Comments about ‘Utah Jazz try to explain poor play’

The Jazz just need a few weeks of playing together under real game situations. They have the talent and ability, they just need to work out the kinks and get used to each others idiosyncrasies.

They should be much better in a few weeks.

Williams should use Millsap more until Jefferson begins to know the plays better.
Williams needs to cool his leadership. Less anger and more support with the players.
Williams needs to stop walking down the court. It gives a message of insecurity and it eats up valuable time needed. OK if the team is ahead 30 points and 2 minute left in the game.
I agree with giving the Jazz a couple more games to get the chemistry going. They have a great group of guys. The coach is still trying to see where they fit best on the court.

There is no way to explain Jazz play. The fact of the matter is they are a mediocre team at best. Check out the rosters of the better teams and you'll have to agree with me. I keep telling you message board afficionados the truth and I get castigated for it. Quit hanging your whole NBA sports life on them and move on. They are a venue to bring the other "real" teams into their arena for us to see, for those of us who attend games; that is all. Please don't bore me with the notion the Jazz are anything else but entertainment. Derron Williams is "not" the best, the second best, or the third best point guard in the league. That is just not accurate. Enjoy the season my friends.

Karl Malone averaged nearly 4 assists per game for his career. Al Jefferson has a 1 assist per game career average. People can talk points and rebounds all they want, but that "rhythm" Deron is talking about comes with crisp passing and moving the ball.
The Jazz will have some growing pains this year. I think many of these youngsters are still learning how to play the game.

I noticed two things against the Suns... the Suns had excellent separation and the Jazz did not. The Suns always had at least 2 shooters behind the 3-pt line, while the Jazz were all huddled inside the paint defensively- pretty stupid against a great outside shooting team imho. The worst offender was DWill, who was never close to his man, mostly shuffling around the foul line instead of defending the front court. The other thing is the Jazz shooting- they have not been able to hit jump shots, yet keep shooting away; they seem to have little interest feeding the post or driving hard to the basket. Missed Evans, btw, been impressed by Hayward- both hussle and at least try to defend. Everyone else missing in action so far.

May I suggest they actually practice their outside shooting? Along with that they should try guarding the long ball. Sloan's teams have been killed for years by the 3.

Ya, Ya. Heard it all before. Everyone saying it ONLY takes more effort to fix what's wrong with the Jazz, but no one willing to step up and put in more effort.

Worst defensive team in our division, maybe in the west, even Golden State seems to play harder on defense this year, without Don Nelson's No-D approach.

OKC, could score 150 if the same old, same old, continues on Sunday. Sad to watch grown men not willing to put forth the effort of high schoolers when it comes to playing a simple game.

I did not think that the Jazz would miss Memo but they do. Millsap and Jefferson are the same type of players. No spacing on the floor. They need to change their offense to fit Jefferson in. That is coaching, play to your strength. Paul and big Al on the court together doesn't work.Leave big Al down low get a 4 that stretches the floor. Even if you go small.D-will lead and shut up and play.

The preseason showed that this team has the talent, they got to showcase it then but there really isn't much of a problem because its what could've happened but not completely unexpected and there is alot more work to do and that is the kind of work that comes with a little time i think, its not so easy to just shift all the roles over as the dynamics of the team can't be so easily reduced to a one to one correspondence between the new players and old roles cuz the roles have to change by default. the poor start makes it seem they are underprepared, but maybe that's a reflection of being overprepared, in the big picture the talent is there to just grind through this and it will work out.

Jazz just need to stay the course. It is going to take time for them to gel. Big Al looks uncomfortable, and rightfully so. Our system is a lot more complex than what Minnesota runs. Hayward is a fighter and will only continue to improve. Raja will also get more comfortable - he hasnt played much in the last year and a half. Dwill - just play like you know how to. Be a leader. Dont zing a ball at a rook because he didnt make a baseline cut. Thats only going to discourage players.

Its a long season. By mid Novemeber, we should be seeing a completely different Jazz team. (hopefully)

I think DWill need to chill. We know 8-0 preseason does not mean jack. I think they will miss Wes Matthews. He can hit the open 3s which the Jazz desperately need right now. Bell is not getting the job done. He looks a little slow. But I think they will get it together (hopefully sooner than later).

AK is better coming off the bench. His offensive decision making has never been great, i.e. he makes too many poor passes, takes poor shots, and in general takes everyone else out of their offense. He needs to let the other scorers do their job, get offensive rebounds and put backs, and contest anyone driving into the paint.

no pick and roll no go in Utah.

there is certainly tons of blame to go around.

if the Jazz keep getting beat on fast breaks they will fail...how hard can that be to understand? this season there are fresh legs on the bench, use them of the old ones can't go

Defense wins ball games. If the Jazz are looking to simplify things, than start by playing defense. Take a charge, defend the perimeter, get back in transition! The offense will come, set picks and stop hesitating on open looks, move with out the ball and the rhythm will come.

Keep working hard Jazz, it will pay off!!

GO JAZZ!!

of course what MDP said I have always said for years, and all of you blast me for it. For a Hall of Fame coach to not change his old style thinking and not realize the Suns will shoot open 3s unless guarded, is beyond stupidity. Raja can cheat and cover that is cool, but if everyone cannot do the same that is on Sloan and "his Sloanaholics"

CJ I am sorry to say is the key to this whole Jazz team. If I am Sloan to get this kid head back on right I start him at the #2 get him happy and hurting teams again. He can average 15 ppg and be the guy but I just think he needs to start. I have been very supportive of him for several months now, he has a chance like Slam Magazine said few months ago to take the next step to be a great pro. It is time CJ gets it right..

This Jazz team lacks intensity and rhythm. The Jazz need to be bullies on the glass, and start playing some lock down intense defense! Lose the wimpy attitude and play some hard nose ball the rest of the season. How many times have we seen a Jazz team not have the star power as other teams, but some how they win ball games? It is because they played intense defense and played hard on every single possession.

Lets go Jazz!

"utah jazz try to explain poor play"

I find this comical. It starts at the top. Deron complains of no rhythm and yet HE is the one walking the ball up the floor. No easy baskets. No pushing the pace. Forcing a bunch of new players to execute when the chemistry to do so is not there yet.

Deron did this during couple of stretches last year, walking the ball up the floor that is, and =our winning % drops every time he does it.

I'm not sure if he is injured, distracted by something personal, or what his problem is but he ought to quit whining and complaining at rookies who ARE EXPECTED to make mistakes and get his own but in gear and start running the ball up the floor so we don't have to execute against a RESTED and SET defense. Its not rocket science.

Another Sloanism is appropriate now too. Even if you shots are not falling you can still play defense. What have we seen? These lazy players will not even run back on defense. Sloans says playing some defense will sometimes spark your offense. These guys ought to make an effort.

Ravenlz, would have us all think that Rondo is a better point guard, even though he shoots worse than dwight howard at the line and they shoot about the same percentage outside 10 feet.

The truth really is that Dwill and company didn't need a 8-0 preseason, they didnt need hype, that just puts unwanted pressure on them to succeed early. Even if they had the same team last year, the first part of the schedule is a beast. They'll be lucky to be .500, that being said. not pushing the ball up needs to change from dwill.

Millsap needs more shots, he's efficient from 18-20 ft. Ak needs to come off the bench to provide guidance and passing in that second unit.

CJ needs to start so he can get a rhythm. That broods confidence for him.

AJ needs to set better picks, the air pick isn't working.

Gordon is fine, just keep working on the outside shot. Raja can't press anymore.

Need evans for 10 mins at least, he's energy and rebounding.

Fes has to play over Elson, he's playing decent and can dominate at times.

The Jazz team last season started out at 2-4 or something like that, they didn't start great either. Just like the preseason doesn't mean jack the first few games aren't gonna tell us the end of the season either. You just have to will it to the playoffs then peak then.