- Cory D.
Answer: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Jazz were in a nearly identical situation to the one confronting them today.
After losing in a seven-game series to Magic Johnson, James Worthy and the L.A. Lakers in the 1988 Western Conference semifinals, the Jazz were positioned - it seemed - to be a legitimate title contender for the next decade.
John Stockton and Karl Malone had established themselves as rising All-Stars, Mark Eaton was tormenting opponents who ventured into the lane and capable veterans like Thurl Bailey, Darrell Griffith and Bob Hansen provided toughness, leadership and depth.
But those Jazz teams hit a few bumps in the road.
After winning 51 games in 1988-89, they were shockingly swept in the first round of the playoffs by underdog Golden State.
In '89-90, the Jazz won 55 games during the regular season but lost a best-of-five series in the first round of the playoffs to Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle and the Phoenix Suns.
In '90-91, the Jazz went 54-28 in the regular season and finally got out of the first round after beat the Suns, 3-1. But two close defeats doomed them in the conference semifinals against Portland, which won the best-of-seven series in five games.
This was a critical time for the franchise.
The growing belief around the NBA (and in Utah) was the Jazz were a good team, but not good enough to seriously challenge for a championship. I'm guessing that owner Larry Miller pondered many possibilities, including the idea of trading Malone and replacing coach Jerry Sloan.
Along with Frank Layden and Scott Layden, however, Miller stayed the course. Instead of a blockbuster trade that would have fractured a rock-solid foundation, the Jazz tinkered with their roster, trying to find just the right pieces to help Stockton and Malone.
Over a five-year span, Utah acquired players like Jeff Malone, Adam Keefe, Felton Spencer, Tyrone Corbin, Jay Humphries and Mike Brown. Through the draft, the Jazz added Bryon Russell and Shandon Anderson.
It took a lot of patience by Miller, the Laydens and Jazz fans, but when Utah added Jeff Hornacek midway through the '93-94 season, they were rewarded with the final piece of the puzzle.
The Jazz went to the Western Conference finals four times in the next five years. They reached the NBA Finals twice. They were a break or two away from an NBA championship partly - I believe - because of the patience they showed in the early 1990s.
They kept Stockton and Malone. They kept Sloan. The Jazz grew together, without the change-of-direction mentality that many believed was the way to go.
Even the Hornacek trade was not a blockbuster. Utah gave up an aging and unhappy Jeff Malone and a late 1994 first-round draft pick that turned out to be B.J. Tyler for Hornacek, Sean Green and a second-round pick. Green was quickly released, by the way, and the pick was eventually traded.
By now, you have probably figured out my answer to your question.
I believe the Jazz, with Deron Williams and presumably with potential free agent Carlos Boozer as the cornerstones, are in position to contend for a long time.
I also believe vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor, while keeping an open mind, will not break up the foundation it has taken three years to build out of panic born from a second-round playoff loss to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers last spring. That foundation probably includes Okur and Kyle Korver, too.
I'm guessing that O'Connor will likely tinker with the roster while anticipating the possibility of getting another quality player with the draft pick acquired from the Knicks, which becomes unprotected in 2010.
O'Connor, as fans in Utah know, has shown a willingness to pull the trigger on major trades. He will again, if he firmly believes it will help the Jazz win a championship. But those kind of deals, even if he includes somebody like Andrei Kirilenko, are difficult to make and the results are not guaranteed.
