Sloan considers Jazz finish a success
http://sports.ksl.com/utahjazz_index-i.php
(KSL的猶他爵士新聞首頁 擺的圖是Malone啊!!)
http://sports.ksl.com/nsstory-12570i.php
Sloan considers Jazz finish a success
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- After six months of harsh criticism of his
team, Utah coach Jerry Sloan finally relented a little.
The Jazz had a successful season, Sloan admitted, even without
making the playoffs. Utah finished 42-40, exceeding nearly all
preseason expectations as the Jazz began a new era without John
Stockton and Karl Malone.
"There was some question in their mind whether they thought
they were good enough at times, and that's something that we all
have to face a time or two," Sloan said Thursday as he met with
players before they left for the summer. "But at least they kept
fighting to get better, and those are things that are very
important to me. Always have been and always will be as long I'm
coaching."
The Jazz season ended Wednesday night with an 89-84 loss to
Phoenix. Unofficially, it came to a close Monday when Utah was
knocked out of the playoff race with a loss at Minnesota and
Denver's win over Sacramento.
It was the first time Utah missed the playoffs since 1983. But
the fact that the Jazz were in contention in the final week of the
season was well beyond realistic expectations in October. For the
first time since 1984, the Jazz were opening the season without
Stockton or Malone on the roster.
Sloan wouldn't accept that, injuries or a lack of experience as
excuses.
"Sometimes I'm unfair, but I think you have to have that.
Otherwise it's just an acceptance of failure every single day and
it's no big deal," he said. "It's not a pleasant time for me when
we lose. I understand it, but I've never enjoyed it."
For taking a roster full of unknowns, castoffs and rookies to
the brink of a playoff berth, Sloan is mentioned often as a
contender for coach of the year.
The Jazz went with two rookie point guards and a third with
limited experience and made it work.
Matt Harpring, the leading scorer among players returning last
fall, was lost for the season with a knee injury in January.
Sloan also coached through a personal crisis when his wife
Bobbye, a breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer in January. Bobbye Sloan, who is still being treated, didn't
want her husband to give up the job he has held for 16 years.
"I don't know what tomorrow will bring or this summer will
bring or anything else. I haven't known all along," said Sloan,
who got his 900th career coaching win in February. "My wife wants
me to stay in coaching, so that's why I'm here."
Sloan, who has two years remaining on the contract extension he
signed last summer, said he's planning on coming back for a 17th
season, although that will depend on his wife's health -- just as it
has since they announced the diagnosis.
Jazz owner Larry Miller said the job is Sloan's as long as he
wants it. If Sloan does have to leave, Miller said longtime
assistant and former Kings coach Phil Johnson will take over.
Johnson has covered in the past when Sloan has been ejected or
suspended and this season when he missed a couple of games to be
with his wife.
"He's an amazing guy. For him to have dealt with all he dealt
with just blows me away," Miller said. "If he doesn't win coach
of the year this year, it's a flat-out travesty. And that has
nothing to do with feeling sorry for him or for Bobbye. It has to
do with the job he's done with this team."
And the Jazz could be getting newer still. Utah has four players
who will be unrestricted free agents and four more who are
restricted. The team also has to leave somebody exposed for
Charlotte in the expansion draft and has three first-round picks in
this year's draft.
The result could be even more turnover than the Jazz saw this
season.
"Next year we'll have different expectations and we'll try to
exceed those," said Raja Bell, one of Utah's newcomers and a
pleasant surprise this season. "We all knew what people expected
us to do, so it kind of helped us bond. We didn't have any choice.
If we didn't, we were going to get smacked around all year, so we
bonded."
The unrestricted free agents include Greg Ostertag, who just
spent his ninth and possibly last season with the Jazz. Ostertag
clashed often with Sloan and lost his starting job near the end of
the season. After making more than $8 million this season, he's
definitely headed for a pay cut.
Ostertag had predicted the Jazz may win 35 games this season.
"If anybody in here says that they're disappointed with that
season, I think they're crazy," Ostertag said. "We were a young
team and all we did every night was play hard and go out and put
ourselves in position to win."
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
2004-04-15 18:02:00
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※ 編輯: frogchine 來自: 61.62.81.20 (05/29 15:41)
※ 編輯: frogchine 來自: 61.62.81.20 (05/29 15:42)
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