The Jazz have the forth best road record in the league

[Gyp Rosetti]

Deron should have learned that?
So many people are just UNBELIEVEABLE. Do you really think being the BEST in the NBA is that easy? If Deron just learned how important homecourt was, then the jazz would win more games and get a top seed?
How long did it take the Stock/Malone jazz to get the top seed? You think it took them that long to learn that they needed homecourt? Do you think they got that top seed in 97 because they finally figured it out?

Can we knock this down to about one or two questions here? I don't even know where to start.

 

[Sean]

Jazz have the 13th best home record.

Out of curiosity, which would make you feel more confident about going into the playoffs, a 36-5 home record and a 16-25 road record or a 28-13 home record and a 24-17 road record?

The fact we're asking this question is ultimately the entire problem here. If the Jazz played better at home, this is a team that's contending with San Antonio at the top of the conference.

But since they've struggled at times at home, they're looking more like a 4-5 seed once again.

If that's the case, how is this year any different than the last four?

Utah is 11-6 at home. Had they won just half of those losses, they'd be 26-7 on the season - or .5 back from the second spot.

As is, though, they're tied for fourth and only .5 ahead of OKC for fifth (and worse, 3 behind Dallas).

Our home record will be the difference between a potentially long postseason and what we've come accustom to here at Utah - winning the 4/5 matchup and then getting tossed in the second round.

 

[Darkwing Duck]

The fact we're asking this question is ultimately the entire problem here. If the Jazz played better at home, this is a team that's contending with San Antonio at the top of the conference.

But since they've struggled at times at home, they're looking more like a 4-5 seed once again.

If that's the case, how is this year any different than the last four?

Utah is 11-6 at home. Had they won just half of those losses, they'd be 26-7 on the season - or .5 back from the second spot.

As is, though, they're tied for fourth and only .5 ahead of OKC for fifth (and worse, 3 behind Dallas).

Our home record will be the difference between a potentially long postseason and what we've come accustom to here at Utah - winning the 4/5 matchup and then getting tossed in the second round.

You didn't add a "not even halfway through the season" thing.

 

[northeast]

Craig's outstanding post in this thread balances his crappy posts in the Hayward thread.

 

[Ben10]

I found this interesting bit on NBA.com

Seeing the 22-10 Utah Jazz trail the 10-23 Los Angeles Clippers by as many as 12 points in the first quarter on Wednesday night may have been a bit jarring. But not if you've been paying attention to the Jazz this season.
The Jazz have the fifth-best record in the league, but only one team has been worse in the first quarter this season. The Jazz are getting outscored by 12.2 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter. That's downright awful, the equivalent of a team that's 5-27, not 22-10.
But the Jazz get better as the game goes on, more than making up for their first-quarter woes. And clearly, Jerry Sloan gives some great halftime speeches. The Jazz have outscored their opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions in the third quarter and by 14.1 in the fourth.
Practice makes perfect
Jazz efficiency by quarter
Quarter Off. Eff. Rank Def. Eff. Rank Diff. Rank
First 95.5 28 107.7 25 -12.2 29
Second 101.3 21 103.0 14 -1.6 18
Third 110.4 3 101.5 11 8.9 3
Fourth 116.4 2 102.3 10 14.1 1
Off. Eff. = Points scored per 100 possessions
Def. Eff. = Points allowed per 100 possessions
Yes, that five-game winning streak in early November, in which the Jazz came back from a double-digit deficit in each game, was incredible. It was also typical.
The Jazz have been the most inconsistent team in the league from quarter to quarter. The Utah offense is a thing of beauty when it's running smoothly, but it doesn't get there until after halftime. Overall, the Jazz rank 11th in the league offensively, but they're a pretty awful on that end in the first half.

We all know that first quarters have been a problem. In home games being behind by double figures in the 1st half tends to take the crowd out of the game and I think the team presses to hard because they want to keep the fans in the game. On the road its just go out and get it done because no one is cheering for you anyway. Not saying this is the reason but its a thought.

 

[vj_74]

Jazz have the 13th best home record.

Out of curiosity, which would make you feel more confident about going into the playoffs, a 36-5 home record and a 16-25 road record or a 28-13 home record and a 24-17 road record?

Neither. What matters more is the seeding and how confident the Jazz look going into the playoffs.

Both those records that you have posted indicate weaknesses. The first scenario says the Jazz will have trouble winning on the road which is a problem in the playoffs. The second scenario means they can win some on the road but good teams can also beat them at home. The first scenario is slightly better to have only if you secure homecourt advantage for all rounds

 

[VINYLONE]

The fact of the matter is this.

Sloan doesn't have the guts or the brains to make any sort of adjustments in the lineup to solve the serious issues this team is having. Just the other week, P. Jackson changed his starting lineup after the lakers lost 3 consecutive games by double digits.

The saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. But what do you do if the things is completely and utterly ****ed up?

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

The fact of the matter is this.

Sloan doesn't have the guts or the brains to make any sort of adjustments in the lineup to solve the serious issues this team is having. Just the other week, P. Jackson changed his starting lineup after the lakers lost 3 consecutive games by double digits.

The saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. But what do you do if the things is completely and utterly ****ed up?

*are

 

[VINYLONE]

True.

 

[memo is money]

The fact of the matter is this.

Sloan doesn't have the guts or the brains to make any sort of adjustments in the lineup to solve the serious issues this team is having. Just the other week, P. Jackson changed his starting lineup after the lakers lost 3 consecutive games by double digits.

The saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. But what do you do if the things is completely and utterly ****ed up?

Bynum, originally, has already been their starting Center. coach was going to insert him into the lineup regardless. It took less time to do so because of the recent trends of Lakers. They ,after that adjustment, did not play well against Sixers, who are in the midst of a long road trip, by the way.

I do not see any reason why Sloan should change the lineup or something else. The Jazz are the worst 1st quarter team in the NBA but they are at the top in 4th quarters, which indicates that "when players stick to system and execute, hustle, the results will be good". Deron said exact same things. The Jazz are inconsistent in everything; defense, offense, effort, aggressiveness. Sloan has never been a motivator. No big news there. BigAl's horrific 1st half performances, AK's starting the game with a 15-footer brick have everyting to do with themselves.