What a difference a couple of days can make

Wow.  The last 48 hours for the Utah Jazz have been crazy and exciting.  Just 3 days ago this offseason was looking like it could end up being the most disappointing one I could remember.  Boozer gone (which I was glad about, but with no prospects to replace him with I was worried), Korver gone, Matthews likely gone.  I felt like the Jazz had taken a massive step backwards.  I was trying to look on the bright side, thinking about next year's lottery pick -- I was sure the Jazz couldn't make the playoffs in 2011.

And now?  So much has changed.

First, the Jazz were able to work things out with Chicago to do a sign-and-trade for Boozer.  By signing Boozer and then immediately trading him to Chicago, the Jazz obtained a Traded Player Exception (TPE) which is basically an exception to the rule that states that the salaries of the player or players who are traded away must match the salaries of the player(s) brought in.  With the TPE, the Jazz could obtain a player via trade without having to send back matching salaries.  They used the TPE to bring in Al Jefferson from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Al is a 6'10" Center/Power Forward.  He was the key piece that Boston sent to Minnesota in the blockbuster trade that netted the Celtics Kevin Garnett.  Al was the piece that made losing KG ok.  He puts up great numbers -- which I believe will be even better here in Utah.  He was really the only good player the T'Wolves had, so teams would zero in on him, double-team him, and make his job tough.  They won't be able to play him that way here.  The Jazz have too many other weapons.  Al isn't known for his defense, but he blocks more shots than Boozer or Okur, and he's longer than either of them as well.  But perhaps the most important thing is this:

via twitter.com/tribjazz

In a text-message conversation with Paul the other day, he said something that I completely agree with:  keeping Deron Williams happy should be the number 1 priority.  He's the one guy that is truly irreplaceable on this team.  His contract is up in 2 more years, and if we want him to re-sign, the Jazz as an organization has to show him that they will do whatever it takes to become a contender.  Deron likes what he sees in Al Jefferson, and that says a lot to me.  I think Al will fit right in here in Utah, and give the Jazz a true low-post back-to-the-basket type player.  I love this trade.

But...

The one thing that I didn't love about it was that Al's $13+ million contract put the Jazz into the luxury tax, meaning that the likelihood of matching Portland's ridiculous offer sheet to Wes Matthews was slim to none.  With the addition of Jefferson, the Jazz were a playoff team again.  But without a guy like Wes, they weren't a contender.  In order to really be seen as a contender the Jazz needed a guy who was:

1.  A consistent outside shooter.
2. A lock-down defender.
3. A tough, hard working, team player.
4. Someone they could afford.

Wes fit the bill on 3 out of 4.  But unfortunately, he was just too expensive thanks to Portland's outrageous offer.  So to me, it looked like the Jazz were destined for a 6-8 seed in the playoffs and an early exit.

But then, a miracle happened.  Somehow, even though the "experts" and the "sources" all said that he had narrowed it down to San Antonio and Los Angeles, Raja Bell signed a 3 year, $9.8 million contract with the Utah Jazz.

Many will remember Raja from the 2 year stint he played with the Jazz from 2003 to 2005.  I was on my mission the entire time he was on the team, so I never got to see him in a Jazz uniform.  Bell is known for being one of the best perimeter and one-on-one defenders in the league -- particularly against one Kobe Bryant.  He doesn't take any crap from anybody -- and he doesn't let anyone get away with pushing his teammates around (ala Malone, Harpring) Who could forget his infamous clothesline play?  I could watch that all day...  Bell is also a fantastic 3-point shooter.  He has shot 41% from 3 throughout his career, and 46% in the playoffs.  His percentages are actually higher than both Korver and one Jeff Hornacek.  From what I understand, when the Jazz were having their struggles during a miserable few seasons, Bell was the one urging his teammates on, trying to stir them up and get them to give a whole effort.  When it became official that the Jazz would not make the playoffs, Bell said, "So what, we didn't make the playoffs?  We still have a job to do.  We can still go out and beat teams just to say we beat them."  This attitude is the epitome of Jerry Sloan's oft repeated words, "We can't start feeling sorry for ourselves".

Bell covers all four of the needs that I mentioned above, but he also brings something that the Jazz have been in need of -- veteran leadership.  Raja is 33 years old and has been deep into the playoffs.  He understands what it takes to win, and he can help shoulder some of the team-leadership responsibilities that have rested solely on Deron's shoulders for the last several years (because, let's face it, no matter how many times Boozer said "I'm the leader of this team", he was never a leader.  If you have to say you're the leader in order for people to know it, you're not convincing anyone.)  Derek Fisher (let's not get into that now...) was a veteran player and provided leadership and experience in the Jazz locker room when he was on the team.  It's no coincidence that that year was when the Jazz made it to the Western Conference Finals.  Hopefully Raja can help fill that void.

The future for the Jazz is looking bright.  I can't believe how things have shaped up over the past couple days, but it has me very excited to see what this team can do this season.  Go JAZZ!!