Funkerstation » day after adding the Nedbank title to victories

SALT LAKE CITY -- Dennis Lindsey and Quin Snyder are doing their best to temper expectations, but recent moves to improve the Utah Jazz say plenty.The organization has been working toward this moment for more than half a decade. It drafted Gordon Hayward in 2010 and traded for Derrick Favors months later. Lindsey was hired as general manager in 2012, and he hired Snyder as coach in 2014. The first-time general manager then slowly built a young, talented roster and allowed it to grow.This offseason, Lindsey added veterans Joe Johnson, George Hill and Boris Diaw with an eye on reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2012.The time to reap the rewards of all that patience is now.Our goal is to make the playoffs, Hill said at Jazz media day Monday. Anything less is not a good season for us.Lindsey and Snyder werent quite that direct, but Lindsey has been adamant in the past about not adding pieces at the expense of internal development. The difference now is the Jazz have the core they need.Both Hayward and Favors are six-year veterans and borderline All-Stars. Center Rudy Gobert is healthy and one of the top defensive centers in the league. Dante Exum, fifth-overall pick in the 2014, is back after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. Rodney Hood enters his third season after averaging 14.5 points in 2015-16.The next step is a playoff berth after finishing a game behind eighth-seeded Houston in the Western Conference with a 40-42 record.Just in the playoffs, just out of the playoffs, I dont think it would have changed this offseason much, Lindsey said. We wanted to get experience, size, skill, physicality, shooting, passing. We were able to do so. Its very complementary to our younger veterans that have been here for a while.It was a natural step. I dont think we were skipping steps by any means.The front office may downplay expectations, but this is the simplest situation the Jazz have faced in years. No more waiting on young players to develop, and no more searching for an identity. Defense is the foundation, and some quality players are going to have to fight for their minutes.The fundamental approach that you have toward playing the game doesnt change, Snyder said. If that enthusiasm, comfort, fear, whatever emotional baggage you bring into a season that impacts your emotional state, that has to be supplanted by hunger, hard work, unselfishness, passion.Sometimes that enthusiasm is really good. Oftentimes its great. But that doesnt necessarily mean its channeled the right way. Youve heard people be too excited or too emotional. What that means to me is you just lost a little bit of focus on the things you need to do to be successful. We know what those things are. We just have to hold on to them and work toward them.Hayward and Favors have been in the Jazz program long enough to stick closely to the teams message, but this is a pivotal year for both. Hayward will likely opt out of his contract after 2016-17 for a much bigger deal. The 26-year old has repeatedly said hes not looking to leave, but Hayward is entering the prime of his career and wants to win.Favors has two seasons left on his deal and could sign an extension, but also wants to consistently play in the postseason.We have a lot of expectations of ourselves, Hayward said. For us, though, we dont want to get ahead of ourselves at all. We havent accomplished anything as a group yet.I think we hopefully play with a chip on our shoulder. Were starting to turn the corner as an organization.Favors tried to avoid saying playoffs when listing his expectations, saying the team hopefully improves and reaches its goals. He laughed when pressed to specify that goal.Just to win games, Favors said. Every teams goal is to get in the playoffs. Obviously, thats what we want to do. Thats what were going to try to do. Brian Grant Jersey . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. 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Swedens Alex Noren claimed an incredible fourth European Tour title in his past 11 events with a stunning final round in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.Noren began the day five shots behind South Koreas Wang Jeunghun, but carded a closing 63 at Sun City to finish 14 under par, six shots clear of Wang.Ranked 108th in the world after missing the cut in Junes US Open, Noren will be inside the top 10 for the first time when the standings are updated on Monday after adding the Nedbank title to victories in the Scottish Open, European Masters and British Masters.The 34-year-old birdied the first three holes at the Gary Player Country Club and picked up further shots on the fifth, seventh and eighth to reach the turn in 30.And when he holed from 25 feet for an eagle on the 10th and chipped in for a birdie on the next, the first 59 inn European Tour history was a distinct possibility.ddddddddddddA bogey on the 14th put paid to that and Wangs birdie on the same hole cut his deficit to two shots, only for the 21-year-old to bogey the next two holes as Noren birdied the 16th.Wang, who was just 20 when he became the youngest player in European Tour history to win consecutive events earlier this season, also bogeyed the 18th but held on to second place, a shot ahead of Andy Sullivan, Branden Grace, Ricardo Gouveia, Alejandro Canizares and Victor Dubuisson.Open champion Henrik Stenson was a shot further back in eighth to slightly increase his lead in the Race to Dubai over Danny Willett, who finished tied 11th after a closing 69. 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