Blazer Chatter: Does Sloan's Departure Make a Difference to Portland?
by Dave on Feb 10, 2011 10:08 PM PST
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With yesterday's news about Jerry Sloan's abrupt departure from the Jazz fresh in our minds, we should chat for a little bit. Does this minor Western earthquake affect the Blazers at all? If so, how?
Utah is currently second in the Northwest Division with a record of 31-23. The Blazers sit fourth at 28-24. Denver is nestled right behind the Jazz at 30-23. The Jazz have lost their coach. The Nuggets may lose their star player. How wide open is the door for Portland to move up?
I have a couple thoughts. I believe that in the long run, which may include April and May, Sloan's absence will hurt the Jazz. They've run so long on discipline that has been Sloan's alone. Tyrone Corbin may be a great coach but the transition alone will be a major shift. That can't be good as you're setting sights on the playoffs. On the other hand, any change can only be considered incremental when Oklahoma City is out ahead of the rest of the division and shows no signs of falling apart. There's a fairly bright line between the top four teams in the West and everybody else. Utah was already on Portland's side of the line. Still, there's some hope in drawing the relatively inexperienced Thunder. As has been true the last couple of years you'll barely be able to slip a business card between the bulk of the seeds in the West. Anything that tips the balance even slightly could be important.
What say you? Should Blazer fans greet this news with joy or is it a shrug-worthy event from the selfish Portland perspective? Weigh in below.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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The only difference it makes to Portland is in Utah's win-loss record.
Williams isn’t going anywhere. And Corbin will be a good coach. But overcoming the loss of Sloan will take time, and may not translate into wins.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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Maybe I shouldn't say it quite like that.
Because it has affected me personally as a fan of an NBA team. I felt like the friend of someone who died today, visiting the SLC Dunk blog today, while they were the grieving widow.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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This is certainly a loss for the NBA
As a Blazer fan, I used to dislike Sloan. He handed us some painful loses, and he just seemed to have a surly demeanor.
But, over the years, I couldn’t help but respect the guy—he was a fantastic coach who made his mark with grit, discipline, and preparation, and he wasn’t afraid to take a position and defend it fiercely. All admirable qualities of increasing rarity in the NBA.
It’s sad to see the league lose a coach who kept a small market team highly competitive and relevant for more than two decades. Especially on these terms. I think J.A. Adande’s article on this point is excellent. This only serves to further cement the excessive shift of power to star players—in that way, every NBA team loses. This is one more step towards a handful of super teams in major markets and a bunch of fodder for them to run roughshod over.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
I loathe the Utah Jazz
almost as much as the l*kers.
Sloan was a big part of the Jazz, thus, I am glad he’s leaving. I think his departure will loosen the discipline glue that holds the team together so tightly, so, yeah, I think Portland has a big chance to move ahead of them in the playoff seeding this season (assuming there aren’t more injures. Oh shlip, did I just say “MacBeth”?)
"Coach said to always be careful around Greg, because Greg costs a lot and even the slightest amount of basketball can damage him." -- The Onion
Completely agree...
but I hope you knocked on wood, too.
Keep in mind that just about every time the Blazers met the Jazz in the playoffs, we prevailed.
Karl Malone and the others never got past us as far as I can remember.
Porter, Drexler, Kersey, Williams, Duckworth. The greatest starting 5 ever.
by Bib Fortuna on Feb 11, 2011 12:34 AM PST up reply actions
Completely disagree
Coaching changes can be a breath of fresh air. Do you really believe with Sloan suddenly gone this team will go awry? Hell no. They are an experienced ball club so they won’t come undone. If anything, I worry this will bring them together and with the additional freedom, Williams and company will do more things they luck thus have more fun THUS be a better team.
The thing to keep in mind is that the Jazz were overachieving until recently
When they started losing, it was because the roster isn’t talented enough to win as many games. The games they won early on were because Sloan could outsmart opposing coaches and motivate (in the least sensitive way possible) his team in the 4th quarter. Beyond Millsap and Deron, they don’t have the talent, unless AK starts playing like a near-All-Star again.
Unless Corbin is the next Monty Williams or Larry Brown, their lack of talent is going to get exposed very quickly. Especially if Williams checks out mentally (I don’t think he will, though, but he could).
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
He did during the chicago game. Multiple times.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
Utah likely will get a bump
from the departure of Jerry Sloan. Frequently happens because players have renewed interest. Dissatisfaction can be stifling to chemistry. And Sloan must be a taskmaster.
But long term seems like the discipline and fundamentals approach of Sloan will be missed. I certainly will miss it from the league if Sloan remains in retirement.
If Utah finishes the rest of the season strong, that will suggest that the dissension became pretty bad.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
I don't think dissension was the problem.
I think that’s a national writer or two trying to have a story hook. I expect a short burst out of the Jazz, followed by a slight decline. I don’t know if it will be enough to catch them though.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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Only a game behind in the loss column..
Where’s jscot with his projections when you need them?
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
I think jscot retired from posting.
I think it may have been health or family related if I remember right.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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That said, I'd be happy to see him here and rec whatever he says.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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he's conquering the world
one spreadsheet at a time
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Feb 10, 2011 11:26 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Yea, the more convincing story is just that Williams was unhappy
I’ve seen references from credible writers with inside sources claiming, “this wasn’t about Sloan losing the team—he hadn’t lost 99% of it,” and things like that.
I think it’s pretty clear that this was about Williams vs. Sloan and Sloan’s loss of desire to continue the fight. Of course, it will never be clear which of those two issues was the moving force here, presuming they can be separated.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
free Deron Williams
it will be interesting to see how much Corbin loosens the reins, so to speak
but there’s no way they can revamp Sloan’s offense and defense at mid-season
they’ve just lost 10 out of 14, so they might have been due for a bump, regardless
one thing I do know, if things go south they won’ have Jerry around to hold it together
I’m hoping for a tailspin, the Jazz fans have been spoiled (like Blazer fans were from 1989-2001) it’s time that they find out how the basement feels, for awhile. (Too bad L*ker fans won’t be joining them, at least not right away…)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Feb 10, 2011 10:34 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Denver- Tunisia
Utah- Egypt
San Antonio- Saudi Arabia
by damonrayhymer on Feb 11, 2011 7:45 AM PST up reply actions
Blair would still be an effective player,
knees or hands, clearly overrated.
by damonrayhymer on Feb 11, 2011 10:47 AM PST up reply actions
I say two things:
1. A healthy Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby, combined with weakened Jazz and Nuggets and a suspect Thunder team puts us in a good place to get a favorable seed and advance to the 2nd round.
2. The Jazz might be interested in Coach McMillan next season. He’s their kind of guy.
Can’t wait wait for Brandon and Marcus to get back on the court!
Ty Corbin has that job locked up unless the team really goes in the tank.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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Sure! The Jazz will be interested in Nate.
But I can’t see Nate turning down the L*kers to go to Salt Lake. I hope I’m kidding.
by 52therim on Feb 10, 2011 10:25 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
McMillian might mess up down in L*A
I think he’ll wind up in Charlotte, back to his roots
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
But if K*be wants Nate to replace P-Jack
will that make a difference? It could
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'm not sure of Kobe's clout, at this point.
I think he’d look good playing w/ John Wall.
by damonrayhymer on Feb 11, 2011 10:52 AM PST up reply actions
am guessing Nate is out of their price range. Also doubt Nate is interested in living in Utah....
is Corbin caucasion? Just curious.
No.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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C'mon...
Man I feel old. Ty Corbin played in many a game against the Blazers back in the day. He was black then…and still is.
GO BLAZERS!!!
It would have been awkward to explain if he wasn't.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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a bold question.
as would be Corbin’s tea bag credentials.
In 2009, my brother, a staunch fiscal conservative, went to a local Republican meeting in Provo, to discuss the adoption of their political platform, and he was told to leave. It turned out that his statistical evidence on crime, and the fact that immigrants were NOT increasing the crime rates on a per capita basis, was not welcome.
Post Racial is not an apt descriptor for the State of Utah.
by damonrayhymer on Feb 11, 2011 8:36 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I believe Utah will be a seller before the trade deadline
They know they won’t advance to the 2nd round with Corbin, and will look to move whatever they can to get under the luxury tax.
Would think they would try to move AK to the Nets.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
I could see them getting under the tax.
But they wont make wholesale changes, I don’t think.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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Killed. That was Pre-Beast Blazers.
Blazer beast blocks. Blazer beast boxes out. Blazer beast balls.
by jiminut on Feb 10, 2011 10:48 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I'll take Millsap off their hands, for Przy, Rudy and sundry items
drool
lets the vultures commence their gathering
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
the toxic bonus was for the first year of the deal, similar to Matthews
Millsap would be an expensive backup 4, but Paul could step right into the starting lineup now (LMA is the de facto 5) and a 3 big man rotation with Camby would strengthen the front court for the post season
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think they'll look to bolster the roster, actually
I don’t typically care for Ford’s trade pieces, but his analysis of the Jazz situation is pretty good. I bet they look to improve—provided they can afford to do so financially—to get Corbin off on the right foot and persuade Williams to stick around.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
My questions is: Was Sloan's mark in Utah so large and resinating after 23 yrs that they don't need him anymore to be succesful?
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
I think that's a similar thought to what Sloan had.
From his words, it sounded like that he felt that he was leaning on the assistants to such a degree, that they really didn’t need him there anymore. Which was okay to him, because he was getting too old to fight the fight as well as he used to.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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He's been there seven years.
And is every bit as accomplished as Monty Williams was for us.
"The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason." - G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909
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nothing like being a Viking's fan
Minnesota had defensive coordinator Chris Tomlin and kept Brad Childress
ouch
then years before that they had secondary coach Tony Dungy and kept Dennis Green
double ouch
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
interesting
Seahawks just got the Minny O-coordinator. Maybe good things are in store for the ’hawks.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Feb 11, 2011 2:21 AM PST up reply actions
Darrell Bevel
he was good buddies with Brett from their P*cker days
Here’s hoping that Leslie Frazier will become the next Dungy/Tomlin…
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You can't bring your self to type the name of the best franchise in pro sports
That’s cute.
The Vikings will finally get good again once they move to LA in two years.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
by mittsabishy on Feb 11, 2011 10:56 AM PST up reply actions
50+ year border rivals
So why should I treat them any differently than L*A?
Vikings following the L*kers to L*A would put a serious crimp in my 40+ year fandom…hopefully they’ll find a way to stay in Skol country
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I doubt it makes a huge difference.
In the near future, Portland isn’t going to be seeded against the Jazz anyways. For next season and beyond, Utah should be able to continue their mediocre success with Deron Williams and co.
wha??
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 10, 2011 10:51 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I doubt it makes much of a difference as well
Much is said about Sloan squeezing blood from a turnip – but it isn’t as if he has been devoid of talent all his years coaching. Williams is a serious asset; Millsap isn’t exactly a chump; etc. Good players make coaching easier.
All that said – it becomes an interesting case study in the true impact of coaching…..
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Feb 10, 2011 10:57 PM PST up reply actions
But what about the intimidation factor?
1. Does it make a difference to a team visiting Salt Lake that Sloan isn’t standing there arms crossed?
2. Do the refs get any more liberal knowing that he’s not going to explode at any minute?
by jiminut on Feb 10, 2011 11:05 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Look at what happened to the Nuggets while Karl was out.
Do the math for Utah minus TWO great coaches, not just one.
"You know, when you are in the game, you hear 20,000 people behind you, you don't feel anything."
- Nicolas Batum on playing through his shoulder injury during the 2010 playoffs.
this^
Corbin needs a lead assistant, and fast. I wonder who he has in mind…
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
that was my guess
what’s Horny been doing, lately? He was a tough SOB as a player, like Jerry back in the day
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
2nd place in NW is possible
if not for the early season tough losses to OKC, 1st place would be attainable
Utah takes a quick ~5 game upshoot in the standings, then falls to a .500 team when reality sets in
imo, loss of Sloan is huge for Utah. guy was a wizard at making during game adjustments, something we’re lacking here (i think he was a top 3 coach, whereas Nate is a top 10-ish)
Sloan always out-coached Nate in the games i witnessed, especially in the 2nd half
always have had a particular dislike for Utah dating back to the late 90s, but always respected their coach as a winner
i’d welcome him here as the coach in a heartbeat
by selurnedo on Feb 11, 2011 12:52 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I'll tell you what I think.
I think that Camby and Roy are coming back. I think the Blazers are about to go on a big run. Aldridge has shown he can be as strong of a player as Brandon and Miller is seriously valuable in terms of how Aldridge generates his points. Rudy’s playing well for I think four games now, although there are those silly turnovers. Patty’s speed has shown to be useful in certain circumstances, and he has hit some clutch shots on occasion. Wesley Matthews in the playoffs when he was in Utah! He’s improved as a player in a few ways and I’d liked to think his playoff game is super cool.
Maybe there’s a trade coming that increases our potential?
There aren't many viable trade ideas that make the Blazers better right now
Mostly, this roster can trade some useful older pieces for some potential in young, unproven players or draft picks.
If Portland does make a trade – it most likely won’t be to help win now.
Rather, Portland is more likely to stand pat and try and take advantage of the chaos in Utah and Colorado.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Feb 11, 2011 2:29 AM PST up reply actions
The long term is much huger than the short term.
Utahs stock in trade used to be based on the fundamental stanility of their FO and ownership. Sloans departure, if I heard correctly, came after a heated exchange between he and some President or GM or something. This indicates anera of dark ages coming for the Jazz I think.
Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf
Never liked Sloan
I know he gets a good rap because of his no-nonsense demeanor and his disciplined, successful teams, but his teams consistently played dirty. John Stockton and Matt Harpring were amongst the dirtiest players in the league for their times. Karl Malone was voted on ESPN (rigthfully so, I think) to be the second dirtiest player in any sport behind only the immortal Ty Cobb (before he left basketball to “hunt for little Mexican girls”).
That said, why does this news make me sad?
I seem to recall
the jazz struggled when Sloan got ejected and Phil Johnson took over. No doubt the team will adjust to Corbin and play better for a bit. But, when the going gets a little tough, or when they get into the playoffs they are going to sorely miss the steady leadership and experience of Jerry Sloan.
I’m wondering if Sloan is done in the NBA? Certainly it would only because he decided that he’s done. I’m sure there are plenty of teams that would love to hire him.
He said in the press conference he's not looking for a new job aside from what his wife has to do for him
And he was very clear about this. Just as his assistant was about coming to Utah with him and leaving with him. They are almost like a player who spends his entire career with one team and would feel like a mercenary winning with anyone else.
For Rent: lovely 2 bdrm, 1 bath, in the McMillan neighborhood.
Seriously, Sloan was living in Nate’s head. Sloan knew what Nate was gonna do before Nate did. He was a great coach and Utah won’t be the same without him.
This is a very exciting time in the coaching world. It seems to be a changing of the guard as Nelly and Sloan hang up their spurs, and Pop, PJack, and Karl don’t look to be far behind. It’s a rapidly shifting landscape out there, and I’m on the edge of my seat wondering who the next dominant voice is going to be.
Doc Rivers earned some pedigree with his ring, but in a couple years that’s going to be hard to hang onto as he grows fat on retirement cake. Will Nate make the leap to greatness by proving his meddle in the playoff arena? Is Spoelstra going to piggyback on his team’s greatness, or be thrown under the bus?
Interesting times, for sure.
Stealth > Wealth
Yet another strange question
What would a starting line-up of an 85% Roy, Rudy, Nico, Dante and Camby do? The thought has me intrigued as this might be our bench for a couple games or so when we go small ball with the real starting line-up.
It sounds kind of nice as a bench. Looking at that, I daresay I wouldn’t worry much come the second quarter.
I bet they'll do well,
but I reckon that 2nd unit will feature more LMA at Center than Camby.
Stealth > Wealth
I wasn't sure if they'd actually start him right away
It would be nice to get LMA back down to around 35 minutes as well. Either way though, it looks like getting Roy and Camby back will do a world of good for our bench.
I'm really excited to see the Roy/Rudy backcourt.
A couple legit 3pt threats and play-makers, one of whom runs the break while the other pounds it out in half-court: fire and ice.
Stealth > Wealth
Yeah same here
Whatever the result is I’m sure it will be interesting.
I don't really care how it affects us........
But Jazz fans must be losing their minds, all they can get now is a retread babysitter coach like we and most of the NBA have.
We must endeavor to persevere.
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