In 2005-06, the Utah Jazz advanced farther in the playoffs than anyone imagined. The team was young, fun and feisty while being led by an electric 22-year-old guard. Consequently, the team was the hot topic over the offseason with many high expectations placed in front of them for the following season. But, out of the gate, things weren’t going as planned. Specifically, the team lacked shooting.
Deja …
By the end of December, the team traded for a shooter from Philly. He was in his fifth year, had great hair and looked like the perfect fit. His name? Kyle Korver.
Vu.
This past Wednesday, the Jazz traded Alec Burks and two second-round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyle Korver. He’s no longer in his fifth year (will turn 38 in March) but the Jazz are hoping his return and availability will pay dividends to break out of an early-season and cold-shooting funk. Ultimately, the team is hoping the marksman can help the Jazz right the ship and get back in the playoff picture.
“He’s a great shooter,” Jazz guard Dante Exum told Dan Clayton of Salt City Hoops. “Hopefully I can learn a few things, I think I’ve got the form and everything, I just need to see what he does special. But I’m looking forward to it.”
Clayton also asked Favors about Korver’s forthcoming impact. “We’re not a terrible 3-point shooting team, guys are just missing shots that they normally make,” Favors said. “So that’s something we can definitely improve on, and Kyle Korver can help with that.”
Change teammates' names and flash back 11 years ago and those quotes would have still applied.
In 2007, the Jazz were coming off a year in which they went 51-31 while winning the Northwest Division. The team qualified as the fourth seed for the playoffs and beat the favored Houston Rockets in a classic seven-game series where theJazz won on the road in a nail-biter for the decisive victory, 103-99. That postseason the Golden State Warriors, as an eighth seed, upset the Dallas Mavericks and then faced Utah. After defeating the Warriors in five games, the Jazz unexpectedly found themselves in the Western Conference finals, ultimately falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
The next year, however, started too slow. On the night of Dec. 29, the Jazz traded for Korver with a 16-16 record. The team went on to win 19 of its next 22 games. The Jazz finished the season 54-28.
Do the math. They lost 12 games in the next five months of the regular season.
Digging deeper, nearly half of the team’s first 32 games in 2007 saw the Jazz shoot below 35 percent from three while attempting less than 10 threes a dozen times. With Korver hovering on the perimeter, the Jazz attempted less than 10 only two more times in the season. By the end of the season, the Jazz ranked 10th in the league in 3-point percentage with 37 percent.
Korver shot 38 percent from deep off the bench in his first year in Utah. He scored about 10 points a night in an average of 23 minutes. He was the perfect sixth man and go-to-guy for Deron Williams’ passes.
It’s a similar story in 2018 where the Jazz have shot below 35 percent in 14 of the team’s first 22 games. The team hoists 30 bombs a game, good for 10th in the league, but connects on 32 percent, which ranks 28th out of 30 teams.
After making a trade for a shooter, will the Jazz go on a streak? Or at least pick up their percentages?
In today’s NBA, Korver is a must-have. He’s a knock-down threat as a career 43 percent shooter from outside. Consequently, just having his body float around the deep 3-point line should cause extra space to open for a penetrating Donovan Mitchell or a working big down low. In theory, imagine both Korver and Joe Ingles as recipients of kick-outs with open looks; it should sound like a splash.
In 2007, Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor said, "We think Kyle is a good basketball player who has proven he can make shots and proven he can play in the NBA, and we're happy to acquire him. We made a trade which we feel improves our team this year.”
In 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer got Korver on an exiting phone interview where he said, “I feel I can fit in well in Utah.”
Will deja vu continue to play out?