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SALT LAKE CITY — Since the front office passed on making any moves at the trade deadline, which I believe was the right move, the team has lost five of six games. The only win came at home against the Charlotte Bobcats, the worst team in the league currently suffering through an eight-game losing streak.
The team has been without leading scorer Al Jefferson, who has missed three games while dealing with an ankle injury.
The lowest point came on Wednesday as the Jazz choked away an eight-point lead with 2:46 left, allowing Kyrie Irving and the Cavs to finish the game on a 12-1 run. It was a devastating loss that left the Jazz clinging to the eighth spot in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games ahead of the suddenly surging Lakers.
The loss is even more devastating when you consider the upcoming schedule. Seven of their next eight games are against teams that would currently qualify for the playoffs, and five of those seven are on the road, beginning Friday in Chicago.
Their playoff hopes are in jeopardy and fans can sense it.
The frustration and anger among the fan base has been obvious on Twitter; just do a search on Twitter for the hashtag #firety if you need any evidence.
I don't blame some fans for showing emotion and speaking their mind on this subject. There is reason to be frustrated and they have a right to convey that. Fans love this team and want them to win. There is a great tradition of winning here and the bar is set high.
With that said, I have to disagree with those who believe that Tyrone Corbin deserves to be fired. Firing him would solve nothing.
I'm not writing this to be a Tyrone Corbin apologist. He has made his share of mistakes this season. There was the game against Chicago on Feb. 8 where he designed a play out of a timeout believing the Jazz were down by four points when they were actually down just three. It's been fair to question some of his decisions regarding his rotations. It's fair to question who he chooses to start games when some of those starters fail to produce game after game while being outplayed by younger players on the bench. He should be held accountable for his performance just like anyone else in the organization. He is learning from his mistakes just as we all learn from mistakes at our job.
The reality is, Ty Corbin has this team overachieving. If you need evidence and have some spare time, try the following exercise.
Pull up rosters for each Western Conference team in the NBA. Rank each roster one through 15 based on talent. Here is how I would rank them:
#pollme
- Oklahoma City
- San Antonio
- LA Clippers
- LA Lakers
- Memphis
- Denver
- Golden State
- Houston
- Portland
- Minnesota (When Kevin Love is healthy)
- Utah
- Dallas
- Sacramento
- New Orleans
- Phoenix
The truth is, the Utah Jazz have the 10th or 11th best roster in the Western Conference.
You may disagree with a few spots on my list, but can you honestly place Utah's roster in the top eight? Be honest.
Before their recent slide Ty Corbin had this team percentage points away from sixth in the Western Conference. Did you expect any better than that this season?
Coaching can only take a team so far. Players make plays. Corbin didn't miss a free throw with :14 seconds left in Milwaukee that would have clinched victory. Corbin didn't miss a layup in the final seconds that would have given the Jazz the lead in Cleveland.
The reality is, a lack of talent is a much bigger problem than the coaching. The Jazz don't have a player like Kyrie Irving that can take control of the game in the final moments when needed. They don't currently have that player who can elevate this franchise to elite status.
There are no stars on this team. Not one. The closest thing they have to a star is Al Jefferson, and his deficiencies on defense prevent him from becoming one. They have young players who have recently shown a lot of promise, but have also recently shown us their flaws. They have received below average play at the point guard position this season, which happens to be the most important position in today's NBA.
If you are angry about the current state of the Utah Jazz, you ought to spread some of that anger around — perhaps toward the front office. They are the people who put Ty Corbin in this difficult situation, which is a roster thin on talent.
Corbin didn't make the decision to trade an All-Star point guard in his prime, sending the franchise into a rebuild overnight. Corbin didn't pass on players like Paul George, Kenneth Faried or Serge Ibaka in recent drafts.
Kevin O'Connor and Dennis Lindsey have a chance to fix the bigger problem and improve that roster this summer.
The Utah Jazz will have two first round draft picks and are estimated to have between $35-$40 million in cap space. They can sign free agents and even decide to keep some of their own. They also have to decide whether Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are worthy of big money contract extensions. I'm sure they will also evaluate the performance of Ty Corbin and whether he is the right coach to lead this team in the future. Many questions facing this franchise will be answered this summer.
Corbin already received a vote of confidence before this season started. The Jazz gave him a contract extension on October 30, 2012 that runs through the 2013-14 season. Lindsey praised Corbin at the time saying the following:
"Greg Miller, Randy Rigby and Kevin O'Connor made an excellent choice when they selected Tyrone Corbin to lead this team. I have been very impressed with Ty's leadership skills, as well as his openness and collaborative nature. He inherited a young team under difficult circumstances and did a remarkable job last season of developing our players and advancing the team to the playoffs. He has shown poise, steadiness and an overall passion for the franchise's well-being that I am confident will serve the Jazz well moving forward."
Corbin has had the unenviable task of following a legend. There is no way he is going to measure up to a Hall of Fame coach like Sloan after just three years on the job, and with a starless roster. Lindsey clearly understands that and will likely give Corbin the benefit of the doubt.
The Utah Jazz, under the full ownership of the Miller family, have never fired a head coach. Don't expect that to change any time soon. I believe the organization will allow Corbin to coach the final year of his contract next season with what should be a much improved roster. At that point the franchise will again judge Corbin's performance and decide whether he is the right man for the job. Until then, the #firety hashtag won't accomplish much.
