Should the Jazz drop the "PG/PF" duo approach?

[QuantumMacgyver]

Is the Jazz point guard/power forward focus a failed experiment?

Every team I can think of who has either won a championship, or been serious contenders for it, had a scoring wing player as their primary or second best player.

Bulls-Jordan
Detroit-Hamilton
SA-Manu(maybe 3rd best player on SA)
Nets-Carter
Lakers-Kobe
Heat-Wade
Orlando-Hedo/Carter(maybe 3rd best players for ORL)
Cavs-LeBron
Even the Jazz weren't serious contenders 'til they got a little Horny!


Not all of these players are superstars like LeBron either. Players like Manu, Hedo and Rip all seem like the type of players the Jazz organization could land.

Is this the way the Jazz need to go?

With our current roster, if we allow Booz to walk I believe Millsap could be a more than serviceable starter if we could land a legitimate wing player who can create his own shot. I'm not talking about the Wades, LeBrons and Joe Johnsons. I think a Rudy Gay, Stephen Curry, Danny Granger type player would do it. (I know all of which would be difficult to land, just examples)

So I say let Booz walk and maybe throw the money we would've spent on him towards a wing scorer. Imagine this team if we built it more like the Pistons were over the last 10 years!

Williams-Billups
Scorer-Rip
AK-Prince
Millsap-Ben Wallace
Memo-Rasheed

There are a lot of similarities in the style of players here. Given Millsap isn't the defensive monster that Big Ben was, but he is good defensively and FAR better offensively.

Just a thought. If anyone agrees and can think of any players that could help in this manner, that the Jazz could actually land, Lets list em. And if you think I'm an idiot for bringing it up, lets discuss that too!

[kamazilla]

In their overachieving 500 season prior to landing Booze & Okur, the Jazz were running big guys like Ruffin and Handlogden. Obviously, these guys were not scorers- so the Jazz ran different sets. A lot of passing offense, and what they called a two a guard attack with what's his name at the point. Yeah, they struggled to score, but that team was feisty as hell and never, ever gave up. And they were entertaining every night- 'cause even when they lost, the other team bore the bruises of having been in a real fight.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Jazz run an offense which didn't focus on the PF/PG two man game. They've done it in the past when it best suited their personnel. However, the current team's problem has never been scoring. It has always been an obvious lack of toughness and defense inside. I would much rather have seen Okur gone in favor of a true defensive center than Boozer gone for a scoring wing. Look at Detroit- it wasn't prodigious scoring from the wing which led to their success. It was a commitment to team defense, executed by talented defenders. That simply can't happen with a gaping hole in the middle.

[Montanajazz]

I would love to see the jazz drop the pick & roll point guard/power forward rut we have been into for 20 years. That would mean Sloan would have to go!! With guys like Williams, Milsap, Kirlinko, Miles, Gaines, and Mathews, the jazz have great athletic potential. When boozer isn't in they play just fine passing the ball to find the open man. We need a player like Tyreke Evans, Rudy Gay, Corey miller, Damian Wilkinson, John Salmons. But most importantly throught the draft or a trade we need a physical athletic big who can rebound and score inside. It has bee since Mark Eaton. I dont' think we have ever had a REAL center in Utah

[LjJazzman]

For real? Thats the ONE thing we probably shouldn't change. Do we have a problem scoring? Hell no. We have to figure things out on defense.

But to go along with your argument we have a blossoming CJ. As up and down as CJ was during the regular season he showed a lot of consistency in the playoffs. CJ has the highest ceiling on the team other then Deron, and looks like he finally working up to it. He was the talk of the coaches during locker room clean out.

[DelaneyRudd]

They should just get the best players they can and work with it.

[Sloanfeld]

Nets got Carter in 2004, they weren't more than a second round exit after that.

[outerspacefella]

During the last several years Jazz basketball has been tending to run pretty much free (call it "flex" if that's the name of it) and the pick and roll thing has been clearly decreasing. Sloan probably has been one of the coaches most willing to run whatever makes sense. Pretty much the so called "Jazz system" have been based on screens and out of the ball moving, and the rock has been throwed into the paint much more out off smart moving than out off p&rolls...
That's what I've been watching...

[StocktonShorts]

During the last several years Jazz basketball has been tending to run pretty much free (call it "flex" if that's the name of it) and the pick and roll thing has been clearly decreasing. Sloan probably has been one of the coaches most willing to run whatever makes sense. Pretty much the so called "Jazz system" have been based on screens and out of the ball moving, and the rock has been throwed into the paint much more out off smart moving than out off p&rolls...
That's what I've been watching...

+1

I think with Millsap you'll see the Jazz run things a little differently than they did with Boozer. That's because efficient offensive teams tend to do things that work more than things that don't work. The Jazz will adapt to their personnel.

[gojazzgo]

Is the Jazz point guard/power forward focus a failed experiment?

Every team I can think of who has either won a championship, or been serious contenders for it, had a scoring wing player as their primary or second best player.

Also, over the last 20 years every team with the exception of the Bulls had a serious presence in the paint. The bulls got away with it because they had Jordan

Lakers - Gasol
Celtics - Garnett, yes, maybe he played PF and not center at times, but still a serious defensive presence in the paint.
Spurs - Duncan, can argue PF vs Center, but same as celtics above
Heat - Shaq/Mourning, even with Shaq not being as good anymore, they had quite a few blocks and made it hard to waltz right in the middle
Spurs again - Same
Pistons - Wallace, could rebound , play defense, block shots even if undersized
Spurs again - Same as before
Lakers X 3 - prime shaq
Spurs - Robinson and Duncan
Bulls x 3 - Got away with a mediocre center by having the best player in the league if not ever
Houston Rockets x 2 - Hakeem
Bulls x 3 - See bulls above.

So, it my opinion we can keep either Okur or Boozer and still be fine as long as we have a real defender too. Okur + Boozer is a defensive failure. I know Boozer gets a lot of crap for his defense and Okur has as well, but I both think they can be fine with a real center playing the 5. We can move Okur to the 4 I believe.

I realize a good 5 is probably the hardest position to fill, but if you want a championship, I think you have to have one. This year will be another example. Likely to be the Lakers vs Magic/Celtics.

[QuantumMacgyver]

Nets got Carter in 2004, they weren't more than a second round exit after that.

I thought the Nets went to the Finals with Carter. Am I thinking Jefferson? Yeah, must've been Jefferson.

[Neon Black]

I don't think they should necessarily drip the approach, but adding a wing like Turner or Wesley Johnson could help the Jazz tremendously. If we don't get a top pick maybe we could trade up.

[drivewayball]

Your actual question is: Should the Jazz drop Coach Sloan? That's his style of play.

[russ1]

Something needs to change. A major focal point in the offense (Boozer), can't disappear against teams with length if the Jazz want to be a championship team. I say that Boozer needs to go for this reason. I think the PG/PF approach can work, but the Jazz need to use it effectively against ALL teams. We've all seen that it doesn't work against the Lakers because of Boozer's limitations.

[spoonhoops]

I don't know how much longer the Jazz should give CJ and Fess to mature until they bring in some veteran guys and try to make a push for a championship.