Did Deron want it? I have no doubt in my mind. Regardless, I don't think he wanted it like this. I'm sure he respects Sloan on a certain level, but felt the team needed someone else. What if Deron knows something we don't?
Careful, that last question as to Deron's knowledge is tantamount to "lies" and "hate" around here.
What if, despite all the leaguewide talk, there are players in the league that would love to come here and play with Deron, but have no interest in doing it under Jerry Sloan?
Yes. Jerry Sloan was the problem.
Not a white-bread, small market that waters down its alcohol and has no diversity of culture, or media attention.
So many guys would want to play for a team that is in bum**** nowhere, where they are likely a minority in the same sense that extraterrestrials are, with miserly ownership that will trade assets mid-season just to dump payroll. I mean, who could have a problem with that?
Also, it's really fun to be the best at your position and not even make an All-NBA team over Chauncey Billups. Ask Deron if he enjoyed that one.
We always talk about how big name free agents don't want to play in this market, but surely that can't be the only reason, right?
Oh, surely not. I'm sure Michael, Kobe, Scottie, Charles and even LeBron would have given Utah a look.
Except for Jerry Sloan.
So when a scrub like Derek Harper says "you go to Utah" what he really means is "you go play for Jerry Sloan". And while this is going on for, you know, ever, there's a huge conspiracy to hide their feelings about Sloan, and transfer this hate to a place called 'Utah', which is why someone is always making fun of the state and its hick fans.
That was Sloan's power. That's how ****ing insane he was, and feared because of it.
That's why, when LeBron James continuously calls Sloan one of the best coaches in the league, we know just the opposite: that Sloan was one of the worst, and that LeBron was scared away from one of the best franchises and cities he'd ever been to by that maggot.
Are we really going to assume that every player in today's NBA is only interested in winning championships if they can do it in New York, California or Florida?
No. Of course not.
Tim Duncan still plays in the NBA.