Time to make some changes Kevin O'Connor

[stevebozell]

A defensive PF would make worlds of difference for this team.

Yeah, too bad we didn't have someone like that while Boozer was injured.

Who, Millsap? WOW.....you really HAVENT been watching games the last 2 months. He's been nearly as bad as Boozer, but without the offense.

No it makes sense that youre so beligerent....my bad.

[J_Ray]

How can you honestly say that nothing is wrong with AK right now? He doesn't pass the ball anymore, which was one of his strengths. He shoot way too many Js, goes to the rim WAY too weak, and is losing weight. What is good about him right now?

The whole team is playing selfishly right now, how many of those patented Ronnie Brewer baseline dunks have you seen lately? How many people have you seen making the extra pass during this slump? Utah has to be the efficient assist leading team to be successful but the offense has been stagnant. Right now this team is settling for WAY too many jumpers, not just Kirilenko. Boozer has been absolute trash since coming back give or take a game. His D has been even more horrid than before the injury, and our team defense has suffered. This is when Utah misses a spark plug type guy that will make the extra pass or slide over and a take a charge to make everyone want to be there too. Without Harpring really ever getting into a groove this year, this has shown quite a bit. I'm sure once Utah can bring in someone like that to this team, everyone will start playing better again.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

We need a big front court that just packs it in on defense. You watch the Cavs and they just sit in the paint and double/triple team anything once they reach the blocks. Our gaurds and small forwards should be able to just stay at home on their guys and play solid 1v1 defense and let the bigs pack it in on the inside. Then I guess you have the problem of our bigs not understanding how to rotate on defense either.

[outerspacefella]

Utah has a legit team right now, all they need is a piece or two... Nothing is wrong with Kirilenko, ... Throw in a Mikki Moore type spark plug and AK will be playing again.

IMHO that's amazingly deceiving.
I use to think we needed a twist or two... that was before:
- we lost crucial games @ Nuggets, Mavs, Spurs, Blazers... most of them in embarrassment...
- we lost crucial games vs. Wolves, Warriors, putting ourselves in the eight seed FOR GOOD (I have no faith we can beat the Lakers 3rd lineup right now)
- we have the same winnning percentaje before and after the injuries
- we show ZERO chemistry on court
- we LOOKED SCARE for the most time againt good teams


We need more than twists. The obvious things are.

- Boozer AND Kirilenko departures ARE A MUST, no matter how it will be addition by susbstraction!!!
- Keep Okur (he alone has made more clutch shots than the rest of the team methinks)
- Get a backup PG fos Christ sake!!! Overpay one if neccesary!! Give away something and get one in the draft!!! It's impossible to seriously compete when you don't properly run your team for about 8-12 minutes per game!!!
- Throw Koufos or Fesenko out there once for all or get a classic Center!!!

[gonzo]

I think you guys don't understand what AK can do for this team, sure he hasn't played well lately but the only reason we started the season decently was because of AK's play. I would be saying the same thing for Boozer but he hasn't played well for the past 2 seasons.

I take my chances with AK off the team. IF, IF you can find somebody stupid enough to take him. (Not so much him, but that horrible, horrible contract.)
AK and Booze have to go.
You can see it in his play, Booze has punched his ticket.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Thats the problem though isn't it? Who the heck is going to trade for AK's contract? I cant think of anyone...and even if they do were not getting anything good in return. Ill take my chances with AK on the team.

[CAE15]

heres a trade i think we could look into and its not far off for all parties involved.

Utah Trade Breakdown

Incoming Players
Caron Butler
Raja Bell
Vladimir Radmanovic
Chris Kaman


Washington Trade Breakdown

Incoming Players
Carlos Boozer
Gerald Wallace


Charlotte Trade Breakdown

Incoming Players
CJ Miles
Darius Songaila
Baron Davis


L.A. Clippers Trade Breakdown

Incoming Players
Andrei Kirilenko
Morris Almond
Brendan Haywood
NY Unprotected 2010 1st round

throw around some draft picks and who knows right?

Bash away its 4:02 am, so obviously im not going to be all there.

But a lineup of this doesnt look to shabby, but we would may have to include a kosta to a team to make this work.

Deron/Knight/Price
Bell/Korver
Butler/Brewer/Harp
Okur/Millsap/Vlad
Kaman/Koufos/Fesenko

[leventuysal]

... and fire SLoan.

[Joel Embust]

Give Kosta all the backup minutes available at center!

[seejaydeja]

Give Kosta all the backup minutes available at center!

SERIOUSLY, get this kid out of the d-league. Cut dead-weight Collins and give this guy the position he deserves.

[erudite23]

Now kids, this is what the implosion of an entire fanbase looks like:

























....bust seriously, you guys are hysterical in here, aren't you?

This team did not get this bad overnight. People need to figure out that there is often a difference between how good a team is and how good they play. The Jazz are playing like one of the worst teams in the league right now, but they didn't suddenly get that bad.

(btw, if **** me off that I have to be the voice of reason right now, considering that I would like to be able to vent some time, but reading the things going on in this thread leaves me no choice)

No, things just aren't clicking right now. This is eerily reminiscent of the last two weeks of the 07 season. There are some serious issues with this team, but we aren't that bad. Players are just not playing like they are capable of playing, and the team isn't on the same page. I don't think that this team will get it back together at any point this season, and I do believe that we will be swept, but I know that this is still a 50 win-caliber of team. Even if Boozer never gets all the way back to his old self.

So let's not advocate blowing everything up. Freak, we are looking at being 5 to 7 million over the salary cap next season if neither Booz or Memo opts out and we resign Millsap. However, that is just a one season bump. That leaves us with about 26 million in expirings after next year, so I firmly believe that the Miller brain trust will be willing to pay one season's worth of tax if that is what ends up being necessary for the future of the team. We certainly aren't going to just give away assets in the interest of saving a few bucks.

More than likely, we will trade someone this off season or before next year's deadline. I can fully see us going into next year with a 77 million dollar payroll. The last thing we can afford is to just blindly give away assets, and even if we are pissed off at them right now, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are still assets in the NBA.

I do believe its time to work some change. This team does not appear to have the extra oomph that results in championship basketball. It was a nice run while it lasted, but its time to change some pieces and make a new team to give a run at the promised land. Boozer must go, but we need a cornerstone bigman to replace him. If we can't find anything like that, there's no sense in letting him go just to let him go.

Let's try to be reasonable about this, guys. No reason to run around like **** idiots and scream about the sky falling.

[OC Jazzfan]

...I firmly believe that the Miller brain trust will be willing to pay one season's worth of tax if that is what ends up being necessary for the future of the team.

I will be very, very surprised if Greg Miller is willing to pony up the luxury tax. The money printing machine that is the Miller group of auto dealerships is taking a beating right now. The race track is a huge money vortex and they are firing people out there left and right. I think one way or another they will trim enough salary to stay under the tax threshold. But that doesn't mean blowing the team up.

[JDubJazz]

Now kids, this is what the implosion of an entire fanbase looks like:

....bust seriously, you guys are hysterical in here, aren't you? . . .

Good post, E23. That being said, I think that the Jazz might have to blow it up anyway. The reason being, is that this is a team with clearly ZERO chemistry, and the fans have picked up on it. We like to think that we have the best fans in the league, but Sacramento thought the same thing and look at them now: dead last in attendance.

Regardless of what we think of Boozer's talent, the guy almost has to be traded at this point because of the negative perception of him. AK is rapidly approaching that same territory. The Jazz's plan for the last few years has been to put together a young, talented team and let them grow and improve together into a championship squad. The problem is, all these young talented guys think that they should be "the man." Now everyone's pissed and the team looks like they would all rather be somewhere else.

This is the first time I can recall where Jerry Sloan has genuinely lost a team.They are completely tuning him (and each other) out right now. Thats not the kind of thing that gets better with time. Thats the kind of thing that just festers until you become the LA Clippers or Jailblazers. If chemistry is really as screwed up as it appears to be, the Jazz have little choice but to excise the cancer(s) and move on. Its sad, because this team is not lacking in talent, but is appears to be sorely lacking in heart. The biggest key to the Jazz's sucess has been their team culture of discipline and team-basketball. If that culture continues to erode, then the Jazz are looking at years of futility.

I don't think its an overreaction to think the Jazz are going to have to make some MAJOR moves in order to "save" this once promising team.

[FJS]

We have a great core, so we only have to do certain changes, in certain positions.
We have a fanstastic PG in Deron, a every year better SG in Brewer, a good SF who can play SG in Korver, and a clutch Center who can play PF in Memo.
Then our flaws are in a defensive PF/C and a defensive wing.
We have some pieces to play: Boozer, AK, Miles, Harpring. We don't need to trade all, but we have to improve that.
Remember that great teams are made from an superstar and allstar. Then, some role players.
We have Deron who is an allstar and can be superstar, and Memo probably without Boozer would be good enough to make 20/10 (he is now a 17/8 guy)
Brewer can do 16 ppg, Korver with enough minutes shoots, 14 ppg.
Then we need to have the guy who defend. A big center to anchore the paint.
With less talent and more intensity we´d be better.

[J_Ray]

Boozer & Miles (throw in picks if they don't bite) for Emeka & Raja Bell....git her done!

Utah needs a shotblocker badly, maybe they should look into a FA like Gortat if Boozer opts out. Throw the whole MLE @ Gortat, and I'm sure he can be a great 20 MPG roaming the paint next to Memo, Millsap, & Koufos.

[volguen]

Boozer & Miles (throw in picks if they don't bite) for Emeka & Raja Bell....git her done!

I'd love to see that happen!

[SportsFan215]

Any interest in a Harpring for Ridnour swap?