From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz: Sloan seeking more teamwork from Jazz
After watching his team lose twice to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center and suffering through game tape in the aftermath of the losses the veteran coach wants his squad to start playing like a team on offense as the Western Conference semifinals head to Salt Lake City for games 3 and 4.
Sloan didn't name names, but he says several guys are guilty of abandoning the Jazz's game plan that includes a lot more pick-and-roll, solid screens, passes to cutters and inside work than pick-up-game-like individual play.
"When you don't believe in the offense, and you start dropping your head and start to go one-on-one, you don't have any offense. The other four guys are standing there watching you," Sloan said Thursday at the Zions Bank Basketball Center. "We like to get production out of everybody. It's important to try to get all of our players to play as well as they can, but we have to play as a team."
Sloan expects his players to work their way out of slumps and through the Lakers' defense that has stifled them at times with quickness and length.
Sloan said the Jazz need stop taking such quick and tough shots and rely on the inside game that got them this far.
"Why run a play if we're going to go one-on-one? I'll isolate you and let you play one-on-one all day," Sloan added. "That didn't happen to just one guy. That happened (multiple) times. We're not a one-on-one team. ... That's why we have to play as a team, because we can't do it by ourself."
E-mail: jody@desnews.com
Recent comments
The only edge the Jazz have on Kobe is how many young legs they can...
play whole bench | May 9, 2008 at 1:21 p.m.
Here's the game plan: loose zone, double Kobe and Gasol at the...
Game plan | May 9, 2008 at 11:33 a.m.
Jerry, just once give them their way and let them go through a whole...
Just once | May 9, 2008 at 8:37 a.m.
- Tiger opens with a 66 in Australia 1:18 a.m.
- Crash kills Utah County man 1:12 a.m.
- UCAT cheaper education option 1:12 a.m.
- Post office to be named for Rex Lee 1:11 a.m.
- Police probe synagogue vandalism 1:09 a.m.
- New charges added in fraud case 1:09 a.m.
- Mom takes plea deal in girl's beating 1:08 a.m.
- Drug trafficking operation busted 1:07 a.m.
- News yule writing contest starting up 12:59 a.m.
- Alpine District school honored 12:59 a.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- BYU football recruit turning heads
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- Prep football: Felt's Facts Week
- 12 Utes return to Texas
- Long days for BYU interns
- Cougars' defensive hoops clinic
- Civilians help S.L. officer make arrest
- House passes health care bill
287 - SLC council OKs gay rights policies
246 - TCU showdown has big implications
193 - Senators want food tax restored
157 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
109 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
101 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
92
Utah State hoops coach Stew Morrill took a few minutes to talk about Weber
Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh get the audience they deserve and vice versa. ...
I find the rule,very discriminitory. I am not gay, I don't understand what...
I understand we were outmanned last night. However, this effort was awful....
My advice to Jonathan is shoot it when they pass it to you as soon as you...
Maybe they should try drafting a shooting guard who can shoot from outside ....
The sad thing about it is that there are actually people out there that are...
Thank you TCU and BYU. Your wanting to beat Utah so bad has to drive you...
Play fes and koufos. Look to the future. It looks like we will have two...
Oh come on. Obama's a horrible president, but I couldn't care less which...
"We had the best soccer of any place in the state. There's no disputing...
