OT: Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan to announce resignation today

[andalusian]

Forget Williams. Let's go get that skinny white Butler kid ... whathisname ... he's awesome (I've heard).

Does he dance better than Babbit?

 

[illmatic99]

The talk in Jazz forums is that Deron and Sloan were clashing all season, and that Williams was getting tired of Sloan. If that's the case, it's not very likely that he's getting traded.

 

[Natebishop3]

End of an era, whether you liked him or not (I hated him).

 

[maybeso]

Over on yahoo is a little more info:

Sloan’s relationship with point guard Deron Williams(notes) had grown progressively worse over the course of the season, league sources said, and the coach had tired of dealing with the team’s best player. The frustration escalated on Wednesday night when Sloan and Williams clashed in the locker room at halftime.

“He decided right there in halftime that he was done,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports. “He felt like ownership was listening more to Williams than they were to him anymore. He was done.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AmxqwZNUzrAQvERGHmou1gu8vLYF?slug=aw-sloanretiring021011

 

[illmatic99]

If Deron indeed is causing all this trouble, then Sloan might still want to coach.

I wouldn't mind a trade of Nate for Sloan next year.

 

[Masbee]

Time for Portland to swoop in and trade for Deron. Get on it, Cho.

No chance. When the team makes a big bet on Williams at the expense of a Hall-of-Fame coach, they are not going to trade him now.

 

[tlongII]

No chance. When the team makes a big bet on Williams at the expense of a Hall-of-Fame coach, they are not going to trade him now.

I think this is true in the short-term anyway. If the team doesn't get some help for D-Will soon he will force his way out though.

 

[tlongII]

They basically swapped Boozer for Jefferson. They lost Korver and Wesley Matthews. Now they've lost a HOF coach. They are trending downward. It's a shame really as I think Sloan is a terrific coach. His style just might not fit in today's NBA though.

 

[MIXUM]

d-will wont be back. book it.

 

[andalusian]

d-will wont be back. book it.

Wrong forum. Wrong alias. Are you not supposed to annoy Jazz fans with this remark?

 

[hasoos]

From everything I have read Sloan left because of Deron Williams.

 

[Blazinaway]

From everything I have read Sloan left because of Deron Williams.

yeah seems that way, players getting more and more uppity and all the "super team" stuff and players trying to dictate where they go is gettin real old - the new CBA battle is I think going to be one big, tough, mutherfukker

 

[Shooter]

Sloan had 2 Hall of Fame players for 15 years who got paid very well, and he had two U.S. Olympians the past 4 years. In between, he missed the playoffs for three seasons.

Sloan has had more to work with than any NBA coach not named Phil Jackson, and he has zero titles to show for it. Now that he loses some talent, he apparently takes his ball and quits on the team.

That's his legacy now ... quitter.

You're an idiot. Jerry Sloan has kept the Jazz in contention almost every year, and he is one of the most respected coaches in the league. I wish like hell we'd had him on the Blazers at some point in the last 23 years.

 

[Minstrel]

No chance. When the team makes a big bet on Williams at the expense of a Hall-of-Fame coach, they are not going to trade him now.

Yeah, when I made the comments about trading for Williams (which were partly tongue in cheek, since I never expect a star to be available), I didn't realize Sloan's leaving was due to a power struggle with Williams essentially.

 

[crandc]

A lot to dislike about Stockton, but he and his coach, neither of them exactly wallflowers, managed to work productively together for a whole lot of years. I think the Jazz are making a big mistake. Williams may or may not remain, what if he decides to leave for greener pastures and then they have neither the player nor the coach?

 

[Blaze01]

I have a lot of respect for Sloan, this really came out of the blue...I think Utah mgmt is over a barrel here, Sloan leaves and all indications are that Deron will as well when he is a free agent...lose\lose for Utah....

A win for everyone else in the western conference...

 

[hasoos]

We will probably find out tomorrow that he really left to lead the Egyptian Revolution!

 

[PapaG]

You're an idiot. Jerry Sloan has kept the Jazz in contention almost every year, and he is one of the most respected coaches in the league. I wish like hell we'd had him on the Blazers at some point in the last 23 years.

Well, I'd sure hope so. He had Stockton and Malone for 15 years, then missed the playoffs after they left for three years. Finally, Kevin O'Connor got him Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, so Sloan's teams could go back to being playoff also-rans again.

Easy on the name-calling as well.

 

[illmatic99]

This is getting pretty emotional.

http://www.nba.com/live1/

 

[RR7]

Awesome news. Fuck the Jazz.

 

[jlprk]

Over 50 current NBA players weren't born yet when he became Jazz head coach Dec. 9, 1988.

His absence will hurt the Jazz more than George Karl's did the Nuggets late last season, because the Nuggets' success comes more from player talent, while the Jazz depend more on coach-inspired effort.

He played as a very tall guard at 6-4, adequate shooter, talked tough just like now. His reputation for playing tough was a little overstated, embellished by his curt talking style. That was already his reputation then. It's not something that grew after he retired, as with some players.

 

[PapaG]

John Stockton on ESPN on Sloan:

- Honorable and long-lasting, someon the NBA will miss greatly is Sloan's coaching legacy
- Described Sloan as a "very good coach"

 

[speeds]

Flabbergasting. Mid-stream, even. Sure his retirement was coming in the next few years but this is shocking.

 

[jlprk]

Mid-stream? He was just getting started!

 

[speeds]

Mid-stream? He was just getting started!

Yeah I heard it can take a while to get going once you get older.

 

[jlprk]

The Jazz lost 3 good players from last year (Boozer, Matthews, Korver). The Blazers caused the first two. We made them overpay Milsap, forcing them to shed Boozer, and stole Matthews. While Utah remained a little over .500 this year, the worse record weakened Sloan enough that his punk PG could threaten to not re-sign unless Sloan was fired.

The shocking conclusion...

Blazer management got Sloan fired.

 

[THE HCP]

Are they going to boo the fuck out of Williams next game?

 

[PapaG]

Are they going to boo the fuck out of Williams next game?

I hope so. That would mean he definitely won't re-sign with Utah.