David Locke Jazz PXP Man Latest Post

• Wow, what a crazy turn of events. I didn’t see this happening when we left Denver last time or when we left San Antonio. It is a huge tribute to the coaching staff, to the quality of the character of this team and to hard work these guys have put together.
• The key tonight was controlling tempo. Coach Corbin told us in the keys to the game that they had to prevent leak out baskets and prevent easy opportunities. Done and Done.
• The focus by the Jazz on every possession has been terrific. They aren’t wasting possessions, they aren’t allowing runs by the other team. When they are on the wrong side of a run they have been able to bear down on both the offensive and defensive ends to make plays and quell the runs.
• Denver looked worn out, beaten up and frustrated. The Jazz made the game hard to play and Denver didn’t want any part of that. This vital. You can’t be a team that people want to play. You have to be a team that people dread. You can win games before they start.
• The defensive rotations are sharp and better than they have been in years. One of the changes that Tyrone made was to change where rotations are coming from to make things shorter and more concise. It is allowing players to get into better position. 
• Defense has become a mentality for this team and it is impressive.
• I have purposely gone this far without mentioning a player. This has become a collective effort and it feels contradictory to mention an individual player.
• Paul Millsap dominated the game. He has become a brutal match-up for opponents to deal with. He is taking larger players out on the floor as he did to the Lakers and he killed the Nuggets when they went small. Gallinari has done a great job defending Kobe and LeBron in the early season and Harrington has been getting big man center assignments. Neither could handle Millsap. 
• Earl Watson is truly one of the best at seeing mismatches on the floor. It was Millsap a ton tonight but he also feed Gordon Hayward when he was guarded by Corey Brewer. This has been a key to this team. Putting players in a position to succeed rather than having them adapt to a things they aren’t as good at.
• The team work and camaraderie is evident on the floor. The other night it was Raja with Gordon, tonight you saw Al Jefferson with Paul Millsap, you saw Raja working with Burks, Jefferson giving Kanter a huge chest pat after a perfect rotation.
• Kanter has moved from an adequate rotation player to a problem for opponents. 
• Gordon Hayward still is finding himself and has lots of things that need to be tightened up. So when he is able to drop 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while still being in developmental mode that is awesome. He also had 2 blocks and a steal. Realize he could have never done what he did tonight at this point of last season and put that into context with Favors (who played 1 year of college), Kanter and Burks
• Burks can really score and will score in this league. 
• Overall a terrific, remarkable and exciting win
• Brian Zettler the team’s equipment manager wants to point out it is the Green Jersey again