Comments about ‘Defense will be key if Utah Jazz are to force a Game 6’

No defense will be able to stop Kobe Bryant if he continues to make the kind of shots he made in Game 4. The good news is that he does not shoot like that every game.

What is it like to pull off a win with the Utah Jazz defense?

Kobe is the least of our problems. It's all the role players at home who go crazy on our weak defense. Pau dunking every time he touches the ball.

If I have to endure one more headline about this teams defense.

This team does not play defense.

The answer why they don't is simple too.

They are good enough offensively to win 50-55 games a year without playing defense. (We would have won 55 this year without injuries)

The only time defense matters is against the Lakers in the playoffs. They are the lone team in the W. Conference who is better offensively than we are.

If we played the Lakers 60 games a year then these players would "get it" that they have to play defense to win. As it is now we play lots of teams that do not require us to play well defensively.

We just get exposed for it against a premier offensive team like the Lakers.

The only consolation?

The Lakers were exposed by a good defensive team (the Celtics) last year in the playoffs. The Lakers are not a great team defensively either. We have scored plenty of points against them. WE just lose because we never stop them from scoring.

The only way to beat them is to get big and pound them defensively.

Easier said than done.

Walk the walk. We have inundated these guys with defense talk...they do not get it or, they just do not know how. Is it the coaching. What is the matter? Are they afraid?

It is all coaching when players don't do what they are suppose to do. Jerry needs to go. He is the boss of the team and he can't get them to do what needs to be done. To the farm Jerry

This team does not have to play decent defense to win most of their games. They win most all of their games with offense.

There is only one team in the W. Conference who they would not beat in a 7 game series and we are playing them in the 1st round.

How many of you in your job mold your skillset around the 95% of the situations you encounter vs. the 5% that you rarely encounter?

Thus it is with the Jazz. They win most of the time without defense and thus they are not prepared for the rare instances when have to use it to win.

Who among us does not adapt to that which we encounter most?

Of course the players "know how" but simply have been conditioned to winning without defending.

Eventually they might learn that they can't flip the switch and play it.

We now have 3 years of records against the Lakers in the playoffs to prove it.

All that said, salary cap considerations included, how many BIGs are available to this team in this market?

Now you know why it will be tough to get good enough to beat the Lakers.

So based on your premise of "its all coaching when players don't do what they are supposed to" I guess all but 1 coach who wins the championship this year should be fired?

I mean what coach will stand up and tell you that his players do exactly what he wants?

This team would have EASILY won 55 games this year without injury--possibly even contested the Lakers for the #1 seed. That would have put the Jazz in the top3-4 teams in the league and your answer is to fire the coach?

Miles, your decision making is as bad as your defense and your rebounding.

Seriously it is non-stop firing of coaches meanwhile the players NEVER get fired and they know they won't be regardless of whether they do what the coach says or not.

This is a players league. Check the salaries if you have any questions about that. Coaches are not getting GUARANTEED 100+ million dollar contracts.

The players get paid and the coaches get the blame. That makes alot of sense doesn't it.

If players are pansies and too soft to play legit defense then that is not the coaches fault.

Here Here. I agree, "If the players are pansies and too soft to play legit defense the that is not the coaches fault."

The problem is that players who are making from 5 to 10 million a year are not going to risk their, "this is a business," playing time to make a hard pick and punish Bryant, Gasol or any of the others. If they are hurt it might affect their career and they would loose millions. Look what has happened to Harpring over the years. I cannot remember a year with the Jazz when he has not been hurt in some manner or other.

This is just a sign of the times for pro players. I am surprised that football is not catching on to this fact.

Well better luck next time.

Oh come on....Stop defending Jerry and his poor floor decision-making ways. Most head coaches don't play those who do not want to buy into their system. Whether Memo or Boozer make any attempt to defend they know they will get the majority of the minutes from Jerry. So why shorten your career by playing defense? Jerry won't punish you. Phil has benched Farmar. Must be a good reason. Maybe cause he wasn't doing what is was suppose to do when on the court. Jerry whines about defense after every game but still gives his worst defenders more playing time. Korver can't guard a paper bag yet plays 30 minutes a game. Dwill was so tired in game 4 he could hardly stand up and Jerry just left him in. AK or CJ could have played point to relieve him some. Jerry does not know how to adapt or sell his system. Jerry just whines just like his players. The boss is in charge and Jerry can't handle that role anymore.

Players get fired all the time. Look at Starbury. Look at Marion. Look at Shaq....been traded how many times? Don't use your lame excuse that players don't get fired? How many of them were traded this year alone....Like 50!!! Jerry is no exception. Either do your job or get out of town.

Don't coaches make millions too?

Clearly they are responsible for something.

Winning in the regular season,

and winninng in the playoffs and winning championships, the post-season,

are two different things,

and sloan can not do the latter not even with 2 of the supposedly greatest players of all time.

the limits and problems with his system always shows up in the post season, when it really matters.