After dredging through some of the game against New York looking for Favors highlights, it's obvious that Millsap needs to sit. I know that would kill him not being able to help the team and not playing every night. But a healthy Millsap make a lot more plays than he did in that game. The biggest example is where he let a loose ball go out of bounds instead of chasing it down and it ends up going back to the Knicks. This doesn't look like a play-through-it pain. This is a severely handicapping pain that has an obvious impact on his game and the team.
The Jazz could also then get a look at Derrick Favors in the starting spot and get him some quality minutes. If we're playing for the future, and we are, then this is the best move right now.
Brian T. Smith has more on Sap's resiliency
A large part of this franchise's success going forward is going to be put on the shoulders of Tyrone Corbin. After the DWill trade, he's inherited a team similar to what he would have landed had he been hired elsewhere. Most teams don't fire overachieving coaches with good teams. The teams he would have been going to were in the process of rebuilding.
He's been around the team for a long time as an assistant, so the players already know him. It's going to be up to him though to mold and shape this team. Part of that is to know when to coach, when to motivate, and as Jody Genessy points out, when to let them have it,
Because he doesn't yell as often or reach the decibels his predecessor did during rants, Corbin hopes his postgame, um, pep talk got his players' attention.
Something needs to rattle their win-hungry souls.
"Accountability," Corbin said when asked again about his locker room talk.
"That's all you want. You want guys to be accountable for their actions. That's the bottom line — come out and play hard, we have no problems. When you don't play hard, then we've got a problem."
I don't know how much Corbin subscribes to the Sloan's "I don't need to motivate, look how much they're paid" style, but this is a team that needs direction right now. Corbin has his work cut out for him as he takes the team through this transition period.
I realize this has little to do with the Jazz except for Webber mentioning them in passing, but this is fantastic. I thought he was okay as a color guy on games, but NBA TV is getting up with TNT's three because of him. Great stuff.
Chris Webber on Miami Heat's Woes - 3/8/2011 (via nbafufu)
Brian T. Smith talks to the newest Jazz man, Marcus Cousin,
Cousin on how things are going: I just found out yesterday and then I [had] to leave in like two and a half hours. It was a quick turnaround.
How he found out: I was at a restaurant. My agent called me. I was like, 'For real?' He was serious, though.
No word on whether the D-League salary/per-diem allows for extravagances such as unlimited bread and salad.
My irrational Jazz fan side of me led to scouring for any tidbits that I could find on Cousin to see if he has a chance at sticking. From everything I've read, he seems to have flipped a switch in his play. He struggled and went to Israel earlier this year. He's been tearing it up in the D-League though, making last month's All-star game. He could have wound up with the Spurs but San Antonio was looking for shooting at the time.
He's definitely more than filler right now. With the injuries to the Jazz, I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a little PT tonight.
I really don't think that Elson and Fesenko will be here next season, so he's got a shot at being that guy. I'll bet he gets a least another 10-day contract which would give the team a good idea of what he can do in a game and in practice.
Wednesday open poll... What's the "real-life" equivalent of a 10-day contract and call-up to the NBA?