LockedonJazz: The Margin Of Error Is Small

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Locked on Jazz- the margin of error is small

November 8th, 2010


Jerry Sloan’s substitution pattern or lack thereof on Friday and Saturday showed the Utah Jazz margin for error right now is very slim. Understanding the difficulty of this 4 game Southeastern road trip the Utah Jazz Head man left only his most trusted players on the floor.

By the end of the double overtime thriller against the Clippers, Deron Williams and Al Jefferson had logged over 50 minutes of playing time and Paul Millsap and Andrei Kirilenko touched down at over 40 minutes.

The process of melding 6 new pieces into the Jazz lineup is proving to be a formidable task. Realizing that things aren't flowing smoothly Sloan has been reluctant to go to his bench for extended minutes. Gordon Hayward got a long run in the 2nd quarter against the Clippers but never saw the floor in the 2nd half. Earl Watson had his first CD-DNP for the Utah Jazz and Ronnie Price only saw brief time on the floor.

A large part of the issue is the Jazz offense is not flowing. Over the last two games the team is shooting a slight notch above 40% and has only hit 9 of 32 from the floor. The shooting guard position is really struggling. Raja Bell and CJ Miles both are slumping at 35.6% for the year and Hayward is hitting on 39%.

With the outside presence not placing fear into opponents Al Jefferson is finding less and less success inside hitting on just 13 of his last 34 field goal attempts. Jefferson was never a high percentage big man in Minnesota and the hope was coming to the Sloan system would increase his percentages. In the first six games that is not the case.

All of this coupled together and the Jazz are currently 21st in offensive efficiency in the NBA. This is not a team that is going to win a lot of games by dominating defensively. They are going to need to play defense well enough and timely enough that their offense can win the game.

However, with the offense not synched the margin of error is disappearing each night for Coach Sloan. Impressively, the Jazz have found a way defensively to win a few games, while waiting for the offense to emerge.

The next three games may not be the time to find the groove as they play 3 of the top 10 defensive teams in the game, including Miami on Tuesday who is currently #1 in the NBA.

 

[zman1527]

I think ole Jer made a mistake and makes mistakes by not trusting his bench a little more. Okay, not necessarily trust them but give them some time on the floor to develop. You will go nowhere in the post season without a decent bench and you gotta give them time, regular time, to get there. That, and you burn out your starters at the same time, a very bad combo. The problem is that Sloan does not think strategically toward the post season and going for a ring. He just wants to win tonight and ignore the rest.

The TV guys gave Big Fes the bench player of the night. They said that even though his stats were not impressive, he was a game changer in the second quarter. Then he does not play again. What's up with that?

 

[zbone]

Thanks for posting that

 

[NAOS]

The TV guys gave Big Fes the bench player of the night. They said that even though his stats were not impressive, he was a game changer in the second quarter. Then he does not play again. What's up with that?

They gave Fes the sub of the game because they had to give it to somebody. It sure wasn't going to be CJ.

You have a point, but the evidence you sight is pretty bad.

 

[GoJazz]

I miss Kyle Korver! Without a reliable 2/3 teams just sag in and smother our bigs. Right now they are able to basically triple team anyone on the post because AK, Cj, and Raja are all shooting so poorly.

 

[Stifle Tower]

I miss Kyle Korver! Without a reliable 2/3 teams just sag in and smother our bigs. Right now they are able to basically triple team anyone on the post because AK, Cj, and Raja are all shooting so poorly.

I don't. He hit a couple of FT's to clinch the game for Chicago, but his defense was absolutely atrocious. Chicago subbed him out for one series, on the next, Carmelo left him flat-footed and grasping at air.

 

[Stickler]

AK is shooting poorly? Sorry, but hasn't he been shooting very well?

 

[InGameStrategy]

They gave Fes the sub of the game because they had to give it to somebody. It sure wasn't going to be CJ.

You have a point, but the evidence you sight is pretty bad.

The evidence that I "sight" is 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 points, and 1 assist in 6 minutes of play, which not only justifies a Sub of the Night designation (in the absence of clearer competition) but maybe, just maybe, an implication that more playing time for Fes just might help the team (not to mention his much-needed development toward not just containing the Twin Towers of Hollywood but rather suffocating them).

Additional evidence that Sloan does not play players based on performance but rather on what voices he hears in his head. Not that Jefferson really deserved to play ahead of Elson or Fes independent of KF's high-production cameo. Look at the first three defensive Jazz plays on the NBA.com replay for an example of what could be construed as "jackpottin' around" defensively on Big Al's part. Probably partly fatigue, but the job of the coach is to put the best lineup on the floor at all times. Ol' Jer isn't. Fortunately Utah managed a W from the Clips; GSW kept the W, however, when they were very beatable.