The Downbeat - 12 March 2010 - #184 - The KOOF > Chuck Norris Edition

  This is good news: It looks like Ronnie B could be returning to action as soon as the beginning of next week,

"If I push it, I might be (back) this weekend. If not, early next week," Brewer said. "I plan on getting out there and helping this team. I have to get the OK from the doctors but I'm trying to come back soon. But 31/2 games out (of the eighth playoff spot) is not unachievable with the talent level on this team.

Looks like he's ahead of schedule in the healing process.  I wish nothing but the best for Brewer.

  So you've likely read Siler's notes about Fesenko re-telling Chuck Norris jokes that he heard from Kyle Korver.  Shouldn't there be a site for the KOOF?  Like...  The KOOF only plays the last minute of blow-out games because Stern doesn't want him to break the record for most points in a game.  Or...  the KOOF is the only person to be able to divide a prime number evenly by another number besides itself and one?

Great article from SLAM on Jerry Sloan,

He also feels coaches should be given a chance to prove something to the players who are essentially seen as the proverbial inmates running the asylum. "I think [sticking with a coach] would send a message to the players. Players [feel like] ‘I don’t have to play for this guy so when the next guy comes in, I’ll wait and play for him.’ It’s an attitude that players have."

And how does he deal with that kind of attitude from guys? "I tell our players I’m gonna be here and you may not."

End of discussion.

As if this was anyone else's team.  You have to have some pretty good confidence in your relationship with management to be able to make a statement like that.

Sloan has said many times that he doesn't know when he'll stop coaching.  He's stated that he will likely will just wake up one morning and decide that he's done.  My question is what's going to be the piece of straw that breaks the John Deere tractor's back?  Honestly, as long as he's physically able to do it, I don't see him retiring.

It's likely going to have to be his back that breaks before he stops coaching.  I don't think it's going to be a voluntary retirement from the game.

I'm not saying I want him to retire by any means.  In fact, I'm quite the opposite.  I hope he coaches for a very long time.

  So far, so good for March. The Jazz have typically had great starts to the new year over the past several seasons and this year isn't an exception.  They're 4-1 this month and 24-8 since the calendar flipped to 2010.

There really isn't any one thing that you can nail down as the reason for the recent success of the Jazz, it's been a combination of everything.  Everyone is healthy.  Chemistry seems to be at an all-time high.  Kyle Korver is so freakin' hot right now.  Memo is getting his post-baby bump in production.  AK is being AK.  Deron seems to have transitioned to the next belt in ninja.  Doe is getting it done and not just with his unconcious three-point shooting.  Has he finally started figuring things out?  Simply put, everyone is clicking and everyone is contributing in their defined roles.

Do you realize that we were a couple of hiccup games in LA and Sacramento from having a 12-game winning streak ON THE ROAD?  In what alternate universe does that happen for the Jazz?  Every game something happens that reinforces the Sundiata Gaines/Jughead theory.  If that's the case, there's only one place this season is going.

  Friday poll