Karma
One morning in April, Kurt Kragthorpe and I were sitting in the bleachers at the Jazz facility waiting for the players to come out for practice. I told him that I had no idea what it was like to cover a championship team but couldn't imagine it would feel like this.
I have to believe there's a karma around a team that wins a title and, for one reason or another, the Jazz never quite had it.
For starters, a championship team doesn't open the season with its highest-paid player voicing a trade demand and criticizing the coach in a series of Russian interviews. To their credit, the Jazz moved past the Andrei Kirilenko controversy, but it was not a good omen.
A championship team also doesn't struggle on the road as much as the Jazz did this season, especially against teams they should have beaten. The Jazz lost on the road to every Eastern Conference team that didn't make the playoffs except Milwaukee.
Had they won only four more road games, the Jazz could have gone into the playoffs as the Western Conference's top seed, playing that Game 5 against the Lakers at EnergySolutions Arena instead of Staples Center.
As Gordon Monson pointed out regularly in his column, no team has won an NBA championship with a losing road record in 30 years. The Lakers were 27-14 on the road this season, best in the conference, while the Jazz were 17-24.
A championship team also does not lay down and lose by 29 points to San Antonio in the last game of the regular season (giving up 11 layups in the first quarter) with the chance to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
The matchup against Houston proved more favorable, obviously, for the Jazz but the New Orleans series is showing that San Antonio could have been beaten. In hindsight, the Jazz might have gone three rounds if they could have taken out the Spurs early.
A championship team also does not have one of its stars struggle the way Carlos Boozer did in the playoffs. Only once in 12 games against the Rockets and Lakers did Boozer top his regular-season scoring average of 21.1 points.
Boozer fouled out with 4:34 left in Friday's game, after missing a shot and clocking Pau Gasol fighting for the rebound. Paul Millsap actually outscored Boozer 15-12 for the game and 12-2 in the fourth quarter.
"I'm disappointed in my play," Boozer said. "I feel like I let my teammates down. I could have played a lot better."
Finally, a championship team does not have Kirilenko missing practice - - misunderstanding or not - - the day before an elimination game. You couldn't watch the Jazz fall behind big Friday and not think the episode set a tone for things.
Talking to Kirilenko, I think he feels unfairly criticized, that he tried to tell Jerry Sloan what was going on and thought he had the coach's permission. At a minimum, though, Kirilenko has to have common sense and he and Sloan have to communicate better.
Those are five things right off the bat. I think the Jazz will come to regard this season as a missed opportunity in the future, especially if New Orleans gets past San Antonio in Game 7 on Monday.
They might never get another season when Boozer and Williams miss one game combined because of injury. Boozer, Williams and Kirilenko are all looking at a busy summer playing in the Beijing Olympics.
In addition, the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum back from a knee injury next season. The Spurs, Suns and Mavericks figure to all take a step back, but the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Bynum probably will be stronger.
* * *
A sampling of quotes from Deron Williams - - whose contract extension will be the top story of summer - - after Friday's loss:
"It was tough because we realize how we played the second half, energy-wise, defensively, and it was just night and day. We started getting up, pressuring, they got a little frantic, and that's what we should have been doing the whole game and not just in the second half."
"I felt we played our hearts out, we just got beat by a better team, similar to last year. We have pretty much everybody coming back. Hopefully, we keep the team intact. We feel like we have a great nucleus and great coaching staff that can win a championship."
"Everybody says we're so young, but at the same time, in a couple years, people are probably going to say we're getting old. So you've got to make the most of opportunities. You can't let things like this slip away. Guys go their whole careers without winning a championship."
"I think we've got to be committed to the defensive end. We can't outscore teams. That's not going to work. Defense wins championships. You look at the teams that have won in the past couple years, they've been all great defensive teams. I think we have the makings to be a good defensive team, we just haven't had that mind-set yet."
"I think we struggled at times, especially defensively. That's just the biggest thing in this series was too many layups, too many easy baskets, too many guys flying in for uncontested layups. That can't happen, especially in the playoffs, when you need to get stops."
* * *
I'm not sure how many people picked Lakers in 6, but this blog was one of them. I thought the Lakers were the only team that could beat the Jazz in Utah in the playoffs, although Houston obviously did as well. It turns out, Game 5 was the difference in the series.
It's always amazing to me the feeling when the season ends. You spend seven months trying to get to the next city, the next flight, the next practice and then there's just nothing. It's a shock to the system at first going back to regular life.
The Jazz will clean out their lockers and go through exit interviews Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday will be my second day off since April 1. But I'm going to end this by saying thanks to everyone who read during the season, especially those who posted a comment or sent an e-mail.
We'll keep posting during the summer, although not quite as regularly (and definitely not any more for me after 2 a.m.). I'm going to throw this open and ask if you were Kevin O'Connor what you would do to the team this summer.
--Ross Siler
I have to believe there's a karma around a team that wins a title and, for one reason or another, the Jazz never quite had it.
For starters, a championship team doesn't open the season with its highest-paid player voicing a trade demand and criticizing the coach in a series of Russian interviews. To their credit, the Jazz moved past the Andrei Kirilenko controversy, but it was not a good omen.
A championship team also doesn't struggle on the road as much as the Jazz did this season, especially against teams they should have beaten. The Jazz lost on the road to every Eastern Conference team that didn't make the playoffs except Milwaukee.
Had they won only four more road games, the Jazz could have gone into the playoffs as the Western Conference's top seed, playing that Game 5 against the Lakers at EnergySolutions Arena instead of Staples Center.
As Gordon Monson pointed out regularly in his column, no team has won an NBA championship with a losing road record in 30 years. The Lakers were 27-14 on the road this season, best in the conference, while the Jazz were 17-24.
A championship team also does not lay down and lose by 29 points to San Antonio in the last game of the regular season (giving up 11 layups in the first quarter) with the chance to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
The matchup against Houston proved more favorable, obviously, for the Jazz but the New Orleans series is showing that San Antonio could have been beaten. In hindsight, the Jazz might have gone three rounds if they could have taken out the Spurs early.
A championship team also does not have one of its stars struggle the way Carlos Boozer did in the playoffs. Only once in 12 games against the Rockets and Lakers did Boozer top his regular-season scoring average of 21.1 points.
Boozer fouled out with 4:34 left in Friday's game, after missing a shot and clocking Pau Gasol fighting for the rebound. Paul Millsap actually outscored Boozer 15-12 for the game and 12-2 in the fourth quarter.
"I'm disappointed in my play," Boozer said. "I feel like I let my teammates down. I could have played a lot better."
Finally, a championship team does not have Kirilenko missing practice - - misunderstanding or not - - the day before an elimination game. You couldn't watch the Jazz fall behind big Friday and not think the episode set a tone for things.
Talking to Kirilenko, I think he feels unfairly criticized, that he tried to tell Jerry Sloan what was going on and thought he had the coach's permission. At a minimum, though, Kirilenko has to have common sense and he and Sloan have to communicate better.
Those are five things right off the bat. I think the Jazz will come to regard this season as a missed opportunity in the future, especially if New Orleans gets past San Antonio in Game 7 on Monday.
They might never get another season when Boozer and Williams miss one game combined because of injury. Boozer, Williams and Kirilenko are all looking at a busy summer playing in the Beijing Olympics.
In addition, the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum back from a knee injury next season. The Spurs, Suns and Mavericks figure to all take a step back, but the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Bynum probably will be stronger.
* * *
A sampling of quotes from Deron Williams - - whose contract extension will be the top story of summer - - after Friday's loss:
"It was tough because we realize how we played the second half, energy-wise, defensively, and it was just night and day. We started getting up, pressuring, they got a little frantic, and that's what we should have been doing the whole game and not just in the second half."
"I felt we played our hearts out, we just got beat by a better team, similar to last year. We have pretty much everybody coming back. Hopefully, we keep the team intact. We feel like we have a great nucleus and great coaching staff that can win a championship."
"Everybody says we're so young, but at the same time, in a couple years, people are probably going to say we're getting old. So you've got to make the most of opportunities. You can't let things like this slip away. Guys go their whole careers without winning a championship."
"I think we've got to be committed to the defensive end. We can't outscore teams. That's not going to work. Defense wins championships. You look at the teams that have won in the past couple years, they've been all great defensive teams. I think we have the makings to be a good defensive team, we just haven't had that mind-set yet."
"I think we struggled at times, especially defensively. That's just the biggest thing in this series was too many layups, too many easy baskets, too many guys flying in for uncontested layups. That can't happen, especially in the playoffs, when you need to get stops."
* * *
I'm not sure how many people picked Lakers in 6, but this blog was one of them. I thought the Lakers were the only team that could beat the Jazz in Utah in the playoffs, although Houston obviously did as well. It turns out, Game 5 was the difference in the series.
It's always amazing to me the feeling when the season ends. You spend seven months trying to get to the next city, the next flight, the next practice and then there's just nothing. It's a shock to the system at first going back to regular life.
The Jazz will clean out their lockers and go through exit interviews Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday will be my second day off since April 1. But I'm going to end this by saying thanks to everyone who read during the season, especially those who posted a comment or sent an e-mail.
We'll keep posting during the summer, although not quite as regularly (and definitely not any more for me after 2 a.m.). I'm going to throw this open and ask if you were Kevin O'Connor what you would do to the team this summer.
--Ross Siler
2:05 AM
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6 Comments:
First of all, let me say thanks for a great year, Ross. Unlike certain power forwards, you stepped it up and brought your 'A' game all year long and it's been a pleasure to read.
Keep up the good work.
The last game was probably the most difficult to watch all season. I felt like the Jazz could have won this series. Too many thrown away opportunities, especially in game 5.
...and yes, championship teams do have their highest paid player talking about being traded at the first of the season, remember Kobe this year?
If you can get value out of Kirlenko then I think we've got to trade him. He isn't the shot blocking assasin that he once was and his attitude doesn't help the chemistry on the team. Plus Milsap needs some of those minutes.
we have to get rid of linko and lock deron up for the long term. On top of that we need to get some different pieces to the puzzle. someone that can create their own shots (other than deron) and someone that can really shut down the opposing teams best player and make some steals. hopefully we can find both of these qualities in one person.
Well, congrats on your fav team beating my fav team. You guys just wanted it more. Your boy Kobe was darn good.
Great, Great, Great blog. Loved it all year. I'm still gonna check throughout the summer. The Rocky Mountain Revue and Draft are getting close.
The Jazz need to find a way to make CJ a regular part of the lineup. He is a long player who can make his own shot of the dribble, something the Jazz have been lacking. He can also become an explosive scorer and good defender.
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