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Utah Jazz notes: Almond, Fesenko called up, have work to do

Ok we get the point CJ Miles should have played in the summer league. I agree too, but how many times does it have to be said? He made a mistake, get over it already. I see a good upside to his game and hope he stays with the team next year. AND PLEASE CJ GO TO SUMMER LEAGUE THIS YEAR!!!

Get used to the snow, Kirk Snyder. This morning here in Orem the ground is also covered with snow!

Snow, snow, snow! Msg for Kirk Snyder: Christmas again because of the snow? Stick around and let's see what kind of Christmas present the Jazz brought you from UTAH where we too have snow this morning!

I'm tired of hearing about how CJ Miles didn't go to the Rocky Mountain review. Didn't he go back to New York and work out with other NBA players?

I also don't like how Sloan classifies Almond as a player who doesn't defend...

Matt,
I don't think that Sloan his classifying Almond as a player who doesn't defend, I think he is pointing out two areas that he needs to work on: defending, and running the floor. Obviously, if Almond were a complete player he would be getting time with the Jazz, the fact that he isn't means he has areas that need to improve. When has Sloan ever not said what he thought about his players, or himself?

Almond is much more likely to huck up shots than he is to defend or run the floor. I think Sloan is just calling a spade a spade like he always does.

Almond is a great scorer but he doesn't look like he cares on defense.

Almond is a smart kid and knows what he needs to work on and will. He justs needs time on the court to develop and make the adjustments. That is why he is in the D-league. He will have a nice Rocky Mtn Review this year and so will CJ.
There are alot of young players on the Jazz that don't have big egos and have a strong work ethic. I can see these guys stickin around for awhile plus they sense that the Jazz are a young and upcoming team that will have several shots at a title over the next decade.

Now that he is back with the Jazz, maybe Fesenko will cut back on his 2 to 3 pack a day smoking habit. No wonder he gets tired after five minutes on the floor.

re: JazzFan4ever

I am tired of the Sloan drivel that you 'fans' spout about certain players not being 'ready.'

What are you talking about? Please define for me when you can tell that a player is 'ready' ?? Please educate me.

How do you know a player is ready UNLESS he PLAYS? How can you judge their talent and ability to defend UNLESS THEY PLAY?

Sloan wants every player to play like he did. Poor offensive player that has to compensate with 'Good' defense.

Last I checked players like Micheal Redd, Gilbert Arenas, and Ray Allen weren't recognized for their defense BUT FOR SOME CRAZY REASON every NBA team would LOVE to have them on their roster.

Enough with the excuses on why you can't coach talent Sloan.

Fire/Retire Sloan

Why did they draft Almond to begin with? That was one of the worst drafts choices I ahve ever seen. There is really nothing that can be done now but I hope they ship him out after this season is over and pick up someone that will make more of a difference to the team. Can someone explain to me why they drafted him in the first place? What did they see in him?

The Jazz have a problem of too many good players. It is a nice problem to have but is still a problem. Ronnie Price, CJ Miles, Morris Almond, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, they all play more of the less the same position and they are all good players. Mile and Almond have great potential and Price has come on as of late. The Jazz do not need anyone from the draft, I think they should trade a couple of these good players for a better backup to Okur (CJ Miles, Collins, Hart, and Almond have to have some kind of trade value). The Jazz are in a nice position but if they are not careful someone good may leave to be a more integral part of another team. Im thinking particularly of Ronnie Brewer. The kid has great numbers, is the most athletic player we have and only plays half the game and he actually can defend. We need to be careful to keep Brewer.

The Jazz drafted Almond because he has a sweet shot, he's smart, and he seems to have good character. there was nobody the Jazz brass thought would be any better at that stage of the draft. All wise fans realize that nobody can predict how draft picks will turn out. Seldom does a No. 1 to No. 3 draft choice fizzle, but many players who are drafted in the first round don't work hard enough to secure a long-time NBA career. Some players are good physically but have low basketball IQ. Others are smart but just can't compete physically at the NBA level. Still, Almond appears to have a great deal of offensive talent. Redd, Arenas and Allen all play good enough defense to keep their men from going nuts. If they didn't, no NBA team would want them (except for Isiah Thomas, that is). Sloan Hater, your lack of logic is laughable. Sloan watches all his players in every practice. If you don't play smart on defense in practice, you won't suddenly change in a game. When I watched Almond in the D-League, he was poor on defense and hardly passed at all.

So where was Almond drafted at? Wasn'e he around 18 or so? I do not remember so somebody please tell me the exact pick he was. I just remember cringing when he was selected. I could not believe how dumb they were for doing it. There were so many other players that were so much better than him. They wasted a draft pick on him. I don't care if he can shoot the ball. The kid is not a player. he is a shooter but not a player

to why:
Please expound on all the players that were so much better than almond. Almond was the 25th pick of the draft. The reality is very few people are drafted that low and contribute immediately. In fact, I would be that most players taken low don't spend a lot of time in NBA. Let's face it, for every Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Kirilenko, Milsap (anhy late 1st round or 2nd round pick, there are a lot more that don't amount to much. May I refer you to you to the last 2 drafts there is one contributer, Jordan Farmar, and alot of others like Joel Feeland the last pick of the 1st round of 2006, doesn't show up as a player in the NBA.