Golden State Warriors to avenge their loss with Utah Jazz
The Golden State Warriors saw their dreams crashing to the hands of the Utah Jazz. These teams will meet Tuesday night as they open the 2007-2008 NBA Season at Oracle Arena.
The Golden State Warriors made an improbable run by beating Dallas Mavericks, the team with the best record in the NBA, in six games becoming the first No. 8 seed to win a first-round NBA playoff series in the best-of-seven format.
Baron Davis, the strong and powerful guard, teamed up with the lightning quick Monta Ellis, who both excelled under coach Don Nelson’s up-tempo offense seems gotten the right chemistry. However, they traded high-flyer Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats for rookie Brandan Wright. Guard Stephen Jackson, averaged 16.8 points and 4.6 assists in 38 games last season will miss his first seven games as a penalty for reportedly firing a gun at an Indianapolis strip club. 
The number 3 spot of the Warriors was key to their remarkable run together with forward Al Harrington, who averaged 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds last season with new additions of sweet shooting Marcon Belinelli and Troy Hudson, with frontcourt back up Austin Croshere, Brandon Wright and Kosta Perovic the Warriors know what’s in store for them heading to the new campaign.
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“Everyone’s expecting we’ll get better, not worse,” Don Nelson said. “And if that happens, it kind of then depends what other teams do. There are a lot of good teams that didn’t make it last year, and we were one of the fortunate ones.”
The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, who won the Northwest Division title with a 51-31 mark to secure the fourth seed, had their best season in nine years come to an end when eventual NBA champion San Antonio eliminated them in the West finals in five games.
Forward/Center Carlos Boozer was a key player as part of the Jazz’z revival following the Stockton-Malone era leading the Jazz with 20.9 ppg and 11.7 rbg last season. Third year gurad, Deron Williams also had a breakout season averaging 16.2 ppg and 9.3 apg. While the peeved forward Andrei Kirilenko had a disappointing season last year averaging career lows in points 8.3ppg. The Russian forward fell out of favor with coach Jerry Sloan, who is entering his 20th season with the Jazz.
“I’m going to coexist. That’s my job,” Jerry Sloan said. “Some people don’t always see it the way they’d like to see it, but my job is to try to help a player become a better player. If he has problems, I want to try to work through those problems.”
Jazz will dominate the paint with their mainstays forward Mehmet Okur and Paul Misshap backed by Boozer and Kirilenko. Warriors might have a chance in stealing this one with their up tempo game from the opening bell.
Jazz by 8.
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