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I had high expectations for this team. 57 wins. Maybe best record in the West. Dominating at home and being a battle on the road.

And bleah.

Worst of all, they are booring me lately. I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but, I'm not enjoying the brand of basketball they are playing.

Maybe things will get better when Boozer returns. When Deron gets healthy. When Korver's wrist heals up. When Brewer gets out of his funk.

But, I'm not so sure.

Winning cures everything, so if they come finish the year strong all will be forgotten, but, if they keep playing like this all year, I think I'm going to be in the fire Sloan bandwagon. If for nothing else than to shake things up.

Here's hoping we finish the year strong.

Me too.

I wish KOC would come out and say he's not trading Boozer so we can stop wondering about it.

Everyday when I wake up the first thing I have to day is check the wiretap to see if he's gone yet.

jazzfan1971 wrote:Worst of all, they are booring me lately. I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but, I'm not enjoying the brand of basketball they are playing.

I would have to disagree. It's not really a brand... these guys are learning. I'm enjoying watching Sap transcend his game before my eyes. Kosta has been a nice surprise as well. CJ is finding his game too. DW is starting to look like DW. Brew's outside shot is getting pretty good.

I think this team needs to start bringing it together though.

I think the biggest for this team would be for us to develop a better effort night and night out. Jumpers will go in some night and not other nights, but effort in rebounding and effort on team defense will keep us in every game.

Rebounding is one of the things that has bugged me the most this year. Last year it seemed like we almost always had a good advantage on the boards. I understand boozer is missing and was a good part of it, but it just seems like we have completely lost the advantage we had previously.

I'm trying to stay optimistic and when/if Boozer gets healthy and Deron gets back to 100%, we'll be fine, but it's definitely been a disappointing season so far. On the one hand, we've managed to remain in playoff contention in spite of a rash of injuries, but, with the exception of Millsap, we've been realy inconsistent and, with the kind of depth and talent we have, I think we should be doing better than we are, even with the injuries.
I do think that Sloan is part of the problem, though. For example, in the last game, it was incredibly obvious that nobody on the floor could match up with Noah's length and activity on the glass and it was killing us. We also were giving up an unacceptable number of inadequately or not at all challenged layups. Why didn't Koufos get a chance? Because he's a rookie? That just seems stupid to me. Also, it just seems like giving Harpring minutes is a waste of time that could be going to more productive players. I think Korver should be getting more consistent burn and should be given a green light to do what he does best, which is shoot threes. I also thought Sloan should have given Price a chance against the Bulls. Knight wasn't looking good and Price has proven on plenty of occasions, including one game against the Bulls last year, that he can be a sparkplug. We have so much depth and so many options that, especially with our injury and consistency problems, there's absolutely no reason not to try something new when what you're doing isn't working.

jazzfan1971 wrote:I had high expectations for this team. 57 wins. Maybe best record in the West. Dominating at home and being a battle on the road.

And bleah.

Worst of all, they are booring me lately. I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but, I'm not enjoying the brand of basketball they are playing.

Maybe things will get better when Boozer returns. When Deron gets healthy. When Korver's wrist heals up. When Brewer gets out of his funk.

But, I'm not so sure.

Winning cures everything, so if they come finish the year strong all will be forgotten, but, if they keep playing like this all year, I think I'm going to be in the fire Sloan bandwagon. If for nothing else than to shake things up.

Here's hoping we finish the year strong.

Wow...never thought I'd see a global mod admit to being a bandwagon fan.

The Jazz and Sloan are extremely impressive IMHO to be where they are with all the sh*t they've had to put up w/ this season. Williams out 13 games and hampered and nagged by injury in the games he's played in. Not to mention his main backup can't stay healthy, either. Boozer decides to go 2005 on us. Millsap is a stud and AK is on the bench exactly where everyone on this board wanted him. Yet its time to blame Sloan and bail on the team because their 17-12 record during said attrocities is not "fun to watch."

I think the Lakers are looking for more fans like you

It is certainly a dissapointment, considering preseason expectations, but all things considered, I think the team has weathered the adversity remarkably well.

Take any other team in the league and take one of their two best players out of the lineup for every single game so far, and I doubt you see very many with a winning record.

Once the Boozer situation is resolved, hopefully with him plying his trade elsewhere, this team will be primed for great things. Maybe not this season, but certainly in years to come.

DWill_daShizzle wrote:
I think the Lakers are looking for more fans like you

Geeze. Cut the dude some slack. He's frustrated, as we all should be with the mediocrity laid out before us.

And he's right. The worst part of this hasn't been that they've been losing -- it's that they haven't been entertaining to watch.

I don't think we're in the Lakers' league, but obviously things would look a lot better if we could get everyone healthy. Thing is: I'm not at all confident that's going to happen. Deron's stuff may well linger all year, and Boozer has about 45 more MRIs in his future, I'm sure, so...

One slight correction Jstock: Boozer has about 45 inconclusive MRIs in his future.

JStockLivesOn wrote:

DWill_daShizzle wrote:
I think the Lakers are looking for more fans like you

Geeze. Cut the dude some slack. He's frustrated, as we all should be with the mediocrity laid out before us.

And he's right. The worst part of this hasn't been that they've been losing -- it's that they haven't been entertaining to watch.

I don't think we're in the Lakers' league, but obviously things would look a lot better if we could get everyone healthy. Thing is: I'm not at all confident that's going to happen. Deron's stuff may well linger all year, and Boozer has about 45 more MRIs in his future, I'm sure, so...

Hahah. The hand-picked mod defending the hand that feeds.

Relax, dude. I know JF is a true fan. I just think its funny that he finds the games to not be "fun." Its basketball. Stuff happens. 2005 wasn't much fun either. But the next two years were a blast. You just got to weather the storm, man.

The difference for me is that I thought they exceeded expectations in 2005. That made it easy to watch. I didn't mind cheering for Milt and company. They were gritty. We lived or died on offensive rebounds because we needed extra shots to win games. But, we fought hard for those rebounds.

This team right now seems lacking in grit. The team. Not individuals. I get sick of watching them get outworked on the boards. I get sick of watching them brick free throws. I get sick of watching them get beat up and down the floor for layups. I get sick of watching Deron not play defense because he wants to berate the refs for missing a call. These things are largely a matter of effort and concentration, more so in practice for free throws but still.

We made Joakim Noah look like an Allstar. That's embarassing. It's brutal to watch. For me anyway.

This team is lacking heart. I expected a lot more out of Dwill, I wanted him to take charge and set an example out there and get everybody energized but sometimes it looks like Knight could do just as well out there. Thank God for Millsap though, he's kept me from losing hope this year.

He is my rock.

DWill_daShizzle wrote:
Hahah. The hand-picked mod defending the hand that feeds.

Relax, dude. I know JF is a true fan. I just think its funny that he finds the games to not be "fun." Its basketball. Stuff happens. 2005 wasn't much fun either. But the next two years were a blast. You just got to weather the storm, man.

Defending the individual who I feel has a valid viewpoint, my good man. If I disagreed with the Boss Man, I assure you I would do so openly.

In any case, are you saying it's not a valid complaint? The whole point of sports is that they're supposed to be fun to watch. I'm willing to, as you noted, weather the storm. This is my team and I'm not going anywhere. But does it suck that the team I choose to spend my leisure time watching should be entertaining, but is instead pathetic and yawn-inducing currently? Sure does.

As others have said, they're entirely lacking in grit and fortitude right now.

Soul Patch wrote:This team is lacking heart. I expected a lot more out of Dwill, I wanted him to take charge and set an example out there and get everybody energized but sometimes it looks like Knight could do just as well out there. Thank God for Millsap though, he's kept me from losing hope this year.

He is my rock.

Yes, Man is the man.

I would hope that the coaching staff could instill more confidence or fire or both into this team.

What was most disappointing to me in the last game was the poor shooting.

YehI really thought we had a shot at best record in the west coming into the season
just remembering how well we played near the end of last season

Unfortunately the injuries have added up and it's hard for any team to deal with what we have gone through

We have lost every game aired here, and that's not fun to watch if you wait until 4:00 am for the game to start.

I totally agree.

When I signed up as a Jazz fan, I'm pretty sure someone gave me a promise that nobody would ever be injured, let alone several players at once. I think it was Larry or Larry Junior or KOC. No, wait it was Jerry Sloan Goddamnit. He promised me a perfect season every **** year, not to mention my own personal John Deere Tractor to drive throughout the streets of SLC, even on sundays when I'd be sure to run over some brothers and sisters.

I feel cheated. To this day, I still haven't gotten my tractor, and I have yet to kill a single innocent saint. That's Bull.

Aint no justice, I tells ya.

Next year will be different. I'm trading Boozer and Deron for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. I don't care who says what. My tractor will do my talking for me, and I intends to kick some ass on dudes who think they're special. CP3 don't even know it yet, but I'm the one who killed his grandpappy. Punk. Dude was 57, not 63.

- This has been an editorial by Freak, one truly sick S.O.B. Get over it.

JStockLivesOn wrote:Defending the individual who I feel has a valid viewpoint, my good man. If I disagreed with the Boss Man, I assure you I would do so openly.

In any case, are you saying it's not a valid complaint? The whole point of sports is that they're supposed to be fun to watch. I'm willing to, as you noted, weather the storm. This is my team and I'm not going anywhere. But does it suck that the team I choose to spend my leisure time watching should be entertaining, but is instead pathetic and yawn-inducing currently? Sure does.

As others have said, they're entirely lacking in grit and fortitude right now.

I think you've been spoiled by Stockton and Malone dominating the league for 20 years. We are above .500. Hardly a "pathetic" or "yawn-inducing" season IMO considering the adversity we've struggled through. Cmon now...pathetic is growing up where the Bullets/Wizards joke of a franchise pays a guy who missed all season $111 million (and thats AFTER he took a pay cut to "help" the team), and this on the heals of their best season EVER (a first round exit in 1997 to the Bulls) being followed up immediately with a young, powerful Webber being dealt for an old, short Mitch Richmond.


I'll take the Jazz in their current state to watch in my leisure time over all the garbage teams out there. Our organization is top rate, even if the season isnt a 57-winner.

DWill_daShizzle wrote:
I think you've been spoiled by Stockton and Malone dominating the league for 20 years. We are above .500. Hardly a "pathetic" or "yawn-inducing" season IMO considering the adversity we've struggled through. Cmon now...pathetic is growing up where the Bullets/Wizards joke of a franchise pays a guy who missed all season $111 million (and thats AFTER he took a pay cut to "help" the team), and this on the heals of their best season EVER (a first round exit in 1997 to the Bulls) being followed up immediately with a young, powerful Webber being dealt for an old, short Mitch Richmond.


I'll take the Jazz in their current state to watch in my leisure time over all the garbage teams out there. Our organization is top rate, even if the season isnt a 57-winner.

You're absolutely right that Stockton and Malone spoiled me. I got used to their consistent effort. That's what has bothered me about our woes, is the lack of heart.

Our loss to the Rockets and our recent loss to the Bulls in Chicago, I was proud of the way our guys played. I don't mind them losing, as long as I perceive that they're giving it all they've got. When they're not doing that, it's obvious, and they become boring and, yes, in my opinion pathetic.

You're right that other teams have it much worse. Crappy players / no effort. But the fact that there's greater mediocrity with other teams (who are less fun to watch than the Jazz) doesn't mean I'm willing to settle for our team's lack of effort without complaint.

Thankfully, the past several games, the effort has been there in spades. I have nothing bad to say about our recent stretch, the best of which was actually our loss to Houston.

Lastly, you're absolutely right that the organization is top-notch. We have one of the best coaches of all time, one of the best GMs in recent memory, and a culture unmatched by any other team in basketball.