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SALT LAKE CITY — In the NBA, there is a longstanding tradition of veteran players mentoring players around the league.
With the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat in town to take on the Utah Jazz, one could figure that young players like Trey Burke, Derrick Favors or Gordon Hayward could learn a thing or two chatting with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade or Ray Allen.
To the surprise of many, the Jazz taught the Heat a few lessons as Utah beat Miami, 94-89, and outscored the Heat 26-23 in the fourth quarter to win.
Yet there was the sense that the Jazz learned some valuable lessons from Miami, both the game and the team.
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin noted that younger players can learn much from their veteran peers around the league.
“It’s a great thing that NBA players do in this league as they share their knowledge,” he said. “They share their successes with their peers. Young guys need to hear that from their peers.”
Miami’s record the past three seasons speaks for itself — three NBA Finals appearances; two world championships; a 27-game winning streak last season. However, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said an inexperienced team like the Jazz can learn how to approach the game from his veteran roster.
“I think the fundamental standards of the league hold true for us or for a young team,” said Spoelstra, who is trying to coach Miami to its fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. “You have to be able to defend, and you have to be able to play unselfishly offensively. And, building those habits, regardless of whether you’re a team that’s building or a team that’s had success, is one of the most challenging things in this league.”
LeBron James’ record is phenomenal to say the least, yet he said he understands the supposed “rookie-wall” that Jazz guard Trey Burke has hit. While Burke hit a critical jump shot in Saturday’s victory over Miami, his recent games have suggested fatigue. Despite that, James was complimentary of the Jazz rookie.
“Obviously, he (Burke) has had all the ups and downs that any rookie would have,” James said. “We all had them in our day, but I think it’s exciting for him; it’s exciting for this franchise to have a player like that. It’s been very good.
“It’s going to be a learning experience for him. But, he’s been playing some really good basketball.”
Another way Burke may be trying to further adjust to the NBA game is by watching and observing some of the league’s veterans. Despite getting in late from Dallas, Burke and Jazz assistant coach Sidney Lowe got to the arena early to observe Heat guard Ray Allen’s pregame shooting routine.
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Burke said he hopes to model his career off successful players, like Allen.
“He was basically just talking to me about getting a routine early on in your career,” he said. “Taking care of your body and the proper amount of rest, all the little things that veterans do that rookies should do. I took a lot away from it.”
Overall, Burke said the Jazz can learn a great deal from the win over Miami in building toward the rest of the season, especially in regards to how hard they need to play in the face of adversity.
“When you are playing against a team like the Heat, you know there is going to be runs, for us and them,” he said. “We kept tame, we know they are going to go on runs. That is just how the game of basketball is. They made some shots, we missed some shots we usually make, we stayed with it for 48 minutes. (We) just continued to fight as a team.
