Locked on Jazz—Scrimmage Observations and Post Scrimmage Sound.
2 October 2010 | 3:13 pm
Great crowd today at the scrimmage and the floor looks great.
Overall observations.
The team looked like it has a long way to go understanding the plays. Numerous times when a player had to be told by another player or coach to clear out or run through. The secondary break was really poor. One play in specific Watson is leading the break with Thompson on the right and Evans trailing Thompson. In Jazz basketball, Thompson is supposed to run through from right side underneath the rim and the left side to clear out the area so the trailing man in this case Evans is open for a dunk. Instead, Thompson spots up on the wing, when Evans runs down the lane he is not open and Watson passes to Thompson for a 22 footer that was no good. Three new guys running a play like the rest of the NBA. In the Jazz system that is an Evans dunk. Not today.
The overall energy was very good. They played hard. Coach Sloan was even pleased with that aspect. The players universally seems very respectful and impressed by the effort of their teammates thus far in camp.
Transition defense was not very good overall.
Coach Sloan said, “We had a lot of guys played well.” “I thought some of the young guys did all right.”
Individual Observations
The most newsworthy moment of the day came after practice when Jerry Sloan gave CJ Miles a scolding. “He hasn’t been in his rhythm like you would expect him to be. He has been back a little, he has had things that have hindered him. I just mentioned to him yesterday he has to work harder and not get into such a casual approach to the game, he has to compete to get better.”
Earl Watson had the highest turnover rate of any point guard that played 20 minutes or more last year in the NBA. That was evident in the first half as he committed numerous turnovers. At the same time, it is clear he can help this team a tremendous amount. He is a solid defender. He runs the pick and roll well and from all reports are he is learning the system well.
Jeremy Evans will be the talk of most of the people at the scrimmage. He is an unreal athlete. He impacts plays and gets his hands on lots of balls. However, he needs to get stronger. If you watch him lots of times he doesn’t something amazing with his athleticism but is unable to finish the play due to his lack of strength. However, it was very interesting after the scrimmage to hear Coach Sloan lay the praise on “He is pretty intelligent basketball player, not just his athletic ability his intelligence of knowing and seeing what is going on is not by accident. A lot of people have the athletic ability and can’t do anything with it. Our biggest concern will be about his body.”
Paul Millsap and Andrei Kirilenko were the best players on the floor. AK played exclusively at the 4 and impacted the game a great deal. Millsap was hustle and grit.
Francisco Elson was the most pleasant surprise. He fits this team very well. Coach Sloan said after the game they have liked his skills for a long time. “We have always liked some of the things he does, people have to guard him at the top of the key and he runs the floor well defensively and those things can help us.”
One play told me all I need to know about Gordon Hayward. He got buried on a pick, I mean buried but he stayed in the play and when the ball handler dished off to a post big Hayward got back in the play and blocked the shot. Lots of guys would have died permanently on the pick.
Hayward turned the ball over a few times early on drives. It looked as though he got fouled and the officials let the guys play at an absurd level. Hayward showed the ability to play with others, he never got beat defensively that I can recall. He did miss on three drives to the basket and that will be a reoccurring issue as it is with every rookie. They are getting hit by bigger and stronger guys and they aren’t able to finish. If you recall both Matthews and Maynor dealt with this last year.
Al Jefferson looked good on a pick and pop though the shot didn’t fall. Around the basket he has a super quick release on his push shot and it never misses. He got some easy baskets today more than he might have had all last year.
Sundiata Gaines played well. Jeffers was very active and aggressive.
https://www.nba.com/jazz/features/locked_on_jazz.html
