Jazz Working Over Dantley, Nuggets

If you don't think coaching matters in the NBA, you've haven't noticed the Denver/Utah series. (And you have a bad take on the value of an NBA coach.) Both teams have identical records. Denver lost its coach, Utah lost two starters. Utah is dominating this series.

With George Karl undergoing treatment for neck and throat cancer, Denver has been in disarray for the last couple of months. Adrian Dantley has looked overwhelmed since stepping into the interim head coaching position. The Nuggets are 11-10 (including playoffs) since he has taken the helm with an incredibly talented team. Jerry Sloan, and his 196 playoff games coached, has worked over Dantley and the Nuggets in the last three games.

I thought Denver could win a close, intense series in 7 without Karl. I didn't think Utah would have the manpower to advance without home-court advantage. Kirilenko was out for the series and then Okur went down in Game 1. Denver should have smelled blood in the water and taken advantage of the situation.

Instead, Utah's motivation increased, and Denver's leadership set sail. Dantley is not ready for this stage, and certainly not with this group of players. The personalities in the Denver locker room must be managed. Dantley just doesn't have the experience.

Utah deserves a lot of credit for this series, it's not just because Dantley doesn't know what he's doing. Deron Williams is the best point guard in the league. I'll take him over a healthy Chris Paul anytime. The Jazz are going to fight you as hard as any team in the league, credit goes to Sloan and the players he picks up. The next-man-up philosophy is in full effect in Utah.

The series is not over, but it really looks like it right now. If Denver looks good in Game 5 and gets a win, they set themselves up to get one in Utah, which sets up an anything-goes Game 7. But that's a long way off. A long way. I doubt Denver can even see it under the amount of crap it's buried under right now.

Bad Play by ESPN: Why the hell did ESPN need to send Rick Reilly over to Karl's house and grill him about how many pills he has to take and film him getting shots in the stomach? Karl's been dealing with chemo for months and ESPN busts in to shove a camera in his face, while he watches his team lose. Just leave him alone, Reilly. And get off the air. Stick to writing, please.