'Forcing shots' spurs Okur slump

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Being back in Detroit, where he won an NBA championship ring with the Pistons, may have had something to do with it.

But there is much more than that to Mehmet Okur's 4-of-16 shooting effort in the Jazz's 103-93 win over the Pistons on Sunday.

From Jazz coach Jerry Sloan's perspective, there was this:

"He was forcing shots," Sloan said of Okur, who started 0-for-8 from the field. "It looks to me like he's forcing his shot to get his shot up.

"We'll get him shots in our offense," Sloan added. "But you catch the ball and hold it and just try to shoot — that's not in much of a rhythm. Sometimes he can get away with that, but other times he's got to get in our offense and execute our offense."

From Okur's perspective, there was this: "I think I need to go maybe get some easy baskets, and get to the free-throw line, before I take long jumpers," the usually solid long-distance shooting center said. "Get in the paint, get myself going. That's what I'm gonna try."

Sloan, who gives Okur a green light to shoot at will, doesn't mind the longer shots — as long as they come within the context of the Jazz offense.

"When we do that, we have a chance to rebound," he said. "When we do it the other way, we have no chance in the world — because we have four guys standing, watching what he's doing.

"That doesn't make us very effective rebounding," the Jazz coach added. "That doesn't make us very effective in anything else."

MOVING ON: After losing by 20 points to Indiana in the final game of their last three-game road trip, the Jazz vowed to open this one in better fashion.

"We've got to become a better road team and look at this trip to get that rolling a little bit," forward Carlos Boozer said after Utah improved to 4-3 away from EnergySolutions Arena. "Because if we're gonna be an elite team in this league, we have to ... know that we're gonna play good no matter what arena we're in."

That's especially the case tonight in New York, where the Jazz visit the 3-9 Knicks.

"We can't overlook anybody," point guard Deron Williams said. "You now, Indiana — they smacked us."

MUTUAL ADMIRATION: Much has been made of the relationship between Williams and veteran New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd and the time they spent together playing this past summer for USA Basketball's senior national team.