This isn’t really a post about the latest Jazz losses; although those losses are related to the topic of the post. After the Jazz loss to Portland, someone on a sports talk show said something to the effect of; the coaching staff can only teach, preach, (and perhaps beg), so much. After that, it’s really in the hands of the players. The same talk show discussion included a reference to the overall youth of the team, and the way that young players have a hard time accepting and actually doing what the coach says. We all know that the Jazz coaching staff has enough years of experience to understand the fruitful effects of good defense. It seems, looking from the outside, that it would make sense for the team to “work it in” on offense, and yet someone falls in love with the outside jumper, goes 2 for 11 on the same shot, and still, they keep on shooting. Or, they get on a role offensively and quit making the effort on defense, and then that offensive role turns into a slow boat to nowhere in the opposite direction (lately for the Jazz during the fourth quarter). It seems so obvious!

Why can’t they just do what works? Why must they reinvent the wheel? But then it seems so obvious to me in my business, that if you are a delivery driver, you might want to look at a map before you start driving into an unknown neighborhood. My experience starting out in the same job position, in the same industry tells me that this is so. Yet, as much as I tell drivers to look at the map, as much as I demonstate the helpful nature of the map– it doesn’t sink in. Here is a recounting of an actual conversation from years past between my delivery driver at the time, and myself.

My cell phone rings: Me: Hello? Driver: I can’t find this address. Me: Did you look at the map? Driver: Yes. Me: Are you pulled over? Driver: Yes. Me: Okay, I’ll get out my copy of the map, and we’ll look at it together over the phone. Are you looking at the map right now? Driver: Yes. Me: Okay, what street are you on right now? Driver: 2000 West and blah blah Me: Okay find where you are right now on the map. Driver: Hold on. (On the other end of the phone I hear things being moved around, papers rattling, things being moved). Me: Hello, so and so are you there? (Still more rustling of paper, the sound of a map being unfolded, cursing, phone has been dropped, time is passing). Me: Hello? Finally, Driver: Sorry I couldn’t find the map.

It turns out, the driver was parked nearly across the street from the house in question. They had been driving around for 45 minutes, the delivery they were making should have taken 15 minutes. I don’t understand why, they won’t just look at the map!

Coach Sloan in effect, lays out the map (teaches that good defense leads to good offense), but sometimes the players just won’t read it. They know it exists, they know it works, but they just won’t look at the map!

Oh, and by the way, the “they’re just a young team” excuse doesn’t wash. Older drivers, younger drivers, and all ages in between–it seems to have no bearing on whether they’re inclined to look at the map. Sometimes after I pound it into their head (threatening firing doesn’t work) a few of them pick up the concept and our lives are much better. Hopefully this will happen for the Jazz sometime soon.