Originally Published: September 2, 2009

NBA Offseason Buzz: Utah Jazz

With Boozer's status in flux, Millsap faces pressure to shine

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By John Hollinger & Ric Bucher
ESPN Insider

Want to know who's heating up for a big season on the hardwood? Insider is tapping into John Hollinger's projected player efficiency ratings to see who's trending up and down across the NBA. Ric Bucher rounds out the report by examining a pivotal player you'll want to watch as the season approaches. The series continues with the Utah Jazz.

They backed into the eighth playoff spot, losing seven of their last nine regular-season games, and then went rather quietly against the Lakers. Once a gritty defensive team, they gave up 100 points a game and allowed opponents to shoot 46 percent. With five potential free agents, some wondered if personal agendas unhinged the franchise's trademark cohesion. The better bet? A team not suited to playing up-tempo simply wore down trying to score 100-plus every night to cover for its mediocre defense. With all those free agents coming back -- at least as of now -- is there any reason to believe this season will be any different for the Jazz?

To see which player is taking off, who is crashing to earth and which name you'll need to know for the 2009-10 season, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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2009 NBA OFFSEASON BUZZ

As the NBA offseason winds down and we gear up for the 2009-10 campaign, Insider taps into the insights of John Hollinger and Ric Bucher to examine who's rising, who's falling and who's worthy of extra attention on evey NBA roster.
Pacific Division
Northwest Division
Southwest Division
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division

Note: For definitions of all of John Hollinger's advanced statistics, click here.

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