Why does Karl get all the blame?
- Thread starter MrBlue
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D
Deleted member 365
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A team with Greg Ostertag, Adam Keefe, and Greg Foster making the playoffs is a miracle.
Even the "Big 3" have a few decent players to go along with their superstars. Udonis, Anthony, Miller, and Chalmers could have played big minutes for the Jazz.
Dallas has a ton of talent too. Tyson Chandler is a top 5 center in this league.
The problem with the Jazz was never their 2 best players... It was what they had surrounding them...
Even the "Big 3" have a few decent players to go along with their superstars. Udonis, Anthony, Miller, and Chalmers could have played big minutes for the Jazz.
Dallas has a ton of talent too. Tyson Chandler is a top 5 center in this league.
The problem with the Jazz was never their 2 best players... It was what they had surrounding them...
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Uh-huh.
vslice02
Well-Known Member
I don't solely blame Karl, but it is disappointing that he took so many jumpers and disappeared in two of the most pivotal games of the Finals.
-Game 5 of '97 with the series tied 2-2, Karl shot just 1-6 in the 2nd-half (1 layup, 5 jumpshots).
-Game 2 '98, Karl shot 5-16 overall and was 0-4 (all jumpshots) in the 2nd half. With Utah down 2 with 30 seconds left, he had Toni Kukoc on him but instead of posting up, he took (and missed) an 18-footer.
The lingering memory from '97 was Bill Walton constant bemoaning every time Karl would take a fadeaway "Just take this to the hoop and get a foul here...get to the basket here...no fadeaways please...MVP time, where is Karl Malone?"
Karl did have his moments in the clutch, so I think Bob Costas said it best when he said something to the effect of Sometimes Karl came through, sometimes he didn't - but nobody came through as often or as consistently as Michael Jordan."
IMO - the Jazz played better basketball than the Bulls in '97 even though Chicago was the better team, and poorer basketball than Chicago in '98 even though I thought Utah had the better team. Heck, they lost Games 1, 5, & 6 even though they led for 129/144 total minutes. Chicago just finished games better.
As for Karl's supporting cast, in '97 they (particularly Russell, Ostertag, Foster and Morris) provided more help from the 3pt line which kept Chicago's defense more honest. In '98, they used their length to force Stock baseline in the pick-and-roll and then played a zone (aka illegal defense) on the weakside and Utah couldn't make them pay from deep.
And speaking of officiating, the Jazz could've easily won Game 6 of the '97 Finals if an obvious goaltend/basket interference was called on Scottie Pippen with less than 30 seconds remaining.
It's painful to think about how close Utah was to beating Chicago both years - but sometimes you just have to live with the fact that your best just isn't as good as the other guy's best.
-Game 5 of '97 with the series tied 2-2, Karl shot just 1-6 in the 2nd-half (1 layup, 5 jumpshots).
-Game 2 '98, Karl shot 5-16 overall and was 0-4 (all jumpshots) in the 2nd half. With Utah down 2 with 30 seconds left, he had Toni Kukoc on him but instead of posting up, he took (and missed) an 18-footer.
The lingering memory from '97 was Bill Walton constant bemoaning every time Karl would take a fadeaway "Just take this to the hoop and get a foul here...get to the basket here...no fadeaways please...MVP time, where is Karl Malone?"
Karl did have his moments in the clutch, so I think Bob Costas said it best when he said something to the effect of Sometimes Karl came through, sometimes he didn't - but nobody came through as often or as consistently as Michael Jordan."
IMO - the Jazz played better basketball than the Bulls in '97 even though Chicago was the better team, and poorer basketball than Chicago in '98 even though I thought Utah had the better team. Heck, they lost Games 1, 5, & 6 even though they led for 129/144 total minutes. Chicago just finished games better.
As for Karl's supporting cast, in '97 they (particularly Russell, Ostertag, Foster and Morris) provided more help from the 3pt line which kept Chicago's defense more honest. In '98, they used their length to force Stock baseline in the pick-and-roll and then played a zone (aka illegal defense) on the weakside and Utah couldn't make them pay from deep.
And speaking of officiating, the Jazz could've easily won Game 6 of the '97 Finals if an obvious goaltend/basket interference was called on Scottie Pippen with less than 30 seconds remaining.
It's painful to think about how close Utah was to beating Chicago both years - but sometimes you just have to live with the fact that your best just isn't as good as the other guy's best.
fargon_sneaky_bastage
Well-Known Member
Am I the only one whose heart still races watching any of those Finals games? Man I miss the days when the Jazz were true contenders.
vslice02
Well-Known Member
I'm with you. Last week I rewatched Game 2 of '98 Finals (can watch on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUqcX1JM65c&feature=related) and I was slamming my fist down over the officiating and offensive rebounds. Despite ultimately losing, many great Jazz memories in those games, and NBC's intro's and broadcasts were epic.
prodigy
Well-Known Member
It's tough to watch those playoff games, always have a what if feeling.
About Karl - there wouldn't have even been a game 6 if he didn't carry the jazz in game 5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAIeuAx19lg
https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199806120CHI.html
17/27 63% FG, 39 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, just 1 turnover
If the Mailman had somehow carried the jazz to a ring over MJ he'd be considered for GOAT status. Instead he's labelled as a choker.
prodigy
Well-Known Member
Game 1 of 97 still bugs me, we had a chance to steal homecourt and we blew it. We were such a dominant home team that year.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199706010CHI.html
Malone gave us 23 and 15, can't really blame him..Our bench played pretty well
Problem is you have a starter that scores just 2 points(Ostertag), if he had any offensive skill
vslice02
Well-Known Member
Yeah, one of those games (like Game 5, like Game 6) where the Jazz lead for pretty much all of the first 3 quarters and then Chicago turns up the defensive pressure in the 4th, and ultimately nobody remembers anything besides Malone rimming 2 FT's and Jordan's buzzerbeater. Looking at the boxscore, the other shocker in that game was Pippen was battling a foot injury but he really bounced back with that huge game, thoroughly outplaying Russell.
D
Deleted member 365
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check out the intro by Costas about Stockton and everything... That's the way pro sports should be.
Today they'd have some celebrity who has nothing to do with sports talk, followed by some retarded song by the Black Eyed Peas, then the showing of a player doing some goofy dance or coach imitation.
How I miss the days when the game was about emotion, effort, and winning. Not entertainment or attracting viewers from the 12-15 age.
