The Jazz's Defense

[GP]

A lot has been said recently about defense, posts have dealt with the issue from various angles, except from a coaching stand point. I ask, because many celtic fans claim that their sudden defensive force came, in large part, from hiring Tom Thibodeau as an assistant (well, that and adding KG probably helped). Thibodeau's presence seemed to particularly affect pierce, a player who before this season played with little passion on the defensive end. How culpable is the coaching staff for the Jazz's defensive woes?

[carrottop12]

Very, very little.

In their history the Jazz have always had good interior defense with Sloan and Johnson at the helm.

Going back to Mark Eaton, circling through Felton Spencer up to Greg Ostertag the Jazz brass always had an ability to have relatively poor players maintain a high level of defensive presence in the low post, though usually the Jazz teams have had a somewhat lacking perimeter defensive scheme.

The Jazz were a very good defensive team in the mid to late 90's, that disappeared as Stockton and Malone grew older.

They were also very good in 03-04, most of that came from being more feisty then the other team.

The best defender on the team now is either AK or Ronnie Brewer, but together their lack of interior presence (with AK on the perimeter) doesn't provide a ton for the Jazz.

I do feel they are a legit low post shot blocker away from being one of the better defensive teams in the league however.

[sendai91]

I don't want to overrate or overestimate a rookie's contribution on any team, but I really think that we could have used Hibbert for 10-12 minutes a game clogging the lane as a defensive presence. Koufus is fine, and was almost certainly the best player available at that pick, and could be a very good pick for us but just doesn't fit the glaring need we have.

I have to wonder if we offered Almond and the #23 to Indiana for the rights to Hibbert? I know they were big on Almond, it seems like a deal that both sides would have really appreciated.

[erudite23]

Coaching is VASTLY overrated in these things. In the instance of this season's Celtic team, those fans were looking high and low for a way to avoid giving Doc Rivers any credit for any good thing the team did, so Thibadeau was the easy target to recieve that criticism.....even though, lets remember, he had been fired by the Rockets just the season before (iirc).

TT is a great defensive coach, don't get me wrong, but his contributions have gotten entirely too much press. The fact is that defense is mostly a mindset. When Kevin Garnett came to that team, his attitude and tencity bled into the rest of his teammates and guys that had previously not given a **** about playing tough D suddenly began to step up and give the proper effort. THAT is what transformed the team, period. Thibadeau was a nice addition, but Garnett and his effect was the key.

[d-will8]

The coaching staff certainly isn't responsible for the fact that we simply don't have any kind of defensive presence on the interior, unless Fesenko or Koufos can step up and give it to us or AK gets moved to the 4. You could argue that the coaching staff is responsible for the fact that we give up a lot of open threes or that we foul a lot, but it's definitely not their fault that we're little more than an average defensive team.

[PimpHandStrong]

They were also very good in 03-04, most of that came from being more feisty then the other team.

In 2003/04, the Jazz were 14th in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions. In 2007/08, the Jazz were 12th. Good call.