"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[Blueintheface]

Except that they have played at a 4-7 seed level. I know perception is coloring reality but the Jazz are pretty much who most thought they would be. I get the last stretch has been frustrating. Trust me, I understand completely about being underwhelmed by my team's play. I think the Jazz are just in a little funk. I think they'll be fine though and finish middle of the pack like they should.



What do you dispute? Where did you project this squad at the beginning of the year compared to where they are now?

I dispute a Lakers fan trying to categorize any Jazz team. Let me know the next time you have to wait 3 years for your team to go to the finals and perhaps then I'll listen. We ARE the Chicago Cubs.

[Surfah]

I dispute a Lakers fan trying to categorize any Jazz team. Let me know the next time you have to wait 3 years for your team to go to the finals and perhaps then I'll listen. We ARE the Chicago Cubs.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

tribjazz
Jazz's Sloan said he's "between a rock and a hard place" concerning making a change to starting lineup.

tribjazz
Jazz's Sloan has considered starting Miles or Hayward. But he's not sure making a change to starting lineup is the answer

What would the rock and hard place be? How hard can it really be to make a switch and try it out? It isn't as if he can't go back to this 5 if changing the starting lineup doesn't help at all.

But I guess the best move is to sit on his hands or shrug his shoulders and pretend like he's not actually there to coach.

[Jacob]

His other rotation and playing time decisions have been so disjointed and sporadic lately that I don't see how getting Bell out of the starting lineup would be more difficult.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Sap went off. Wow.

3 double-doubles in his past 4, and 3 20+ point games in that span.

[MarkGrace]

Williams was the only player queried Monday who would not comment when asked about a possible change. The response was not new: He has deferred to Sloan all season, preferring to not become publicly involved in Utah’s coaching decisions.

“I want to run more, that’s all I can say,” Williams said.

So is this a shot at Bell? We know this is not a comment on Sloan, because Sloan's MO has always been to push the fastbreak before settling into a half court set. That leaves me with the impression that there's someone in the lineup who he thinks is preventing them from pushing the ball. AK and Sap can get up and down the floor, and you don't really rely on your C to run a break. Process of elimination leaves Bell, and he certainly is lacking in this area when compared to recent Deron backcourt mates like Brewer, Matthews, and CJ. Even Korver seemed to get up the floor quicker than Bell.

[Jacob]

So is this a shot at Bell? We know this is not a comment on Sloan, because Sloan's MO has always been to push the fastbreak before settling into a half court set. That leaves me with the impression that there's someone in the lineup who he thinks is preventing them from pushing the ball. AK and Sap can get up and down the floor, and you don't really rely on your C to run a break. Process of elimination leaves Bell, and he certainly is lacking in this area when compared to recent Deron backcourt mates like Brewer, Matthews, and CJ. Even Korver seemed to get up the floor quicker than Bell.

Hard to know what's in Deron's head. I haven't noticed Bell being at fault for not running. Have you? Deron runs when Deron wants to run. Watson seems to run more often than Deron does, no matter who is on the court with him.

Then again, I do think Gordon plays with more energy and runs more than Bell. I don't remember Bell finishing on many fast breaks this year. CJ probably does too. I'd love to see Bell out of the starting lineup.

[Surfah]

Come to LA Deron....

[MarkGrace]

Hard to know what's in Deron's head. I haven't noticed Bell being at fault for not running. Have you? Deron runs when Deron wants to run. Watson seems to run more often than Deron does, no matter who is on the court with him.

Then again, I do think Gordon plays with more energy and runs more than Bell. I don't remember Bell finishing on many fast breaks this year. CJ probably does too. I'd love to see Bell out of the starting lineup.

I haven't noticed him not running, but as you state, I also haven't seen him out in front finishing on breaks at all.

[MarkGrace]

Come to LA Deron....

:finger3:

[Blueintheface]

Hard to know what's in Deron's head. I haven't noticed Bell being at fault for not running. Have you? Deron runs when Deron wants to run. Watson seems to run more often than Deron does, no matter who is on the court with him.

Then again, I do think Gordon plays with more energy and runs more than Bell. I don't remember Bell finishing on many fast breaks this year. CJ probably does too. I'd love to see Bell out of the starting lineup.

IMO nothing should be off the table at this point with the exception of Deron, despite the fact that some of the team's struggles are related to his play as well. First and foremost, Bell and Al need to sit to start IMO. Despite Paul's struggles at rebounding (yes he's had 3 dbl-dbles recently but overall...) he is way more suited to run the Jazz system. He is a great pick and roll PF while Al waits to get his shot on a post entry feed and really is a jump shooter inside of 15 feet.

If the Jazz want to get rolling early either start Fes to simply clear space on the opposite side to run the P&R with Sap or start Fes and also start the rookie to Energizer-bunny his defender. Bell has proven how worthless he is coming off screens and shooting from 15-20 so why not start the rookie? I'd say start CJ but I like his roll with the 2nd unit. The rookie can at least create motion in a starting roll and he certainly would get out on the break early. More importantly D-Will and Sap can run the P&R and everybody else can just get the Hell out of the way.

Also, AK at this point is nothing more than a child off his ridilin. He shoots with 14 on the shotclock from just inside the 3-pt line at least twice in the 1st qtr and then sits at the end of the bench in the Russian sweat lodge for much of the game. Either that or he fails miserably to draw fouls at the rim rather than just dunking or laying the ball up in an asinine attempt at getting to the line. He is by far the most infuriating player on the Jazz based on his overall athleticism and length. But what can Jerry do with him?

All I know is that this team's chemistry is all out of whack and if the coach doesn't have the answers than no fan is going to have them either.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Reports say Memo is improving but clearly not 100%, and then Memo says he'll only play 5-6 minutes against NY.

Then why play him at all?

[Blueintheface]

How flat will the Jazz come out tonight you ask? Think Kansas.

[MarkGrace]

How flat will the Jazz come out tonight you ask? Think Kansas.

Last time they played after a long lay off it wasn't pretty. I'm expecting the same.

[LiveCoug]

Really nice to see the Jazz take a 9 point 1st quarter lead and then go ahead and not lead after the quarter. Very cool.