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NLL Insider - Team by Team: Utah Jazz

by vt, updated on Tuesday, January 24 2012, 12:39 pm EST

Team by Team: Utah Jazz
2010-2011 Finish: 47-35

End of an era

Utah Jazz received a shock at the end of the season when longtime GM Proid announced he would be leaving the team and taking over the New Jersey Nets. The news was received with mixed emotions. During his reign with the Jazz, GM Proid fielded a middling team, consolidating court power in a few stars and filling out his bench with scraps. But in recent years, with the emergence of Rudy Gay, the Jazz actually became a playoff team. Proid was no longer the butt of NLL jokes and fans began to return to the arena. We can say this- Proid left on a high note, achieving his best record as the Jazz GM.

So how did the Jazz end up playing so well in Proid's final term as GM? Ironically, it wasn't under the hand of star Gay, who missed half the season with a separated shoulder. In fact, it was Kevin Martin (lovingly called Mr. Glass by Proid) who shouldered the heavy load, appearing in all 82 games and scoring 27.6 ppg, warming the hearts of Utah fans and ruining the day of many Las Vegas bookies.

Proid made a few changes during the season, but nothing earth-shattering. He brought in Chris Andersen to complement Kevin Garnett and Kirk Hinrich had a short stint on the team, only to be bested by Keyon Dooling for the starting PG spot. Perhaps Proid's biggest feat was convincing Gay to sign a long term deal with the team, cementing him as the Jazz's identity.

The Jazz made the playoffs, finishing in sixth place and drawing a first round match against the Denver Nuggets. They lost four games to one. It's fitting that Proid got his boys that far, to that first barrier, but could get no further. Will he find greater luck in New Jersey with the Nets and Dwyane Wade? Or will the old Proid return and help administer the final blow that dying franchise? Only time will tell. Check in next year to see what happened to the Utah Jazz in ther post-Craig era.

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