I was watching the Jazz game last night after the Rocks, and they have a rookie named Keith Mcleod who was playing PG and looking amazing. He was hitting tons of mid range jumpers and dishing out dimes like it was Halloween candy. Why is it that we can not find a PG like this? Utah keeps finding them everywhere. Also, if you can get over your hatred of the Jazz, their offense is a thing of beauty. DD
Their offense demonstrates exactly how team basketball should be played, but that also deceives you into thinking players are better than they actually are. Remember when Shandn and Eisley were playing with the Jazz? Remember how people thought those guys were worth big money? Put Mcleod in the rockets' offense and he'll probably play worse than if we had reece gains playing pg for us.
Its sort of like RB's in Denver... we keep saying "how do they find them?", but its probably more a product of the system than it is actually a good player. Jerry Sloan is a GREAT coach, can probably coach a couple of college b-ball teams to wins against NBA teams, and now can make some real headway with his current squad with players like AK-47 and the Boozer.
I disagree... Utah's offense doesn't decieve people into thinking players are better than they are, but more like they play much closer to their full potential. When placed on other teams, they are not being utilized to the fullest potential thats why they appear to be crappy (Shandon, Eisley, Quitten when he was here)
The more I watch Utah, the more I feel they should be banned from the NBA. The beauty of NBA is about one-on-one isolations, under-performing millionaires, DUI doers, drug carriers, rap singers, trashing talkers, coach killers... Utah is none of those, so they don't belong. They should be sent to Europe and suffer over there for eternity.
I completly agree with the comments about living up to their potential. The way Utah uses it's players it makes them play well. i really believe in all instances that players put in the right scheme can excel becuase they feel that they are utilized etc. Like when everyone ripped us for trading RJ...you have to look and see if he would be able to perform in a system that we have here. He most likelly would not have been the same player under the Rockets system. Look what happened to Pippen, Shandan ANderson and others that came into this system andjust didn't fit in and looked like scrubs when actually they are decent players if put into a system that compliments their abilities and pushes them to that level.
I said in another thread I would not be surprised one bit if Utah wound up with the 3rd best record in the West. I think 3 to 5 somewhere in there.
You could say the same thing about the Spurs. Their offense last night against the Lakers was a clinic. The Rockets should invest a lot more in their scouting department, both here and abroad.
McLeod isn't a rookie. He was picked up by the Jazz during the offseason because of Arroyo and Lopez going down with injury. As is the reason behind Eisley being back with Utah too. McLeod was cut by the T-Wolves last year.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/keith_mcleod/index.html?nav=page 03-04 MIN 33 0 11.8 .329 .100 .767 .20 .90 1.00 1.8 .48 .03 .88 1.20 2.7 He played in 33 games for the T-Wolves last year. He isn't a rookie.
They're destroying the Nuggies by 30 right now, they even have Melo and Bzzy sniping at each other. Great team, fun to watch. Even better, AK47 is on my fantasy team ...
Yet they never do anything in the playoffs. Utah's system is built for the regular season. They have a good squad this year, and it is very disciplined. But once one part of it breaks down everything breaks down. That's why you need players like McGrady and Shaq and others. Detroit doesn't win a title unless Rasheed is able to take over the game. Utah has some very good players inside the system, but no take over players.
I think Utah should trade AK for Cavs' Boozer, he'd be a pretty good goto guy. He's averaging MVP stats so far this year...
Utah does great scouting Actually, great scouting is a must if you want your team to succeed. It's easy to look at players like McGrady and know they're great. But it takes good scouting to recognize a player who has unrecognized potential. A lot of people said Yao would be a bust. And Jim Jackson floated around the NBA before landing here and busting his butt for 4 million a year. Yao and JJ together get paid less than $10 million. That's a lot of great talent at a bargain. Utah has done great scouting over many years, and they have a good GM. -- droxford
Taking Yao with the number 1 pick was not the result of cagey/gutsy scouting.... the entire league anticipated he was going to be the top guy.
