Are Jazz stuck?

[InGameStrategy]

Why would you doubt it when it was repeatedly (publicly) reported that such conversations did take place?

Do elaborate, if it was publicly reported, that there were conversations during the season, and what resulted from them.

While you're looking, I'll cite an article that suggests that little was accomplished during the 2007 regular season at the end of which the ***** hit the fan. Fittingly, Phil Johnson--not Sloan--is the one quoted during the following pre-season's trip to Boise that they are "going to do the best we can" to get AK involved.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695215301,00.html


So in other words, Sloan not only hasn't had a good in-game strategy in handling players at times, he hasn't had a good in-season strategy. AK decided to wisen up and shut up, but it should have never escalated to that level, and it didn't bring back the past. Coaches are not just motivators; they are also negotiators.

 

[Hopper]

While you're looking, I'll cite an article that suggests that little was accomplished during the 2007 regular season at the end of which the ***** hit the fan.


So in other words, Sloan not only hasn't had a good in-game strategy in handling players at times, he hasn't had a good in-season strategy.

Well, to begin with what you think a particular article "suggests" seems rather idiosyncratic to me and I don't agree with your conclusion. If you are talking about a very strict time period, i.e., only the season where he ended up crying in an interview, then it's been so long that I can't remember what all was said or done exactly when.

That said, I do remember, for example, Sloan yelling out very demonstrably to Williams early in a game to run a certain play. The play was for AK and he missed a lay-up very close to the basket. That notwithstanding, Sloan immediately stood up and clapped in an enthusiastic (not sarcastic) fashion and called the same play the next time down the floor (I think AK made a bucket the second time). This was during the season where AK was whining 24/7.

It his own interviews that year (mainly in russian outlets) AK admitted, under pressure after seeming to deny it, that the Jazz playbook had a number of plays designed for his position. His attitude seemed to be that he didn't care to run those plays because they were too mundane, perhaps suitable for a hack like Harpring, but not worthy a player of his caliber who should be allowed to freelance and make "spectacular" plays, designed just for him (or designed just to let him improvise---which he did plenty of, anyway).

He also admitted that Sloan had made it clear that he (AK) had an open invitation to discuss any concerns he might have. AK said he preferred not to take advantage of that invitation because he didn't like talking to Sloan. None of this is meant to precisely relay his verbatim comments, but that was the gist.

I think one would be hard-pressed to blame Sloan for AK's refusal to talk or try harder to get involved in the structure of the Jazz offense.

 

[Hopper]

That same year, AK's long-time advocate, guardian, and protector, Larry Miller, was interviewed on the radio and asked about AK. Miller said that AK had told him that his assignment in the Jazz offense was only to go stand in the corner and stay out of the way while the other four played.

That was too much for even Miller to swallow. He said: "Do I have "Sucker" written in big letters on my forehead, or something?"

 

[InGameStrategy]

That same year, AK's long-time advocate, guardian, and protector, Larry Miller, was interviewed on the radio and asked about AK. Miller said that AK had told him that his assignment in the Jazz offense was only to go stand in the corner and stay out of the way while the other four played.

That was too much for even Miller to swallow. He said: "Do I have "Sucker" written in big letters on my forehead, or something?"

Well, your previous post was a very nice anecdote (vs. a bona fide link), and then the post immediately above suggests that either (1) AK refused to accept any efforts by the coaching staff to get him involved in the offense [my link implies that this didn't happen at any magnitude until the season was over] or (2) there were not significant efforts to get AK involved in the offense until ***** hit the fan.

Your mention of the Russian interview appears to be a lot of your interpretation of what the interview implied. My interpretation of that year is that he might've slacked off on the offense because he didn't get enough touches in the first place, not that the plays were not spectacular enough. Neither explanation is a good excuse; nevertheless, they still beg the question of what the coaching staff (Sloan) did about it. Even though he was being a drama queen, I don't buy that Sloan put forth much effort in improving the situation, especially given the string of run-ins that he had with especially foreign or semi-foreign players (Amaechi, Arroyo, Giricek, etc.). By contrast, Gregg Popovich was able to marshall several foreigners (Parker, Gino, Oberto, Duncan (sort of a foreigner, although he went to a U.S. college)) to several championships. Is AK all that much more high-maintenance than these guys? I say only modestly.

Given Sloan's unwillingness to enforce defense for his big men, foreign (Memo) or not (Boozer), maybe Sloan has swung the other way to being too passive in some respects. In either case, it's ineffective, and I think that the Jazz organization underestimated the negative impact that Sloan had on the team's success in years past. Maybe the player chemistry is here, but the in-game strategy still isn't.

 

[Hopper]

Your mention of the Russian interview appears to be a lot of your interpretation of what the interview implied. My interpretation of that year is that he might've slacked off on the offense because he didn't get enough touches in the first place, not that the plays were not spectacular enough. Neither explanation is a good excuse; nevertheless, they still beg the question of what the coaching staff (Sloan) did about it.

No, not at all. That's what AK said in his interviews, I merely noted that my summary was not intended as verbatim quotes. AK said he had talked to Sloan, but wasn't gunna do it anymore. He mentioned that Sloan was primarily asking for him to contribute via his defense and all- around game. AK said such a role was not appropriate for a player with his salary. He first claimed that NO plays in the Jazz offense were designed for him, but later admitted that there were plays, but that he didn't like them because they were too structured. As I recall, Sloan admitted his incompetence as a psychologist, and the Jazz hired a team psychologist, who presumably tried to tend to AK (and others).

My Mama, she done told me, that there one time, and all, she said: Looky here, aint-boy, ya can put a bit in this mouth and drag a hoss down to the crick, but, I don't care if ya wear out a whole pallet of 2 x 4's on his sorry ***, you can't MAKE him drink. Remember that, boy, she said.

 

[mfree]

We have to make some kind of franchise-changing move this summer, its envitable. But that move could easily be drafting Aldrich at 9 and letting Boozer walk for nothing.

While I think they will try to make franchise changing moves this year, the AK47 contract means that the real changes are much more likely to happen next year.

This year, in my opinion will be more about staying pretty competitive while positioning themselves for real change next year.

 

[Gameface]

We have to make some kind of franchise-changing move this summer, its envitable. But that move could easily be drafting Aldrich at 9 and letting Boozer walk for nothing.

GOOGLE:
Did you mean: inevitable Top 2 results shown

 

[Hopper]

I think that the Jazz organization underestimated the negative impact that Sloan had on the team's success in years past.

Yeah, and I think the only reason we continue to have crime in this country is because of the incompetent prison officials who utterly fail to completely rehabilitate every misfit loser who comes through their door.

 

[Scorpjazz]

... I think that the Jazz organization underestimated the negative impact that Sloan had on the team's success in years past....

If, by negative impact, you mean that they won more games with Sloan here than they would have with him not here, then YES, I agree.

 

[InGameStrategy]

If, by negative impact, you mean that they won more games with Sloan here than they would have with him not here, then YES, I agree.

I don't think that it would be hard to find a coach with better substitution patterns and player development. Sloan's strong suit is discipline, but that's easier to replace IMHO.

Anybody could have coached Karl and John to the number of championships that Sloan did.

 

[InGameStrategy]

Yeah, and I think the only reason we continue to have crime in this country is because of the incompetent prison officials who utterly fail to completely rehabilitate every misfit loser who comes through their door.

That is an impressively tangential attempt to respond to my argument.

Prison officials rehabilitating inmates is far less expected than coaches developing players.

 

[Hopper]

S2, can ya tell me a Fess story for bedtime, eh?