Jazz challenges ? past and future News Utah Jazz

At the rate the Utah Jazz have been going ? from Western Conference finalists, to the second round, to one-and-done in consecutive years ? they will be lottery-bound this time next year. Some change is in order to avoid that postseason pingpong ball fate ? not counting the New York Knicks' first pick they'll get in 2010 ?

and to keep themselves from again being nothing more than a first-round road bump. "The challenge is still there," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, "to try to move this team forward and try to make it better." Challenge indeed. While some might prefer to see a wholesale roster change ? a definite possibility, considering only six guys are currently locked in to return from this 48-win team ? Jazz players and personnel say they'd prefer the change to come from within. It likely will require a combination of both types of change for the Jazz to again be considered contenders ? for a championship, that is, not for a high draft pick. "We've just got to figure some things out this summer," Jazz point guard Deron Williams said. "Hopefully, everybody goes home and works on their game and we come back focused and worry about next year." Heck, why wait? Here are some things to start worrying about and working on for the 2009-10 season: DEFENSE: Coach Jerry Sloan knew this was one of his team's "weakest" areas coming into the season. Everybody knew it, too, by the time the Jazz cleaned out their lockers last week. Perhaps their biggest challenge ahead, the Jazz need to take steps to no longer play inferior on the interior and to shore up their exterior help defense. To stop pretending and resume contending, the Jazz cannot afford to finish just outside of the bottom 10 NBA teams for points allowed (100.9 ppg, 12th worst) and field-goal percentage defense (46.4 percent, 11th worst). "We've got to be a lot tougher defensive team," Sloan said. "That's where you have to learn how to win." Not playing soft ? something that led to the Jazz allowing 117.1 ppg in their final seven regular-season losses (in nine games) and 111.8 ppg in playoff losses to L.A. ? will help in this aspect, too. "I think we need some toughness. I think that's something that we're definitely lacking ? as coach says, 'nastiness,'?" Williams said. "We used to have it. I think we've gotten away from it. ? It's just a mentality you've gotta have." MENTAL TOUGHNESS: To put it nicely, the Jazz were less-than-stellar on the second night of back-to-back sets. Consider this: They had as many wins in those situations as Sacramento and Memphis. Count the W's out loud: 1-2-3-stop. Had they only been as bad as, say, the Clippers or Golden State, Utah would've finished a couple of spots higher and avoided the Lakers in Round 1. On top of that, the Jazz only won 15 times on the road in 41 tries and beat just one West playoff team away from Utah. With the disparity of success on the road compared to home, where they were 33-8, this major concern most likely stems from mental issues more than physical ones. Serious improvement and a mindset change in difficult circumstances need to happen to avoid a pre-May Day exit again. LEADERSHIP: One team leader (Carlos Boozer) talked midseason about getting a pay raise and opting out of his contract. Another (Williams) can be moody and grumpy. And their longest-tenured and highest-paid player (Andrei Kirilenko) said the coaching staff sometimes didn't send clear signals of what assignment he had. The biggest leadership loss, though, happened with the illness and death of Jazz owner Larry H. Miller. Who knows how the absence of his powerful presence affected the whole team. Some of the Jazz's inconsistency and struggles might suggest stronger leadership ? best when done by example ? is in order for future success. "We've got to do a better job of the coaching part of it," Sloan said, speaking generally, "and the players have got to do a better job to move forward." PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT: Bottom line, the Jazz won't improve as a team unless Jazz players improve personally. Sloan pointed out Ronnie Brewer as an example, praising how he worked himself into the starting lineup and helped the Jazz overcome the loss of Derek Fisher two years go by working hard. "That's all you ask from anybody ? just continue to improve," Sloan said. "John Stockton, Karl Malone, Bryon Russell, Howard Eisley, all the guys we had here in the past made themselves better as time went on. ? That takes a lot of hard work, you've got to get in the weight room, you've got to condition yourself harder ? all those things are critical to the success of everyday Basketball." From pumping iron (Kirilenko) to outside shooting (Brewer) to proving the new contract was worth it (C.J. Miles) to staying healthy (Matt Harpring), players have lots of homework to do between fishing trips. SMART ROSTER MOVES: The Jazz , who could lose all but six current players to free agency this summer, have admitted how much they love fan-favorite Paul Millsap and want to re-sign him. That's a great starting point. It goes with this recent Sloan statement: "We're hoping to find players ? that are willing to make themselves better through hard work." Securing Mehmet Okur, who creates awkward matchups for opponents, would be another step in the right direction. Keeping Kyle Korver seems another good move ? for 3-point shooting and jersey-sales purposes. Whether doing those things ? if they opt out ? means Utah won't be able to also re-sign Boozer ? who's expected to opt out after playing in two-thirds of his games in five years here ? remains to be seen. But tough choices that keep fans and ownership happy without breaking the bank will have to be made. Giving up some offense for more money and defense might be the best route. The Jazz also need to try to get a serviceable point guard and an interior defensive presence with size, either through free agency, a trade or the draft. Finding a big defensive-minded player, according to general manager Kevin O'Connor, is one of the "toughest things in the league to get." The chances of winning, however, will likely grow if they somehow can. Center Kosta Koufos, who swatted a surprising amount of shots in limited time, could offer help. EXPERIENCE: Jazz fans might keep in mind that even the Stockton-Malone era got off to a relatively rough start in the playoffs. They lost in the first round in four of their first five years and didn't make the conference finals until their seventh year together. The NBA Finals came five years later. The key is learning from losses. That's precisely why Sloan hopes his "young group of guys as a whole" received valuable seasoning and absorbed lessons from this year's shortcomings. "You'll see teams that usually get to the playoff level, they have veteran players, guys that have been around," Sloan said. "They've had to swallow that bitter pill and that's what last (Monday's Game 5 loss) hopefully teaches us as we move forward. "If nothing else," he continued, "it'll teach each individual there's always a chance and you continue to play and make yourself better. If you don't do your homework and take care of your body and do those things, then players don't get better, they stay the same." AVOID THE Lakers: Common sense, really, especially early on. Limiting losses to the likes of Washington and Charlotte on the road and, especially, Golden State and Minnesota at home can doom your playoff seed and hopes. Utah should keep that in mind. TURNOVERS: If Williams has a weakness, it's forcing passes on occasion. His 3.4 TOs per game were second-most in the NBA, so there's an obvious need for improvement. BACK-UP POINT GUARD: Anytime your starter is of Williams' caliber, a dropoff is expected when he sits. But it reached Grand Canyon levels this year, and it got worse as the season progressed. To pour salt on the Jazz's wounds, the Lakers' unexpected off-the-bench point-guard play from unheralded Shannon Brown boosted L.A. in several key situations in the recently finished series. Veteran Brevin Knight simply had a rough 12th NBA season, shooting just 34.9 percent and struggling so much the Jazz could barely afford to rest Williams in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Ronnie Price, who appeared destined for the No. 2 spot prior to Knight's arrival, sat and sat some more ? until Game 5, when his late spark was so impressive Sloan conceded he might've made a mistake in doling out PT. Problem is, Price isn't a great shooter, either. The UVU alum only shot 37.9 percent, but he does have loads of athleticism and spunk. CONSISTENCY: For starters, find whoever has the Jazz player injury voodoo doll and snatch it from them, pronto. Utah players missed a whopping 148 man-games for medical reasons (compared to 42 in 2007-08). That led to 21 different lineups, which made consistency and chemistry a challenge because roles constantly changed. That's why many Jazzmen hope the roster remains similar. "I think continuity is huge," Sloan said. "We'll win three or four more games every year if we keep guys together and gradually get better and they have believe in each other and hopefully play together to try to win." Millsap believes that, too. "There's no limit to what this team can really do," he said, "when we're healthy." And that there might be the biggest thing the Jazz can do next year: Stay healthy. E-mail: jody@desnews.com