Locker clean-out, Part 3
Not suggesting it was the case, but I asked Jerry Sloan if he thought there were any locker-room divisions that contributed to the Jazz's demise.
"I thought they were a pretty good group of guys," Sloan said. "When I get on an airplane . . . people will come back and tell me this is the best group of guys they've ever had on the plane.
"Those are things that as an organization that we feel like that's important, to have people that are going to respect other people and the jobs they have to do. I'm always well pleased when I hear that. I couldn't ask for anything to be any better along those lines."
* * *
Deron Williams said the Jazz never reached their potential because of injuries and ever-changing starting lineups. He specifically mentioned Paul Millsap struggling with going back to the bench after starting in Carlos Boozer's absence.
"You look at a guy like Paul," Williams said, "he goes from playing 16 minutes to playing 40 minutes, back to playing 16. It's kind of rough, knowing your role and having to switch back and forth. It's tough on young guys."
* * *
Williams was asked if he was frustrated by the Jazz's softness - - as suggested in a Yahoo! article today - - throughout the season.
"I think we need some toughness," Williams said. "I think that's something that we're definitely lacking. As coach says, ‘Nastiness.'" We used to have it, but I think we've gotten away from it. I've said that before. It's just a mentality you've got to have."
* * *
Williams said he would have input in the decisions made by general manager Kevin O'Connor and CEO Greg Miller in the off-season.
* * *
It has been a busy two summers for Williams, who played for USA Basketball in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas in 2007, then won gold in Beijing last summer and had to worry about finalizing a contract extension with the Jazz.
Now he's got a longer break than he could have expected or wanted. He expects to need at least a month of rest to heal the ankle he sprained in the preseason, which hurt every day the rest of the season, according to Williams.
"It's going to be great to get a break," Williams said. "That's the only good thing you can take away from losing this early is the amount of rest you get. Of course, I'd still love to be playing right now."
* * *
Matt Harpring pronounced the Jazz as underachievers while Kevin O'Connor said they failed to fulfill their potential in a season of enormous expectations. Yet it was Williams who might have summed up this failed season the best.
"We never got our chemistry going this year," Williams said. "It never clicked. We did in different spurts. We had a 12-game winning streak, then we follow that up with basically a .500 month.
"We've just got to figure some things out this summer. Hopefully, everybody goes home and works on their game and we come back focused and worry about next year."
--Ross Siler
"I thought they were a pretty good group of guys," Sloan said. "When I get on an airplane . . . people will come back and tell me this is the best group of guys they've ever had on the plane.
"Those are things that as an organization that we feel like that's important, to have people that are going to respect other people and the jobs they have to do. I'm always well pleased when I hear that. I couldn't ask for anything to be any better along those lines."
* * *
Deron Williams said the Jazz never reached their potential because of injuries and ever-changing starting lineups. He specifically mentioned Paul Millsap struggling with going back to the bench after starting in Carlos Boozer's absence.
"You look at a guy like Paul," Williams said, "he goes from playing 16 minutes to playing 40 minutes, back to playing 16. It's kind of rough, knowing your role and having to switch back and forth. It's tough on young guys."
* * *
Williams was asked if he was frustrated by the Jazz's softness - - as suggested in a Yahoo! article today - - throughout the season.
"I think we need some toughness," Williams said. "I think that's something that we're definitely lacking. As coach says, ‘Nastiness.'" We used to have it, but I think we've gotten away from it. I've said that before. It's just a mentality you've got to have."
* * *
Williams said he would have input in the decisions made by general manager Kevin O'Connor and CEO Greg Miller in the off-season.
* * *
It has been a busy two summers for Williams, who played for USA Basketball in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas in 2007, then won gold in Beijing last summer and had to worry about finalizing a contract extension with the Jazz.
Now he's got a longer break than he could have expected or wanted. He expects to need at least a month of rest to heal the ankle he sprained in the preseason, which hurt every day the rest of the season, according to Williams.
"It's going to be great to get a break," Williams said. "That's the only good thing you can take away from losing this early is the amount of rest you get. Of course, I'd still love to be playing right now."
* * *
Matt Harpring pronounced the Jazz as underachievers while Kevin O'Connor said they failed to fulfill their potential in a season of enormous expectations. Yet it was Williams who might have summed up this failed season the best.
"We never got our chemistry going this year," Williams said. "It never clicked. We did in different spurts. We had a 12-game winning streak, then we follow that up with basically a .500 month.
"We've just got to figure some things out this summer. Hopefully, everybody goes home and works on their game and we come back focused and worry about next year."
--Ross Siler
2:30 PM
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