Sloan is no Popovich

The Spurs and Jazz are cut from the same cloth, we’re told. Both are successful despite operating in two of the NBA’s smallest markets. Both have long-standing coaches and looked to fill their roster with foreign talent before it was sheik. Both have patient shrewd GMs that have a tendency to find gems late in the draft and pick up role players few others appreciate. The similarities are endless they tell us. Here’s the difference: Popovich is a great coach, Sloan is only very good.

Popovich basically brings everything Sloan does, but without the rigidity, obstinacy, and nonsensical player rotations. Popovich’s teams are just as disciplined as any Jazz squad, except Pop figures out how to work in irascible talents like Stephen Jackson and Rodman.

Can you imagine how Sloan’s abusive tactics would work on these kinds of characters? ... the P.J. Carlesimo/Sprewell incident doesn’t even begin to describe what would happen, I’m thinking more along the lines of Tyson/Hollyfield.

Pop provides Sloan’s discipline without any of the baggage. I’m sorry the guy would never attempt to start Derek Fisher at shooting guard—he simply wouldn’t put Fisher in a position to fail. All the same things you like about Fisher, could be said about Horry, but look at how Popovich has used him compared to how Sloan uses Fisher. Big Shot Rob is a role player who is brought in as needed. Popovich is not tempted to start him over Bowen.

(Let’s be reminded that this is not the first or even second time Sloan has made this kind of weird personnel mistake … David Benoit over Bryon Russell cost the Jazz three years of championship contention (1993-1995), Collins over Mikki Moore prevented the Jazz from making the playoffs in 2004, and lastly, Sloan’s refusal to give Chris Morris a chance against Pippen during any of the 12 games they played in the finals cost the Jazz two championships. The man simply does not adapt his game plan for anyone or anything…since this is already a massive aside, am I the only one who noticed that Hot Rod Hundley is the least favorite person within the Jazz organization? In Sunday’s Deseret News he was quoted as saying, “Sloan’s teams don’t seem to play well in the playoffs, they play scared or something.” This gives me yet another reason to love Hots.)

The fact the Jazz haven’t paid dearly for their two point guard line up is pure coincidence. The mismatch isn’t really apparent when one opponent starts an all-guard line up and the other has a shooting guard with a mental block against taking over games. Ginoboli is no McGrady. Unlike T-Mac and Karl Malone, Manu doesn’t need years of therapy to help him work through insecurity issues that come out on the big stage.

Is there a solution for Ginobili? At this point, the Brewer issue is moot. Although, Popovich would have found a way to give Brewer 10-15 minutes a game over the course of the regular season (so he would have been ready come playoff time). Sloan didn’t. It’s over. However, there is still a solution. Start Millsap at small forward, put AK at shooting guard, and keep Okur on the perimeter.

All the local analysts talk about Andrei’s need to hit open jumpers, but nobody ever mentions that he is better served with his back to the basket. His moves are a little awkward and it does seem strange to see someone that frail pounding away down low, but the post is where Kirilenko belongs. From the bloc, he distributes unselfishly or finishes well near the hoop when he doesn't get fouled, which is often. The refs simply can’t help but be sympathetic when his scrawny frame gets knocked around. The other plus about putting AK at guard is that it allows him to occasionally take the ball up the floor. The biggest key for Andrei is his confidence level. For it to remain high, he has to feel involved. The more Andrei touches the ball on offense, the better he will play on defense. The correlation between these two events is almost one to one.

Putting AK at shooting guard is also a major match up problem for the Spurs. Ginobili is crafty, but if he has to line-up against Kirilenko he will get into foul trouble which will hamper his aggressiveness. If Ginobili has to think twice before he takes swipes at the ball or drives wildly into the lane, then you've taken away 60 percent of the man’s game. Further, if Manu gets into foul trouble, Popovich will have to switch Bowen onto Kirilenko, forcing Parker onto Kingpin—the Jazz biggest advantage.

The other advantage of the Kingpin-AK-Millsap-Boozer-Okur line up is that it forces another mismatch on the Spurs. San Antonio cannot handle Millsap and Boozer down low at the same time.

Duncan is amazing, but even he cannot cover that much ground. As smart as he is, Popovich has no solution for Millsap. Is Sloan smart enough to realize this? … he wasn’t smart enough to recall the success Bamm-Bamm (Araujo) had against Duncan in the regular season until late in the second half of Game 1, when it was too late to really make a run at the game.

Araujo’s success squaring up against TD is pretty remarkable considering almost no one in the league can guard the man. What’s interesting is that the same reasons he is successful against Duncan, are the reasons Toronto made him a surprise lottery pick three years ago: Bamm-Bamm has remarkably fast lateral movement and an astounding sprint for someone who weighs almost 280 lbs.
Bamm-Bamm is using his bulk to push TD away from his comfort zones, when he tries to drive he’s right there in front of him. Mr. Rubble is also making Duncan work harder on defense because he runs the floor well. What Toronto didn’t anticipate is that Araujo is a slow learner. But even this is coming in handy against the Spurs—Bamm-Bamm is too dim to be intimidated.

Duncan struggles against Araujo because he has to work harder to get what he wants. However, don’t expect this to happen again in Game 2. TD is perhaps the smartest player in the game, with a little bit of preparation he’ll figure out a way to abuse Araujo. By pulling out his trump card in a lost cause, Sloan only tipped his hand needlessly. There can no longer be any element of surprise. Pop will be prepared to adapt his game plan, will Sloan?