Jeff Hornacek, when asked who's the leader of the Jazz:
I don't think [Ty]'s named a captain yet. We're trying to figure that out...Maybe a guy like Paul Millsap and Al, but they're not big talkers. They're not the type of guys that are gonna get in somebody's face and say, "Hey, we need to get this done" or we need to do this and that. They're more quiet guys...I think Josh Howard is a guy who, his intensity when he gets out there, he never takes a play off. Since he's been here I don't think I've seen him take a play off on the defensive end of the floor. So maybe a guy like that might turn into our guy on the defensive end. Raja does it. I don't think we have one true leader... If there is one [leader on the bench], it probably is Earl, that he can say things and guys will really listen. But again, the leader has to be probably on the court for the majority of the time...So it makes it a little difficult for Earl to do that if he's not out there at the end of the game. When he is out there at the end of the game, I think he really does do that. So again, it's tough. I don't think you necessarily need one guy to be your leader. When I was here with John and Karl, I would say that Karl was probably the leader. He's the one guy that we could go to and say "We need this guy to get going" or to do this or do that, and Karl might get on the guy. John was the quiet kind of example leader. Karl's like, "Give me the ball. I'll score." That's always helpful to be a leader like that and I'd say 90% of the time he delivered. It's hard. There's not probably that many guys in the league like that. (KFAN)Is this a point of concern (not naming a captain, but leadership in general)? It's definitely less of an issue if the players have been with each other for a long time or it's a more veteran team. You naturally think of your point guard when you think of on-court leadership, but Devin Harris IMO < Earl Watson in this respect. Our longest-tenured Jazzman, meanwhile, is CJ Miles. Would having "that guy" on this team make a real difference when we're at that point in games when the Jazz just look lost and discombobulated out there, or is that guy an unnecessary luxury?
Once upon a time, every Jazzman on the roster with kids had at least one son. Every Jazzman, that is, except Karl Malone. The Mailman was therefore the subject of ribbing and teasing in the locker room. John Stockton spent his entire NBA career dishing assists to Karl, and this was no exception.
"John told Karl, 'I'll tell you how you have a boy, if you listen close,'" Kay [Malone] said. "John then goes, 'Take Kay out for a nice dinner, give her a couple glasses of wine, get her happy, take her home and call me -- I'll be over.'"Tons of other warm fuzzies in this 1997 New York Times article, including how one of the Stockton girls would only sit in Kay Malone's lap at games, and how John usually ordered for Karl at restaurants while doing third-person Karl impersonations.
Thurl Bailey and Sidney Lowe, back in the day. (via @saltcityhoops)
Speaking of Thurl, Frank Layden was recently interviewed on KSL and compared Favors to Thurl Bailey. Although he is now primarily known for his 12-button suits, Thurl had a 15-year pro career, including 12 years in the NBA in which he averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block on 47% shooting and 81% from the free throw line. These numbers are nothing to sniff at and (but?) I think we all agree (hope) that Favors has a higher ceiling. Would you be disappointed, though, if he ends up with similar career numbers to Thurl?
0 recs | 31 comments
I remember Thurl Bailey
He scored about 22ppg backing up Karl Malone in 1988/89. he was one of the best sixth men in the league. if any one deserves to have his number retired for Utah, it would be him.
Jeffrey Thompson - January 13, 2012
It was 19.5 ppg
But that’s still pretty awesome for your 6th man. Probably helped that he could also play SF and those starters were Marc Iavaroni and Kelly Tripuka.
Yucca Man - January 13, 2012
For what it is worth...
I’m also on the retire Thurl’s # wagon
Waxmaster - January 13, 2012
Lets start a campaign to get Thurl's number up in the jazz rafters
Who’s with me? We can start a FB page. I know ways to get the right exposure for it too. I mean, If Mark Eaton can get his number retired, so can Thurl. That’s my opinion anyways.
Jeffrey Thompson - January 13, 2012
We can't banalize number retirements
If we retire the number of all players we like, we’ll diminish the distintion truly great unbelievable players who took the Jazz to great heights deserve. I mean, we’ll start retiring numbers such as AK’s, Boozer’s, Memo’s, Deron’s, Harpring’s, etc.
IMHO, number retirement should be just for truly amazing, HOF type of players, that contributed a whole lot for the franchise. If we banalize it, all of a sudden fans from other teams will look to our rafters and see players no one ever heard of and the Jazz will look like a secondary franchise who retired numbers of players who never made it past the second round. To honor this kind of players, they could make a museum or something.
modernagejazz - January 13, 2012
What could we do for guys like Thurl
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. No, the Jazz shouldn’t retire numbers for everybody who was a good guy for the team. But we should have something else for guys like Thurl, Memo, Millsap, etc.
Yucca Man - January 13, 2012
idea
Locke did a video of Conseco Fieldhouse last year that was mainly about the concourse area that went through their history. Something like that where they talk about achievements of the players out where people see it would be nice.
Toasteroven - January 13, 2012
Oh yeah
What about Mark Eaton? He wasn’t that great and the Jazz retired his number. If Eaton can have his number retired, why not Thurl?
Jeffrey Thompson - January 14, 2012
Having a designated leader is overrated
I personally think that by not naming a “leader”, the team is playing as a team.
pacoelcid - January 13, 2012
Maybe we haven't named a captain yet because all of our veterans are potential trade candidates.
Seriously, I would like to see Milsap get the nod as captain, but I really dont think it matters if we dont name one.
TurboJazz224 - January 13, 2012
me too
if trade Devin for mo Williams
UtonganKidInCali - January 13, 2012 via Android app
I dont think Mo is much better than Earl
TurboJazz224 - January 13, 2012
Yeah, I'm not really sure Mo helps us.
flibbidy - January 13, 2012
What about Miller
When he has had time in Denver Andre Miller has been good, he wants to be able to start. He is past first PG that would run the offense and he likes Utah.
jusorenson - January 13, 2012
Possibly, although I don't think the team needs to be desperate for a PG right now
The team is down overall with assists, but part of it is new personnel and slight changes to the system. Harris is being asked to play differently than he has in the past, but I think the Jazz feel he will eventually adjust.
Us fans may not necessarily agree with that thinking, but I think management might only trade Devin if they get a long-term replacement, which Miller is not (due to age).
flibbidy - January 13, 2012
Denver would never do it.
modernagejazz - January 13, 2012
Might need a PG
If Watson is out for any considerable amount of time with his knee injury. I am sure the T-Wolves have 2-3 to spare.
jusorenson - January 13, 2012
T-Wolves are giving me Rubio envy
Wish we could have drafted him.
Shiner Bock - January 13, 2012
played NBA 2k12 last night
made a MyPLayer PG, and was drafted by the Jazz at #12
AllThatJazzBasketball - January 13, 2012
I got drafted too
I rented it for a week when it came out but i answered the positively for the Jazz and negatively for the other teams just so they won’t want me haha
Mexican Jazz Fan - January 13, 2012
One of mine is a 6'7" swing man
Drafted by the jazz – and they ended up trading Al Jefferson for DWill. Go figure.
jazzed - January 13, 2012 via Android app
I'm not giving up on Harris just yet...
offensively he is struggling to adjust his game to fit in with what the Jazz are doing, and his defense late in games has actually been pretty good this year, even if his starts haven’t been all that great.
He is more suited to an uptempo game with drives leading to layups/freethrows/kicks to consistent 3 point shooting wings (or at least that is what he was doing in Jersey with Morrow, Vujacic, et al) than he is to a post oriented offensive system.
If Harris/the Jazz as a whole can find a happy medium between their respective strengths things will get better, but without consistent shooting from the wings improvements will be limited. Lack of wing consistency cuts down on potential assists (not just by Harris, but also from our post players) & leads to a packed paint area, which in turn makes dribble penetration more difficult.
Waxmaster - January 13, 2012
Hollinger on DWill's recent play.
John (New Jersey)
How much longer can Deron play at such a poor level? If he out of shape? Does he hate NJ? Just going through the motions for Dwight?
John Hollinger (12:14 PM)
I was shocked by how mediocre Williams looked when I was up in Jersey at the start of the season, and his play hasn’t improved much. He just doesn’t seem to have that same burst when he attacks off the dribble, so he’s running into a lot more traffic. Very interesting for what it portends for free agency — hard to sell him as a max guy if he keeps playing like this.
modernagejazz - January 13, 2012
UDQM
I read the Nissalke quote in his voice, in my head and I nearly spit cereal onto my iPad. Hahaha
prodigal punk - January 13, 2012
Good DB, Moni
Awesome title
Yucca Man - January 13, 2012
5. I couldn't decide between the first and third. Wow. I almost died reading those.
Hestari - January 13, 2012
Loved reading the Stockton/Malone piece
Everything about those two, and all their years with the Jazz, was simply magical.
You wonder if we’ll ever have anything like it again.
Yucca Man - January 13, 2012
1. i’d say so — after denver game i’m going to try to get up a rotations post
2. it’s always nice to have a Malone out there who a) wanted the ball at the end of games, b) demanded the ball, and c) won games. there’s some late game stuff on youtube of his last 5 seasons, he was straight up one of the most clutch guys i’ve seen for his size. sadly, most nba people don’t think malone was clutch at all, because he lost in the nba finals to Jordan, and the Refs . . .
3. that’s hilarious! but, to be fair, by that point in time karl already had 2 sons (just they weren’t kay’s children)
4. so when do we hire d. whittenberg?
5. Moni, you are so awesome
AllThatJazzBasketball - January 13, 2012
SLC DUNK
Was named the best Utah Jazz Blog by Complex Sports
EcERyda69 - January 13, 2012
oh yeah, and they gave all the credit to the shums, ha ha
glad it is somewhat resolved now.
AllThatJazzBasketball - January 13, 2012
Completely random question.
Does anyone know if Paul Millsap in married? It would be interesting to know the domestic status of all the Jazz players.
BigGreen - January 13, 2012
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