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Show Thursday, June 28, 2007 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 12 JAZZ WILL LOOK FOR DEFENSIE IN DRAFT PICKS problem the Jazz have never wanted to deal with. They obviously do not need any distractions as they try to take the next step in the pursuit of a championship. continued from Page 9 Second candidate: Nevada center Nick Fazekas. Fazekas can rebound—at Although the Jazz need a perimeter shooter, the talent least at the college level. He at center in the first round averaged 8.1 defensive reshould coax them into picking bounds a game and 11.1 overall as a senior. Although Paul a big man first. First candidate: Sean Wil- Milsap already provides a liams, a center out of Boston similar service, Fazekas would immediately add depth to one College. Williams is an incredible of the best rebounding teams shot blocker. His defensive in the league. play, aided by his above avThe Nevada standout can erage wingspan, will combat also score. Fazekas averaged some of the best centers and 20.4 points per game as a sepower forwards in the NBA. nior and his 6-foot 11-inch But Williams comes with frame makes him long enough baggage the Jazz might shy to clog up the middle defenaway from. Williams was sively. kicked off the basketball team The Jazz might pass on at Boston College this past Fazekas because he is considseason. In 2005 he was ar- ered an Lnside-out big man, rested for possession of mari- or in other words, basically juana. Character issues are a another Mehmet Okur. He is considered a good prospect because of his offense and his ability to score. However, the Jazz do not need another offensive role player. And despite Okur's defensive imFor qualified plasma donations provement in the playoffs, Fazekas' defense will also remind the Jazz of Okur's defensive apathy through much of the regular season. If the Jazz do decide to address their shooting guard REQUIREMENTS: hole first, three possible • 18 years of age guards could be Morris Al• Good health mond out of Rice, Spaniard .Driver's license Rudy Fernandez or Alando .Social Security Card Tucker, who is from a small • Proof of current address town in Wisconsin. What the Jazz could do with their 55th pick After addressing the need of a defensive-minded big man, the Jazz should look for 423 South Wakara Way Earn up to $290/MO perimeter shooting. First candidate: UCLA shooting guard Arron Afflalo. Afflalo is a great perimeter shooter, especially when open. He would be a great asset to have when Carlos Boozer is drawing double teams in the paint. He also has great defensive skills and has drawn comparisons to Raja Bell. He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2007, while he led the Bruins to the Final Four. The Jazz might choose to pass on Afflalo because of his size. Afflalo stands at 6foot-5 and his lack of size and athleticism make him a hard sell. His shooting can also be streaky at critical times. In the 2006-2007 season, Afflalo failed to hit shots under pressure, which won'tfly,since the Jazz need a perimeter shooter to step up in the postseason when other key players are drawing double teams. Second Candidate: Marco Belinelli, shooting guard out of Climamio, Bologna, Italy. Belinelli has a solid outside shot. He is a set shooter with a lightening-quick release. He can move without the ball, fitting in perfectly with Jerry Sloan's system. He has a good work ethic and is considered mature for a 20-year-old. Unlike Afflalo, Belinelli's weakness is defense. Many are concerned about his ability to cover other NBA guards (see Gordan Giricek). Belinelli also shows a lack of focus at times by committing silly fouls and opting to move away from fundamentals and more toward a show-time type basketball style. That type of player has rarely stayed with Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz for long periods of time. m,gill@chromcle.utah.edu Suite 208- Salt Lake City 801-583-0488 www.life-sera.com Check out The Chronicle online! Sring in this ad and | receive a S5 bonus after I your first donation! ' www.dailyutahcpr6nicle.o Take a look at our new interface! JOIH AS1J17 BOARDS ROCKiN MUSiC 132O K. 200 S. 582-5700 ! We p I n y a f! i h e I a t e s t r a c k / n t: u n e s . ^ |