I agree. I think there is a line between tanking and a full-fledged dumpster fire in which players confidence can be shattered, or willingness to stay in Utah (cough cough Hayward) might be in jeopardy.
Even though watching Jabari and Wiggins last night had me salivating for lotto day, I think a win here and there - just to get our youngn's a taste of victory - is a necessity. Tonight seems like a fine place to start.
Agreed. When it comes time to re-sign for next year, those players who would have been on the fence following an 0-82 season would be in a much better position if they come away from this season with a few wins. With the warm fuzzies that they'll get after beating the likes of the Pelicans and the Kings, they won't even hesitate to sign on the dotted line. "Man, I can't WAIT to come back for another year and almost beat some more teams!" And regardless of how they feel, think about how it will increase their trade value! GM's looking over resumes will be delighted to read the entry:
2013-2014 Utah Jazz - Basketball Player
Requirements: Pulse, patience. Shoot and pass ball
Major Accomplishments: Didn't lose all of our games
They will probably not brush their teeth after their first win so that they can continue to savor the taste of victory (what does beating the Pelicans taste like?). The confidence that they gain from these wins will be second-only to the confidence they would gain from actual achievement.
At his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, when asked what the turning point was in his career, Gordon Hayward will pause only very slightly before stating "those six wins in '13/'14 really served as a catalyst for my future. I was so lucky to be a part of that."
Had Doc Brown been privy to the events of 11/13/2013 and had even a basic understanding of the impact of that evening, he would have instantly destroyed the DeLorean to eliminate even the remotest possibility that McFly would find himself in a position to even slightly alter the result. No time-space continuum fabric could realistically withstand such a dilemma.
You will be able to tell your grandchildren that "I was there, watching on an illegally streamed internet feed, when the Jazz won that game. Alec Burks' heart grew three sizes that day!"
I would say that this is a "must-win", but I fear that the requisite urgency is not represented by this lackluster phrase. This may just be a "must-must-win."
Utah Jazz, my team! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our teammates and break up our contracts, but it is not this day. An hour of pelicans and shattered defensive schemes, when the pride of the organization comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, men of the Northwest division!
