Who's going to step up against the Spurs? Who's going to falter?

OK, I haven't watched a single second of either of the losses in SA (thankfully), but I will finally be able to tune in Saturday. Ergo, none of this is based on observations, but rather, what I have heard/read so far.
I am not a coach, but here is what I would do if I were Ty: THROW CAUTION INTO THE WIND!!!! Either start Favors, Jefferson and Millsap with Hayward and Harris (or hell, even Hayward and Burks) and just see what happens. OR, at the very least, start DC and then bring Favors in early and give him heavy minutes. Get Jeremy Evans in for a few minutes in the first half and see if he can get you an easy 4-6 points.
If Harris or Tinsley cannot stop Parker, give Burks, Hayward or even Raja Bell the assignment for a few possessions. Favors has got to protect the damn basket, but he cannot do that if he is not in the game.

In short...you're on your home floor, you have 20,000 of the best fans in the world as your 6th man...give the young guns a shot and see if they can spark some energy and get some confidence going forward.

A huge key, in my opinion, is to give the fans reason to get involved from the tipoff...if the fans are in it the whole game, the Jazz are in it the whole game.

Oh yeah...and put somebody on the damn floor. Not Metta World Peace style, but you've got 6 fouls...use them and let them know you're there.

The Voice of Reason wrote:

...In short...you're on your home floor, you have 20,000 of the best fans in the world as your 6th man...

The problem being the first five guys...

outerspacefan wrote:

The Voice of Reason wrote:

...In short...you're on your home floor, you have 20,000 of the best fans in the world as your 6th man...

The problem being the first five guys...

Touché

Looking back over the box scores for the past two games, the one thing that stands out even more than the Jazz' combined 37% shooting from the floor, 5-19 on 3's, Harris' 7 TO's in only 49 total minutes, Favors only getting 47 minutes (many of which came in garbage time), & Howard shooting 4-13, is that Al Jefferson has shot ONE TOTAL FREE THROW in two games. Stop throwing up one handed shots from 12 feet out & get closer to the rim big man!

Hayward hasn't shot well, he still has gone 14-14 from the line & helped to hold Ginobili to 11 TOTAL points.

And even though Harris & Al have been ripped (rightfully so) for their play so far.... Millsap has the worst +/- on the team at a crazy -58.

Why does game 3 have to be so far away?

Even us that picked the Jazz to win the series have no illusion anymore that the Jazz will win the series.

What I want to see now is FIGHT. I want to see the Jazz make the Spurs struggle to win the last two games. I want the young players to see that they can compete with the best team in the NBA.

I don't think it does the young guys or the development of the team any good to get swept in the fashion that it's going now.
The playoffs can be a huge learning tool, but to lose the way they are can actually hurt their progress.

I also think seeing their coach and leader making such bad decisions can hurt their future development as a team. It's hard to buy into a guy that is making all the wrong decisions.

I understand that he is a young coach. I willing to overlook the the mistakes. but I don't matter. The players do.

Romoholic wrote:

I also think seeing their coach and leader making such bad decisions can hurt their future development as a team. It's hard to buy into a guy that is making all the wrong decisions.

I understand that he is a young coach. I willing to overlook the the mistakes. but I don't matter. The players do.

Do you think he will make major adjustments for Saturday's game?
Perhaps his thought process is that the rookies play better at home than on the road, so he would ride the vets game 2 to give themselves an opportunity to redeem themselves...which they did not.
I actually almost kind of think we will see some adjustments for game 3...finally. It's like you said though, I don't think even Ty thinks we can win this series now....now it is about saving face, making the spurs work for this win, a little redemption and getting the future core of this team some valuable playoff experience together.

I really don't know if he will make major adjustments for game 3. I hope so, but I think at this point he is more interested in getting a couple of wins than developing anyone

Romoholic wrote:

I really don't know if he will make major adjustments for game 3. I hope so, but I think at this point he is more interested in getting a couple of wins than developing anyone

The irony there is that playing young guys like Favors and Burks may be good for development AND the best way to get a win.

The biggest thing that has to change on Saturday is starting DC. Utah ripped of what, 5, 6 had-to-have straight wins at the end of the season??? That starting unit worked!!!! And the vaunted Big 3 were taking to teams too! WTF is the problem Ty Corbin!!!! Going to Josh Howard for "playoff" experience was ridiculous. You ride a hot hand, not go with what may help. I was all for Ty for COY, and still think he did a fantastic job. But the start of the series seriously put the "rookie" coach label square on his shoulders.
Pop made a playoff change, but he added a passing big man to his lineup. Ty added a gunning shooter. Just doesn't make sense.

I hope my TV screen makes it through the second half on Saturday if Ty doesn't start DC and play Favors starter minutes.

zero24gravity wrote:

Romoholic wrote:

I really don't know if he will make major adjustments for game 3. I hope so, but I think at this point he is more interested in getting a couple of wins than developing anyone

The irony there is that playing young guys like Favors and Burks may be good for development AND the best way to get a win.

Yap playing Favors gives the Jazz their best chance to win his defense and rebounding are both badly needed against the Spurs, Timmy is called the best PF to ever have played the game for a reason. I am not as sold on DC as some of you guys in the last few regular season games his play was falling off a little and that could be one of the reason's Corbin went with Howard as the starter. I think I would rather see Burks start at the SG and Hayward move down to the SF then see DC in the starting line-up. The starting line-up that would be the most competitive would be with the big 3 in the game at the same time, I think it was this group that lead the way for the Jazz to snick into the Playoffs and this give's them their best chance to win.

zero24gravity wrote:

Romoholic wrote:

I really don't know if he will make major adjustments for game 3. I hope so, but I think at this point he is more interested in getting a couple of wins than developing anyone

The irony there is that playing young guys like Favors and Burks may be good for development AND the best way to get a win.

Exactly.

John Hollinger also agrees....

John Hollinger wrote:

Utah: Utah just needs to win the next two by a combined 46 points and it's right back in this thing. The Jazz's pick-and-roll defense has been abused by San Antonio's guards, which isn't a big surprise if you look at the offensive and defensive rankings of the two sides. For Utah, the next step is to start thinking about A) how to do this much, much differently, and B) next season.

One solution is to start Alec Burks on the wing for an ineffective Josh Howard. Burks is the more capable offensive player, and while defense has been a problem in the first two games, the Jazz also have failed to score at a respectable rate.

Beyond that, it's Derrick Favors time. Here's an amazing stat: Favors has played 47 minutes in this series and is a plus-6. The other 49 minutes the Jazz are minus-52. Granted, garbage time influenced that stat a bit, but the guy is rapidly becoming an absolute beast on defense. The conclusion is to put Favors out there early and often -- perhaps even start him, with Paul Millsap at the 3 or coming off the bench.

It squeezes the vets, but Howard and DeMarre Carroll aren't part of the future and aren't helping the present much either. At this point, the Jazz have nothing to lose by going with the kids.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/page/PERDiem-120503/all-odds

dongibby wrote:

Yap playing Favors gives the Jazz their best chance to win his defense and rebounding are bot badly needed against the Spurs, Timmy is called the best PF to every have played the game for a reason. I am not as sold on DC as some of you guys in the last few regular season games his play was falling off a little and that could be one of the reason's Corbin went with Howard as the starter. I think I would rather see Burks start at the SG and Hayward move down to the SF then see DC in the starting line-up. The starting line-up that would be the most competitive would be with the big 3 in the game at the same time, I think it was this group that lead the way for the Jazz to snick into the Playoffs and this give's them their best chance to win.

Timmy best "power forward". I hate that term. Dude is a center, has been a center since The Admiral retired (which is most of his career). He plays against the opposing team's center, he starts next to guys like Diaw/Bonner/Blair, none of which are centers.

Anyway, I'm not sold on Carroll as a complete player, but I am sold on his hustle, which is something the team was in desperate need of in game 2.

Ok, soooo maybe Al isn't going to be the one to step up in game four. This is actually really irritating:

Jefferson Can’t See Anyone Beating Spurs
By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors
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For three games in the Western Conference playoffs, Utah center Al Jefferson has seen his team beaten every which way, and by a combined 58 points.

Finally, he has seen enough.

Before Sunday’s practice, Jefferson essentially declared the Spurs to be NBA champions-in-waiting.


“I just think we’re playing against a team that is at its peak,” Jefferson said. “I don’t see nobody beating them.”

Jefferson’s comments were striking, considering Utah’s series with the Spurs is still in progress.

via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News

Uhhhh, WTF AL ?!?!! This really bothers me, like, deep.

um yeah he probably could have withheld those comments until the series is over. It shows a complete lack of confidence. I wonder if the whole team feels that way?

Romoholic wrote:

um yeah he probably could have withheld those comments until the series is over. It shows a complete lack of confidence. I wonder if the whole team feels that way?

I suppose he could have just meant to say that the Spurs are really good, but it does come across as having a defeated attitude.

If Al did mean, "we're done, they're too good", then he needs to find a cozy seat on the bench & he can watch Favors go take his spot from him. Thinking it is bad enough, but saying it is just plain dumb.

I'm going to hold onto hope that he just was giving the Spurs a compliment & he simply didn't think before he spoke. Al seems like a good guy, I don't want him to land in the "Boozer Zone".

zero24gravity wrote:

Romoholic wrote:

um yeah he probably could have withheld those comments until the series is over. It shows a complete lack of confidence. I wonder if the whole team feels that way?

I suppose he could have just meant to say that the Spurs are really good, but it does come across as having a defeated attitude.

If Al did mean, "we're done, they're too good", then he needs to find a cozy seat on the bench & he can watch Favors go take his spot from him. Thinking it is bad enough, but saying it is just plain dumb.

I'm going to hold onto hope that he just was giving the Spurs a compliment & he simply didn't think before he spoke. Al seems like a good guy, I don't want him to land in the "Boozer Zone".

It's painfully true that the Jazz are completely outclassed this series, but I hate to hear the players admit it!

To answer the original question..."WHO WILL STEP UP?"

The answer is simple, only two guys have actually stepped up, Alec Burks and Derrek Favors.

Everybody else has steped down sideways or backwards, but those two have performed as good or better than could be expected.

Fun fact: Derrek Favors is 5 days older than Alec Burks, Both of them will turn 21 next month.

The future is bright in Jazz land

TheMagnus wrote:

To answer the original question..."WHO WILL STEP UP?"

The answer is simple, only two guys have actually stepped up, Alec Burks and Derrek Favors.

Everybody else has steped down sideways or backwards, but those two have performed as good or better than could be expected.

Fun fact: Derrek Favors is 5 days older than Alec Burks, Both of them will turn 21 next month.

The future is bright in Jazz land

This is the easiest post to agree with since the playoffs began.

Yup, Favors has has 3 solid games & has shown effort in each of them. Burks hasn't "stepped-up" as much, but given the small amount of time he's been on the court, has been an asset as well.

Hayward has shown a typical willinigness to do "whatever", but his shot & stats are down, so he can't be credited with stepping up.

Kanter has also been a little better, in his limited minutes, than he was at the end of the year. But hasn't made enough impact to make a true judgement.

Carroll continues to play hard, but not really an UP step from what he was doing before.

That's a good sign too. It's usually the young guys that struggle in the playoffs. The vets have been horrible. You do have to credit SA for locking down on Al and Milsap though. It's easy to just say the are playing like crap, but there is a reason for it. SA is just a very smart team and are making the other guys beat them and they can't. It's just a good thing Manu is having a really bad shooting series or this could be even uglier than it is.

I like Big Al but he just aint got that fire to win like i see in Favors. Favors has a kiss my ares your a nobody and i'm gonna bring my A game! Al is like we're lucky to get this far and your team is great and Timmy is my hero and i wish you the best. And this started in game one. If i got fouled like Big Al did i'm getting tossed out and letting the refs know i'm here to win and i want the calls like TP and TD got. Just don't see it in Al to lead us deep into the playoffs next few years. And its sad because i think he's one of the few great guys in the league.

The Spurs have rolled through the playoffs and have not lost a game going into the Western finales, it is looking like they are the team to beat but the Thunder just might have something to say about that. This should be a very competitive series between these two team's I think it could really go either way they are both very good team's when it is all said and done.

With the Spurs playing like they are it is showing that the Jazz has no reason to hang their heads losing in the first round against them this team is very very good, they won against the Clippers 4-0 who are among the top team's in the West. I really like where this Jazz team is at after trading their star player halfway through the season two years ago there is no doubt they are a better team because of it.

After watching the ***** and OKC, I can't help but lean towards the Spurs in this series. The ***** self-destructed, down the stretch, in a couple of games, whereas the Spurs have often been extending leads during the same point in games.

In addition, while the Spur's defense may not be as tough as in past years, its still pretty fundamentally sound. This doesn't appear to bode well for an OKC team, whose half court offense is one of the team's weaknesses.

That said, I expect this to be an entertaining series to watch.