"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

So there aren't really any bad or good coaches? Only coaches who have bad players or good players? You might be right.

FWIW, I don't believe Sloan was a better coach in the 90s than in the 2000s. Sloan was a good coach the entire time he coached the Jazz.

Obviously there are people that are better and people that are worse, that's true of anything. I think better players generally matter more than a good coach. Would you take Pops or LBJ for the Jazz next year? Maybe you'd take Pops, that's fine. I wouldn't even think about it. Or maybe a more fair question, would you take the four HoF players the Spurs have had during this run or their coach? Again, we might disagree but that question requires no hesitation from me.

[smokymountainrain]

Obviously there are people that are better and people that are worse, that's true of anything. I think better players generally matter more than a good coach. Would you take Pops or LBJ for the Jazz next year? Maybe you'd take Pops, that's fine. I wouldn't even think about it. Or maybe a more fair question, would you take the four HoF players the Spurs have had during this run or their coach? Again, we might disagree but that question requires no hesitation from me.

Actually, I don't think we disagree at all. FWIW, I'd take LeBron.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Some of Sloan's best coaching jobs were in the 2000s. That team that went 42-40 after S&M retired was an absolutely miraculous coaching job.

And some of his worst were with some of his better rosters: the years Jordan was retired, and getting totally trounced by Don Nelson because Sloan refused to adjust anything and thought Mark Eaton could be used against perimeter oriented teams.

[Eddie]

I think it says a lot about Sloan that he managed to coach up some players and get them to be somewhat productive starters at times, only to see them fade to oblivion when they were traded or signed contracts elsewhere.


That aside - coaches can make a team with average players competitive. But they aren't going to vie for a championship without a superstar. If your choice is superstar player or superstar coach - I'd go with the superstar player. Of course, then I'd hope to have someone like Phil Jackson come along (who seems to do well and finding teams with good players that have a chance to win a championship.)

[Sizzle]

Obviously there are people that are better and people that are worse, that's true of anything. I think better players generally matter more than a good coach. Would you take Pops or LBJ for the Jazz next year? Maybe you'd take Pops, that's fine. I wouldn't even think about it. Or maybe a more fair question, would you take the four HoF players the Spurs have had during this run or their coach? Again, we might disagree but that question requires no hesitation from me.

How much of player development do you factor into coaching? I think that as much as anything in basketball relates to success. If you can get a guy to take that next step or maximize his talent (look at KY Leonard with the Spurs this year and the growth he's shown) that is pretty valuable to me. Or looking at the way Paul George has grown in Indiana. Would he have made those same strides if he were drafted by Utah and coached the last four years by Ty Corbin. To me, that's where the value of a coach starts tipping those scales.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Perrin was asked if Smart would've been picked over Burke last year. He said yes.

That's a solid question to ask, though most everyone already knew the answer. But I was more surprised that Perrin answered it. As Ford said a few weeks back, nobody should be surprised if Utah takes a PG in the draft because Burke didn't do enough to convince folks he's a franchise PG.

[SandYFan]

Anyone else feel like the Jazz blew it, big time? The entire point of this season was to develop the young kids and get a franchise player in the 2014 draft.

So far, I don't feel like any of the young kids improved that dramatically, and the 5th pick in the draft is very, very unlikely to turn into a #1, alpha male superstar.

[Blueintheface]

Anyone else feel like the Jazz blew it, big time? The entire point of this season was to develop the young kids and get a franchise player in the 2014 draft.

So far, I don't feel like any of the young kids improved that dramatically, and the 5th pick in the draft is very, very unlikely to turn into a #1, alpha male superstar.

But we got that win against Orlando that we so desperately needed...by one of those young kids no less.

[SandYFan]

But we got that win against Orlando that we so desperately needed...by one of those young kids no less.

[falafel]

So it looks like Brad Jones is the mystery candidate.

[Maximus]

So it looks like Brad Jones is the mystery candidate.

[MarkGrace]

Anyone else feel like the Jazz blew it, big time? The entire point of this season was to develop the young kids and get a franchise player in the 2014 draft.

So far, I don't feel like any of the young kids improved that dramatically, and the 5th pick in the draft is very, very unlikely to turn into a #1, alpha male superstar.

This definitely hasn't been discussed in the thread at all.

[MarkGrace]

So it looks like Brad Jones is the mystery candidate.

Swish!

(Ok, not really, but I told LC months ago that he'd get very strong consideration)

[MarkGrace]

Perrin was asked if Smart would've been picked over Burke last year. He said yes.

That's a solid question to ask, though most everyone already knew the answer. But I was more surprised that Perrin answered it. As Ford said a few weeks back, nobody should be surprised if Utah takes a PG in the draft because Burke didn't do enough to convince folks he's a franchise PG.

Yeah, Smart was being considered as high as #2, so not difficult to answer. I also think the fact the top two points in this draft are really combo guards factors. Doesn't seem that hard to work them into a backcourt with Burke.

[smokymountainrain]

Yeah, Smart was being considered as high as #2, so not difficult to answer. I also think the fact the top two points in this draft are really combo guards factors. Doesn't seem that hard to work them into a backcourt with Burke.

I agree. At the beginning of the year, I was convinced Smart wasn't a point guard. Watching him this season I became convinced he could handle PG duties at least on a part-time basis. But really, he's just a combo guard who could easily be part of a three guard rotation with Burke and Burks. He wouldn't have to necessarily replace either one.