Was Millsap snubbed, other thoughts
3-POINT SHOTS after the Jazz’s 98-88 victory over the improved New Jersey Nets, which did not require a double-digit comeback – or good shooting or rebounding or anything from the bench:
POINT 1: It seems an outrage considering how well he’s played this season, but it makes sense why Paul Millsap was not listed on the 2011 NBA All-Star ballot . A source told the Deseret News that it will be released today, with the Jazz represented by Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Al Jefferson and Mehmet Okur on the list.
It’s highly probable the compilation of All-Star nominees was finalized before Millsap’s 46-point career night last week against Miami, for one thing.
You have to also factor in that Millsap had a quiet season last year (11.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg), and that Jefferson will be listed as a forward not a center.
Bottom line is, if Millsap continues to play the way he is – 21.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg – it will be awfully hard for coaches to snub him as well when it’s their turn to vote. That’s his best shot at becoming an All-Star anyway.
Head over to slcdunk.com and scroll down to “The Downbeat – 17 November 2010 – #362 – The Sad Fess Edition.” Basketball John provides a pretty convincing argument that the D-Will-to-Millsap is one of the best combinations in the league.
POINT 2: If you’re going to have one of your worst shooting nights, it’s best to do it against a team like the New Jersey Nets. I wrote in today’s game story about New Jersey’s improvement, and the Avery Johnson-coached Nets are definitely better than they were last year (not that that’s hard to achieve).
But the Jazz were hucking up some bricks in the win. Andrei Kirilenko was the only starter to shot decently, hitting 5-of-9 field goals. The other four starters each hit double figures in scoring but missed at least eight attempts and shot a combined 23-for-57 (40.1 percent) in the process. Yikes.
The worst shooting came from long range where the Jazz shot a Church-ball-like 8.3 percent. This probably won’t shock you, but that 1-for-12 3-point-shooting was a new season-low.
And the bench – which missed the injured C.J. Miles (left with strained lower back in the second quarter) was really lacking offensively, not counting the Gordon Hayward dunk. Five reserves combined to score 10 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
POINT 3: Rebounding was the subject of today’s Jazz notebook and Jerry Sloan simplified the process of getting boards, saying all rebounding is simply “effort.” It all boils down to how hard you try and work for it, which the Jazz didn’t do enough of while getting outrebounded 57-44 and 16-9 on the offensive glass.
I like when Sloan uses quotes that transfer over to regular life, and he rattled a couple of those on Wednesday that are worth repeating.
Sloanism Part I: “If you’re busting your rear end out there and you make a mistake, you’re right even though you’re wrong.”
Sloanism Part II: “And you can solve a lot of problems … if you bust your butt.”