here and what is expected of them.

Professional basketball, perhaps more than any of the other professional sports, is in the midst of an adaptation that the league has not seen. Stars joining forces, large markets collecting high-priced assets, and the explosion of social media has caused a veritable hurricane of sorts to the typical way of NBA thinking. Amidst all the winds of change, the one constant that a franchise like the Utah Jazz absolutely must hold on to is this; that the tradition of winning begun by Larry Miller, Jerry Sloan, Karl Malone, and John Stockton will be as constant as the winter snow and rocky peaks that have adorned this valley since it was settled. People hunger after winners, and winning is a tone set from the top down. As the season winds down, the most important thing that Jazz management can do is to hold on to what has kept Jazz fans hungry and rabid all these years, the delicious taste of success.