GTS Memphis @ Utah 12/15/12

Battle of the bigs:

Which duo has more combined Points+Rebounds; Gasol/Randolph or Jefferson/Millsap?

Jazz by 5

Al and Sap

Battle of the bigs wins the game. Jazz are on a mission right now.

jazz by 5

Milly and AJ with better stats

Jazz by 5

Milsap & Jefferson with better stats

jazz by 7 AlSap!

Memphis by 8, Gasolph with most volume stats.

Memphis by 9.
Ransol clone with more.

whoa whoa ain't we getting ahead of ourselves here? Let's take things one game at a time like Coach Corbin always taught.

I want to see if Favors and Millsaps eyes get poisoned by Luis Scolas toxic hair flinging around before I make a call on Memphis and my boy Z-Bo.

Trollificus wrote:

Memphis by 8, Gasolph with most volume stats.

Its Ransol? to smell bad. lol'

I'm torn. Hangover from ugly PHO road loss, or redemption at home Jazz squad?

Shoot.... Memphis by 4. Jazz duo with better stats.

Utah will lose by 10. Utah duo with more points.

jazz by 6

Jazz by 3
Gasol and Randolph

Jazz +7; Al & Paul.

Memphis by 5
Gandolph on volume

In my book this game typifies the real Jazz team of 12-13. Show they can play with anyone but fail to do that on the four quarter basis it takes to be more than an average team. And shitass coaching again, letting guys with bad nights stay in the game because the fixed in stone tablet rotations must be implemented. Someone give me a reason why Sap got more minutes than Kanter tonight, fer instance. Not only couldn't Paul get in going on O, Randolph ate his lunch all night. If you are gonna run with the big dogs you got to hold your own more than occasionally with playoff teams, and so far the Jazz have about 2-3 wins against quality teams. While I wish otherwise and didn't expect this, the Jazz are going to be lucky to make the playoffs this year if what is now a pattern of under-performance doesn't change.

Memphis won by 13. Memphis duo had more points+rebounds.

MTJazz wrote:

In my book this game typifies the real Jazz team of 12-13. Show they can play with anyone but fail to do that on the four quarter basis it takes to be more than an average team. And shitass coaching again, letting guys with bad nights stay in the game because the fixed in stone tablet rotations must be implemented. Someone give me a reason why Sap got more minutes than Kanter tonight, fer instance. Not only couldn't Paul get in going on O, Randolph ate his lunch all night. If you are gonna run with the big dogs you got to hold your own more than occasionally with playoff teams, and so far the Jazz have about 2-3 wins against quality teams. While I wish otherwise and didn't expect this, the Jazz are going to be lucky to make the playoffs this year if what is now a pattern of under-performance doesn't change.

It's all coaching! Corbin has zero ability to manage a game. He will let the other team go in a 13-2 run before even thinking about calling timeout. He doesn't understand how to work matchup to the Jazz advantage and just overall doesn't have a feel for the game. It's becoming obvious he isn't the man for the job.

Romoholic wrote:

MTJazz wrote:

In my book this game typifies the real Jazz team of 12-13. Show they can play with anyone but fail to do that on the four quarter basis it takes to be more than an average team. And shitass coaching again, letting guys with bad nights stay in the game because the fixed in stone tablet rotations must be implemented. Someone give me a reason why Sap got more minutes than Kanter tonight, fer instance. Not only couldn't Paul get in going on O, Randolph ate his lunch all night. If you are gonna run with the big dogs you got to hold your own more than occasionally with playoff teams, and so far the Jazz have about 2-3 wins against quality teams. While I wish otherwise and didn't expect this, the Jazz are going to be lucky to make the playoffs this year if what is now a pattern of under-performance doesn't change.

It's all coaching! Corbin has zero ability to manage a game. He will let the other team go in a 13-2 run before even thinking about calling timeout. He doesn't understand how to work matchup to the Jazz advantage and just overall doesn't have a feel for the game. It's becoming obvious he isn't the man for the job.

To be honest, this all feels very similar to the period when Jerry got stuck in his old ways and stubbornly stuck with them despite his changed player personnel abilities and the overall evolution of the NBA game. Corbin is reflecting some of those ways that drove me crazy - the lack of timeouts to stop momentum of the other team; set in stone rotations that ignored second unit players who clearly had it going on; lack of creativity with defensive sets to take an opposing player out of their comfort zones (see Randolph chewing up Sap and spitting him out). How about throwing Kanter on Randolph until Kanter fouled out putting his body on him to wear him down? Uggh. I'm not prone to be a coach blamer but I am becoming very unimpressed with Corbin. In hindsight I think the Jazz family loyalty to "tradition and continuity" was exactly the point where they should have reached out for new blood, ideas and energy.

MTJazz wrote:

Romoholic wrote:

MTJazz wrote:

In my book this game typifies the real Jazz team of 12-13. Show they can play with anyone but fail to do that on the four quarter basis it takes to be more than an average team. And shitass coaching again, letting guys with bad nights stay in the game because the fixed in stone tablet rotations must be implemented. Someone give me a reason why Sap got more minutes than Kanter tonight, fer instance. Not only couldn't Paul get in going on O, Randolph ate his lunch all night. If you are gonna run with the big dogs you got to hold your own more than occasionally with playoff teams, and so far the Jazz have about 2-3 wins against quality teams. While I wish otherwise and didn't expect this, the Jazz are going to be lucky to make the playoffs this year if what is now a pattern of under-performance doesn't change.

It's all coaching! Corbin has zero ability to manage a game. He will let the other team go in a 13-2 run before even thinking about calling timeout. He doesn't understand how to work matchup to the Jazz advantage and just overall doesn't have a feel for the game. It's becoming obvious he isn't the man for the job.

To be honest, this all feels very similar to the period when Jerry got stuck in his old ways and stubbornly stuck with them despite his changed player personnel abilities and the overall evolution of the NBA game. Corbin is reflecting some of those ways that drove me crazy - the lack of timeouts to stop momentum of the other team; set in stone rotations that ignored second unit players who clearly had it going on; lack of creativity with defensive sets to take an opposing player out of their comfort zones (see Randolph chewing up Sap and spitting him out). How about throwing Kanter on Randolph until Kanter fouled out putting his body on him to wear him down? Uggh. I'm not prone to be a coach blamer but I am becoming very unimpressed with Corbin. In hindsight I think the Jazz family loyalty to "tradition and continuity" was exactly the point where they should have reached out for new blood, ideas and energy.

Randolph scores on anyone he wants, and rebounds over anyone he wants. The guy regularly goes for 20+ and 16, and lest we forget, this Memphis team is top 4 in the West. I'm not saying Corbin didn't make mistakes, but any mistakes he made were equally to blame as was Memphis being full of stud bigs and a great team. I too would have liked to see Kanter get some of those minutes, as he was scoring pretty well and getting them into foul trouble.
But most important thing to me was, Memphis is a really really good team that has been together for years now.

Mutangclan wrote:

Randolph scores on anyone he wants, and rebounds over anyone he wants. The guy regularly goes for 20+ and 16, and lest we forget, this Memphis team is top 4 in the West. I'm not saying Corbin didn't make mistakes, but any mistakes he made were equally to blame as was Memphis being full of stud bigs and a great team. I too would have liked to see Kanter get some of those minutes, as he was scoring pretty well and getting them into foul trouble.
But most important thing to me was, Memphis is a really really good team that has been together for years now.

Solid points.

I would also note that before the game Corbin called this a "trap game", he said the players were all distracted trying to get things ready with their families for Christmas before they left on the Road traip and that he felt like they didn't have their heads quite right, again that was BEFORE the game.

The thing that I find most interesting is that both Games with Memphis basically played out the same way. The Jazz have beat them in the first half and then completely folded when Memphis got after them in the second half.

Should be interesting to see how this road trip goes, Orlando is the easiest game on the schedule, but they haven't exactly been phoning games in and it is the second night of a back to back. Splitting these next 4 would have to be considered a victory, and losing all 4 is probalby the most likely scenario if you had to predict the outcome.

TheMagnus wrote:

Mutangclan wrote:

Randolph scores on anyone he wants, and rebounds over anyone he wants. The guy regularly goes for 20+ and 16, and lest we forget, this Memphis team is top 4 in the West. I'm not saying Corbin didn't make mistakes, but any mistakes he made were equally to blame as was Memphis being full of stud bigs and a great team. I too would have liked to see Kanter get some of those minutes, as he was scoring pretty well and getting them into foul trouble.
But most important thing to me was, Memphis is a really really good team that has been together for years now.

Solid points.

I would also note that before the game Corbin called this a "trap game", he said the players were all distracted trying to get things ready with their families for Christmas before they left on the Road traip and that he felt like they didn't have their heads quite right, again that was BEFORE the game.

The thing that I find most interesting is that both Games with Memphis basically played out the same way. The Jazz have beat them in the first half and then completely folded when Memphis got after them in the second half.

Should be interesting to see how this road trip goes, Orlando is the easiest game on the schedule, but they haven't exactly been phoning games in and it is the second night of a back to back. Splitting these next 4 would have to be considered a victory, and losing all 4 is probalby the most likely scenario if you had to predict the outcome.

Look at Memphis's roster and compare it head to head against Utah. I would argue that the starting five is a wash in terms of talent. Then look at the bench. Utah is clearly deeper. So how come Memphis is about a head and a half above the Jazz in team play? Well, for one thing they get after teams like the Jazz who beat them down in the first half and kill them in the second, on the road. How come they can do that and the Jazz can't? I my mind it is a couple of things. the Jazz aren't stone cold and in fact soft. Really, you can't get it up for road games - your ball skills vanish because you have a hotel bed instead of home cooking? I have no idea how it happens but some teams go soft despite talent - no killer instinct when not being petted by the adoring crowd. I'm guessing there is no alpha dog leadership, either within the players or in the coaching staff.

MTJazz wrote:

TheMagnus wrote:

Mutangclan wrote:

Randolph scores on anyone he wants, and rebounds over anyone he wants. The guy regularly goes for 20+ and 16, and lest we forget, this Memphis team is top 4 in the West. I'm not saying Corbin didn't make mistakes, but any mistakes he made were equally to blame as was Memphis being full of stud bigs and a great team. I too would have liked to see Kanter get some of those minutes, as he was scoring pretty well and getting them into foul trouble.
But most important thing to me was, Memphis is a really really good team that has been together for years now.

Solid points.

I would also note that before the game Corbin called this a "trap game", he said the players were all distracted trying to get things ready with their families for Christmas before they left on the Road traip and that he felt like they didn't have their heads quite right, again that was BEFORE the game.

The thing that I find most interesting is that both Games with Memphis basically played out the same way. The Jazz have beat them in the first half and then completely folded when Memphis got after them in the second half.

Should be interesting to see how this road trip goes, Orlando is the easiest game on the schedule, but they haven't exactly been phoning games in and it is the second night of a back to back. Splitting these next 4 would have to be considered a victory, and losing all 4 is probalby the most likely scenario if you had to predict the outcome.

Look at Memphis's roster and compare it head to head against Utah. I would argue that the starting five is a wash in terms of talent. Then look at the bench. Utah is clearly deeper. So how come Memphis is about a head and a half above the Jazz in team play? Well, for one thing they get after teams like the Jazz who beat them down in the first half and kill them in the second, on the road. How come they can do that and the Jazz can't? I my mind it is a couple of things. the Jazz aren't stone cold and in fact soft. Really, you can't get it up for road games - your ball skills vanish because you have a hotel bed instead of home cooking? I have no idea how it happens but some teams go soft despite talent - no killer instinct when not being petted by the adoring crowd. I'm guessing there is no alpha dog leadership, either within the players or in the coaching staff.

That's what I was thinking watching that game. I thought these guys don't have a better team than us, talent wise. It's all about the hustle and aggressive play. The Jazz just got outworked the whole game. That is flat out coaching! Kanter, DC and Watson are really the only guys on our team that play like that! Hayward has his moments too, but most of the team just wants to play finesse ball, and back down when you really bring it at them.

MTJazz wrote:

Look at Memphis's roster and compare it head to head against Utah. I would argue that the starting five is a wash in terms of talent. Then look at the bench. Utah is clearly deeper. So how come Memphis is about a head and a half above the Jazz in team play? Well, for one thing they get after teams like the Jazz who beat them down in the first half and kill them in the second, on the road. How come they can do that and the Jazz can't? I my mind it is a couple of things. the Jazz aren't stone cold and in fact soft. Really, you can't get it up for road games - your ball skills vanish because you have a hotel bed instead of home cooking? I have no idea how it happens but some teams go soft despite talent - no killer instinct when not being petted by the adoring crowd. I'm guessing there is no alpha dog leadership, either within the players or in the coaching staff.

I really feel like you guys are forgetting one major thing: Memphis has had the same starting 5, and same group, for years now. Utah on the other hand has 3 new guys all getting close to starter minutes. These guys aren't robots. You can't just plug in players and expect it to work like a well oiled machine. This is going to take some time, for the cohesion, camaraderie an just flat out knowing where guys are/will be/like to be during the game. It's only been a little over a month. Some nights it works, like when beating the Spurs. Other nights it shows that this team still hasn't totally figured out how to play together.
I think the lack of patience for this team is more glaring than a loss to the Grizzlies (who are and have beaten all the best teams).