The Downbeat #1203: The Occupy Downbeat Edition

So, here's the thing. Beyond the news that Trey Burke participated in practice on Tuesday but is still out for tonight's game in New Orleans (UPDATE: HE'S AVAILABLE TONIGHT)...I don't have a lot to say about the Jazz right now. I wrote both recaps for the games against Golden State, and everything I said there still applies, I think. The Utah Jazz are a bad basketball team right now. No amount of talk is going to change that any time soon.

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But the SLC Dunk community still has plenty to talk about. So I thought I'd give all the slots in today's Downbeat to five separate FanPosts, rather than cram several into one item like I usually do.

I say this all the time, but it bears repeating: SLC Dunk is for ALL Jazz fans. Not just ones that want Ty Corbin fired. Not just ones who love Enes Kanter's abs. Not just the staff writers, and not just the most frequent commenters. EVERYONE.

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So please keep writing your FanPosts. Keep sharing your opinions. And treat one another respectfully. Or, as far wiser men than I have said:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N_yJFLvmjJY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

(For more thoughts on this topic, you can read ForTheLove's post here.)

Right. On to your FanPosts!

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This first item fits with the theme I just mentioned. Sometimes fans buy into a plot line that seems to explain what we see on the court. But BobbyD31 argues that sometimes we just don't have all the information:

I know that most fans won't agree with me, but humor me for a second. Ask yourself a few questions. Does Tyrone Corbin know more about basketball than me? Has he been around the NBA and some of the brightest minds in the NBA over the last about 30 years? Has he been coached and worked with Sloan and Pat Riley? Is there a chance that he has a better understanding of NBA offense than I do? Is there a chance that he has a better understanding of NBA defense than I do? Is there a chance that he watched guys in practice and actually was playing the guys that helped us win the most?

Now, I don't think my opinions are invalid just because I haven't played or coached in the NBA. And I'm not sure I completely agree with Bobby's conclusions. But his call for skepticism is a wise one. Read his whole piece and see what you think.

SKMike made this interesting observation about Paul Millsap, now with Atlanta, last weekend:

I noticed he came off the bench last night despite having a very good year to date. Instead the rookie coach, Mike Budenholzer started Gustavo Ayon (one of my sleeper favorites who was a beast in leading Mexico to the FIBA Americas title last summer) who was playing his first game back from injury.

Will be interesting to see if the coach stays with this lineup or if it was a one off to get Ayon some early minutes. Interesting comments by the coach in this thread. I like him just reading the story. I wonder how Paul reacted.

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2013/11/15/5109574/sixers-vs-hawks-mike-budenholzer-starting-lineup-paul-millsap

Starter status means so much to NBA players, and understandably so. But I still wish we could have learned how last year's Jazz team played with either Jefferson or Millsap coming off the bench in place of Favors. Either of them would have DESTROYED other teams' second units.

We miss you, Paul.

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Are you sick to your stomach that the Jazz have fallen so low? Pacoelcid is here to help:

Losing. I abhor it. It's disgusting. I can't stand it.

I understand that losing gives us those coveted ping pong balls for next year's draft, but "riggin' for Wiggins" or "jostlin' for Jabari" goes against everything that I believe in - it just feels dirty.

I understand that in the long run we're supposedly better-off, but it's like finding caffeinated cola on the campus of BYU - it's just a little off.

Don't get me wrong, if we earn all those platinum ping pong balls of good fortune, I hope the Jazz are able to get Jabari Parker (he's a better fit for this team in my humble opinion than Wiggins). That said, if we continue to lose and lose big, we as Jazz fans may need to do something to stay healthy while we tank.

Follow his advice and stay healthy, kids! (Funny stuff, man.)

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Is Gordon Hayward playing at an All-Star level? thatdoolinkid considers the notion. He's got some excellent tables and not much text, so I'll let you guys click through to the post.

G-Time probably has no shot at making this year's All-Star squad, since the Jazz are doing so poorly as a team. But his numbers certainly merit consideration.

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By the time they get to the NBA, most players know what it's like to win. They've likely won most of their lives, at the club, high school and college levels. So when they're on a losing team, it's interesting to see how they react. Utebeaute considers a signal he may have seen from our Big Turkey:

I'm wondering about something. I've seen how invested Marvin Williams is (angry face after made buckets against N.O.). It is obvious how hard Gordon is trying (results speak for themselves, despite all those misses last night). Burks is pissed he isn't playing better (see the recent GIF of Alec with his head in his shirt after a recent missed dunk). Favors cares, just ask Tim Duncan. Even Rudy on and off the bench is fun to watch in terms of how much he clearly cares. What about the big Turk? He's the player who seems the most, well, depressed by the losses that have piled up so far. He doesn't seem mad or worked up, just defeated. He looks like a big shrug out there sometimes. Or, when up against Brooke Lopez, I'm sorry to say, Enes looked like a little shrug. Have I missed his moments of strong emotion? Or, is there something real to be concerned about here. What do you all think?

I'm pretty sure everyone on the team hates losing, even though they might react in different ways. But it's got to take a mental toll, too. Let's just hope better days are ahead.

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