| Marty Burns' Breakdown |
|---|
| Utah |
|
Seattle |
| The two-headed monster of Olden Polynice and Greg Ostertag won't do much
damage offensively, but they keep the Jazz system running. Against the Sonics
that should be
enough. |
CENTER The Edge:
None |
Horace Grant is really a power forward, but he plays the middle without
complaint and does an adequate job. Look for him to spend as much time guarding
Karl Malone as he does Utah
centers. |
|
| Even at age 36, the Mailman still delivers. Determined to make one more
run for the title, he'll bring his A game. When small forward Bryon Russell
scores 14 points or more, the Jazz usually
win. |
FORWARDS The Edge:
 |
Vin Baker has been performing better of late. During the season he
helped keep Malone relatively in check while scoring more than 20 points in
three of four games. Like Baker, Ruben Patterson might not start but figures to
be the main guy at small forward. Seattle needs his D on
Russell. |
|
| John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek actually posted numbers comparable to or
better than a year ago. They are still too smart, too experienced and too good
at running plays to get beaten very often. Hornacek has bad knees, however, and
could be vulnerable on
D. |
GUARDS The Edge:
|
Gary Payton can still take over a game. Look for him to go in the post
a lot to try to take advantage of Utah's small guards. Brent Barry is OK in a
wide-open game, but he won't get many chances to run against the grind-it-out
Jazz. |
|
| Howard Eisley can provide a spark, but otherwise there is little to fear
from the Jazz reserve corps. They basically try to keep the game close while the
stars catch a
breath. |
BENCH The Edge:
 |
Vernon Maxwell, back from a right knee injury, is not afraid to take
big shots. Versatile second-year forward Rashard Lewis has the quickness --
especially on the offensive boards -- to hurt Utah as
well. |
|
| The Jazz figure to be extra motivated after Sonics coach Paul Westphal
said Seattle was glad to be playing Utah instead of L.A.
|
INTANGIBLES The Edge:
|
The way the Sonics avoided L.A. -- with a huge win overtime win at
Sacramento -- has to be a boost for their fragile
confidence. |
|
| Jerry Sloan seldom fails to have his team prepared for a game. Of course,
they've been running the same plays for so long, he really only has to make sure
they don't miss the
bus. |
COACH The Edge:
|
Concerned about his team's sluggish play, Westphal shook up the
starting lineup two weeks ago, and the Sonics responded. Still he's had several
run-ins with Payton, Maxwell and Baker in recent weeks, and his hold on the team
remains in
doubt. |
|
| Will Utah 's aging three stars be able to hold up in the playoffs, when
other teams match their intensity all 48
minutes? |
'X' FACTOR The Edge:
None |
An early taste of playoff success might shake Baker out of his doldrums
and restore his confidence. |
| Burns' Prediction: Jazz in 3 |
|---|
| |
