This article is entertaining.....it sounds like they are talking about the Cavs D during their losing streak.
Jazz plan makes no 'Diff'
By Phil Miller
The Salt Lake Tribune
Cleveland Cavalier forward LeBron James, right, drives around Utah Jazz guard Devin Brown in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game. (Ron Schwane/The Associated Press)
CLEVELAND - There is a unique third number on the scoreboard in Quicken Loans Arena, right next to the Cavs' points and the visitors' points. It's labeled "The Diff," and it's basically a refuge for the mathematically challenged, an at-a-glance tally of the current lead.
There is room for only two digits in The Diff. That might not be enough when the Jazz trudge disinterestedly into town.
"They could have beaten us by 100 points if they had left everyone out there," Utah coach Jerry Sloan shrugged Tuesday after Cleveland held a glorified layup line and trotted to a 110-85 win that the Jazz barely seemed to notice.
The Jazz's plan was to force LeBron James into the middle of the lane, where everyone could help stop him. The plan was to force Zydrunas Ilgauskas away from the basket and make him settle for outside jumpers. The plan was to start fast, try to cope defensively without Andrei Kirilenko there to bail them out, then bring in the bench for some extra energy.
Custer had a plan, too.
"They just put their heads down and went to the basket on us because they knew we weren't any factor," Sloan said after the Cavs made 57.1 percent of their
shots - Utah's worst defensive effort of the season - and earned 44 free throws besides. "Jarron got a couple of offensive fouls on [the Cavs, but] everybody else got out of the way."
Well, why not? All the better to get a good angle and appreciate the artistry of James, who glided his way to 25 points on a variety of floating finger-rolls, sublime reverse layups, and amazing tip-ins. Only three of his eight baskets came from farther away than six feet.
Which was something of an issue with guys like Devin Brown, who drew the short straw and was assigned to . . . well, let's say "escort" James around the floor.
"He got a couple of layups, so I'm kind of looking around wondering where our big guys were," Brown said of the Jazz's I'm-busy-you-handle-it approach to defense. In other words: Hey, Greg Ostertag, Kris Humphries, Matt Harboring, Mehmet Okur - how about waving a hand in James' face as he floats past?
"We never came off our man and tried to help at all," Sloan said. "We played selfishly on both ends of the floor. It wasn't just one or two guys."
True. But there was general agreement about the identity of one culprit.
Greg Ostertag "ain't played worth a crap in a couple of weeks," came one critique. The 7-foot-2 center "got off to a slow start, and made some mistakes."
Yes, that's Ostertag's opinion. But let's consider it a consensus, especially after Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who made six of nine shots for 18 points, treated him like a speed bump.
The Jazz finished up their best first quarter of the season, after collecting points on their first seven possessions, with 29 points. But Ilgauskas spent the first four minutes of the second quarter going: a 12-foot jumper, a tip-in of his own missed layup, a spinning baby hook from point-blank range, and free throws after being fouled on a fast break.
Counting the final hoop of the first quarter, Ilgauskas outscored the Jazz 10-0, evaporated the Jazz's early lead, and sent Ostertag shaking his head as he walked to the bench.
"Jerry has every right, if he wants to put the blame on me, put it on me," Ostertag admitted. "I'll take it."
Not that he had much choice.
"I thought Jarron played [Ilgauskas] halfway decent, but I don't think Greg got close enough to guard him,"
Sloan said. "Greg was in another world."
So were the Cavs after halftime. They led only 49-44, and Brown had an inkling of what was supposed to come next. "You need to come out strong in the first five minutes," he said. "That's what all the good teams do."
He might be right about that. But that doesn't reflect so well on the Jazz, does it?
Eight minutes into the second half, the Jazz had eight points and seven turnovers, the Cavs had a three-point party led by a wide-open Damon Jones, and The Diff read +27.
"We started out well, but I made some substitutions and we couldn't execute and we couldn't begin to guard them," Sloan said. "That's a sad commentary, that guys weren't ready to go coming off the bench. . . . These guys are no longer sitting on the bench watching, they have to play. I've got so many guys hurt, they're no longer spectators with a free ticket to the game."
Matt Harpring, back in the starting lineup while Andrei Kirilenko rests his sore back, went scoreless for the first time in his 398-game career with the Jazz, missing both of his shots. Okur scored nine points, but seven of them came in the first four minutes. Gordan Giricek led the Jazz with 16 points.
"It wasn't just one or two guys tonight," Sloan fumed. "I was upset with a lot of guys out there."
No need to wonder why.
pmiller@sltrib.com
Cavaliers 110, Jazz 85
IN SHORT - The Jazz played one strong quarter, then took the rest of the night off, allowing the Cavs to shoot a season-high 57 percent and coast to victory.
KEY STAT - Matt Harpring went 0-for-2 in 17 minutes and failed to score for the first time in his 398 games with the Jazz.
KEY MOMENT - The Jazz led by seven as the second quarter opened, but Cleveland fed Zydrunas Ilgauskas on its first four possessions of the second quarter, and the Cavs center scored 10 straight points to put the Cavs ahead.