Will the Utah Jazz ever fade? Lately the team has given its critics a resounding "NO," maintaining a one-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the Midwest Division, and winning eight of their last ten games.
There is never any secret to Utah's success. The legendary combination of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone has been intact for 16 seasons now, and the savvy veterans are once again playing top-notch basketball. Stockton posts a solid 11.7 point average and 9.3 assists (2nd in the NBA). Malone averages of 23.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists _ business as usual.
But as the season began, many predicted that the Jazz would continue to decline from championship contender to also-ran, and this wasn't just about Stockton and Malone. When Michael Jordan's series-ending jumper from the top of the key sank Utah's title hopes in 1998, the door appeared shut on the Jazz' hopes of ever winning a title with Stockton and Malone.
In successive seasons, the Portland Trailblazers eliminated Utah in the conference semi-finals, doing their part to usher out the NBA old guard. Meanwhile, newer combinations such as "Duncan and Robinson" in San Antonio and "Shaq and Kobe" down in Los Angeles emerged to bring the championship trophy back to the West. The advancing age of Stockton and Malone, coupled with the retirement of shooting guard Jeff Hornacek, appeared to signal the Jazz' demise.
Hornacek may have been the league's best sharpshooter last season. He shot 49.2 percednt from the floor, was second in the NBA in three-point field-goal shooting percentage at 47.8 percent, and led NBA in free-throw shooting percentage last season at 95 percent. His replacement, the notoriously streaky John Starks, has left much to be desired from the two-guard spot, shooting a below-average 40 percent from the field, and a poor 32.5 percent from three-point range.
In the off-season, the Jazz gave up another guard, Howard Eisley, in a four-team, nine-player deal, and brought in an underachieving Donyell Marshall from the Golden State Warriors. The move looked like just another symbol of the Jazz' plummet into mediocrity. But Marshall was determined to prove otherwise.
After a slow start, Marshall stepped up in January, averaging 18.1 points and 9.6 rebounds to help Utah put together a 10-4 record during the first month of the new year. Marshall's play has only gotten hotter in February, where his averages of 19.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals have led the Jazz to an 8-2 record, and their current position atop the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Originally drafted by Minnesota in 1994, the 6-9, 230-pound Marshall was traded to Golden State midway through his rookie season. He put up solid numbers, including last year's averages of 14.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, but never shot better than 42.1 percent in a season. However, after 54 games in Utah's precision-based half-court offense, Marshall has become a model of consistency, hitting field goals at a 48.9 percent clip and providing critical balance for Utah's offense. Stockton and Malone have helped him learn the offense and have provided him with open shots. The result has been a revitalized Marshall, and by extension, a rejuvenated Jazz team that is once again thinking championship.
Marshall's emergence can also be credited to circumstance. Former starting small forward Bryon Russell, who was in the midst of his best season ever, averaging 13.6 points and 4.6 boards per contest, missed just three games with an ankle sprain. But Donyell Marshall starred in those three games and has been starting ever since.
Marshall came up big in recent road victories over Portland and Seattle. He dropped in 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Blazers' talented forwards, while playing strong defensively on the other end of the court. In the following game against the Sonics, he had just three points in the first half and the Jazz trailed at intermission. Marshall then took over in the second half, scoring 17 points and helping Utah pull away late in the fourth quarter. Marshall's athleticism in the post, complementing Malone, is something the Jazz has lacked for years.
Surprises like Marshall have allowed the Jazz to defy critics to this point, but the true test lies ahead. Success against Western Conference opponents has shown that the Jazz could be trouble for any of the youthful, elite clubs. But still, Utah will need to prove that this success can last into the playoffs.
San Antonio, which has beaten Utah three times this season, would be its major stumbling block. The Spurs' Twin Towers are too much for Greg Ostertag and Olden Polynice, and their team defense slows down the Stockton-Malone connection.
The Jazz defeated Atlanta Monday night, 99-82, and will play the Grizzlies tonight, looking to add to their lead and fortify their position as the playoffs loom in the distance.
