Normally we do the pre-game show for road games from an empty arena, but tonight Metallica is here. Larry Miller has sold a lot of beer. People are screaming at us and I can’t understand a word they are saying over the noise/music from the group that is opening. This is Spinal Tap and the speakers go to 11, because 10 just isn’t loud enough.
One day the Jazz will play a team that has its best player and today just might be the day. The Los Angeles Clippers Baron Davis and Marcus Camby are expected to come off the bench. They have played a combined total of 13 minutes in the first three Clippers games.
Tonight the Clippers are coming off a day off and they are at home, so they should defend a little better than they did two days ago in a 101-79 loss in Utah. Saturday the Jazz turned the ball over just five times, a new franchise record, plus the Clippers were a miserable 3-20 from the floor in the 3rd quarter. The Jazz should win, but the 4th quarter won’t be garbage time, like it was Saturday.
NBA note of the day: The Pistons traded Chauncy Billups, Antonio McDyess and rookie center Cheik Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson. On Jazz Live, the Pre-Game Rport, presented by Neways (nice plug) Pace Mannion and Thurl Bailey agreed Billups leadership would improve the Nuggets, if Carmelo Anthony is willing to follow. I maintain, the Nuggets have a major problem with their interior and help defense without Marcus Camby. This trade doesn’t address Denver’s big man problems. Plus, there are more, and better, point guards in the Western Conference so as Billups slows down (we are already seeing it) he has more nights matching up against Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Steve Nash and Baron Davis.
Pace and Thurl just stared at me, I assume they didn’t really like my theory.
