Losing big leads

[dr0welf]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50378250/jazz-part-owner-dwyane-wade-shares-thoughts-on-team-after-it-blew-25-point-lead

Dwayne Wade had good insight in this article. By what I understand he believes that this team wins by the 3 but they can also die by the 3 as well. And teams have learned all they need to do is switch to take away the easy shots the Jazz's offensive system is designed to create. The part we are missing is when that doesn't work for you, what is our counter? We currently just go isolation which causes stagnation on both the offensive and defensive side. Guys are not included on the offensive side which tends to reveal itself on the defensive side as well. We get more turnovers playing this way on top of the lack of team consistency on both sides of the court

So Wade is asking basically "What is your counter because isolation hasn't worked and still is not working?" I feel like he's calling out the coaching staff and the players saying you know where the problem lies, why haven't you fixed it yet?

I've been thinking for awhile that our isolation game is the problem. Good to hear Wade basically state the obvious. The front office is aware of the problem and if the players and coaches don't figure it out their will be changes which will require them to change it up.

I might be reading more out of the article then what is actually there but that's how I am seeing it.

[Crunch 99]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50378250/jazz-part-owner-dwyane-wade-shares-thoughts-on-team-after-it-blew-25-point-lead

Spoiler:

Dwayne Wade had good insight in this article. By what I understand he believes that this team wins by the 3 but they can also die by the 3 as well. And teams have learned all they need to do is switch to take away the easy shots the Jazz's offensive system is designed to create. The part we are missing is when that doesn't work for you, what is our counter? We currently just go isolation which causes stagnation on both the offensive and defensive side. Guys are not included on the offensive side which tends to reveal itself on the defensive side as well. We get more turnovers playing this way on top of the lack of team consistency on both sides of the court

So Wade is asking basically "What is your counter because isolation hasn't worked and still is not working?" I feel like he's calling out the coaching staff and the players saying you know where the problem lies, why haven't you fixed it yet?

I've been thinking for awhile that our isolation game is the problem. Good to hear Wade basically state the obvious. The front office is aware of the problem and if the players and coaches don't figure it out their will be changes which will require them to change it up.

I might be reading more out of the article then what is actually there but that's how I am seeing it.

Your post was just in time for it to happen again last night against the Warriors. One change I would suggest is try putting the ball in veteran Conley's hands way more during crunch time and let Conley be the clear leader in the last few minutes of a close game. Donovan is obviously more athletic and the bigger multi-dimensional threat, but Conley's years of experience outweighs the younger Mitchell's leadership at crunch time imo.

After Jordan Poole made a couple of free throws last night to put the Warriors up 109-106 with 19 seconds to go, Mitchell took a wild, off balance, contested 3pa with 12 seconds to go. To probably no one's surprise, it didn't go in. That play seemed kind of indicative of our crunch time play this season.

[TNJazz]

2 of the last 3 games this has happened, with a small win over the hapless Lakers. Can anyone recall DM making a game winning shot in the last 2 years? His last attempt was so unnecessary. Just shows his lack of trust in his teammates OR his completely over inflated ego where he thinks he's the only one who can make that shot. Conley should have control at that point, I feel he would be able to make the correct decision rather than a team loading up ON DM. To me, this is a coaching error. Everyone knows that DM is going to get the ball and take the shot, so they load up to stop it which is almost always successful. What's the definition of a losing mentality? Doing the same thing that hasn't worked over and over again expecting a different result? Pathetic...

[dr0welf]

Great points from each of you! Conley is the more calm and collected player on the team. Mitchell and Clarkson are the isolation masters on the team. On the random offensive possession this is a huge blessing. But to end the game time and time again iso after iso is really boring and obviously doesn't work. I would like to go through the last 8 minutes of the GSW game and see what each offensive possession was and how it ended. Also, I would like to see where the effect on the defensive side is.

Unless Mitchell can tame it in at the end of the games we won't last long in the playoffs. We can't continue to go away from the team ball that gets us the lead. I blame Mitchell first as I think he is the main culprit, plus he is the leader. Snyder second for not making adjustments after seeing the rinse and repeat cycle happen 15 times this season.

[dr0welf]

The Phoenix game was a great example of this as well. Just happened again after how many times they keep saying they are going to fix it. Donovan puts his head down tries to power through the defense and loses his court vision at these times. Don't get me wrong, Donovan is a good passer was some elite passes at times. Earlier in the same game he caught a rebound falling backwards and some how flipped it back to Gobert under the basket before he landed. It was an amazing play. But something happens in his head come 4th quarter. Almost as if the Hulk comes out and he feels he's invincible. But when that happens he also loses his control over the game. Almost like the previous years playoffs successes where he just drove time and time again through defenses to score and "save" the game is now his nemesis. It's like that's who he feels he needs to be down the stretch and that is not the case. But right now and most of this year Donovan's shot has been struggling and so this hero ball hurts if you can't make your shots.

The other thing I noticed lately. O'neal has lost something. He just makes mental mistakes. I'm okay with him opening games, but House needs to be in the closing lineup instead of O'neal. Good example was the rebound to Kyle Anderson at the end of regulation against Memphis. He wasn't even playing for a rebound, he had no idea where the ball was. Credit for Quin for sitting Royce through overtime. But something is definitely off with where his focus is during the games.

[TNJazz]

Glad they had that team meeting where all this got sorted out...

I am really on a downer about this team. So much promise, so little success.

[dr0welf]

Glad they had that team meeting where all this got sorted out...

I am really on a downer about this team. So much promise, so little success.

I agree, I would arguably say this is the most talented Jazz team ever. I actually think the talent level from top to bottom is better then even the late 90's team that got us two shots at an nba title but fell short. I mean Greg Ostertag was the starting center, and Foster was the backup. And this was the days where the big men had to bang regularly.

Mitchell's issue is a problem and I don't know if he can fix it quickly. This is a problem though I blame on the coaching staff because the signs have been there and it hasn't been fixed yet. Only they know if they have been trying to help him through it.