The Downbeat - 9 December 2010 - #378 - The Bounce Back Edition

Quick caption contest. Let's read your best.

As much as it kills us for the Jazz to lose, and at home, it also gives us a chance to see how the team responds. It's easy for everyone to get along when the team is winning. How do they bounce back from those losses?

We saw how things got a bit tense to start the season when the Jazz lost their first two by convincing margins. Frustration set in.

With the exception of the second game of the season, the Jazz have bounced back from a loss with a win. They're 5-1 so far on the season in that situation. The worst streak they've had is losing 2 of 3, which they've done 3 times.

After Orlando and Dallas this week, the Jazz actually have a lot of winnable games for the next month despite most of them being on the road. We haven't been able to say that in year's past.

I think we can see this team come back from last night's loss and have them go on a bit of a tear.

Deron scores a top spot in Dime Mag's top go-to guys in the league:

It is that ability to produce in the game’s biggest moments that has Williams in place to be considered the best point guard in the world today. He is not as fast as Derrick Rose, not as athletic as Russell Westbrook, not as crafty as Tony Parker, not as strong as Rodney Stuckey. He turns the ball over more than Chris Paul, isn’t as pure a shooter as Steve Nash, and he only has two eyes in the back of his head, compared to Jason Kidd’s three. What sets Deron apart is his crunch-time resume of big shots and smart passes.

No matter their position, the best go-to guys usually have one go-to move they can utilize at any time, against any defense, to set up a clutch shot. For Deron, it’s his crossover, which may be the best in the League. Quick and efficient, Deron’s cross allows him to create space for his pull-up jumper, or start powerful drives to the rim, or step back into a jumper under pressure. Any defender equipped with game film and a scouting report knows it’s coming, yet D-Will makes it tough to stop. That is the mark of a truly elite crunch-time performer.

If I were Spoelstra, I would put this on my resume. High praise from Sloan,

Defensively, they're very very sound and strong. I think he does a terrific job for a young coach or an old coach either, it doesn't make any difference. I think he's done a great job.

It's sad to have to listen to all the (stuff) about this and that with his coaching. He just doesn't have a frame of reference, and that's what people get anxious about. Because a guy hasn't won three or four championships, or done something like that, he doesn't get as long as he should.

Which leads me to ask an off-topic question. Do coaches have physical resumes? Do they get turned down for interviews for open positions because they misspelled a word or listed hobbies? So many questions on this. If I had the time, I could do a whole post and create fake resumes for coaches and players. Feel free to do one if you'd like.

Back to Spoelstra... As much as I really don't want to see Super Friends win, I don't want Spoelstra to be given the boot. It can't be easy with all of the expectations and to incorporate offense and defense with two of the best players in the league.

For his sake though, he better not win Coach of the Year. Otherwise, that's going to have to be something that goes on his resume as he searches for a new job in a couple of seasons.

Thursday late DB poll...