The best links in all the world, in all the NBA, in all the universe… 28 December 2007
So I’m obviously writing about the wrong thing. After mentioning that Julianne Hough was in attendance at the Jazz game I attended, I got the third highest number of hits in a day for this site (the highest still being from you Abbot [let’s see if he really does read this site]):
So I need to start up a website called isawjulianne.com and stalk her when she’s in SLC. Because it looks like I’m doing it wrong.
- Speaking of doing it wrong, here’s a list of all the coaches that have coached in the NBA since Sloan has been at the helm.
- The second returns are in and Deron’s not even in the top ten for guards. What are the Jazz doing to market him more? And mark this date down, Feb 4th. New Orleans comes to the ESA. The All-star starters will have been named and the reserves will have just been announced. If Deron’s not on that list, I want to see him destroy CP3.
- Boozer should be an All-star this year.
- See you Fess. - Although the next time we see you, it will be for good.
- Poor KOC - When you’re brought on as GM, does being a referee for fights between your players and head coach get put in the job description? Interesting that he compared the situation to Amaechi’s as well.
- Kenny Smith’s New Year’s resolutions for each team
- Another way that blogs are taking over - I like having the full raw audio/video from coaches interviews and shoot-arounds. That’s why I posted mine from the Revue. But with the way things are now, fans are clamoring to get any information they can. We shouldn’t have to settle for random quotes because reporters only have a 3 minute segment or 1500 word limit. They’re great in that they go along with the articles/segments, but I think most fans would be interested in everything that’s said. Old media better start changing quick.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
I also noticed that KOC mentioned Amaechi, so I’m not ruling out anything except any conclusion that Giricek’s gay. One way of interpreting KOC’s remarks, however, is that he’s mentioning these past flare-ups between Sloan and other players not to suggest commonalities of issues in the confrontations, but, rather, to suggest that this kind of coach-player head butting happens from time-to-time with the Jazz. That would make KOC’s remarks a public relations ploy, a way of normalizing the conflict in order to downplay its significance. If that’s KOC’s intent, then the common factor in these incidents probably is Sloan’s tendency to get crosswise with a player to such an extent that the matter cannot be resolved without outside intervention.
When a team is winning, ugly coach-player conflicts tend to get played down. When a team is losing, we begin to wonder whether the losses are related to the conflicts. That’s the case now, and what appears to be a low note tonight against the Lakers will raise further questions about Sloan and the coaching staff. At this point, however, I’m focusing less on Sloan’s authoritarian conduct and more on the number of assists out of the high post from the center and small forward positions. It seems to me that the higher the number of assists out of the high post, the better the outcome for the Jazz.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:36 am
During the fourth quarter of the blowout loss to the Lakers tonight the broadcast cut to a shot of Deron Williams and Memo on the bench engaged in what looked like a chippy conversation. I’ve noticed this same look of contempt on Williams’ face as he’s talking to Kirilenko out of timeouts, etc. and I wonder if part of the problems the Jazz have had are rooted in Deron’s inability/unwillingness to understand international players.
Few would question D-Will’s ability to play, but I’m starting to wonder about his ability to lead. By all accounts he was the second fiddle in both high school (Bracey Wright) and college (Dee Brown). He seems to share a fundamental derision of the international players along with Jerry Sloan, to the detriment of the team.
December 29th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Ugly, ugly loss. I have yet to see anything from Boozer or Williams that would lead me to believe that they are really leaders of the team. Who knew that Fisher would mean that much in the locker room and on the court? He now appears to have been the guy that would be the great unifier amongst the team.
It seems when the chips are down, there’s no one that’s going to get the team back on track. And you know there’s not going to be any encouragement from Sloan. Who’s going to step up?
December 29th, 2007 at 11:40 am
The Jazz just made a trade with Philly to get Kyle Korver for Giricek. Unbelievable. Kevin O’Conner is flat out stealing from the Sixers, very well done. After getting Fesenko in a draft day trade, it sounds like he’s got first dibs on any Sixer players he has his eye on.
http://www.nba.com/nba_news/Sixers_Trade_Korver_to_Jazz_fo-250393-32.html