externer Bereich der Breath of the Dragon » Ghebreslassie has won the Ne

SALT LAKE CITY -- Joe Johnson had options of where to chase a ring in the twilight of his career and the seven-time All-Star chose to sign a two-year deal with a Utah Jazz team that hasnt reached the playoffs since 2012.Johnson, 35, bought into the widespread belief that the Jazz will improve from young up-and-comers to a competitive playoff team.It was the talent level and knowing from talking to (coach) Quin (Snyder), they wanted some veteran guys around these young guys and help lead the way, Johnson said. That was probably the biggest part.Thats the story on the Jazz entering the 2016-17 season: a team no longer on the cusp, but one with postseason expectations.Snyder and general manager Dennis Lindsey have tried to temper those expectations, but the offseason moves to add veterans spoke volumes. The Jazz traded for George Hill and Boris Diaw and signed Johnson -- ending the slow rebuild. The league, however, wont see what this roster looks like at full strength for some time.Gordon Hayward is out for an unknown amount of time with a broken finger on his non-shooting hand. Derrick Favors played just one preseason game due to a knee issue. Key reserve Alec Burks still hasnt returned from arthroscopic surgery to his knee and ankle in June.So the Jazz didnt get to fully integrate the new veterans with the established players during the preseason.I feel like weve got a lot done in spite of (injuries), Snyder said. (Diaw, Hill and Johnson) have probably played more preseason minutes than I intended. ... It has given them a chance to get acclimated. Their roles, particularly Joes, will probably change and evolve when Gordon comes back. Outside of that, theres challenges. You just dont know. Certain players, certain lineups. ... I dont think we were able to build quite the connectivity that wed like at this point. But I felt like this was a team that was going to take a while to develop, too. Hopefully it doesnt set us back too much.The Jazz begin the season on the road against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Eight of their first 11 games are on the road.Things to watch as the Jazz prepare to tip off the season:STIFLING TOWER: The 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert has already established himself as one of the best defensive centers in the game, averaging 2.27 blocks over the last two seasons, but hes shown off a little more offense this preseason. He seemed to catch and finish better than in the past and averaged 14.8 points in six games. The most notable improvement has been Goberts free throw shooting. He shot 56.9 percent last year and 74.5 percent this preseason.RETURN OF EXUM: Dante Exum is back for regular season games for the first time since tearing his ACL in the summer of 2015. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft is fully healthy and still an upper echelon defender on the perimeter with his 6-foot-6 frame. He looks to become more active on the offensive end with a better floater in the lane and improved 3-point shooting. The point guard showed the ability to log minutes at shooting guard next to Hill during the preseason.GROWTH AREAS: The Jazz hope the additions and another year of growth will affect three areas in particular. The Jazz were No. 28 in the league with a scoring average of 97.7 points per game. That must improve. Johnson, Hill and Diaw already improve the depth. The team also struggled in close games, finishing 14-28 in games that were within five points with five minutes or less left.IMPRESSION TIME: Not making the playoffs could not only be disappointing, but a detriment to the future. Hayward has a player-option on his contract after this season and is expected to use it to become a free agent. There will be a large market for his services, so the Jazz need to prove theyre an organization that can compete for championships in the near future. Gobert will become a restricted free agent in July if he doesnt sign an extension by Oct. 31. Favors is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season.---Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KareemCopeland Shoes Wholesale Online Store . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Cheap Jordan Shoes Near Me . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. http://www.shoeswholesaleonlinestore.com/wholesale-nike-basketball-shoes.html . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Authentic Wholesale Nike Shoes . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Cheap Nike Shoes From China .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. NEW YORK -- Eritreas Ghirmay Ghebreslassie has won the New York City Marathon in the mens field.Ghebreslassie finished his debut in New York with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 51 seconds.For most of the course, the mens field was a three-man race between Ghebreslassie, Kenyas Lucas Rotich and Ethiopias Lelisa Desisa. By mile 20, Ghebreslassie gradually began pulling away.The 20-year-old beat Rotich by 62 seconds and became the youngest male winner in New York. The previous youngest male winners were Alberto Salazar in 1980 and Tom Fleming in 1973, who won as 22-year-olds.Deefending champion Stanley Biwott withdrew at the 10-mile mark with a right calf injury.dddddddddddd He also dropped out in the Rio Olympics after getting sick.American Abdi Abdirahman placed third.Desisa, who was the runner-up in New York in 2014 and a two-time Boston Marathon winner, dropped out at the 22nd mile.---This story has been corrected to show that the winners last name is spelled Ghebreslassie, not Ghebresiassie, and that hes 20 years old, not 19. ' ' '