Why are we getting blown out early?

[Jazz4ever]

There are two problems in the starting lineup and they are Al Jefferson and Raja Bell. It should be clear to everyone by now that Jefferson is an iso player and has no use for DWill whatsoever. He is only assisted on 54% of his shots this year which is only slightly higher than his Minnesota %. In contrast, Millsap is assisted 68%, and last year Boozer was assisted at an incredible 74% clip....that's Jazz offense. If you start Fesenko, you bolster your interior D and rebounding and have a powerful weapon in Jefferson to do the scoring in the late 1st quarter and early second while DWill is out. Since the backup PG sucks, you keep the offense simple and rely on AJ to hold the lead and can give DWill the required rest he hasn't been able to get so far.

As for Bell, there's not much you can do. Between him and Miles its pick your poison. The Jazz are never going to have even an average shooting guard its just our destiny. This problem will need to be addressed in the off season or at trade deadline.

 

[Hitman]

Well I have to disagree with this assessment, the fact is the starters are closing out the games and thats when the last few have been won. Although I wouldnt mind swapping Ak and Cj in the starting lineup

Actually, the starters aren't closing out the games, they finish with CJ in place of Bell. But I have read that Jerry and the coaching staff want to keep CJ coming off the bench as they want at least one player in the second unit who can score. I don't think swapping CJ and AK for the opening tip solves the early-game woes.

The first unit racked up 41 points in the opening quarter against Toronto, and led 27-23 against OKC after one quarter, so I don't think it's a personnel thing. I think they just don't seem to run the offence with any urgency early on. Against Toronto and OKC they ran and got easy buckets IIRR, but in other games Deron has been walking it up, and the rest of the team has followed suit and been slow - even lazy - with their cuts. We need to start running and playing with urgency from the opening tip, not waiting until we're 18 points down and then playing like it matters.

 

[mtnbayou]

We start out early because we just like to toy with the opposition.

 

[Chad Feldheimer]

Big Al just said on the post game "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[Hanginthere]

Actually, the starters aren't closing out the games, they finish with CJ in place of Bell. But I have read that Jerry and the coaching staff want to keep CJ coming off the bench as they want at least one player in the second unit who can score. I don't think swapping CJ and AK for the opening tip solves the early-game woes.

The first unit racked up 41 points in the opening quarter against Toronto, and led 27-23 against OKC after one quarter, so I don't think it's a personnel thing. I think they just don't seem to run the offence with any urgency early on. Against Toronto and OKC they ran and got easy buckets IIRR, but in other games Deron has been walking it up, and the rest of the team has followed suit and been slow - even lazy - with their cuts. We need to start running and playing with urgency from the opening tip, not waiting until we're 18 points down and then playing like it matters.

Well in these guys' defense I would assume that they are exhausted... Coming back from these deficits takes a lot out of you because you have to work twice as hard... Mark my words... Even though these wins may contribute to taking a little more out of their tanks come seasons end, it's going to pay bigger dividends in helping them to be more flatlined and less likely to panic in the big games down the stretch... They're learning how to deal with some serious adversity early and that builds mental toughness and that "clutch" factor that you need to win in the playoffs...

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I think we don't have a very deep team and the first unit is saving their energy for the 4th quarter.

 

[fallenchicken]

58 wins this year. Cool-aid tastes good, needs more sugar.

 

[freakazoid]

I think it's just they're used to having Carlos out there.

Carlos who?

 

[GVC]

Carlos who?

Read the rest of the post, retard.

 

[gregbroncs]

Well I have to disagree with this assessment, the fact is the starters are closing out the games and thats when the last few have been won. Although I wouldnt mind swapping Ak and Cj in the starting lineup

Your facts are dead wrong. The starters have not been finishing. CJ has been finishing and in one of them Fess basically finished.

 

[billyshelby]

I think it's just they're used to having Carlos out there. With Big Al, everyone is overthinking things instead of just playing. When crunch time comes, with the deficits the Jazz have had, no one has time to think about it. They just go out and play.

I think this is pretty close to accurate. In the first quarter of every game on this trip, I thought the starters were playing robotic. But in second halves, they're fighting for their lives and instincts take over. The one thing I really, really, really like about this team, and it speaks to your point about Boozer, is that we're ego-less. Not that Booze ever did anything wrong, and Deron has definitely asserted himself more in crunchtime, but the whole team is playing for a score. It's not dump it to Al or Sap, it's not wait for Deron to do something, it's do the little things and get the best shot.

 

[dipship31]

Getting in sync is just something kind of out of their control still. They're still learning to play together and just seem to can't get rolling right at the start, but we're 7-3 despite honestly some crappy basketball and they're showing the mental toughness that will pay off huge once they start to play well together. I'm hoping they start to get in sync by the time Memo is ready and I think he'll be huge with his new role player status.