That being said, I think with 12 games into this season, we can make some totally over hyped & premature evaluations and projections.
Here we go:
Defense:
Tough call here. In the NBA there are very few “shut down” one on one defenders. The offensive skill set that most players have, and with the rules geared the way they are, it is extremely difficult to defend in the NBA… one on one. The answer to that is “Help D”. Help D can’t really be defined with specific criteria. It can however be taught and instituted pretty easily. It, like rebounding, takes a constant decision to do it. Without going into details, I can say that a team that plays zone D has to learn to play help D at a high level to be successful. The constant rotation and inter-squad on floor communication truly creates a team D attitude so even when coming out of the zone, players are used to communicating on the floor and can play help D easier. Constant communication on the floor creates an attack like Defense! Oh, and zone d doesn’t mean the 3 is not defended, that’s just bad rotation. What do you think; do you like the zone D? Do you want to see more of it?
Al Jefferson:
When all is said and done, he will end up being to this current roster what Jeff Hornaceck was to the 98 team. An “over the top” guy. He has deficiencies; bad left hand, “black hole” habits, and a lack of “lift”. But what he brings right now is a deflector for Millsap, a big body that will bang down low and wear big centers down, and a strong body that can suck up a defender. Not to mention he he can score and rebound. What I am looking forward to is the energy that he will bring once he feels like he is a leader on the team and not a student. He is a passionate player that right now is fighting his way through a new system and a new role. Once he knows that role, he will be a huge energy leader on the floor!
Millsap:
This guy could rob a bank and Jazz fans would still love him. He is the air freshener that is cleaning up the stench that Boozer left. The best part about him is that we thought he was just going to “mask” the scent Booz left behind, when he has actually opened the window and given us fresh air to breathe! Thanks Millsap, the “#2” that Booz took on SLC was killing us!
The Bench, A.K.A. the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly:
First things first; when Memo is coming off that bench, the Jazz are going to scare the (insert your favorite curse word hear) out of 2nd teams across the league.
As for right now the good thing is the bench has played a huge role in all of our comebacks. The bad; Jerry has not figured out how to use them yet. The ugly; they are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.
So with an 8-4 start, and 70 more games to go, what do you want to see from the Jazz?
Dignan also writes as a “Jazzbot” on utahjazz360.com & can be reached by e-mail at dignan.sportscave@gmail.com.
Here we go:
Defense:
Tough call here. In the NBA there are very few “shut down” one on one defenders. The offensive skill set that most players have, and with the rules geared the way they are, it is extremely difficult to defend in the NBA… one on one. The answer to that is “Help D”. Help D can’t really be defined with specific criteria. It can however be taught and instituted pretty easily. It, like rebounding, takes a constant decision to do it. Without going into details, I can say that a team that plays zone D has to learn to play help D at a high level to be successful. The constant rotation and inter-squad on floor communication truly creates a team D attitude so even when coming out of the zone, players are used to communicating on the floor and can play help D easier. Constant communication on the floor creates an attack like Defense! Oh, and zone d doesn’t mean the 3 is not defended, that’s just bad rotation. What do you think; do you like the zone D? Do you want to see more of it?
When all is said and done, he will end up being to this current roster what Jeff Hornaceck was to the 98 team. An “over the top” guy. He has deficiencies; bad left hand, “black hole” habits, and a lack of “lift”. But what he brings right now is a deflector for Millsap, a big body that will bang down low and wear big centers down, and a strong body that can suck up a defender. Not to mention he he can score and rebound. What I am looking forward to is the energy that he will bring once he feels like he is a leader on the team and not a student. He is a passionate player that right now is fighting his way through a new system and a new role. Once he knows that role, he will be a huge energy leader on the floor!
Millsap:
This guy could rob a bank and Jazz fans would still love him. He is the air freshener that is cleaning up the stench that Boozer left. The best part about him is that we thought he was just going to “mask” the scent Booz left behind, when he has actually opened the window and given us fresh air to breathe! Thanks Millsap, the “#2” that Booz took on SLC was killing us!
The Bench, A.K.A. the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly:
First things first; when Memo is coming off that bench, the Jazz are going to scare the (insert your favorite curse word hear) out of 2nd teams across the league.
As for right now the good thing is the bench has played a huge role in all of our comebacks. The bad; Jerry has not figured out how to use them yet. The ugly; they are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.
So with an 8-4 start, and 70 more games to go, what do you want to see from the Jazz?
Dignan also writes as a “Jazzbot” on utahjazz360.com & can be reached by e-mail at dignan.sportscave@gmail.com.
1 comment:
Could not agree more about Millsap being a breath of fresh air! I can handle a player getting scored on due to bad defense but I can't stand a player getting scored because they gave up (ie. Boozer).
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