Spurs Imitate Jazz (Da theefs, dem)

[Borat]

I think there are probably more than 5 "franchise" players in the league, although if Pop says so, he's probably right....

Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Durant?

How many other players can really take over a game? ....D. Will is close I guess.

Paul Pierce seemed to be the leader of the Celtics team that won the chip.

Yeah, Paul and KG would have to be considered franchise players. I mean KG was League MVP not too long before he came to Celtics.

The only team that won but did not have franchise players had to be Pistons. But they had 5 all star players on the roster. Prince was their worst starter, and the guy was all defensive team 4 times in a row in addition to scoring 15 a game.

 

[Stifle Tower]

And the Jazz had 2 "franchise players" in Stockton and Malone and never got it done. Pops is speaking in generalities; I think he's really trying to make a point that a lot of guys are getting MAX money these days, but they're not "franchise players."

What it comes down to is you need a couple of all-star caliber players - at minimum. Then you need the rest of the starters to be very good. And you certainly can't have gaping holes, or subpar starters (like the Stockalone teams did). And add a serviceable bench to that equation. Unfortunately for Utah, they just ran into MJ a couple of times and got completely dominated by Hakeem a couple of times.

Present day, the team has had 2 all-stars in Deron/Booz, but has not been solid enough at the other 3 spots or had the depth to compete against the Lakers. That's why the addition of Jefferson is HUGE. No, I don't think Utah will compete for a championship; we're still not good enough to beat the Lakers. But we'll have 2 all-star cailber players and 3 other solid players in our starting 5 and 3 very good players off the bench. Since we don't have a guy like Kobe, Lebron or Howard, I still think we need one more all-star before seriously contending for a championship, especially given the teams in Miami and LA. How does Utah do that? IMO, you gotta trade AK's expiring at the deadline to a team looking to dump a longer-term salary.

 

[Hopper]

Pops is speaking in generalities; I think he's really trying to make a point that a lot of guys are getting MAX money these days, but they're not "franchise players."

I agree, Glass, I think Pops is trying to make a point but is just being a little sloppy or hyperbolic about it when he says you can count the "franchise players" in the league on one hand. He probably really just means high-quality (not marginal) all-star players, and, if pressed, he would probably readily concede that there are more than just 5 or less such players in the league.

 

[One Brow]

They do Utah better than Utah does.

Tell me that when they get to the conference finals five years after Duncan retires.

Wait, Popavich won't be coaching anymore. When you spend your whole career coaching the same all-time-great player, you're not really steching yourself as coach. Until Popavich coaches a team of misfits to a .500 record, I will not believe he's better than Sloan.

"You can count the franchise players on one hand. Until you get one of those, it's not going to happen for you." (Popovich) I wonder who Pops figures the "franchise" player for Boston was when they won the NBA a couple years back, eh?

Garnett, probably.

Or even the Pistons of 2004, who did'nt have any clearcut franchise player on their roster.

Was tanking a season to get Duncan also imitating the Jaz, Pop? Or did the imitation start after you got Duncan?

IAWTP.

QFT. They have an immensely better coach and a pretty decent GM. Pop is probably one of my favorite coaches...ahead of Sloan.

If Popavich can beat the Lakers, then I'll concede he's an immensely better coach. Right now, he's just got immensely better talent.

 

[Mambo]

too bad jazz cant imitate the spurs and win a championship.