Comments on: Nothing to Believe In?

By: Linda McFarland

Linda McFarland — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:00:49 +0000

Rob, No, I don’t think the individual play has a lot to do with the injuries this year but in my opinion, it has a lot to do with the team melding together and developing a real team ‘”killer instinct”. As far as defense goes I am positive that good defensing skills are taught by Sloan. That has been what he is known for-his defense. The problem is you can teach the best basics there are but you can’t be out on the floor “making” them play that way. I think we have individual players who are way too interested in their individual numbers and are not about to crowd up the middle and get a foul. It’s being taught alright but only a few are learning. It goes along the lines that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. I would stake a lot on the fact that Sloan spends 80% of his coaching on hard, tough defense.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:51:46 +0000

So you are telling me that the reason that a Jazz player allows an individual to drive to the basket with little or no resistance is because they’ve not played together for most of the season?
What does that have to do with an individual players effort or ability?
My question was – What are the coaches teaching (or NOT teaching) this team about playing defense? Perhaps I should have clarified – with individual defense.

By: Linda McFarland

Linda McFarland — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:02:28 +0000

Rob….Have you forgotten that we have never had the same team members playing together for
95% of the year?

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:35:12 +0000

I understand that it is an execution issue – thus my question of what are the coaches teaching (or NOT teaching) the team in the form of drills etc. Something is being missed by the players. I agree that they are intelligent people with adequate athletic ability. This being the case why has there not been an improvement throughout the season?

By: Doug Dellwo

Doug Dellwo — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:51:55 +0000

The defensive sets are not a secret. All teams have them. The secret is executing them well. changing the defense slightly to repond to the offense and then recognising the changes as the game goes forward. These are smart athletes and they can, with the help of the coach, recognise the defensive sets or the offensive sets as they happen. But the trrick means trusting the coaches plan and moving to cover the pass before it happens as you were taught. This can keep the pass from happening and a new option has to occur in the offense and the ball moves away from the defender. That is successful defense. But it needs to happen continually as the offense resets or until the team takes a bad shot, runs out of time or the star creates a shot. Utah has always had tough defense. They change shots constantly forcing the offense to change, a player to alter their shot or pass, etc. Again the secet is to keep it up through the whole 24 sec clock.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:39:21 +0000

What I’d like to know is: What are the coaches teaching (or NOT teaching) this team about playing defense. Why are none of the media outlets getting into these practices and giving us the scoop. And don’t say that they’re closed – if they can break the story that Boozer filed for divorce they can CERTAINLY get into a closed practice.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:35:23 +0000

i would really like to agree with the ronnie price situation! nothing makes me more mad than breven knight running down the court and taking a pull up jump shot with twenty seconds still on the shot clock! and of course a usual miss comes the throwing of my jazz hat in frustration! and i like the line up of ronnie price and d- will together in the third quarter the running and letting d-will become a bit of a post up player which he can do very well against most guards in the nba! hell let linko play over breven knight he seems better ant point then knight!

By: Ashley Parker

Ashley Parker — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:59:54 +0000

Thank you for summing up the feelings of so many Jazz fans! I am a Jazz convert…I grew up going to Spurs games…enough said. I love watching the Jazz play, but boy is it demoralizing when you can pretty much automatically mark a road game in the loss catagory. Thank you Jazz for stomping New Orleans yesterday. Do it to Dallas on Wednesday and I may have my faith restored. Until then…I will continue to watch the games only when other shows are on commercial breaks.

By: Linda McFarland

Linda McFarland — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:04:15 +0000

Today the old Jazz was back. They played with heart, smiled and talked to each other and worked really hard. It was great to see!!!!!!

By: Johnny

Johnny — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:23:31 +0000

I have a couple of comments…. For one I am a die hard jazz fan and its getting old watching them lose I mean 23 times to the playoffs in the last 26 seasons and no championship? I mean come on. And another thing Brevin Knight instead of Ronnie Price….Please wake up and smell the roses. RONNIE PRICE is the man he makes so much happen on the court I love to watch him play with the spark he has…. All I can say as a dedicated fan is Jazz wake up. We have been behind you those twenty whatever seasons. I thinks its time you play for the fans and not your stupid checking account. I mean Boozer scoring 6 points and making almost twelve million a year that $100,000 a point about thats a little ridiculous even I could make six points in a game and I suck. I am not saying I hate Boozer but play with some heart its not all about a paycheck. Ill bet when you were playing for free in college any one of these players had some heart now its just like they don’t care…. Come one Jazz. . . . Its our year lets get this job done and do it well……in Memory LHM he needs a championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Linda McFarland

Linda McFarland — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:27:10 +0000

Brian…I think you have brought to the forefront a lot of feelings that many of us don’t want to admit to. I won’t give up on the Jazz because they do mean a lot to me and I don’t think that any “get rid of so and so” and “fire the coach” or things like that will do any good. They just have to care. I think I see in the face of a couple players that they do care but you have to have that from a whole team. I spent money (trying to do what the President says to do) that maybe I should have spent somewhere else to get tickets to the last 2 home games. I hope I am not sorry that I did that.

By: Blayne

Blayne — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:28:20 +0000

I have been a die hard jazz fan for 22 years now, and i could have not said it better!!! Where is the love for the game. We all i am sure have been watching the final four, and any of them teams would takedown the jazz right now!! Its like they have been hit with the summer bug and don’t want to play ball anymore. PUT IN PRICE!!!! He always comes with 110%. i love you jazz but i think this is a one sided relationship!!!

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:20:33 +0000

I agree with you 100%. I’m so ready for this season to be over. This season has really been ridiculous.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:49:05 +0000

I agree completely. I am so sick and tired of watching them come out and play like a second rate team. It is making me so stressed that I’ve decided that I can’t watch them for the rest of the season. I have enough stress in my life between school, work and other things that I don’t need to be kept at night fuming at how the Jazz have blown it again and again! I think the team would have more of a spark if Ronnie played instead of Knight at least Ronnie makes his shots more then half the time! Step it up Jazz and play like you care!!!

By: Angel

Angel — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:35:50 +0000

Oh my gosh, I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one that feels this way! Like most of you, I have wathced the jazz my whole life, and it is disappointing to see the same things happen year after year. We not only want to see the Jazz in the playoffs, we want to see all of the talent we have shine. When George Karl saw that the nuggets needed to add defense to their game after losing early in the playoffs last year, they came out with defense. I mean come on, guys, let’s switch something up, and show that we really CAN play with the best.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:30:52 +0000

The past few games have made me so mad! They keep on blowing HUGE leads in each game, if that wasn’t bad enough, they LOST to MINNESOTA in the ESA. YOU JUST CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN.

Come on Jazz, shape up.

By: michael

michael — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:44:05 +0000

We need to either get rid of Boozer or Okur, they are both great players, but having two starting big men with no defensive skills will never win us a championship. I would love to see the jazz bring in a player like chris bosh or al horford, somone who can block a damn shot!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:22:54 +0000

I definitely agree….the past few games have been the most frustrating things I have ever seen and the Jazz need to step it up and play some actual basketball…it’s killing me.

By: Doug Dellwo

Doug Dellwo — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:35:00 +0000

I agree. This is the most talented Jazz team since the franchise began. They are deep and they have a strong center. What they do not have is the killer instinct. They need to get passionate, stay passionate and finish this season passionate. They had (have) an opportunity this year not to just go deep into the playoff but to win it all. They are that talented and they have that good of a coach. But without heart?? It dissapoints.

By: rmanni23

rmanni23 — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:06:47 +0000

And amen from me too. Especially the part about Brevin Knight and Ronnie Price. Ronnie is so much more fun to watch, and he plays with passion. A bit of a ball hog, but he plays hard. And after losing to Minnesota on our OWN COURT, who cares if they even make the play offs. They probably won’t at this rate.