"We're obviously not getting stops," Harpring said. "And we're not moving the ball on offense. It's a bad combination."Sometimes the guy just doesn't give himself any credit. Sure, the Jazz have lost three straight to lottery teams, and yes the last two losses have been phenomenal late-game collapses, but should Matt really be this hard on himself and on the team?
Not getting stops: Matt Harpring single-handedly held Rashard Lewis in the back-court for almost the entire remaining five seconds of Saturday's contest. He also successfully denied Lewis entrance inside the three-point arc all game, forcing him to shoot ten three-pointers. On Friday, he helped his teammates stop their assigned players by forcing the Kings to run their offense through Salmons. Also, he stopped Giricek from talking to him on Saturday by simply ignoring him.
Not moving the ball on offense: Sure, we've often criticized Harpring for being a tad selfish. But let's be realistic here. Late in Saturday's game, Harpring passed up a shot from the left wing in order to pass it to an on-fire Fisher on the other side. The ball didn't make it that far, but it's the thought that counts. And what of "The Pass" earlier in the game that hit exactly -- and I mean precisely -- the spot where Boozer had been just two seconds earlier.
The team may not be getting stops and may not be running the offense very well, but let's not blame Harpring, please.
