Monday report (plus the art of the mid-range jumper)
Greetings from Sacramento, Calif., where the Kings are expected to get back Kevin Martin from a sprained left ankle for Tuesday's game against the Jazz.
Martin isn't expected to start, but Sacramento coach Reggie Theus has made one significant change, replacing Mikki Moore in the starting lineup with second-year center Spencer Hawes.
Wish I had any feel for Tuesday's game. The Jazz are expected to play without Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer, while the Kings undoubtedly will get a boost from Martin's return. The Jazz also haven't had much success at Arco Arena, losing twice last season and five of six games the past three seasons.
Then again, the Kings have lost six straight home games (only two shy of matching the franchise record) and nine of 10 games overall. Even with Theus calling out his players after that embarrassing third quarter Friday against the Jazz, Sacramento responded the next night with a 101-78 home loss to Dallas.
* * *
Following up on something I brought up in the blog this weekend, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Monday he has no plans for now to hold extra practices or extra shootarounds should his team continue to struggle.
After each season, Sloan sits down with every player and one former player made an impression when he told Sloan that the hardest thing for a coach to do when his team started losing was resist practicing more.
Once a team starts practicing more, Sloan said, it runs out of energy more easily in games. Which is why even if the Jazz lose all four games this week, Sloan still is likely to give his players Sunday off to recharge.
"I felt that, I've always felt it to a certain extent, and I've tried to monitor it as much as I can," Sloan said.
* * *
Just when you think Sloan is all about the big-picture approach in coaching he surprises you by quoting a stat like he did Monday. According to Sloan, C.J. Miles is shooting 38 percent on jumpers and better than 50 percent whenever he drives to the basket.
Not surprisingly, Sloan wants to see more drives and fewer three-pointers out of Miles. For the record, Miles is shooting 48.1 percent overall and 34.0 percent from three-point range. Sloan also used the stat to make a broader point about the game.
"Young guys have got to have a mid-range game," Sloan said. "Everybody wants a three-point shot or a dunk. That's the nature of coming out of college into this league. But give me a guy that can make a 15-foot jump shot.
"That's when you become effective because there's a lot of times that shot is there and you need an opportunity to be able to make that shot. So many guys think it's better to be able to hit a home run than it is to get a single.
"That's why a guy like Jeff Hornacek was always so effective with us. Sure he made three-point shots, but him and [John] Stockton could make 15-footers and that really increases your ability to play the game."
Then Sloan started talking about the entertainment value - - or lack thereof - - of the mid-range jumper.
"There's not anything exciting about a 15-foot jump shot," he said. "People go home and say, ‘God, I'm bored to death.' How many times you ever see them show on television, people write in the newspaper, anything about a guy making a 15-foot jump shot? It's always they made a three or they got a dunk."
* * *
The Miami Heat are playing Golden State just down the road in Oakland tonight. They will have Tuesday off to travel and rest while the Jazz will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set against the Heat on Wednesday at EnergySolutions Arena.
--Ross Siler
Martin isn't expected to start, but Sacramento coach Reggie Theus has made one significant change, replacing Mikki Moore in the starting lineup with second-year center Spencer Hawes.
Wish I had any feel for Tuesday's game. The Jazz are expected to play without Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer, while the Kings undoubtedly will get a boost from Martin's return. The Jazz also haven't had much success at Arco Arena, losing twice last season and five of six games the past three seasons.
Then again, the Kings have lost six straight home games (only two shy of matching the franchise record) and nine of 10 games overall. Even with Theus calling out his players after that embarrassing third quarter Friday against the Jazz, Sacramento responded the next night with a 101-78 home loss to Dallas.
* * *
Following up on something I brought up in the blog this weekend, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Monday he has no plans for now to hold extra practices or extra shootarounds should his team continue to struggle.
After each season, Sloan sits down with every player and one former player made an impression when he told Sloan that the hardest thing for a coach to do when his team started losing was resist practicing more.
Once a team starts practicing more, Sloan said, it runs out of energy more easily in games. Which is why even if the Jazz lose all four games this week, Sloan still is likely to give his players Sunday off to recharge.
"I felt that, I've always felt it to a certain extent, and I've tried to monitor it as much as I can," Sloan said.
* * *
Just when you think Sloan is all about the big-picture approach in coaching he surprises you by quoting a stat like he did Monday. According to Sloan, C.J. Miles is shooting 38 percent on jumpers and better than 50 percent whenever he drives to the basket.
Not surprisingly, Sloan wants to see more drives and fewer three-pointers out of Miles. For the record, Miles is shooting 48.1 percent overall and 34.0 percent from three-point range. Sloan also used the stat to make a broader point about the game.
"Young guys have got to have a mid-range game," Sloan said. "Everybody wants a three-point shot or a dunk. That's the nature of coming out of college into this league. But give me a guy that can make a 15-foot jump shot.
"That's when you become effective because there's a lot of times that shot is there and you need an opportunity to be able to make that shot. So many guys think it's better to be able to hit a home run than it is to get a single.
"That's why a guy like Jeff Hornacek was always so effective with us. Sure he made three-point shots, but him and [John] Stockton could make 15-footers and that really increases your ability to play the game."
Then Sloan started talking about the entertainment value - - or lack thereof - - of the mid-range jumper.
"There's not anything exciting about a 15-foot jump shot," he said. "People go home and say, ‘God, I'm bored to death.' How many times you ever see them show on television, people write in the newspaper, anything about a guy making a 15-foot jump shot? It's always they made a three or they got a dunk."
* * *
The Miami Heat are playing Golden State just down the road in Oakland tonight. They will have Tuesday off to travel and rest while the Jazz will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set against the Heat on Wednesday at EnergySolutions Arena.
--Ross Siler
7:46 PM
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