Free throw intrigue
Maybe it's coincidence.
If not, the Jazz have a problem.
After limiting Houston's Tracy McGrady to 35 free throws in the first five games of their opening round series with the Rockets, coach Rick Adelman sent a tape to the league to protest over the Jazz's defensive tactics.
In Game 6, McGrady shot 18 free throws.
In Game 1 of the Jazz-Lakers series, Kobe Bryant shot 23.
Are the Jazz worried that Adelman's concerns has been passed along to the officials and Utah will have a hard time keeping Bryant off the line as the second-round series progresses?
"The officials, they have to do what they have to do," said coach Jerry Sloan. "I can't worry about that. We just have to do a better job of guarding everybody. Obviously, he's such a great player that he's going to shoot free throws. That's just who [star players] are in this league."
Is Adelman's tape to the league one of the reasons Bryant shot 23 free throws in Game 1?
"I don't know if it is or not," Sloan said. "I try to stay away from that aspect of the game."
The Jazz's Ronnie Brewer believes the tape might be why opposing shooting guards took 41 free throws in the last two games against Utah.
"I think they are watching us more closely, but I don't think we're fouling like that," Brewer said. "I think we're getting some tough fouls called on us. . . . Hey, it's playoff basketball. You're supposed to be aggressive and supposed to play physical."
In his second year, Brewer has become sensitive to accusations that the Jazz play dirty.
"I would never, ever say there is anybody on our team who plays dirty," Brewer said. "And I know coach Sloan does not preach that. We play hard basketball. They can send tapes to the league and all that, but we're going to continue to play this way. That's something you can expect from us."
*******
In a story for Wednesday morning's Tribune, I asked the Jazz what they have to do to slow Bryant.
It seems like I heard a lot of the same things that former Jazz players said in 1997 and 1998, when Utah had to defend Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals.
Speaking of the Jordan, I asked a couple of folks to compare Bryant to him.
"They are similar players," Jeff Hornacek said. "They'll go into the post. They'll play outside. Michael, when he got older, would go into the post quite a bit and shoot that fadeaway jumper.
"I don't see Kobe doing that a whole lot. I mean, he'll do it once in awhile. But that's a shot of Michael's that was hard to stop. You're thinking you are right there to put pressure on him and he would just shoot the ball right over you."
Said Jazz assistant Phil Johnson: "The No. 1 thing about both of them is they have tremendous, tremendous competitiveness and toughness. Both of them are also great defenders and have a tremendous will to win. You put it all together and it's a pretty tough combination."
Another Jazz assistant, Tyrone Corbin, played against Jordan and Bryant during his career.
"The biggest comparison I see between them is they both play both ends of the floor," Corbin said. "As good as they are offensively, they both compete and play hard and try to stop their guy on the defensive end. I think that's one of the things that separates them from some of the other big-time scorers in the league. They can beat you with their defense, too."
******
How do the Jazz plan to slow Bryant in Game 2 and throughout the rest of the series:
-- Kyle Korver: "Well, Kobe is just a very good player. Most guys, you either play them for the shot or play them for the drive. But he can do both. So you have to get up into him. But he's very good at drawing contact. He'll put his shoulder down and drive it. ... It's just one of those things where we can't have one guy guarding him. We have to have a team effort and try to not foul him. We can't let him get in any kind of rhythm."
-- Matt Harpring: "We've got to quit fouling him. I mean, it's kind of a simple solution to a hard problem and it's hard to do. But when a guy shoots 23 free throws, it gives them a big advantage. ... He only took 16 shots. That's not a lot for Kobe. I've seen him in the 30s. So it's not like he's doing anything different. We just have to be smarter with our fouls."
-- Deron Williams: "He's been in the league awhile. He's a smart ballplayer. He knows how to get calls and he does a great job of it. ... I'm sure we'll talk about what we want to do. I'm sure the coaching staff will have some suggestions for us and we just leave that up to them."
-- Ronnie Brewer: "We were trying to be physical with him a little bit and that didn't work. [But] it's hard to play a finesse game with him because he takes the ball to the basket and puts so much pressure on you with his face-up game. But we have to find a way to get it done."
-- Steve Luhm
If not, the Jazz have a problem.
After limiting Houston's Tracy McGrady to 35 free throws in the first five games of their opening round series with the Rockets, coach Rick Adelman sent a tape to the league to protest over the Jazz's defensive tactics.
In Game 6, McGrady shot 18 free throws.
In Game 1 of the Jazz-Lakers series, Kobe Bryant shot 23.
Are the Jazz worried that Adelman's concerns has been passed along to the officials and Utah will have a hard time keeping Bryant off the line as the second-round series progresses?
"The officials, they have to do what they have to do," said coach Jerry Sloan. "I can't worry about that. We just have to do a better job of guarding everybody. Obviously, he's such a great player that he's going to shoot free throws. That's just who [star players] are in this league."
Is Adelman's tape to the league one of the reasons Bryant shot 23 free throws in Game 1?
"I don't know if it is or not," Sloan said. "I try to stay away from that aspect of the game."
The Jazz's Ronnie Brewer believes the tape might be why opposing shooting guards took 41 free throws in the last two games against Utah.
"I think they are watching us more closely, but I don't think we're fouling like that," Brewer said. "I think we're getting some tough fouls called on us. . . . Hey, it's playoff basketball. You're supposed to be aggressive and supposed to play physical."
In his second year, Brewer has become sensitive to accusations that the Jazz play dirty.
"I would never, ever say there is anybody on our team who plays dirty," Brewer said. "And I know coach Sloan does not preach that. We play hard basketball. They can send tapes to the league and all that, but we're going to continue to play this way. That's something you can expect from us."
*******
In a story for Wednesday morning's Tribune, I asked the Jazz what they have to do to slow Bryant.
It seems like I heard a lot of the same things that former Jazz players said in 1997 and 1998, when Utah had to defend Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals.
Speaking of the Jordan, I asked a couple of folks to compare Bryant to him.
"They are similar players," Jeff Hornacek said. "They'll go into the post. They'll play outside. Michael, when he got older, would go into the post quite a bit and shoot that fadeaway jumper.
"I don't see Kobe doing that a whole lot. I mean, he'll do it once in awhile. But that's a shot of Michael's that was hard to stop. You're thinking you are right there to put pressure on him and he would just shoot the ball right over you."
Said Jazz assistant Phil Johnson: "The No. 1 thing about both of them is they have tremendous, tremendous competitiveness and toughness. Both of them are also great defenders and have a tremendous will to win. You put it all together and it's a pretty tough combination."
Another Jazz assistant, Tyrone Corbin, played against Jordan and Bryant during his career.
"The biggest comparison I see between them is they both play both ends of the floor," Corbin said. "As good as they are offensively, they both compete and play hard and try to stop their guy on the defensive end. I think that's one of the things that separates them from some of the other big-time scorers in the league. They can beat you with their defense, too."
******
How do the Jazz plan to slow Bryant in Game 2 and throughout the rest of the series:
-- Kyle Korver: "Well, Kobe is just a very good player. Most guys, you either play them for the shot or play them for the drive. But he can do both. So you have to get up into him. But he's very good at drawing contact. He'll put his shoulder down and drive it. ... It's just one of those things where we can't have one guy guarding him. We have to have a team effort and try to not foul him. We can't let him get in any kind of rhythm."
-- Matt Harpring: "We've got to quit fouling him. I mean, it's kind of a simple solution to a hard problem and it's hard to do. But when a guy shoots 23 free throws, it gives them a big advantage. ... He only took 16 shots. That's not a lot for Kobe. I've seen him in the 30s. So it's not like he's doing anything different. We just have to be smarter with our fouls."
-- Deron Williams: "He's been in the league awhile. He's a smart ballplayer. He knows how to get calls and he does a great job of it. ... I'm sure we'll talk about what we want to do. I'm sure the coaching staff will have some suggestions for us and we just leave that up to them."
-- Ronnie Brewer: "We were trying to be physical with him a little bit and that didn't work. [But] it's hard to play a finesse game with him because he takes the ball to the basket and puts so much pressure on you with his face-up game. But we have to find a way to get it done."
-- Steve Luhm
10:24 PM
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