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Show ' Here Gome The Imwj ; By DAVE WIGAHM Clipper Sports It doesn't seem possible but the professional basketball season is upon us once again. But this year is a little different than the past four in Utah. ALL OF a sudden the Jazz are being picked as the team to win their division again this year. In past seasons -all the pre-season publication have been making big jokes about the Jazz but now they've all jumped on the bandwagon band-wagon and picked them to win the Midwestern division again. It's amazing to this reporter that the Jazz have the same personnel as they did when these publications w ere making jokes about them but now they sing their praise. AS OF this writing the Jazz still have at least one decision facing them as far as the roster is concerned con-cerned since they have 14 players on their club. 13 if you don't count Adrian Danlley. The battles seem to be between Bob Hansen and Kenny Natt at the big guard spot and J.J. Anderson with David Pope at the small forward for-ward spot. As long as A.D. remains a holdout then the Jazz will more than likely keep both J.J. and Pope and Ihat means either Hansen or Natl will go. Eeeling here is Natl will be released. ONE THING that remains a mys-ter mys-ter to me is why they plan to keep Thurl Bailey. Mark Eaton. Rich Kelley. Jeff Wilkins and Billy Paullz. That gives them five big guys and no one has ever mentioned men-tioned Ihe possibility of one of these guys being the one sent down the road. Paultz would seem. the odd man in this group and maybe Frank Lay den wants the Whopper around this year for his experience. Billy is reportedly in the best shape he's been in for awhile, all I can say is that he must not have been in such great shape before because he's not what you would call a lean machine. NOW LET'S get to the facts. Even without A.D. the Jazz are exciting ex-citing to watch and in the preseason presea-son games they have shown they can win. A year ago many felt when Green went out of the lineup the Jazz slowed down to a walk but wait till you catch a glimpse of John Stockton's act. this kid can run and play. At one time Layden put Rickey Rick-ey and Stockton on the floor at the same time and then it was a track meet. Forget about last season this year is a new horizon and you owe it to yourself to check out the Jazz for yourself. They have given us some great moments and I don't think we've seen anything yet. THE OPENING home game is this Saturday when the Clippers come to the Salt Palace and this event is going to he a happening. All the big name people around the state will be there, the media big shots will showup as well as us little lit-tle guys. A year ago the fans jumped on the winners band wagon and this year they should start supporting these winners from the start. You owe it to yourself to be at the opening open-ing night. SOME FEEL the Jazz might not be the same without A.D. but some experts still expect him to be in uniform for the regular seaso., but even without him they have played tough in practice games. Besides, the exciting side of the Jazz is their running attack and with Rickey Green and John Stockton in uniform uni-form the track meet is on for Saturday Satur-day night. The bottom line is the Jazz are winners and entertaining which all points to being at their 1985 premiere pre-miere opening. |