A Coach’s View
By the end of the month we are going to have a valid reading on how good the Jazz are EXCEPT they won’t have played any of the big boys other than the Pistons and possibly the Hornets (really not one of the big boys) The rest of the others are teams who really aren’t teams going anywhere. The major problem as you look at November is that the Jazz are going to have played 17 games with 9 of those on the road. Other teams face the same problem of scheduling BUT thats beside the point! The point is with a schedule like this you don’t get the rest you need nor the prep time for each game. Back to back games can be a problem BUT 7 games in 10 days or 5 games in 9 days are really tough and bad for players, coaches and fans. It makes for bad basketball! Cavs, Pacers Nets in 4 days. (not good)
If I were the league owners, I would cut back the length of pre season to 3 weeks, play a max of of three games and start the league! The pre-season games are a joke[owners want the $],players are always in shape and don’t need the extra work (don’t forget summer league). Years ago when I was coaching the Spurs (ABA), we brought the Rockets to SA for 2 days and worked for that time and really got something out of it. Later with Houston, we met Jerry West and the Lakers here in SLC and worked for a couple of days and profited. The players union has to pass on it but it worked. We didn’t have to travel all over and have our starters play 20 minutes. It makes too much sense. Lets spread this schedule out and make for better ball. Don’t mention cut games. “Scratch” rules!
4 Comments to “A Coach’s View”
Search Jazzbots.com
Be connected!
Get the latest from Jazzbots delivered to your email
Get the latest from Jazzbots delivered to your phone
Bookmark and favorite Jazzbots.com
Jazz Inside Scoop
The FREE, Official E-mail Newsletter of the Jazz.
The Inside Scoop is one of the best ways to keep up-to-date with your Utah Jazz. We'll provide you with information year-round about the Jazz -- breaking news, special event information, unique merchandise & ticket offers, promotions, advance contest opportunities and more.
Featured Sponsors
Jazzbots Recent Readers
Jazz Polls
Loading ...
Jazz Coaching Staff,
I believe that I am a pretty good judge in talent. While I am a fan of Ronnie Brewer, I don’t believe that he is a true 2 or SG. Ronnie’s skills fit the small forward profile. With Deron running the point, his scoring output should not be required as much as his point skills and assists if you had a true SG in the starting lineup. I am not talking about Giricek or Harpring…I am talking about Morris Almond. With Ronnie not being able to hit the outside shot consistently, the defense draws tighter on Boozer and others in the paint. Almond has a deadly shooting range from 15ft to beyond the arc. This would compliment the Jazz scoring and offense immensely. The Jazz already does not have a true center with Okur, don’t hurt them more by not having a true 2-guard. Please get Morris Almond into the rotation and he will earn the starting position with his play. He is just a tall as Ronnie and presents a good challenge defensively for smaller guards as well. Thanks for your time.
A CONCERNED JAZZ FAN
ok i agree that ronnie brewer is more of a true small forward than a shooting guard. However, why would you want to take a player out of the starting line up who is averaging 15 pts a game and third in the league in steals. And besides that Ronnie has worked just as hard if not harder than any player during this off season and he’s EARNED that starting spot. See thats the problem with you guys who think just because the jazz lose a few games they just need to change their whole plan. Teams do play poorly sometimes, its just a fact of life. I mean the jazz don’t need any more help on offense. They have one of the highest scoring offenses in the league so whats the point in changing everything up. brewer is the right man for the job and hes going to continue to get better and better.
P.S. Almond is no where near the defensive player Brewer is. Their D would probably get worse.
NOT A CONCERNED JAZZ FAN
I appreciate Dave’s and comments from anyone. I am a fan of Ronnie Brewer and yes he has earned his starting position. The problem with Coach Sloan is he is still stuck on Stockton to Malone (Williams to Boozer). Stockton and Malone did not win one championship and neither will Williams to Boozer…alone. My guess is that Brewer is starting because of Sloan’s belief that if Williams and Boozer carry the offense, everyone else can score a few points, but with those players, defense comes first.
Brewer has the skill set of a small forward. He should back-up AK-47 or vice versa until he works on his outside shooting. Yes, the Jazz are putting up great point totals, but look at what happens against the good teams. A championship will be hard fought without both a true center and shooting guard.
Another point is that Ronnie is matched up with the opposing teams shooting guards where most are the stars on their teams. If Ronnie is not a scoring threat, and is overlooked by teammates because he is standing too far from the basket, he tends to stand on the perimeter alot. The Kobe’s, McGrady’s, Wades love this as it gives them rest on the defensive end of the court. If Ronnie is not a scoring threat, it does not wear on the opposing teams SGs to slow them down offensively.
My point is this: Yes, Morris Almond is a rookie…but give him a chance. He is not doing anyone any good sitting around in a suit. Deron should have played more during his rookie year as much as Chris Paul. Blame this on a coaching philosophy that believes Rookies should ride the pine their first year. When the lesson was learned with Deron, Milsap became the beneficiary of playing time in his rookie year. I can only imagine Lebron being drafted by the Jazz in his rookie year and only playing in 10 minutes per game his rookie year behind AK-47. Give Morris a chance is all that I ask!!! a
Almond Joy probably needs a few weeks in a Flash uniform to get some real playing time. He’s not going to replace Brewer, the way they’re playing right now. Also, Brewer’s shot is getting better, the more he plays, plus his defense and steals set him apart from Mo.
Jerry wants to win every game. If Mo can out play Brewer, Gira or CJ, he’ll get significant time. Jerry’s not holding him back. Right now, I’d rather see him in a Flash uniform, instead of a suit, sitting behind the bench, where he gets zero time.
Jazzaholic
Leave your Comment