Greg Miller, Part II
A few weeks ago, Greg Miller graciously gave me an hour of his time for an interview, parts of which I used in a story in Sunday's newspaper.
Obviously, it was impossible to use everything Miller and I discussed in the story, given the space limitations of a daily sports section. So, over the next few days, I will pass along a few other portions of the interview with the new boss of the Jazz which I found interesting and/or informative.
Some background:
I don't know Greg Miller. Other than saying hello to him as I walked past his seat on the way to the old press row at EnergySolutions Arena, I had never talked to him before our interview in his office at Jordan Commons.
I can tell you that Miller came across as thoughtful and well-spoken during our session, and I came away with a feeling that he has the demeanor, at least, to successfully follow in his father's large footsteps.
Time will tell.
I thought Miller was forthright when I asked about the Jazz and his plans for them.
He admitted his experience with the basketball operation was limited and told me that he would depend on team president Randy Rigby, company vice president Bob Hyde, vice president of basketball operations Kevin OíConnor and head coach Jerry Sloan until he "got up to speed."
"I think Kevin and Jerry have done a great job," he said. "... I will tell you this: I have learned a lot from watching Jerry. I employ a lot of his tactics in the way I run things.
"To me, the thing I love most about Jerry is he's fundamental. There's nothing flashy or glamorous about him. It's just hard work -- blocking and tackling. He's there, doing his job, day after day and that's the way I believe in running a business.
"The things that make it successful aren't the high profile, glamorous, sexy elements. It's knowing what the critical elements are and paying attention to them closely and doing them as well as they can be done."
MIller does not plan on making any sudden changes with the Jazz.
"... I came up through the company on the car side," he explained. "I've had very little exposure to the basketball side. So I have to learn that end of things and I think the wisest thing I can do is become a student and learn -- not go in and pretend to know stuff I don't. ...
"This [basketball] organization is very sound. Those guys know what they are doing. They have done great job getting the team to where it is now. I just need to pick up the pace as quickly as I can and, hopefully, make a positive contribution in some way."
When I asked Miller about the decisions the Jazz have to make next summer about potential free agents Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur, he again cited the need to depend on his lieutenants.
"Obviously, those are significant issues," he said, "but I have not given them much thought at this point. I'm just getting my feet under me. There were such a backlog of decisions to be made with my dad being hospitalized for a couple of months ....
"I think a lot of people have seen me lately as a pressure-release valve. Everybody has been waiting for a decision to be made, so they have come to me and want that decision to be made. There's been a parade of people asking, 'What do I do here?'... So I really haven't had much time yet to think" about the contract status of Boozer and Okur.
Fair enough, I thought.
Next: Miller's relationship with his father.
-- Steve Luhm
Obviously, it was impossible to use everything Miller and I discussed in the story, given the space limitations of a daily sports section. So, over the next few days, I will pass along a few other portions of the interview with the new boss of the Jazz which I found interesting and/or informative.
Some background:
I don't know Greg Miller. Other than saying hello to him as I walked past his seat on the way to the old press row at EnergySolutions Arena, I had never talked to him before our interview in his office at Jordan Commons.
I can tell you that Miller came across as thoughtful and well-spoken during our session, and I came away with a feeling that he has the demeanor, at least, to successfully follow in his father's large footsteps.
Time will tell.
I thought Miller was forthright when I asked about the Jazz and his plans for them.
He admitted his experience with the basketball operation was limited and told me that he would depend on team president Randy Rigby, company vice president Bob Hyde, vice president of basketball operations Kevin OíConnor and head coach Jerry Sloan until he "got up to speed."
"I think Kevin and Jerry have done a great job," he said. "... I will tell you this: I have learned a lot from watching Jerry. I employ a lot of his tactics in the way I run things.
"To me, the thing I love most about Jerry is he's fundamental. There's nothing flashy or glamorous about him. It's just hard work -- blocking and tackling. He's there, doing his job, day after day and that's the way I believe in running a business.
"The things that make it successful aren't the high profile, glamorous, sexy elements. It's knowing what the critical elements are and paying attention to them closely and doing them as well as they can be done."
MIller does not plan on making any sudden changes with the Jazz.
"... I came up through the company on the car side," he explained. "I've had very little exposure to the basketball side. So I have to learn that end of things and I think the wisest thing I can do is become a student and learn -- not go in and pretend to know stuff I don't. ...
"This [basketball] organization is very sound. Those guys know what they are doing. They have done great job getting the team to where it is now. I just need to pick up the pace as quickly as I can and, hopefully, make a positive contribution in some way."
When I asked Miller about the decisions the Jazz have to make next summer about potential free agents Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur, he again cited the need to depend on his lieutenants.
"Obviously, those are significant issues," he said, "but I have not given them much thought at this point. I'm just getting my feet under me. There were such a backlog of decisions to be made with my dad being hospitalized for a couple of months ....
"I think a lot of people have seen me lately as a pressure-release valve. Everybody has been waiting for a decision to be made, so they have come to me and want that decision to be made. There's been a parade of people asking, 'What do I do here?'... So I really haven't had much time yet to think" about the contract status of Boozer and Okur.
Fair enough, I thought.
Next: Miller's relationship with his father.
-- Steve Luhm
3:45 PM
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