The Utah Jazz have had a busy off-season this year. With a new owner taking over, he immediately decided he had to revamp the starting lineup to be a legitimate tital contender. He made a few blockbuster trades and the only man left from the original starting lineup is a dominate big man Carlos Boozer. We will take a look at the "Fab Five" and see how this team should fair in the league this season.

C Carlos Boozer



The leader on the team Carlos Boozer is the only remaining starter on the team. There is a reason he stayed, he is simply dominant. He is one of the most dominant scoring and rebounding presences in the league low in the post and no way he would of been dealt. Boozer is listed as the second scoring option for the team as they plan to run an inside attack. Boozer is definitely a guy that plays with passion and he is the guy who can get the offense and defense firing on all cylinders. It is going to be exciting to see how Boozer does with all the other star talent he has around him, but based on his past, he should be just fine.

06-07 Statistics: 20.9 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3 APG, 1 BPG
07-08 Projection: 19 PPG, 12 RPG, 4 APG, 1 BPG

PF Shawn Marion



One of the big new acquisitions of the off-season is Shawn Marion. He is a stat machine and does a little bit of everything to make himself one of the premier players in the league. Marion is a special player that is unselfish and he can score the ball when asked to or put the clamps on the best offensive player on the opposing team when asked to. This guy is the perfect player for this lineup, because he is not going to be relied upon to be a big source of offense. He is considered the team's third scoring option and to only score down low. Marion should frustrate a lot of teams with his athletic ability down low and not many players can contain him. Marion is going to be a great mentor for Boozer and he can help him hone in on his all-around game.

06-07 Statistics: 17.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG
07-08 Projection: 19 PPG, 10 RPG, 3 APG, 2 SPG, 2 BPG

SF Dirk Nowitzki



He might be the biggest off-season acquisition for the Jazz so far. They had to trade away there great young PG in Deron Williams to bring Dirk over, but they feel it will be worth it. Dirk has really became a player that not only can score at will, but he has begun to drive the ball and crash rebounds. He used to be what one would call a "finesse" big man, but now that Dirk can play the SF position, he is able to be more physical with his height mis-matches. Dirk will be considered the team's number one scoring option and he will be given his chances to score every night. The Jazz owner says he wants to let Dirk touch the ball at least once on every possesion, so they are showing a commitment to letting him score. Dirk will also surprise many with his rebounding numbers, which will be great for the Jazz championship run.

06-07 Statistics: 24.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.4 APG
07-08 Projection: 23 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 APG

SG Jason Richardson



The Jazz were lacking a solid scorer at the SG position after trading away Ronnie Brewer, but they were lucky enough to sign Jason Richardson to a one-year deal in the free agency biddings. Richardson will provide great offense and he should find himself with a lot of open shots. Richardson won't be a guy to score 16-17 points per game like he has in the past, but if he can get around 13-15 points per game then he will be exactly what the Jazz were looking for. The Jazz weren't even sure if Richardson would take the one year MLE offer they sent, but he did and the Jazz were excited. Richardson saw this as a chance to win a championship and he wasn't going to pass it up.

06-07 Statistics: 16.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG
07-08 Projection: 14 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG

PG Jason Terry



The final piece of the puzzle was Jason Terry. The only reason the Jazz pulled the trigger on the deal to swap Deron Williams for Dirk was because teh Mavericks would send Terry as well. Jason Terry is a natural SG, but he has experience as a PG and he is a great floor general. He has that veteran savvy that can run a team full of stars like this one. Having a young guy at the point guard position was something the Jazz ownership did not like. They wanted an experienced veteran that knows how to distribute and run an offense with star offensive players and Terry fits that mold perfectly. Terry will be a key contributor to the success the Jazz have this season.

06-07 Statistics: 16.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG
07-08 Projection: 15 PPG, 3 RPG, 7 APG, 2 SPG

Overview

This lineup will strike fear into a lot of teams this season and they should enjoy a long successful season. The only thing that could really devestate this team is an injury to one of the dominant three; Boozer, Marion, and Dirk. If one of these players goes down for an extended period of time they do not have a big time replacement for them. Other role players such as Paul Milsap and Jason Hart should contribute off the bench, but it is the starting five that will take the Jazz to the promise land.

Wow, I haven't seen the actual deals but looking at your lineup, I must applaud you for the moves. I'm interested in seeing how Boozer defends the Centers, and how Nowitzki does defensively against the quick forwards. Those are two things you should definatly be looking out for during the preseason sims.

As for myself, I would start Nowtizki and Boozer and Marion at the 5, 4, and 3 respectively. Good read.

Wow......You are a clear title contender right now......your team's hopes really rely on Terry as PG I think are the most important Position on FBB......great moves thus far nonetheless

8 out of 10 nice job

Go claim $800. I gave it a 7.5, but I'll be nice and let you create the original grade.