karen on October 29, 2009 said:

I was excited watching the first 3 quarters thinking they really came to play this year but than the fourth quarter started and I found myself thinking nothing has changed even the commentators on ESPN said how embarrassing Utah was playing in the fourth, I feel bad for Deron when he plays his guts out and the rest of the team lets him down. I choose not to get my hopes up.

Diana Allen on October 29, 2009 said:

I agree 100% with your post!

D. Chris Estey on October 29, 2009 said:

I have to say Brian that I think you are coming down way, way too hard on them. Last night the Jazz outplayed one of the elite teams in the NBA for three straight quarters. The 4th quarter came along and as is common, the crowd got more into the game and the Jazz got flustered. I didn’t see a lack of effort at all. I would have liked to have seen a win but even without it I saw a much more competitive and PHYSICAL team on the road than we saw last year. Boozer had a bad game, but I’m not expecting to see a trend there. If D-Will plays at the level he played at last night we may have a legitimate MVP contender on our roster come Spring. So, I have to say for the most part, I disagree. My hopes are high this season (pending any future injuries).

Orcis on October 29, 2009 said:

I also agree!

bwad on October 29, 2009 said:

A few thoughts:

(1) It’s just one game, but Maynor looked lost, intimidated and in over his head. I hope I’m wrong, but I have a feeling the Jazz are going to look really dumb for taking him over, say, Ty Lawson and Dejuan Blair. You can’t teach the kind of quicks Lawson exhibited, and Blair is a bonafide beast.

(2) Everyone is complaining about Boozer’s no-show, and rightfully so, so I’ve seen that same result from time to time during his entire career in Utah. He’s prancing little Nancy in a grizzly bear’s body.

(3) By standing pat in the offseason, the Jazz remain fundamentally flawed. Ideally, they need both a defensive presence inside and a second legit star alongside Deron. They should’ve made a play for Roy Hibbert while his asking price was relatively low last season.

Joe Sovee on October 29, 2009 said:

Totally agree with the post.

D. Chris Estey: “Last night the Jazz outplayed one of the elite teams in the NBA for three straight quarters.” FALSE. Had the game ended after 3 quarters, the Jazz would have lost! And that thanks to Williams fouling at an awful time. It doesn’t matter which quarter, you don’t give a player like Billups 3 FTs like that EVER!

Boozer sucked, Millsap sucked too. Lack of effort: TRUE. Lack of mental toughness: TRUE. The Jazz have ways to go… Not that I will quit on them. They still have 81 games left to figure it out.

Mal on October 29, 2009 said:

Good work McCann! It’s about time you call the Jazz out when they so desperately deserve it!

Come on boys! Let’s pick up the intensity!

Shan on October 29, 2009 said:

Hey Maynor was 20th in the draft and Lawson was 18th, which comes before 20th, everyone clear on this??

Also Maynor got a total of no more than 5 minutes in the game, nothing substantial like he got in the preseason and if anyone was expecting him to get those kind of minutes like Lawson got to even have a chance, you are severly misinformed. Maynor needs to put on some weight and he will be just fine…

I think the Jazz were playing excellent most of the game, especially my DWill which made it such a tough loss, he did have a couple of hideous and costly turnovers but overall on the road in Denver we had a decent showing just couldnt close it out in the end, familiar script I suppose…it was a heartbreaking loss like the one in Miami but this was the first game of the season so it leads the way for what we could expect, I hope not, or this year we win 10 games only the road, that is all….

French Dude on October 30, 2009 said:

Next year, Boozer will be jobless….. I don’t think he really understands that…..

Boondock Saint (Zak) on October 30, 2009 said:

Quicksand….plain and simple. (For reference watch The Replacements)

Ames on October 30, 2009 said:

Why is everyone so shocked? The Jazz do this every year … I wasn’t surprised. The first three quarters were great; but then the opposing team starts converging in the paint – promptly shutting down our little big men, and forcing D-Will and co. to take whacked-out jumpers, which we can’t make because we have no plays designed for 3-point shots (straight from the mouth of Hornacek). This has always been our problem: Sloan doesn’t believe in the 3-pointer (either defensively, or offensively). The Jazz are a one-dimensional team – it’s either they make layups, or they don’t. They will win a lot of games, because most of the league is average at best; and teams are either too stupid, or ill-equipped, to stop our under-the-basket game. But until we get a coach that takes value in the 3-pointer, the Jazz will always be an average team. And this isn’t my reaction after just one game: I’ve been watching this for years!

It’s not all Boozer’s fault. Granted, he missed some point blank layups, but Sloan is asking the impossible of him and Milsap. Neither can do a thing under the basket, because the Jazz offense doesn’t open up the lane for them. How can it? The Jazz have no outside shooting threat! Great teams like LA and the Spurs take as many 3s as they do layups – point being, those 3 pointers open up the middle for the big men to do some damage, and vice versa for the 3-point shooters. The Jazz have the capability: Korver, Okur, D-Will, Brewer, and even AK (to some degree) are great 3-point shooters; Boozer is a strong power forward, as is Milsap; and Fes is a 7′1 big man that can do some damage if used properly. But Sloan doesn’t exploit his teams’ talent! He’s got all of his 3-point shooters running that stupid curl play of his, and getting stuffed underneath the basket (where they don’t belong). At this point in his career he is just being stubborn. The Jazz have a GREAT team – NOW THEY NEED A BETTER COACH!

Joe Sovee on October 30, 2009 said:

Ames, you really think the Jazz are an average NBA franchise (by average, I mean “middle of the pack”)? You go out there and find us 10 other franchises that have won 0.623 of their games in the past 21 seasons and made the Finals twice. Because that’s where the Jazz stand after Sloan’s tenure began.

Besides, Jazz’s offense is quite good, actually, and, except for Okur, none of our other players is a stand out three point shooter. No, not even Korver. Since in Utah, he’s been shooting in the high thirds, which is good, but not great (though I believe he’ll improve when healthy). And both Brewer and AK have ways to go before they scare anyone when spotting from beyond the arc. And to what regards Williams, he himself admitted his 3 point percentage should improve (though he is already good, but not great too). Whenever this guys actually become fearsome three point threats, Sloan’s offense will work about as well as it worked rightly after Korver arrived. Had the Jazz kept up with those numbers for a full season, that would have been by far the best offensive team ever (John Hollinger showed the numbers before that years playoffs).

Ames on October 30, 2009 said:

The Jazz are always an upper-tier team – with Sloan, they will always be in the playoffs. For some, that’s great, for others, like me, I want more. The Jazz will never win a championship with Sloan. They have a good offense, sure; it’s one that produces results, but not one that will get you past the ELITE teams. All the evidence is there – I’m not saying that Sloan’s system doesn’t work, it has worked well enough to make us into a solid franchise – BUT, that being said, look at last year’s playoffs, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that … heck, go look at the 2 NBA Finals appearances – what did our team lack? Consistent 3-point shooting.

When big stars like LeBron, Jordan, Kobe, heck even Billups (like in Game 1 of this season) go off, we have no answers. Sloan needs to add the 3-point element to his offense and defense. Plain and simple. That would open up the middle for his big men, and give our players some room to breath. As of now, all opposing teams must do is clog up the lane. Last April, Boozer had to fend off three BIG Laker guards every time he got the ball. Why? Because they knew that we wouldn’t shoot any 3-pointers. Why? Because Sloan’s system is one-dimensional – layups. On the defensive end, the other team dishes inside, then back out, where one of our guys chases him down (hands in the air) as he shoots a wide open 3-pointer.

Sloan has taken a small franchsie and made it into a competitive team every year – I can’t knock that. He has produced solid numbers. But he IS missing that one piece that will put him over the top. It’s not another player. It’s a simple tweek of the offense. As I’ve said, we have a GREAT team. But he is not utilizing all of their strengths. Add some 3-point plays to the mix – let Korver shoot! I’m just sayin’ …

Joe Sovee on October 30, 2009 said:

Well, as I said, back in the days we got Korver, Sloan actually let Korver shoot and that indeed made the Jazz’s offense a nearly unstoppable one. After that year, you have to admit that Korver shot the ball substantially worse. Brewer and AK are better shooters now than they were then. But if I were the opposing coach, I’d still pay to see them making threes consistently and beat me with that. Wouldn’t you? I bet if Miles and Korver get their shooting alright, Sloan will let them shoot, as he did with Korver in 08.

“On the defensive end, the other team dishes inside, then back out, where one of our guys chases him down (hands in the air) as he shoots a wide open 3-pointer.” Sorry, but I disagree. THIS Jazz’s squad lets that happen all the time, but I am a Jazz fan since 1996 and I don’t remember it happening back then.

And when it comes to having answers to stars firing off, here are my thoughts. The Jazz could have won the 97 and 98 Finals had the ball not bounced back the Bulls’ way a few more times. And that even with Malone missing jumpers and free throws that he just shouldn’t miss. The Jazz took care of the Bulls, most games were as close as they come. In the end, Jordan was clutch and scored on his own, Malone played poorly at the wrong times and the Bulls had the ball bounce their way a few more times. When they needed MJ to score 45 of their 89 points on his own to beat us 89 to 88, you can’t quite say the Jazz defense was wrong. And I don’t recommend using either Hornacek or Russel to guard MJ, but those were the guys Sloan had! MJ went off, and the Jazz had enough answers to make those games so close that it makes sense to remember how Heisley’s legal 3 didn’t count and Harper’s ilegal one counted in a game the Jazz lost by 3. It sure doesn’t seem to have been Sloan system’s fault to me.

Edin on October 30, 2009 said:

I agree with you 1000% .. You couldn’t have put it better .. the jazz don’t show no agressivness on the road they play hard at home but on the road they play like a bunch of girls .. i love the jazz but they seriously need to roughen up on the road

bwad on October 30, 2009 said:

I know Lawson went at 18, but he was picked by the T-Wolves, who were willing to deal him inside the division, so he was getable by the Jazz. And Blair was just a whiff. I’m not saying one game makes Lawson a star, but he has more tools than Maynor will ever have.

My point is the game was slipping away, and Sloan sat Deron and threw the rookie into the fire. The game was still in limbo until then, but the Jazz were put on their heels. Sloan has to feel those moments when Deron needs to stay on the floor.

Patrick on October 31, 2009 said:

I totally understand your frustration. I was completely sickened by this as well. But what sickens me worse is what I see on the Jazz Web site today. I missed the game last night, and checked in to see what happened last night.
HEADLINES: BOOZER LEADS JAZZ TO WIN WITH 20 POINTS AND 12 REBOUNDS. iS THIS A FREAKIN JOKE? HE PLAYED 15 MINUTES MORE THAN MILSAP, AND ONLY BEAT MILSAP BY 3 REBOUNDS. MILSAP HAD 2 BLOCKED SHOTS, 9 REBOUNDS, A STEAL AND 23 POINTS, BUT BOOZER LED THE JAZZ?
I am happy Boozer is finally getting some shots in the basket. But he has a lot to show, and more to prove this season. Can someone tell me why some idiot would post a Pro Boozer comment after his showing in the first game of the year, and an ok showing for the second? There are artually people who are proving themselves worthy game after game. Lets focus more on thier accomplishments, until Boozer has one hell of a game, and a lot more consistancy. Williams would be a good example of that.

Linda on October 31, 2009 said:

Chris..I agree with you. Cripes people, it was 1 game (first game). Do we expect to have them win 100% of their games this year? I think they looked rather lousy too but it is one game. If they look like that for several games then things might be different. I went to the game last night and was unhappy at times and saw some great things at others. (we had Korver, Memo & CJ out) In the 4th they began to look like the Jazz. If the fans don’t care then why should the players? They get payed no matter if they win or loose.

Brian McCann on November 01, 2009 said:

Linda- It has been more than one game, that is the problem. Game one was a direct carry over from last year. The point is everyone does care, and the Jazz are lacking in effort stats. If they don’t care on the road this season, they will not be an upper tier team. The talent is there, but the heart needs to be there too, every game. If you lose, you lose, but you lose laying it all out on the line.

tman11 on November 01, 2009 said:

Atleast they palyed hard though 3 quarters if that was last year, we would have been playing catch up cause we slacked off the whole first half. I was impersessed with alot from last night. They played 3 quarters of very impressive asketball against one of the best in the west.Dwill looked in shape and, ready, Kosta and Fez both did great with the few minutes they got. To be honest that’s one of the best games i have seen the jazz play on the road in a long time and, i believe they could have won that game. I saw a lot of heart and alot of will thought out that whole game. Until Melo had that drunk on Paul then they shut down. wich i don’t blame them they went up by 8 got the crowed into it it was over. I did like how they played though i would give them an A for effort on that game

bwad on November 02, 2009 said:

See, I see playing hard through three quarters as a huge red flag. I recall that same scenario over and over last season, and to me it indicates either (1) a mentally weak team, or (2) a team that doesn’t care. Game 1 was deja vu, and Game 2 could have been another bust if Millsap hadn’t saved the Jazz’s bacon.

I really want to be optimistic, but this team just ain’t built right.

Jazzfan32 on November 02, 2009 said:

Tman- I have been reading your comments fo a long time, and it seems that you consistantly argue with whatever is posted. Do you do that on purpose or do you really have a different opinion than the author in every case?

A for effort applies when you buckle down and work your tail off for a full four quarters, not three. Yeah, some things looked good, but in the fourth they made some careless effort related mistakes.

Shannon in Sacramento on November 02, 2009 said:

Brian, I COMPLETELY agree with your post. It was great. And no, it isn’t too harsh at all, because as a longtime Jazz fan, and I know there are plenty on this site, it’s really dang hard to watch a team that COULD BE in the upper eschelon. They are good but not great, but why aren’t they great, and why do they ALWAYS let me down in the fourth quarter on the road. It makes me cranky and gives me heart burn! It’s hard to watch one person playing harder than everyone else. I had high hopes for that game. In the back of my mind I was thinking, dang, playing Denver on the road, but I knew they have all the talent to beat them. So why oh why can’t they play all four quarters? Not just this season, but every season? A for effort should only be given when they play the whole game, whether they loose or not. My favorite series in the playoffs this last year was the Boston/Chicago series. Why? Because both teams, night in and night out, played their hearts out every single quarter. It’s just hard to watch every year the Jazz doing this. I