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Utah Jazz notebook: Team not putting in effort on defense
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SLC DUNK posted | 9:56 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009
stats from 82games. AK and DWill are playing well. Maynor and Price are not and
that is not a surprise. However, the big problems are Boozer, Brewer and Okur
they are all minuses. Millsap is a goose egg.
In a nutshell there is no competent back up PG. But the starting PF/Cs and the lack of a shooting guard are killing the Jazz.
Koufos is better than Boozer and Okur and almost as good as Millsap. AK, Fez and Williams are carrying the team. That is not enough to compensate for the drag of the Boozer, Okur and Brewer.
Supposedly Sloan does not look at stats but he does not need to. He knows what is wrong and who and what is fouling this team up. On the other hand he is highly unlikely to make very many significant changes.
Who is he going to play? He will play Fez at times against "real" Cs. He has glued Koufos to the bench. Once in a while he plays Mathews. Price is hurt and Maynor is just not ready.
Replace Boozer with Koufos and see what happens? It could not be any worse. Koufos at least plays defense and rebounds.
In a nutshell there is no competent back up PG. But the starting PF/Cs and the lack of a shooting guard are killing the Jazz.
Koufos is better than Boozer and Okur and almost as good as Millsap. AK, Fez and Williams are carrying the team. That is not enough to compensate for the drag of the Boozer, Okur and Brewer.
Supposedly Sloan does not look at stats but he does not need to. He knows what is wrong and who and what is fouling this team up. On the other hand he is highly unlikely to make very many significant changes.
Who is he going to play? He will play Fez at times against "real" Cs. He has glued Koufos to the bench. Once in a while he plays Mathews. Price is hurt and Maynor is just not ready.
Replace Boozer with Koufos and see what happens? It could not be any worse. Koufos at least plays defense and rebounds.
Net Difference in | 10:12 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009
production stats reveal the following. Koufos has the best differential on the
team with +8. He produces a lot more than he allows his opponents to produce.
Where is Koufos? Glued to the bench.
Mathews has the second best differential with 7.3, followed by Fez at 5.7 and AK at 4.7. Since none of these players are offensive power houses that tells you who is playing defense. They are holding down thier opponents.
Millsap and Okur are -3 and Boozer and Brewer are -4. Small wonder the Jazz are losing.
Price is -16 and Maynor -20. The Jazz need a really good combo guard badly.
When you get right down to it the so called starters are not playing defense and thier offense is not that good either.
Yes I know Koufos only gets garbage time. But how much of that is Sloan's bias in favor of Boozer/Millsap's ego? Besides Koufos is playing PF which is not his best position.
Try replacing Boozer, Okur or Millsap with Koufos or pull any of the 3 when they do not defend and put Koufos in. He won't do any worse and will get better.
Mathews has the second best differential with 7.3, followed by Fez at 5.7 and AK at 4.7. Since none of these players are offensive power houses that tells you who is playing defense. They are holding down thier opponents.
Millsap and Okur are -3 and Boozer and Brewer are -4. Small wonder the Jazz are losing.
Price is -16 and Maynor -20. The Jazz need a really good combo guard badly.
When you get right down to it the so called starters are not playing defense and thier offense is not that good either.
Yes I know Koufos only gets garbage time. But how much of that is Sloan's bias in favor of Boozer/Millsap's ego? Besides Koufos is playing PF which is not his best position.
Try replacing Boozer, Okur or Millsap with Koufos or pull any of the 3 when they do not defend and put Koufos in. He won't do any worse and will get better.
Comments continue below
Anonymous | 10:50 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009
Utah has the team they deserve.
Utah has the team | 11:38 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009
that Sloan/KOC put in place and insisted on keeping in place. That is
Sloan's bias against making changes that should be made.
When will DWill openly say a coaching change is needed? When he gets fed up enough with losing because he is stuck with a coach who can't coach during a game nor trade personnel?
How many more losses before the fans revolt or the Millers actually wake up to the fact that they have been taken badly by the continuity kool aid?
Scott was coach of the year a couple of years ago. He consistently over achieved with NO. I think he could make a big difference in a hurry in Utah. Even if he only came in for this season before going to LA he could at least save the season.
It might be time to give Scott a courtesy call. It might wake Sloan up to the point where he might actually make changes he should have made years ago.
No one holds Sloan accountable. Drop the extension talks and start exploring alternatives. You will see the necessary changes in a big hurry.
Sloan will start doing what he is supposed to.
When will DWill openly say a coaching change is needed? When he gets fed up enough with losing because he is stuck with a coach who can't coach during a game nor trade personnel?
How many more losses before the fans revolt or the Millers actually wake up to the fact that they have been taken badly by the continuity kool aid?
Scott was coach of the year a couple of years ago. He consistently over achieved with NO. I think he could make a big difference in a hurry in Utah. Even if he only came in for this season before going to LA he could at least save the season.
It might be time to give Scott a courtesy call. It might wake Sloan up to the point where he might actually make changes he should have made years ago.
No one holds Sloan accountable. Drop the extension talks and start exploring alternatives. You will see the necessary changes in a big hurry.
Sloan will start doing what he is supposed to.
The Millers have taken the | 11:49 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009
first step by putting up the money. Now take the second step and get your
money's worth. Sloan will never get you a championship. His biases insure
that you will never have the right combination of players and he is not a good
game coach. He got out coached by Westfall. Does that give you an idea?
Real coaches make adjustments during a game. Really good coaches make adjustments that actually work and stop what the other team is doing.
Real coaches exploit other teams weaknesses instead of kissing up to the Veteran's because they might pout. Real coaches don't talk they actually create a defensive culture (DEN).
Real coaches go out and get the talent they need instead of forcing existing players to play out of position for continuities sake.
Real coaches recognize player weaknesses that can be exploited and replace the players if they do not fix the weaknesses.
The only reason Sloan was not fired years ago was because he consistently made the playoffs for relatively cheap.
He will never win a championship. His approach to the game and players is wrong.
You paid for it. Get a real coach and a championship.
Real coaches make adjustments during a game. Really good coaches make adjustments that actually work and stop what the other team is doing.
Real coaches exploit other teams weaknesses instead of kissing up to the Veteran's because they might pout. Real coaches don't talk they actually create a defensive culture (DEN).
Real coaches go out and get the talent they need instead of forcing existing players to play out of position for continuities sake.
Real coaches recognize player weaknesses that can be exploited and replace the players if they do not fix the weaknesses.
The only reason Sloan was not fired years ago was because he consistently made the playoffs for relatively cheap.
He will never win a championship. His approach to the game and players is wrong.
You paid for it. Get a real coach and a championship.
jazzman72 | 1:10 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
Even the best defensive effort wouldn't give this team a championship. You
will never beat the Lakers, Celtics, etc in a 7 game series with an undersized
pf and c. Hopefully the jazz can draft some bigs with size and talent next
summer.
This article makes a lot | 6:20 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
more sense than DWill claiming that "selfishness" is the problem. You
get outside jump shots when the Sloan system is negated. You can't send the
ball inside for the most part without a TO if the effort is not there on the
picks or if the paint is packed.
Part of it is getting out coached and having no other option but to shoot outside without set outside plays designed to unpack the paint.
Many of the starters will not set hard picks if they know it is an exercise in futility. Why get beat up and risk injury if the result is going to be a TO by a team mate?
Are they soft? or are they realistic? If your coach and system offer no solution to the problems why would you execute at high cost to your self?
It reminds me of BYU claiming that execution will solve the defensive problems against the spread offense?
Beating your head on the ground works if you do it well enough? After a while your brain swells and you don't have to worry about executing anything.
The players ascertain IF the Sloan system WILL work, then they execute.
Part of it is getting out coached and having no other option but to shoot outside without set outside plays designed to unpack the paint.
Many of the starters will not set hard picks if they know it is an exercise in futility. Why get beat up and risk injury if the result is going to be a TO by a team mate?
Are they soft? or are they realistic? If your coach and system offer no solution to the problems why would you execute at high cost to your self?
It reminds me of BYU claiming that execution will solve the defensive problems against the spread offense?
Beating your head on the ground works if you do it well enough? After a while your brain swells and you don't have to worry about executing anything.
The players ascertain IF the Sloan system WILL work, then they execute.
BOS vs Jazz | 7:07 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
BOS and the Jazz have the same team salary.
BOS has the big 3 and they have a lot of cheap veterans with a long strong bench.
Utah has 6M in Harp doing nothing and another 6-7M in overpayment to AK and some duplication in Boozer/Millsap and a young short bench.
BOS also have plan B. They are versatile, they can break a zone or just about any other defense thrown at them. They are still a contender if a key player goes down.
They were built from the ground up by Ainge for defense and versatility.
Utah was not built for defense and is a one trick pony. If anything disrupts the Sloan system it deteriorates into bad jump shots, fast breaks by opponents and an exercise in futility.
The problems is in the FO and coaching. BOS is versatile and built to adapt and can gut out games based on defense.
Utah is a fragile system that does one thing well with great effort.
The problem is in the front office and the coaching philosophy.
Real contenders attract cheap good veterans. Pretenders don't.
The Jazz should have a BOS for the money!
BOS has the big 3 and they have a lot of cheap veterans with a long strong bench.
Utah has 6M in Harp doing nothing and another 6-7M in overpayment to AK and some duplication in Boozer/Millsap and a young short bench.
BOS also have plan B. They are versatile, they can break a zone or just about any other defense thrown at them. They are still a contender if a key player goes down.
They were built from the ground up by Ainge for defense and versatility.
Utah was not built for defense and is a one trick pony. If anything disrupts the Sloan system it deteriorates into bad jump shots, fast breaks by opponents and an exercise in futility.
The problems is in the FO and coaching. BOS is versatile and built to adapt and can gut out games based on defense.
Utah is a fragile system that does one thing well with great effort.
The problem is in the front office and the coaching philosophy.
Real contenders attract cheap good veterans. Pretenders don't.
The Jazz should have a BOS for the money!
And The Answer Is? | 7:21 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
The players have quit on this coach and for "good" reason! His
philosophies are as ridiculous as his attitudes!
What's so funny A.K.? | 9:48 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
Why was A.K. over on the Jazz bench giggling during the 2nd half of the Boston
game, while his teammates were out there on the court getting slaughtered? I
guess he thinks it's all so funny, especially seeing hotshot Boozer
struggling so bad.
LOSERS | 9:59 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
I would not blame this all on sloan, but it is way past time for a change, the
way he coaches defense dont work anymore, this isnt the 80s, he doesnt have
players that will give it all for him, and it is a whole new game nowadays. This
team is full of selfish losers. There is only a handful of true winners on this
team(players who winning is the most important thing to them)and sloan is NO
motivator.
Sneaky Jimmy | 11:04 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
You are being set up by the millers. Jazz will be sold this summer and move to
Seattle.
Miles | 11:16 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
We need CJ back BADDDDDDDDDD
SLOAN BASHERS LOOK HERE | 11:51 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009
HERE IT IS IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
"We had one of our worst ratings on our defensive stuff as we've had all year," said Sloan, whose Jazz are yielding 102.8 points per game this season.
And it's not because they didn't know what to do.
"I think they have a pretty good idea," the Jazz coach said. "It's just taking the EFFORT to get it done. Its not like we've changed a lot of stuff."
Deron Williams concurred.
"Especially with all the emphasis on defense, talk about defense, WE haven't put much of an EFFORT up," Williams said.
The coach and our star PLAYER both agree it is not the coach/system.
They are both professionals in the NBA and you are a....well...not in the NBA.
They say it is the players and the lack of defensive commitment/effort.
Somehow I think they have a bit more credibility than all you high school b-ball wannabe superstars who are still trying to reassure the world of all your basketball abilities.
Go back to your couch and leave it to the professionals.
"We had one of our worst ratings on our defensive stuff as we've had all year," said Sloan, whose Jazz are yielding 102.8 points per game this season.
And it's not because they didn't know what to do.
"I think they have a pretty good idea," the Jazz coach said. "It's just taking the EFFORT to get it done. Its not like we've changed a lot of stuff."
Deron Williams concurred.
"Especially with all the emphasis on defense, talk about defense, WE haven't put much of an EFFORT up," Williams said.
The coach and our star PLAYER both agree it is not the coach/system.
They are both professionals in the NBA and you are a....well...not in the NBA.
They say it is the players and the lack of defensive commitment/effort.
Somehow I think they have a bit more credibility than all you high school b-ball wannabe superstars who are still trying to reassure the world of all your basketball abilities.
Go back to your couch and leave it to the professionals.
todd to above | 3:28 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009
"sloanaholic"?
worthless
worthless
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Lets see give up 7-9 3s per game
score few yourselves (yes CJ and Korver would help us there)
At this point to save the season it is obvious barring a miracle the jazz will come back from this trip (3-7)
With 8 of 9 at home it is safe to say to have a chance of getting back on track with a little more punch when injured come back (still does not help defense), the Jazz after 19 games have to be(10-9).