Reader comments
Utah Jazz: Team eyes record in return to comfort zone
56 comments | Read story
No argument that this team has some growing up to do but they are definately not as bad as you make it sound and I think we have a good postseason to look forward to.
We are playing for home court advantage in my opinion, not to make the playoffs...
Except for Boston. Atlanta Hawks might beat the record for most losses ever and still making the playoffs.
BUT!!
Since February 1st we are 8-6 on the road. Pretty good actually. That is a whole lot better than what we used to be. They have also won some huge road games recently. Phoenix and Boston come to mind.
The Jazz are going to go on a nice run now while here at home and if you will notice we are still only 3 games out of first which means these other teams have not won all their game either (except for Houston). Other teams have stumbled as well. Fact: the Jazz are getting better on the road.
Don't forget--we won't have to play any of these lousy teams in the playoffs either--only the good teams. We get "up" for those.
I hope Gasol is healthy before the Laker game so we can beat them here at full strength. I also hope the Rockets keep winning until they meet us so we can be the team that last beat them before the streak started and we can end it for them!!
Apologize to all those anxiously awaiting me over the weekend. Sorry. Had to Celebrate St. Patty's, take in some college bball, watch Tiger do his thing, and Of Course watch the Jazz..
I must be the only one happy with the recent road trip. The Jazz got outplayed in 3 of the 4 games and still came out 2-2. What a bonus to see DWill take over the Boston game. His intensity matched KG -if that's possible- and carried the Jazz to a win on a Very Tough Court. (Helped that RainMan Ray got hurt.)
I don't think I need to comment on the NJ game as it was obvious to all who watched that Sloan got out-coached.. again.
The Jazz can now tear off a 5 game winning streak at home and hopefully put some distance between themselves and the Nuggets.
Let's be honest. The Jazz are playing to win the MidWest, not a better seeding or homecourt.
"..after Saturday's loss that they'll have a losing record away from home for a seventh straight season."
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Fire/Retire Sloan
I do agree 2-2 is great considering the 42% average going onto the road trip. But the Nets had some help they shot 50 free throws. I dont care who is coaching if the opposing team shoots 50 free throws your probably going to lose. Yet the jazz were still in it until the end a mark of a great team.
Todays game is definetely not a gimmie. Toronto is shooting a league best .404 from 3pt. and second best ft%(so dont send them to the for 50 please). Also they are second best at taking care of the ball and forcing turnovers. So Jazz dont get too comfortable at home and get a win!
Go Jazz!
Does Sloan have any responsility or blame for the jazz horrible defense?? Most of you put all the blame on Boozer and AK, but you seem to place no fault with Sloan.
Most of the time, the jazz do exactly what sloan tells them to do and it just doesn't work. The jazz foul way to much and always have, the jazz always lead the league in fouls committed and 50 free throws for NJ was just awful defense. They leave good shooters wide open all the time as part of sloans plan to protect the paint at all costs (his own words). For those of you who have watched the jazz for 20 years, nothing has changed. Quite frankly I get tired of everyone blaming the players for doing what the coach tells them to do.
Jerry is on record saying, that you have got to foul your man to let him know you are there, but come on, its out of hand.
So please respond to the question above, but I think I already know what you will say.
After watching them play Houston on Sunday. I have sort of become a fan of Shane Batier. His defense on Kobe was great. Did anyone see this? He had a hand in Kobe's face almost every shot. And when I say in his face, an inch further and he would have poked his eyes out. I think this is the best defense I have ever seen anybody play on Kobe and I hope the jazz take note of it. Hand in the face blocking view of the basket with out fouling.
adam d
I'll answer your question.
Sure sloan bears some responsibility, but not nearly as much as the haters are trying to lay on him, and here's why.
The players play the game, not the coach. You say most of the time they do exactly what sloan tells them to do, and your right, the problems come when they don't.
When Jefferson blew by AK to the baseline to win the game, was AK doing what Sloan had told/taught him to do? NO. AK was supposed to force him to the middle and make him shoot a jumper.
When Boozer starts taking it easy and letting his guy get position and beat him to the basket is he doing what Sloan teaches him to do? NO.
The truth of the matter is that every player has a defferent style and mentality when they play the game and there is little a coach can, or will, do to change that.
...to be continued
If you are going to try to convince us that Sloan is telling Boozer and Okur(although I will give Okur lots of credit for working much harder lately) to stand in the paint and watch their men go by or shoot over them without even jumping or attempting to block the shot OR getting beat back down the floor to guard their man--then you are as sorry as your silly arguments.
Save the lame fouling argument as well. The Jazz usually get to the line more times than the opponent. So the problem is??? Use what is available to you for any possible advantage and if it is a foul shooting advantage--so be it.
AK is basically the only one on the team that is not performing consistently. Everyone else seems to be contributing quite well. AK can do more but AK will do it when he wants to. AK is coming to grips with the fact that he is the player getting max money but he is not the max money player. Tough psychologically for him to take--he pouts. He has way more skill but does not always use it.
Thanks for making the point about the fouls. It's a stupid stat that means nothing.
@ the unknowlegable haters
Fouls in Basketball are not the same as penalties in football. In football penalties are a sign of a lack of discipline and have a far greater effect on the game. In basketball fouls are a fundamental part of the game, they are used strategicly to gain advantage over your opponent and compensate for weakness.
Time to find another stat to base your faulty logic on.
The other thing that bugs me is Sloan's refusal to do anything to try and motivate the team, especially on the road. He may do stuff in private, but he has said publicly that motivating the team is not his job. I couldn't disagree more, particularly with a team as young as we have right now. Yes, these guys make a boatload of money, but there's something in their heads that's saying "we can't beat average-bad teams on the road," and imho Sloan's staff needs to find a way to get the kids over the hump. The players manage to get pumped for the better teams, but not the middle of the pack or lower.
If your stance is that this is meaningless, you are simply fooling yourself and not being honest with yourself becasue of you love of sloan. Guys, its time to take a look in the mirror and stop living a lie.
147 more FT over 66 games is just over 2 FT attempts per game. The NJ loss was the Jazz 2nd loss of the season of 3 points or less. In those games (NJ and ) they were out shot from the line 50 attempts to 30 attempts by NJ and Miami where the Jazz out attempted the Heat 43-23.
The importance of the number of fouls the Jazz give up is the reputation that comes with it. Listen to what players and coaches say about the Jazz. Everyone knows the Jazz are physical and they will foul you. In the middle of a road trip or at the end of a long season, nobody WANTS to play a physical Jazz team that is not afraid to play physical.
Sloan haters are "ignorant" or lack some sort of "IQ". While the sloan lovers have "competitive basketball experience" which is never elaborated upon, or are "true fans". My personal favorite is that since no one has suggested a replacement for sloan, none exists. And lets not even MJ's retirement.
Please, we don't need another 20 years of talent getting outcoached time and again.
I agree with the poster who said that the jazz do exactly what sloan says and look what happens . . . Everyone here should kiss Dwill's feet for ignoring Jerry's plays when necessary.
If you do the same thing over and over, you will get the same result over and over.
The Jazz have attempted 1965 FT attempts this season which is currently 2nd most in the entire NBA. The 1st team in this category has exactly 47 more FT attempts. Wow.
That means, as I stated originally, the Jazz do get to the line more than their opponents--that would be every team but one.
Do you just make up your own stats or what? Mine are found at sportsline dot com for anyone to reference.
Since you are asking, when will you ever come up with any new arguments? Yours have all been disproven here.
You still have not provided a viable option for a coach that will win more games than Sloan and win a championship here.
You constantly say he is outcoached and that basically everything he does is wrong and yet he strangely continues to win games and contend in a very competitive W. Conference.
Lousy coach keeps winning? Huh?
Obviously Sloan learned NOTHING about winning, nothing at all. It's the same old, same old. If anyone honestly thinks it's going to be 10-12 years before the Jazz go to another finals (if they win or not is another story entirely) is on crack.
Really. Crack.
And it doesn't seem farfetched to ask somebody demanding Sloan's retirement/firing to provide some suggestions about who would make a good replacement. Understanding opportunity cost is actually helpful, and depends on looking at the next best. Same way when people cry for Booz to be traded...it makes sense to think through realistic alternatives. I think a Sloan Hater posted some reasonably good suggestions just the other day about a some Sloan replacements.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
If that doesn't happen, we will have another loss!!!!!
Again, complaining about the same old argunents and then offering nothing new yourself.
Look, it's not the criticizm of Sloan that I mind, It's the nature of the criticism itself. Lets take a logical look at it....
Point #1, Sloan has never won a championship in 20 years.
I'd say that's a fair enough argument against him being the greatest coach ever, but to say that because of that no other accomplishment means anything and that he should be FIRED when his team is coming off a suprise run to the WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS and going into this years playoffs as an ELITE CONTENDER is INSANE.
Point #2, Sloan does not know how to manage a game.
How would you know? why should I think that your rants about how to handle substitutions or defensive schemes have any credibility at all?
point #3 Sloan does not let his players play the game.
No amount of player testimony about how Sloan lets Williams call 80% of the plays and loves it, or that he wants his players to shoot more will ever be enough, so how am I supposed to argue the point.
However, We do welcome all onboard the Fire Sloan Express!
Meanwhile, a restless Araujo lifts weights somewhere in Siberia..
Fire/Retire Sloan
I am the one who gave correct and accurate statistical information. Again, you missed the entire point, the jazz do a good job of dwawing fouls, the jazz are a good offensive team, this in no way translates to the fact the jazz COMMIT more fouls than any team in the league. I do not know how you can possibley argue this point, the jazz foul too much, the have led the league in fouls committed 8 out of 9 years.
So given that the jazz are a good offensive team, if they cut down on allowing some many free throws it would help them win more games, what more do you want me to say. You are making my point for me, if the jazz have an advantage in free throws why throw it out the window and foul your opponant more than they foul you.
If you want, I'll just say that the jazz are great and the more you foul the more you win. Fouling is not a defensive stop by the way.
When would you consider a coaching change? Of course jerry wasn't going to be fired coming into this season, or during this season, but if jerry's track record continues, we need to give the players a new chance with a new coach/philosophy/attitude.
I'll say it one last time, just because fans do not love sloan, doesn't mean they are stupid. Look what happend when the utes finally got rid of ronnie Mac, the program went to a place no one thought possible. I really, really believe this would happen with the jazz.
Jazz are the middle of the pack in Opponent pts/game. (Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Nuggets are all worse than Utah)
Jazz are 3rd best at Steals/game.
The following is where Utah ranks for differential over their opponents
FG% - 3rd best
3pt% - 11th
Reb - 5th
Assists - 2nd
TO - 5th
Stls - 8th
Blk - 5th worst
Fouls - 8th most
Pts - 4th
Take the stats how you will. Jazz are one of the best teams. Sloan isn't the greatest, but one of the best. The players are still young. The sky is falling.
They are in the lower bracket for Blocks/game (but the Spurs, Hornets, Raptors, and Magic all are worse than the Jazz)
The Jazz are 3rd best at forcing turnovers for the opposing team.
They are in the top 3rd of opposing teams 3pt %
They are in the bottom half of opposing teams FG% (although there is little difference between the 3rd best Lakers @ 44.3% and the Jazz @ 46%)
Jazz are #1 in Opposing teams Rebounds
Go back and read some the later comments from last week's articles.
I have never said that replacing Sloan guarantees a Championship. It only increases the odds.
I have always quoted Einstein who said,
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. "
Fire/Retire Sloan.. Expect different Results
The problem is the system!
Good for getting a winning record.
Good for getting good point guards a lot of assists.
Good for getting the power forwards a lot points.
Good fo keeping the fans happy and always hoping.
The BAD:
Takes everyone else out of the offense.
Causes you to go after players that "fit" the system. Not players that can win you championships.
Causes players who don't like the system to look else where.
Causes players who see they won't be involved enough or won'r hae oppotunities to do much in the system to go else where or look else where.
Never puts you in a position to get the kind of players you need to win championships.
Make mediocre players look better thus they stay around taking the place of better players and take up salary money.
You need the right players!
Big physical men in the big men poistions and people who can shoot and do stuff in the other positions.
And a true team leader, something the jazz have NEVER had. Someone who can take over the game when needed.
The stats you provide validate every point that the Sloan Haters Inc. have been debating.
The Jazz are a Good Team with a Good Coach. They don't lead in any single category you mention.
We want a Championship Team with a Championship Coach.
A wise man once said, "Don't settle for less when it comes to a wife or a coach."
That wise man is me.
Fire/Retire Sloan
@ re:magnus
To answer your question I will say yes, I would consider a coaching change.
IF the Jazz lose in the first round this year
and IF they underacheive next year then absolutely I would jump on the bandwagon and admit that maybe it would be time for a coaching change.
Can you say the same thing.
If the Jazz won an NBA Championship would you think Sloan was one of the greatest coaches ever? If the Jazz don't win it all this year but they make it out of the first round and lose to a quality opponent in 7 games would you give Sloan another chance?
I don't think not loving Sloan makes you stupid, but I do think saying that he needs to be fired RIGHT NOW makes people look that way.
Maybe a coaching change would bring success the way firing Mcbride did to Utah. Or it could bring failure and mediocrity, like firing Lou Holtz did to Notre Dame.
Sorry but it's hard for me to take anybody's predictions or opinions seriously when they talk about themselves in the third person.
@ All Sloan haters
Unless you are all Pat Riley or Phil Jackson in disguise and have coached an NBA team for the last 20 years, why should we believe anything you say about "how" a team should be coached. The most you guys have ever done is probably Jr. Jazz, if that. You couldn't hold pace with ANY NBA coach for ten minutes.
I have said many times, the jazz have THE best home crowd in the NBA (thanks to fans like both of us) and a very talented roster, I just don't want to waste more time with a coach that I don't believe in, thats it.
To answer your question: if the jazz lose in the first round this year, jerry should be on the hot seat just like every other coach in the league in a similar circumstance, if they lose next year in the first round, I would go another direction.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
- 9 bear cubs headed back to woods 10:41 a.m.
- Wis. police report 4 shot 10:38 a.m.
- Pot amaryllis now for holiday giving 10:34 a.m.
- Black Friday sales promising 10:28 a.m.
- Twists and turns in pilot case 10:22 a.m.
- Living with children 10:14 a.m.
- Bangladesh ferry capsizes at dock 10:08 a.m.
- NASA: Floating 'junk' not a threat 10:04 a.m.
- Red air alert issued 9:50 a.m.
- Older Americans go to food pantries 9:47 a.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Efforts to save a life praised
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Rivalry Week is highly profane
- BYU's old uniforms?
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Hall's legacy measured today
- Glover gives Utes last-second upset
- Cougars turn back Wildcats'
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
268 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
212 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
133 - Boys basketball rankings
129 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
109 - Letters: Trump card for believers
93 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
86 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
86
It's finally time for the game that everyone has been waiting for all...
Its finally here, the big game. No matter what the circumstances are, it...
Carlos Boozer denied that playing so well against the Chicago Bulls held...
I have never been attracted to caves. But I can feel for this family and...
Anyone who thinks Tiger was NOT under the influence of alcohol is in trouble...
The constitution doesn't gurantee health care? True, but neither does the...
It occurs to e that 5% of $100,000 is almost double 8% of $30,000.Who isn't...
Have your son do in-person or online community college classes - in many...
# of time each coach won the national COY: Whittingham - 1, Bronco - 0
I honestly must say that as a BYU fan I am shocked...absolutely shocked at...
to those who are complaining about the rescue efforts not being enough, don't...
Excuse me! I am supposed to feel better about our loss because Utah beat a...
I honestly must say that as a BYU fan I am shocked...absolutely shocked at...
