CLEVELAND — The struggling Cavaliers got some needed Mo on their side.Point guard Mo Williams has returned after missing 13 games with a hip injury for the Cavaliers, who hope to end an NBA record 26-game losing streak Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.”I haven’t felt this good at all this season,” said Williams, whose season got off to a bad start when he strained his groin in the days leading up to the opening of training camp. “I’m more explosive, attacking the rim more, because I have the strength to do it.”I feel reinvented.
cheap NBA jerseys I have a different pep to my step.”The Cavs haven’t won since Dec. 18, and the return of Williams is at least some good news in an otherwise dreary season.Coach Byron Scott plans to use Williams as a reserve, but will re-insert him into the starting lineup once he shows he’s ready.Scott said having Williams back is a plus — on and off the floor.”It’s good to have a veteran player back,” he said, “and the guys listen to him.”Williams hasn’t played since Jan. 15, when he returned to Cleveland while the Cavs were on a road trip. He received a cortisone shot a few days later and has been rehabbing his injury while the Cavs have set an NBA mark for consecutive losses and dropped 36 of 37.Ramon Sessions has been starting in place of Williams, who is averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 assists. However,
PUMA Sunglaess, Williams’ shooting percentage is way down.”I was playing injured,” Williams said. “We made the decision to shut me down and make sure we got it to 110 per cent.”
I’m looking for a comet to come whizzing by anytime now. Why? Because Jerry Sloan is no longer the coach of the Utah Jazz.After 23 seasons as Utah’s bench boss and the, emphasis is on the word ‘boss”, Sloan decided to pack it in suddenly. If you’re scratching your head, then you’re not alone.Sloan’s coaching epitomized the old-school adage of regardless of how hard it is, do what’s right. Sloan expected maximum effort from his players and he received it. The veteran coach always had the support of management so it begs this question:
wholesale NBA jerseysWas Sloan the last one to get back-doored by ever growing trend of players overtly calling the shots? Possibly, but then again, maybe he didn’t. Maybe Sloan, after a reported increasingly prickly relationship with star point guard Deron Williams finally said, “this is the way we’ve always done it and it has been successful, so just let me know if it’s going to be me or the kid who wants to do it another way?” I guess we know what answer was based on Sloan’s resignation. Sloan’s line about “losing some of his energy” can be translated to: I’m done, I’ve had enough.
So where does it leave Williams? In fairness to the Jazz’s star guard, it’s probably not all his doing and it’s not the first time a player seemed to hold the power and his desires led to a coaching change. Remember Magic Johnson made public statements that led to a once change in Los Angeles. But Williams is part of a growing trend where teams are trying to hold on to their marquee players because they have looked at other franchises and witnessed the fallout after they have picked up and left.Sloan was a guy that the other coaches in the fraternity respected because they know what the job entails and all you have to do is read this from Hall of Fame Coach Jack Ramsay to see how many felt about him.
NBA jerseysThe NBA has lost something in Sloan and unfortunately, for now, it’s not coming back any time soon.It’s a different era in basketball and society in general. I speak from experience, the pendulum has swung and the shine has fallen off authority figures. So don’t go looking for the mould of Jerry Sloan and w
hat the Utah Jazz had for the past 23 seasons. It’s gone, long gone.
Jones on Jazz changes A legend killer
Linear Mode
