fivas14 wrote:Ballings7 wrote:I'm not sold on the Jazz as title contenders until they improve that lacking interior defense and cut down on the fouls. The over-fouling of which is a consequence from having a shortage of team defensive quickness, and a solid presence around the basket to alter, block shots.
Boozer, Okur, Millsap, Collins, Koufos.
They have numerous big bodies, but not a big body in the form of an above-average defensive presence. None of those guys above really fit that bill - like they used to have with Greg Osterag back during the Malone/Stockton era. It seems like Fesenko could well be that consistent defensive presence at C, but he's not a factor yet. And who knows if he would be enough of one to be enough of a solution for that role (more on that below).
Also that guy would have to, if not start, finish games, because the impact of his defense will not be there when defense especially matters - late in games. But Okur is the guy at C, and then maybe eventually Koufos would take over for Okur. Or maybe Fesenko will, the Jazz realizing "we need to improve defensively".
Boozer/Okur is just not going to get it done defensively.
Not only to have that defensive guy up front in general, for the team, but also to help Boozer out, like Ostertag did for Malone.
These have been two key reasons why they've been knocked out these last two years.
Utah will never not lead the league in fouls. Sloans philosiphy is "no easy baskets"
I know that's his philosophy. But the problem is they over do it, and you get mixed results, and at times moreso negative results, playing defense like that.
Either way, they have to get better defensively, specifically up front with a solid presence, at least finishing games.
