Post#102 » by OC Jazzfan » Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:19 am
Not likely. As much as I'd like to believe this team has some heart and pride, they haven't shown it for the past two full seasons and the start of this one.
Back in the day, Malone would've put the entire team on his back, gone off for 40/20 and delivered a win. Booz just ain't that guy. Tonight was the perfect opportunity for someone to step up and say, "I'm the man. Give me a chance and I'll deliver." Brewer and Miles come to mind and they both completely failed to deliver.
I hate to say it because I AM a Sloan fan, but I'm starting to believe that the inability of the Jazz to beat crap teams on the road boils down to coaching. The players play the game but having the players mentally prepared is the job of the coaching staff. Clearly, there is something missing on that end when a team that is so good at home is so bad on the road. At some point it's just not good enough to expect the players to "be ready to play". The game is the same; a round ball and a hoop. The difference has to be mental toughness, preparation and execution. The Jazz are obviously lacking in this area.
If they lose to the Celtics or the Pistons on the road, okay, I can handle that. But when they lose to the Bobcats, the Knicks and the Wizards, the excuses start to sound stale.
