Paul Harris to Join 9.5% of America on Unemployment Line

by ryanwk628 on Oct 23, 2009 9:54 AM EDT

These are tough times. Unemployment is creeping towards double digits and NBA cuts are not doing anything to help. (I blame David Stern) The first round of cuts was Wednesday and while Paul survived, it did not take long for him to get cut. Utah is roster managed at 15 players, but is expected to only carry 14 to offset some of its salary costs. Utah currently has 3 players with non guaranteed contracts on its roster of 16. Paul is was one of them.

A day after cutting three players, Jazz brass waived NBA hopefuls Ronald Dupree and Paul Harris. Those cuts bring Utah's current roster to 14 players.

So why was Paul not gunning for dat number 14 spot? Paul rolled his ankle right off the bat on Sept 22 and hasnt been doing much besides rehab in Utah. Its a shock that he as lasted this long.

"I talked to (coach) Jerry Sloan the other day and he said the only thing I should worry about is getting better," Harris said.

Not a good sign.

"I try to put myself in their shoes, and if I was in the front office, I wouldn’t keep me because how can you pick a guy that hasn’t done anything," Harris said by phone Tuesday.

Well Paul, had you done more in college... Im just saying. So who gets the spot? Well it looks like its going to another Big East guy.

Wesley Matthews, an undrafted rookie from Marquette, is averaging more than 20 minutes heading into Friday’s preseason finale, and has emerged as a likely candidate for the 14th roster spot.

When he went to Utah, it looked like Paul was in the perfect position to make the team, learn how to make a jump shot and get a ton of PT. Half the squad is injured

Small forward C.J. Miles injured his thumb and had to have surgery last week, and with Matt Harpring already out because of chronic knee and ankle pain, Kyle Korver nursing a sore knee, and Andrei Kirilenko missing one game to tend to personal matters, the Jazz were thin on the wing throughout the preseason.

Well add Paul to the list of hurt Jazzers (Jazzes? Whats the pural of Jazz?)

The shocking thing is, Utah actually has a fairly low unemployment rate compaired to the national average. While the nation is at 9.5%, Utah is floating around 6.3%. Why? My guess is if not for a sweet job or 6 wives, why the hell would anyone live in Utah?

To live out a dream of playing for the Jazz, thats why! Paul hopes to play in the D League, preferably with The Utah Flash, Utah's farm squad.

"Right now, I wouldn’t go play in Europe if they paid me a million dollars," he said. "It’s never been about the money. I want to be closer to the NBA."

So much for teaming up with Kristof! and ruling the Italian League. I still say he should have played football for 2 years, gotten an MBA and gone on to be a captain of industry. When I picture this guy in a 3 piece suit, all I see is cash money.