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Team a Reflection of Coach
Posted by: Steve on January 22nd, 2011
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.Just as any Jazz fan, i’ve been puzzled by the team’s slow starts and struggles to start our games. Even more puzzled as to how it has not changed now halfway through the season. As i watched the New Jersey game with my dad, we were yelling at the tv because of how bad we were playing, don’t judge you all do it too! haha Frustration though has settled in for me with this team, even at 27-17 and the national media “suprised at how well the jazz are playing,” i want more… I want to know whats behind these sluggish starts.
About a week ago i watched the Spurs play the Nuggets. Something has stuck with me as i watched the game, something that at the time meant nothing, but as i’ve watched the jazz its become a thorn in my side. The telecast for the Spurs game had a segment on the improvement of Richard Jefferson. They pointed out that Coach Popavich had gone back to the basics with RJ, specifically being in a lowered triple-threat stance, ready to catch and shoot. This is something that Jefferson struggled with last year and also what Coach P made RJ work on in the summer. We can all see the improvement he’s made. THEN, they went on to talk about how Popavich has done this with every single player on his team, making sure he is fundamentally sound.
Then it all came together for me: A TEAM IS A REFLECTION OF A COACH.
Think about it… Chicago Bulls have fully embraced there new style with Thibodeaux, DEFENSE. The Knicks and D’Antonio, “we will outscore you.” We’ve seen a change in the Mavericks under Rick Carlisle, as they’ve become a top defensive team. And like i said above, the Spurs are fundamentally sound.
So i got to thinking, what are we?(the utah jazz) Are we on offensive team? Are we a defensive team? Are we a fundamentally sound team? Are we a team that plays hard? Are we a team that plays smart? Are we team that makes changes or adapts to challenges? Can you give a definitive YES to any of those questions… NO, sometimes we are offensive, sometimes we are defensive, sometimes we play hard, etc… We just kind of go through the motions.
We are a “sometimes” team.
So, I’m here to call out coach Sloan and the rest of the staff. I feel they aren’t coaching this team the way it should be coached. I feel they are only coaching this team ”SOMETIMES.” As i’ve watched sloan on the sidelines, i wouldn’t say he’s uninterested but he looks disengaged, as if he has just been going through the motions. His postgame interviews, sound the same… every time. Giving the typical, “we gotta play harder.” I feel he is just going through the motions this season, i feel he hasn’t fully invested his time, energy, and knowledge. I feel he hasn’t coached!
So i hope Sloan makes some changes, not to the team or rotation, but i hope he changes HOW HE COACHES THIS TEAM… so this team can begin to reflect what we all know sloan is capable of.
Replies: 8
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8 Responses
I remember watching that as well and how much RJ has improved this season. I love Sloan but I don’t see this group meshing with him. Pop still gets in his players faces, even when they’re up by 20. LA has Kobe, Boston has KG, and Miami has Lebron. I guess I’d like deron to be more emotional/”in your face” cause Sloan of old doesn’t do that anymore. It also drives me nuts that we are double teaming guys like Hawes and giving Iggy wide open 3s.
I found this to be pretty stupid concept.
Swing and a miss. Don’t blame Sloan. Blame it on a young team going through growing pains.
Steve,
You’re absolutely right!!! Sloan needs to go. I hate to say it but it’s true
You forget that Richard Jefferson came to the spurs last year. That trade was supposed to make the spurs one of the top teams in the west, and what happened? Now with a year and a full offseason Pop has gotten the team where many expected them to be last year.
Now let’s talk about the jazz. Sloan is in a situation where he has 5 new players in an offense that is very dependent on precision. It’s going to take some time. I think most of us would be thrilled if someone told us at the begining of the year that at the half way mark the jazz would have the record they do.
I know as fans it’s easy to get frustrated with our team when they aren’t playing well, but just remember this: In Jerry We Trust. He’s never let us down before, why would he start now.
If team play is a reflection of the coach, they would run the jazz offence and be tough as hell on defence.
Sloan has lost this team. If you as a coach can’t get your players to respond your out the door, thats why there have been so many coaching changes in all sports, except when it comes to Utah, where everyone is happy with the Jazz losing to sub-par teams, getting blown out by the elites, first round playoff exits, ect. Sloan over the course of the last 2 years has not gotten into the players like he use to, he just sits on the bench all nice and calm like he doesnt care if they win or lose.
Even Phil Jackson gets into his players when they do something stupid, though rarely. The Jazz have done everything else, its time for Sloan to step down or Jazz management simply let him go.
When your players don’t respect you, respond to you, run your game plan, then you do what a coach should do:
Bench someone. Go ahead. Bench big Al. Bench Millsap. Bench Deron, even. You have to send a message somehow.
The problem is does that player respond or does he pout?
I think Deron’s a pouter. I think Millsap would respond. I’m not sure on Big Al yet. Maybe start Memo over Big Al? I don’t know. All I do know is that you can’t just continue on. The Jazz have been continually getting worse since about Dec. 1st.