推 amox:第二段: 爵士本月將有客場五連戰 12/12 02:38
→ amox:第三段: Boozer將受到更高層級的防守, 是考驗球隊的機會 12/12 02:39
推 sam369: 12/12 02:57
推 CarlosBoozer:東區之旅要來了.. 12/12 10:10
→ JerrySloan:誰travelling就下來坐板凳 12/12 10:10
We Talkin Bout . . . Team?
By Travis Heath
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Dec 11, 2006, 13:12
No A.I., No Problem
There's a reason you haven't heard Allen Iverson's name linked to the Utah
Jazz . . . well, actually there's probably a few reasons.
What makes the Jazz a special team is the way the play the game offensively
with superior cuts, first-class screens, and purposeful movement away from
the ball. All of these things are not what Iverson is about. Iverson prefers
to create on his own. That's not to say he doesn't sometimes create for his
teammates, because he most certainly does. It's just that the way he creates
couldn't possibly exist within Utah's offensive framework.
Iverson is also a guy who doesn't like to play much defense, and all Jazz
devotees know that stuff just wouldn't fly with Jerry Sloan.
Could you imagine what would happen the first time Sloan gave A.I. a tongue
lashing for not getting over the top of a screen?
If you thought there were fireworks between Larry Brown and Iverson a few
years back, that little incident would pale in comparison to the light show
that would be created by Sloan and "The Answer."
The point here is not to bemoan the fact that Utah won't have a shot at
Iverson. Instead, it's to celebrate the unique basketball culture the Jazz
have that caused the front office to not bat so much as an eyelash after
hearing Iverson was on the trading block.
The Jazz truly do play as a team, which is unfortunately somewhat unique in
today's professional sports culture. As such, a player has to agree to put
the system and his teammates above his individual game in Utah. When it's
working like it has so far this early season, it's a thing of pure beauty.
Moreover, players can play at a very high level individually within the
confines of Sloan's team system (see: Boozer, Carlos and Williams, Deron).
It's just that the way they achieve such success won't come from a lot of
pounding the ball and one-on-one basketball.
This little rant is not meant to infer that Iverson is not capable of
winning, either, because he has the potential to win a lot of games in
the right surroundings. It's just that Jazz fans should ultimately be
happy that those surroundings aren't located in the state of Utah.
In this case, the NBA grass is definitely not greener on the other side.
Tougher Schedule Ahead?
The Utah Jazz will host the Dallas Mavericks tonight at home. This will no
doubt be one of those litmus test type of games that all teams on the rise
such as the Jazz play in the early season to see where they really are in
comparison to the league's elite.
After tonight's contest, the Jazz will play six out of their next seven games
on the road, including five games in seven nights the week before Christmas.
It's not that the competition the Jazz will face on this upcoming road swing
is all that tough, it's just that east coast road swings can be tough on any
team. This will also mark Utah's first road trip of more than three games
this season.
Are the Jazz better than Indiana, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Memphis,
the five teams they face on the trip? You bet. That said, they are also a
better team than Minnesota, who behind the stellar play of Kevin Garnett,
slapped the Jazz around on Friday.
Long road trips around the holidays can be tough and retaining focus can be
an even more arduous chore. However, as Sloan would be the first to tell
you, they also help reveal a team's true character.
Hit Them With Your Best Shot
The Jazz are starting to find out what it means to be a top-tier team in
the NBA. Early in the season, teams looked at Utah as just another opponent.
Now, teams are looking to put a notch in their belts by defeating the NBA's
early season Cinderella.
This same behavior has manifest itself in individual match-ups as well. Do
you think it was a coincidence that Garnett had his best performance of the
season by far against Carlos Boozer and the Jazz? Garnett of course scored
31 points, snatched 14 boards, and blocked 3 shots, while Boozer was held to
just 8 points on just 4-17 shooting.
What happened Friday was not an accident. Teams are going to start making
Boozer's offensive mobility more difficult, and the elite players in the
league are going to come at Boozer in a fashion he hasn't seen before at any
point during his career.
This doesn't have to be a bad thing. The truly great teams, and the truly
great players who play on those teams, love to respond to such a challenge.
The Jazz now have their chance.
Newslines
Salt Lake Tribune: "With the rapid improvement in his game, Deron Williams
is more than the Jazz's starting point guard these days. He's a handy example,
and a willing mentor. Mostly, he's the poster child for the Jerry Sloan
Rookie Treatment."
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4818056
Deseret Morning News: "With his 1,000th NBA coaching victory one win away,
and three days on the calendar open until his club played again, Jerry Sloan
took a day off. He did not call a practice. He did not review scouting
reports with his assistants. He did not meet with media or even grumble about
what went wrong in the last win."
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650213377,00.html
Salt Lake Tribune: "While Sloan justifiably dominates the spotlight over the
next few days as the fifth coach to win 1,000 games, it's Johnson who owns a
rather unique distinction: He's attended more of those 1,000 wins than anyone
- including Sloan himself."
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4802111
Deseret Morning News: "Jerry's philosophy transcends any trends. It'll work
because of its simple core. It will work in any style."
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650213376,00.html
原文網址: http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_19855.shtml
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