Kirilenko is out right now - or at least he hasn't been playing for a while (since March 26). In fact, he's played a grand total of two games in the last month.
Okur isn't 100%. Williams isn't quite right. And the Miles/Matthews duo is interesting, but not in anyway intimidating.
Utah needs to win both of its games to get a home-court spot. Losing especially the Phoenix game - the season finale - would be devastating. And if they do get the home court, I don't see them going further than one round.
The team isn't exactly "right." They had an incredible run for a stretch there, but they have some awful oddball tendency to give up easy shots to marginal players, and they're not the "closer" team that they need to be, especially with Kirilenko out and now, Brewer gone to Memphis for nothing of real value.
My first take on the team is that, much like last year, they don't really have that killer instinct. As Barkley said, it's not a good thing when you look at a team and say, "Their coach is tougher than their players."
Understand that I think Denver is a team of smoke and mirrors - but I do think they're tougher than the Jazz. In fact, about the only WC playoff team I DON'T say that about is Phoenix.
It's a Jeckyll-and-Hyde team. And in their case, Mr. Hyde is *UGLY*.
