My terrific game analysis

[jozef]

Based on Rockets and Mavs games.

Execution woes
(Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Phil Johnson)

Deron Williams is one of few point guards who can control dribbling and make good-timing pass. He does not understand the value of executing screens for team rhythm. He often goes ad-lib, (crossovers, behind-back, between-legs), setting himself and throwing team out of rhythm. The worst part is that he does not execute screens, he often uses them as a fake maneuver and goes one-to-one while his teammate spread out to stay out of the lane so they are not position to rebound his misses which lead to fastbreak scoring by opponent.

Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson allowed a kind of freelanced version of executing classic Jazz plays. Leading a defender into screen is a lost art. Fifty percent of screens are just to move around, fake something. One fake screen affects execution for next screen. It's masquerade. Why would Ronnie Brewer make UCLA high cut if nobody challenges him outside and they all wait to meet him inside? Is it just to clear the side? Go to hell with it. Make it simple and don't fake anything. The edge of executing multiple threats is disappearing. In old Stockton&Malone days the Jazz could run one screen on possession and they got three high % options. Nowadays they run three screens to get one good shot. There is no way Stockton would not go close around Malone's pick so Karl could not roll inside.

Game strategy is another part which needs an improvement. Playing to player strength, focusing on advantageous matchups. In Denver game coaches missed an opportunity to post up 6-7 Brewer on 6-1 Billups and A. Carter. Kirilenko had bad shot selection in Houston game and good shot selection in Dallas game. Calling 3 or 4 lowpost plays for him would be rewarding for his improved strength and maybe make him smarter. The game has about 80 possesions and routinely we go whole game without playing certain plays to our strength. Non-consciousnes experience in some part of coaching.
Boozer struggles with high post jumpers (with an exception of 4th Q at Dallas) and Okur struggles inside (with an exception of matchup versus Rockets rookie Andersen). Why don't we put Okur straight on perimeter to stretch the defense (which is an absolute need with Miles and Korver out) and Boozer straight on left or right block? Why do we waste our energy and shotclock on curls if our shooters are mediocre at best and our bigs are not tall enough to score over people.
As far as our defense, create matchups with comparable athletic talent and set an overplaying tactics on some types of players or plays.
That's not a call for firing coaches. That's a call for someone smart and young making serious impact there. Call Stockton or Hornacek. Make one of them a full-right partner with Sloan and Johnson.

P.S.As you maybe have noticed, I stay out of trade speculations and focus on our team in this thread.

[HammerDunk]

Sometimes I wonder if Deron went away from the P&R because of Boozer getting schooled by any player with length? It is obvious that we don't run it like we used to. Maybe the league has figured out Boozer so he isn't as useful in that system. I don't know, there has to be a reason for it though.

[kamazilla]

You make some valid points, though its interesting that you chose to concentrate three long paragraphs on offense while devoting only one sentence to defense. Were the Jazz to raise the level of their defense to that of their offense as it is right now, we would see a quick turnaround in their outcomes.

Of course the game is played at two ends of the same floor, and all aspects flow into one another. Taking smarter shots leaves the team in better position to snag an offensive rebound or defend their opponent's ensuing possession. Forcing the opposition into taking bad shots, something the Jazz are unable or unwilling to do consistently, creates easy scoring opportunities at the other end.

[jozef]

The Jazz don't have tools to make big defensive plans. This team wins on the offensive end.

[ele.ven]

The Jazz don't have tools to make big defensive plans. This team wins on the offensive end.

I respectfully disagree. Defense is about effort and mentality, two areas where the Jazz suffer considerably. Unfortunately they're pretty abstract weaknesses so it's harder to address. But honestly, this team can play D if everyone really wants to.

[kamazilla]

The Jazz don't have tools to make big defensive plans. This team wins on the offensive end.

...and loses on the defensive end.

Fine tuning the offense may win a few more games this season, but a complete defensive makeover is mandatory if this team is to even think of contending for a top 4 seed in the west. The talent may be there, but the Jazz lack a commitment to play defense consistently and the toughness to withstand challenges.

The weakness of the teams collective skill-set and temperament is compounded by a defensive scheme which not only ill suits the players, but ignores the way modern NBA teams execute their offenses. Together these factors create a perfect storm of defensive ineptitude. Score all you want; if all you can do defensively is pray the other team screws up, you won't win a lot of games.

The fact the Jazz lack 'tools' is the precise reason they need the right 'defensive plans.'

[jozef]

Tools are shotblocking center, a pesky nasty perimeter defender and a mobile wingspan. The Jazz have only the last one in Kirilenko and they could use him for trapping or fake trapping (Fake trapping is good in contrary to fake screens). That's all defensive scheme they can use otherwise they have to just overplay certain players on certain plays and hope for a miss. There is no other way this roster could put a real defensive pressure on good team.