Jazz - Nuggets: Round 1

[homeytennis]

The only adjustment we need: take care of the ball. If we take care of the ball in the OT and run the same offense we had for the entire first half, we likely win this one. The wheels came off due to 4 TOs on 4 straight possessions.

Also Quin needs to read the three second rule to the refs. Jokic at times would camp in there with no whistle. If they are going to let him get away with that then Rudy needs to do the same thing.

 

[Friend2bees]

Great game. I think I actually feel slightly better about our chances now. I was a little concerned about how well Mitchell would play since he hasn't really played well vs Denver this year except after Torrey Craig fouled out of the 2ot game a week ago. He's not going to put in 57 every game but it looks like he's figured out Denver's defense.

The biggest takeaway to me is that we had a few really bad sequences and Denver made us pay every time. Mudiay and Bradley combining for 3 straight missed layups and then Bradley gets an offensive foul the next possession, Niang bricking 3 straight 3s, obviously the 8 second call but also letting Murray hit a 3 in like 4 seconds afterwards. Even if we didn't score on the lost possession we could have run more time off the clock.

Edit: forgot a play from the first half where for some reason Mitchell doubled Jokic in the post even though Gobert was on him, and it predictably led to Denver hitting an open 3 because Mitchell was down in the post instead of on his man. Jokic is too good of a passer to double, just let him try to score on Gobert

 

[LoPo]

You can’t challenge a call if there isn’t a call. Wish it was different but it makes sense.

I don't understand that. If they can go back and look at if somebody stepped out of bounds or stepped over the 3pt line, why can't see if a guy gathered the ball in the frontcourt and took it to the backcourt? Right when the 3 went in, they could have stopped the game for a review. If he was cool, bucket counts. If he wasn't, ball goes to Utah at the time of the infraction.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The biggest problem with drop against Jokic is that not only he's more than capable to shoot, but the great playmaker he is, so whenever someone closeout on him, its a money assist, but if a switch is made and a shorter guy like O'neal is on him, he's also able to use his back all the way to the basket (or a comfortable midrange), while also being good at drawing fouls and finding assists if a help defender comes, he's just that complete. You either commit to him when he pops or you hope they fumble/brick their possession by themselves.

Id say need to either have Morgan or Rudy follow Joker on the pnp (and the other keep his position on the rim, but i think Joker would foul Morgan much more, which i'm not sure is that bad at all if as i said, it avoids Gobert foul trouble) and have a body on Murray (be it Ingles or Royce, but we need to keep track of Royce's fouls and Ingles stamina).

They were scoring every time down the court though... end of 4th quarter you make other guys beat you... if Grant hits a three from the corner then you lose, but can't let Murray and Jokic be that open at the top of the key during crunchtime.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I don't understand that. If they can go back and look at if somebody stepped out of bounds or stepped over the 3pt line, why can't see if a guy gathered the ball in the frontcourt and took it to the backcourt? Right when the 3 went in, they could have stopped the game for a review. If he was cool, bucket counts. If he wasn't, ball goes to Utah at the time of the infraction.

Rules... you can only challenge certain calls. Doesn't have to make sense... its just the rules.

 

[Troat Guru]

Well to sum up after this game I feel amused, pleasantly surprised, hopeful for the remaining games but also a bit disappointed and regretful....let's go, onto the next one!!

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Yep. And the offensive rebound Jokic got and got fouled on with 26.8 seconds left. They went up by two. If we get that rebound, we hold for last shot.

Dude the 8 second call was brutal. Donovan was great but that is a completely unforced mental error that gave them life when w

 

[LoPo]

Rules... you can only challenge certain calls. Doesn't have to make sense... its just the rules.

I understand it is the current rule. That's not my point. My point is based in logic. If they review certain things, why couldn't they review that too? It's not like second guessing a missed foul or 3 seconds in the lane. It's a clear cut line violation no different than if a player had stepped on the line inbounding the ball. It's a very rarely uncalled item, so adding it to the rules only makes sense.

 

[LoPo]

Dude the 8 second call was brutal. Donovan was great but that is a completely unforced mental error that gave them life when w

Dude, I'm not downplaying the 8 second bonehead mistake. My point was that there were many instances of missed plays in the game to end the 4th. We didn't have the gas in the tanks for the overtime.

People are putting too much emphasis on the 8 second call. It sucked, but so did not blocking out, turnovers in overtime, etc.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I wish we could see Morgan on Jokic and Brantley on Murray. Switch that Pnr. Have Gobert playing a Giannis-like defensive rover on their weakest shooter.

I don't think Brantley would be great there... he might be able to be a disruptive help guy though. Oni could take a few minutes but not in crunch time. I think Ingles was just straight gassed.

I think you just have to switch it sometimes. Like you have to adjust what you do sometimes. Couple times down the stretch I just wanted us to give the ball to DM and get the **** out of the way but it looked like we were trying to run offense and it ends up with JC or Ingles shooting something.

Quin is very smart but sometimes I see things we do and just go WTF did you think would happen. Like Mudiay today... was on the court with JC and Ingles... that is fine in the regular season but in the playoffs we don't need his ball handling if we have those guys on the court. We need defense and shooting something serious doe... and Miye is over there...Brantley is over there... WYD Quin? Even the 8 second call... like he could be watching and call a timeout if the player is not gonna make it up the court. He sits on challenges like they are a golden egg... just fuggin use one.

 

[rjfan]

They were scoring every time down the court though... end of 4th quarter you make other guys beat you... if Grant hits a three from the corner then you lose, but can't let Murray and Jokic be that open at the top of the key during crunchtime.

I surely agree that we should wear down that 2 man combo, but if Royce gets out of his position on the paint of boxing out Nuggets wings and grab the boards, leaving it for Mitchell and Clarkson (and Ingles, and Bojan, and Conley, as its been a defensive problem all season, just changes the approach other teams attacks us because different roster and coaches, but the exploited weakness keep the same), id say that Nuggets goes not just for "nice but streaky role players shooters", but for alley oops and/or the open backdoor cuts that we are okay letting O'neal go for it on the attacking end.

The personnel to execute this defense matters too.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Dude, I'm not downplaying the 8 second bonehead mistake. My point was that there were many instances of missed plays in the game to end the 4th. We didn't have the gas in the tanks for the overtime.

People are putting too much emphasis on the 8 second call. It sucked, but so did not blocking out, turnovers in overtime, etc.

It was by far the most unnecessary mistake though... so it gets a ton of emphasis.

I will also say those mother ****ers made some shots... wasn't like we handed the game to em. They got all the big shots. They shot over 50% from three on 41 attempts... like you just are not likely to win that type of game.