Game Thread Feb 16, 2022 08:00PM MT: Jazz at Lakers

[The Fresh Prince]

Most players over 35 have periods like that, especially when they are playing 30+ minutes.

When did Stockton and Malone only play one side of the court, and watch their team play 4 on 5?

 

[One Brow]

When did Stockton and Malone only play one side of the court, and watch their team play 4 on 5?

Stockton was under 30 mpg. Malone did take a few plays off here and there in the few games I saw.

 

[Isaiah 1:13]

The reason we lost is because we didn’t get those NAW minutes we were promised.

NAW, Don't think so.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

The reason we lost is because we didn’t get those NAW minutes we were promised.

This actually might not be a joke. Given the problems that our 'system' players have against switchy, 5-out teams, the Jazz should try replacing Royce with NAW. Give him the same low-usage, spot-up shooter role, but let him create off the dribble when Mitchell gets doubled. Lets see what he can do in a 4-on-3 situation. Basically, hypnotize him and tell him he's Andre Iguodala playing for the Warriors.

Otherwise, it's possible that Trent Forrest can give the Jazz what they need, even though he's a negative-gravity shooter. He can at least drive in the paint and make something happen, or kick back out. Jazz need another guy who can play off the dribble and who doesn't suck on defense.

 

[fallenchicken]

This actually might not be a joke. Given the problems that our 'system' players have against switchy, 5-out teams, the Jazz should try replacing Royce with NAW. Give him the same low-usage, spot-up shooter role, but let him create off the dribble when Mitchell gets doubled. Lets see what he can do in a 4-on-3 situation. Basically, hypnotize him and tell him he's Andre Iguodala playing for the Warriors.

Otherwise, it's possible that Trent Forrest can give the Jazz what they need, even though he's a negative-gravity shooter. He can at least drive in the paint and make something happen, or kick back out. Jazz need another guy who can play off the dribble and who doesn't suck on defense.

Whether it’s Pascall or Naw or even House, I would love to see Snyder dare to mix up his rotations. Sitting gobert or Conley in crunch is probably too difficult politically, but there is no reason Royce has to be out there.

 

[Ron Mexico]

When did Stockton and Malone only play one side of the court, and watch their team play 4 on 5?

If they had in the regular season we probably would have won more in the playoffs. Those two were so beat up in most playoffs. Teams and players are much smarter these days in regards to this.

 

[fishonjazz]

Oh ****, now you're projecting bro. Let's use some reading comprehension.

I'm saying that if the game (score of the game) is out of reach Lebron is only out on the floor to get his stats. I've said it in two separate posts that you've read that he legitimately takes plays off. That means he doesn't get back on defense. Why should the rest of his team play hard 48 minutes out of the game, but Bron Bron can get a pass with playing one side of the court?

Looks like he's deceived you into believing his stats are genuine and that he put extra effort into every game. There's plenty of footage of him not getting back on defense and watching his team play 4 on 5.

Literally every player plays differently in garbage time lol. But you expect lebron to be the exception.
Also, I have seen games when the game is out of reach and lebron is on the bench with the rest of the starters. You just want to hate.

 

[fishonjazz]

And let me just say this. No BS. If Don or Rudy pulled stunts like that the entire Jazz fan base would want their head on a pike. I don't understand why so many of our fans are submissive to a pampered athlete like Lebron. Is he a once in a lifetime athlete? Yes. Is he a great basketball player? Yes. But does he have the track record of being called the greatest basketball player of all time when he doesn't give his all every game that he plays? Not to me.

Not to mention he's played with so many ball of famers, all stars, solid veterans. Any athlete of the past would've loved to have an entire roster tailor made for them at the drop of the hat.

Lol. I have seen rudy and don take plays off. especially in garbage time. I have actually seen every player I have ever watched take plays off.

 

[LogGrad98]

Rudy is an all star for his defense, his ability to screen and his ability to finish only at the rim. If the PnR game is not working adequately at the end of games, you have to question how effective Rudy is in there. Almost all teams go with 5 shooting options in their crunch time offense. The NBA is now all about guys who can take other guys off the dribble in iso situations. You never see a last second shot come from a big man screen at the top unless that big man is also a threat from deep (AD, Jokic, etc).

Donovan can shake great defenders in this league. We should try letting him go at a guy and maybe the opponent's rotation leaves somebody wide open for big buckets. Don can't get to the rim if Rudy is in there because the defense can always sag off Rudy taking away the rim option.

Rudy wasn't as big a problem this game as was our inability to handle the trap. As soon as they started showing on screens and full-on trapping Mitchell everything collapsed. This loss was on the coach's inability to adjust to this wrinkle. It also hurt that we did not have Joe, another ball-handler/creator to help break the traps open.

 

[LogGrad98]

This actually might not be a joke. Given the problems that our 'system' players have against switchy, 5-out teams, the Jazz should try replacing Royce with NAW. Give him the same low-usage, spot-up shooter role, but let him create off the dribble when Mitchell gets doubled. Lets see what he can do in a 4-on-3 situation. Basically, hypnotize him and tell him he's Andre Iguodala playing for the Warriors.

Otherwise, it's possible that Trent Forrest can give the Jazz what they need, even though he's a negative-gravity shooter. He can at least drive in the paint and make something happen, or kick back out. Jazz need another guy who can play off the dribble and who doesn't suck on defense.

Trent on the floor with Mitchell and Conley would have helped break the trap. Get the ball to Conley or Trent when the trap comes, have them take advantage of a defender out of place and break the paint for a lob to Rudy or a kick-out while the defense scrambles. Granted that is a small backcourt/wing combo, but we needed ball-handling at that point more than Royce's size and inability to do aught but catch and try to shoot with little activity beyond that. But we did none of that. We did stand around and watch Mitchell try to get free by himself or stand around and wait for the pass. Little to no off-ball movement. Not much passing to speak of. Just a terrible response to the trap.

 

[LogGrad98]

Every player takes plays off. It is a long grueling season, and they are playing at arguably the height of athletic play in all of sports for extended periods of time. It does not let up. Human nature takes over at some point and they conserve energy. It takes a concerted effort to push past the body's desire to rest and get the last of the endurance or power the muscles have to offer in a lot of these games. No wonder they take plays off.

I was never a world-class athlete, but in high school I could get up and down the court without being winded much, and could dig deep for a push at the end of a tough game. One of the 3 dunks I had in a high school games came near the end of an OT game when I and 2 other guys had played all but something like 3 minutes of the game time. We had a breakaway and I went up and technically had a dunk (the ball cleared the rim, I followed it and pushed it through the hoop with my hand on top of the rim. That's a dunk, right? LOL I could not palm the ball so that was my only option). I was thoroughly exhausted at that point, but I got one more big jump out of my tired legs and it was cool and a lot of fun and gave us like a 6 point lead or something. We ended up winning. Then I went home and ate like 4 plates of spaghetti my mom had made (she makes great spaghetti), and then I slept like 14 hours.

I cannot imagine the physical strain on these guys at this level. And for that many games. The 20-odd games we played in HS with the tournament and all were plenty for me. I felt like I was tired all the time, I could eat like a horse, and my muscles felt like jello a lot. What must it be like to be working at the level of a Donovan Mitchell. Insane. So taking plays off is not a surprise, especially at the end of an intense game. It takes serious mental fortitude to push past your human physical endurance levels and squeeze out that one last burst of speed or power to make that big play. Frankly I am surprised we don't see more of them take plays off like that. Of course, that is the different between us basic HS or even college players and the pros. Frankly, it is awesome to watch.

 

[The Fresh Prince]

Regardless of all of our supposed weaknesses we were still up by five points with four and half minutes to play, and my biggest concern as always is our struggles to close out close games. So from the four and a half minute mark, still up by five points nobody attempted a shot except for Donovan Mitchell until after missing three consecutive shots including a routine layup, Bogey took a long three with 37 clicks left on the clock which he made followed shortly by another two pointer (too little, too late). Donovan went on to miss a fourth consecutive shot (a three down by four) to finish out the game. He's never hit a game winner in how many years is it @infection? and yet we continue to go iso Mitchell, I mean how stupid is that? One of those bad shots was a stare down three from 29 feet out score tied. Absolutely no attempt to make anything happen in the blender. This is on Snyder!

And then there was the infamous bad pass from Royce back to Conley when he should have pulled the trigger on the three. I feel like that's another conditioned response, "Oh wait, I better not, it's Mitchell time!" Sloan was a great coach and yet so so predictable down the stretch, everybody in the NBA knew exactly what was going to happen, it was going to be a pick and roll, Stock to Malone. And here we are thirty years later and we're still stuck with the same predictable nonsense except now it's not even a two man play with options - just get it to Mitchell. This is even worse than Sloan's predictability. Bet Sloan had a better record in close games.

Other than that, I thought we looked pretty good for the most part. I would have liked to have seen more minutes for Forrest (12 & change) and a little less for Conley, especially down the stretch. I would have loved to have seen my boy Dok make an appearance. That slight after some stellar play was conspicuous but not unexpected from Snyder. Dok has the best hands of any of our big men and when he finishes over you, it's not quickly forgotten. When you're primarily a finesse team, you gotta have some dawgs IMO. Oh and I absolutely loved Royce chirping at Lebron after that academy award performance got shot down..........we need more of that!

I'm hoping we learn from our mistakes by postseason. Hopefully this makes our team stronger. This was a humbling experience, no doubt.