How can we win when we're playing 3 on 5?

[billyshelby]

West: 19/7.2/20.77; Sap: 17.2/7.9/20.44; Booze: 20/10/22.3

Sap is not a role player. He isn't even playing bad. He's had 3 bad games. In the 5 before that he averaged 20/9 so unless he just started wearing down 3 games ago, he's not wearing down.

As far as the starting lineup goes, Bell is the only obvious disappointment. AK has actually played pretty well in January despite a few bad nights. I wouldn't cry if we replaced Bell in the starting unit, but it's the way the whole unit plays that's the problem, not so much one or two players.

The one change that HAS to happen is Bell's minutes have to be cut. He's shot a little better this month which cushions the blow, but he doesn't do nearly enough to justify 30 minutes a night. 10 of his minutes need to go to other players and we'll be instantly better.

 

[NCJazz]

West: 19/7.2/20.77; Sap: 17.2/7.9/20.44; Booze: 20/10/22.3

Sap is not a role player. He isn't even playing bad. He's had 3 bad games. In the 5 before that he averaged 20/9 so unless he just started wearing down 3 games ago, he's not wearing down.

As far as the starting lineup goes, Bell is the only obvious disappointment. AK has actually played pretty well in January despite a few bad nights. I wouldn't cry if we replaced Bell in the starting unit, but it's the way the whole unit plays that's the problem, not so much one or two players.

The one change that HAS to happen is Bell's minutes have to be cut. He's shot a little better this month which cushions the blow, but he doesn't do nearly enough to justify 30 minutes a night. 10 of his minutes need to go to other players and we'll be instantly better.

Even by those numbers. Millsap is not as good a rebounder as Boozer and that is hurting us. Humphries gets over 9 in like 24 minutes. Need Millsap to board more.

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

Resorting to cliche, but hustle is a massive issue.

There's something microcosmic, predicative and pathetically typical about, for instance, what I saw out of Kirilenko tonight: on one hand great hustle on a night celebrating him and his fellow countrymen(?)/culture, yet even within that standard and stanza we're talking about one half of work. MIA come the second half.

That he seemed more interested than usual for a stretch is its own indictment. Wasting 17 million on a guy who needs a "special" reason to show up for a half every few games.

This team has too many role players. Role players that play like Robert Horry in the regular season: just coasting along. That works when you have multiple stars, other subs that know roles and fill them throughout the year, or simply when that same playter truly does make up for it with clutch play in the playoffs, often making up for not only his own play but even that of star teammates (see: Duncan, Tim in the 2005 Finals).

But the Jazz have none of these elements. Not only does it seem that Boozer's presence is missed, but Derek Fisher has been missed for the last three seasons.

I think that the Jefferson trade was a nice move, but his inability to read doubles and general weakside action is troubling, compounded by an interior game that, iso'd and read as internal skillset, is too often timid rather than intimi...well, you get the play on words. All as troubling as Sloan's inability to, or disinterest, in problem solving, either through lineup changes or, contradictorily, any type of consistency in skillset management: i.e. is Okur really more valuable than Fesenko? As valuable? How about Kirilenko versus Hayward?

Teams often take on the personality of specific players. The better teams are attuned to a strong star presence, but Utah has arguably been subverted for years by the tandem of Okur and Kirilenko. Never forget the fact that these two had booked passage out of town during a conference championship. Or that Deron was shot down when he made issue of this.

The schizophrenic soap opera that is both personification and, now, a half-season of play seems far closer to a projected mindset from a headcase like Kirilenko than Williams. I'd almost hazard that Kirilenko's dream of ridding the team of Boozer has paid off, in the form of a team that now is mentally weaker by way of an ongoing, quarter by quarter, identity crisis. The only separation from Kirilenko's personality is that their highs have been notably inspired and powerful, whereas Kirilenko's best moments are either quarantined to a distant past involving sub-.500 play or off the court antics such as free passes and crying jags.

Interesting to note who guides things in Utah, and why. vj's posts are, by analysis and recollection, pretty accurate: management cares little about a title. I'd extrapolate that they care only slightly more about product as positive production than a weasel like Sterling.

And that's only because they don't have the market benefits that he does.

Be honest. How much do you enjoy listening to yourself speak, or in this case, write?

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

The bigger and easier question to answer is how many games will we win this year? 50, 51, 52 or 53? Seriously, so ****ing predictable.

 

[YB85]

The bigger and easier question to answer is how many wins will we win this year? 50, 51, 52 or 53? Seriously, so ****ing predictable.

I predict they'll win all of the wins and lose all of their losses.

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

I predict they'll win all of the wins and lose all of their losses.

**** me.

 

[zman1527]

The bigger and easier question to answer is how many games will we win this year? 50, 51, 52 or 53? Seriously, so ****ing predictable.

It would be easier to just predict which round of the playoffs we go out in, first or second. If we make the second round, how many wins, 1 or 2? Same ole, same ole. But certainly it has nothing to do with same ole, same ole Jer. He's coaching up a storm this year, right?

 

[Jazz4ever]

West: 19/7.2/20.77; Sap: 17.2/7.9/20.44; Booze: 20/10/22.3

Sap is not a role player. He isn't even playing bad. He's had 3 bad games. In the 5 before that he averaged 20/9 so unless he just started wearing down 3 games ago, he's not wearing down.

As far as the starting lineup goes, Bell is the only obvious disappointment. AK has actually played pretty well in January despite a few bad nights. I wouldn't cry if we replaced Bell in the starting unit, but it's the way the whole unit plays that's the problem, not so much one or two players.

The one change that HAS to happen is Bell's minutes have to be cut. He's shot a little better this month which cushions the blow, but he doesn't do nearly enough to justify 30 minutes a night. 10 of his minutes need to go to other players and we'll be instantly better.

The problem is both Jefferson and Sap are undersized, You can have one undersized player on your front court, but not two. It is not a coincidence we got beat by two cellar dwelling teams with large front courts.
The answer is not to bench either of them though. Memo is older and slower than he use to be, while Fesenko and Elson are not starting caliber players in this league.
The only answer is a trade, but I don't see KOC having the balls to shop AJ or Millsap. The only other option is getting Gerald Wallace, a SF who rebounds like a power forward and could even the odds of our small front court.

 

[Fishsticks]

The problem is both Jefferson and Sap are undersized, You can have one undersized player on your front court, but not two. It is not a coincidence we got beat by two cellar dwelling teams with large front courts.
The answer is not to bench either of them though. Memo is older and slower than he use to be, while Fesenko and Elson are not starting caliber players in this league.
The only answer is a trade, but I don't see KOC having the balls to shop AJ or Millsap. The only other option is getting Gerald Wallace, a SF who rebounds like a power forward and could even the odds of our small front court.

The answer is to trade and milsap can land us a quality 3rd scoring option wing. Pf are valued much higher than wing players. Trading milsap is our only chance at getting a player we need and I agree that unfortunately koc does not have the balls to pull it off.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Pf are valued much higher than wing players.

You cannot be serious.

 

[LogGrad98]

Pf are valued much higher than wing players.

You cannot be serious.

No, this is true...for the teams that really need a power forward. For teams that need wings, like us, a wing is valued more highly. Really the scarcest commodity in the NBA is true centers, guys 6'11" to over 7'. 6'10" does not a true center make, but there are plenty of 6'10" forwards working as centers because true centers are so hard to come by. Second is probably a solid pass-first point-guard with true ball-handling and passing skills. Often when the skills are there the player is somewhat undersized, which despite some famous exceptions, typically is a limiting factor for point-guard success. For most players coming out of college the size and skill-set generally puts them solidly in wing or forward territory. The short of it is that there are far more 6'3" to 6'9" players out there.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Centers and versatile scoring wings are the rarest thing you can find in the NBA. The league is inundated with PFs (undersized Cs) and players under 6' 3" (players that are or play the position of PG).