<font color="Red">What's the deal with Carlos Arroyo being demoted to the bench?</font> I live in Miami so I'm not well informed on the happenings of the Jazz but I know that they re-signed Arroyo to be the starter. I've seen his minutes reduced drastically & tonight the Jazz beat the Phoenix Suns and Arroyo didn't even play! I am Puerto Rican and it bothers me that Carlos is not playing because I know what he is capable of. He has alot of heart and I think he's a good leader. He performed well for the Jazz last season and that's why he was offered a 4 year contract. I know that Jerry Sloan is a very strict coach and often has Arroyo share minutes with Raul Lopez (at least last season). But now Arroyo is barely playing and Sloan is starting Keith McLeod, who I had never heard of. Is it strictly a problem with Jerry Sloan? <font color="Red">Does anyone have any insight on the situation?</font> <font color="Red">Do you guys agree with Sloan's decisions?</font> By the way, Congratulations on beating Phoenix. They handed it to the Heat yesterday.
Carlos Arroyo is on the bench mainly because <ul> [*]He had an argument with Coach Sloan which the two never talked about to sort out. [*]The Jazz score more with Keith McLeod, Howard Eisley or Raul Lopez running the point as a team. [/list] Upon returning from injury, he was handed the starting role and never really reached the level he was playing at last season. Then he had an arguement, and found himself in the doghouse. He hasn't shown that he should be the starter for the Jazz this season so far. If Sloan doesn't see the effort from his players, he will bench them, Arroyo is no exception. If he is going to get out of the doghouse he will have to work his way out. I agree with Sloan's decisions, but not entirely. I'd be giving McLeod the start, he is working hard everyday and always improving, 10 points and 11 assists with Steve Nash on him today. But Arroyo is too good to not play, and can only prove himself when he gets on court. BTW, the Jazz have 4 active PG's so minutes will be scarce for all of them.
Arroyo hints at trade prospects I guess a trade would make sense if he's not going to be playing for Jerry Sloan. "Carlos Arroyo says he is not the type of player to demand a trade. But now that he has dropped to third or fourth in the Jazz's point-guard rotation, Arroyo acknowledges that the notion of playing elsewhere has a certain appeal." "I want to play, and I can't succeed on the bench," Arroyo said Wednesday. "If I can't play here, what can I do?" LINK http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_2523210
On Hoopshype they were talking about how they might trade him to the Pistons. That might just be a rumor on hoopshype, but now it might just actually be serious.
Something like this makes me question Sloans judgment. Clearly, even if Mccloud has been somewhat productive, on and off, Arroyo is better than him, and even moreso than Lopez. For an argument to be unresolved after all this time, that is clearly on the coach, as I doubt Carlos has become an uncoachable player. Yes his ego might have been a bit elevated after this summer, but not to the point where he can't be coached. Sloan got a lot of credit over the years for his team's success even when he had those two great players, but I feel it's times like these that really show us what a coach is made of. In other words, it's easy to win when you have great players and easier to loss when you have a really bad team. It's tougher to judge a coach in these cases. But how a coach deals a team with talent but no superstars, is when you can really judge his ability to coach. The jury is still out on Sloan as far as I'm concerned, but clearly this instance could be an example that Sloan isn't as great a coach as he's cracked up to be. Again, the jury is still out, but if he can't make the playoffs with a better team than he had last year, you have to wonder.
There were talks between the Pistons and Jazz about trading Carlos Arroyo. Utah's GM didn't deny it, however he did say that the contracts didn't work out, and the sides couldn't agree on a deal. Edit: This article might be of interest <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Carlos Arroyo recently has spoken frequently about wanting to play more for the Jazz and about his frustration over not being told why he is not. Thursday, Jerry Sloan spoke ? and made it abundantly clear why the deposed Jazz starting point guard has not played much at all lately. "I've looked at some of his stats and stuff, and some of the things going on out there on the floor, and defensively I think he was struggling," the Jazz coach said. "If he needed to know those things, and they were that important ? I'm the boss here. It's not his team. And it's not Andrei's (Kirilenko) or anybody else's team. It was not Karl's (Malone) and John's (Stockton) team."</div> <div align="center">Link</div>
There was also this article that was found...has since been proved false. The article states that NBATV was reporting that Arroyo was traded to a team on the east coast. (Part about Arroyo half-way down the page.) Link to article
Those comments about being the boss, if Sloan made them, would explain that Sloan is more concerned about his power than winning games. What is making him feel like he needs to assert his authority to the point where it costs them games? Maybe he doesn't communicate as well with this team as he did when he had four white players starting (Stockton, Hornacek, Ostertag, and Malone).
Latest Arroyo Trade Talk Utah has admitted that they are shopping Carlos Arroyo and he will probably be gone before the trade deadline. What team do you think he might be a good fit in ?? LINK http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600105837,00.html
Jerry Sloan has the longest tenure in the NBA, and has done a great job of coaching after the Stockon-Malone era. He's had to deal with a lot of personnel changes, and injuries to his key players. Before Kirilenko went down, the Jazz were playing great basketball and destroying teams. In the summer Jerry Sloan had nothing, but praise for Arroyo and was looking forward to him starting this year. I'm not sure what the two actually fought about, but Jerry Sloan is old school and very stubborn. I think the only way Arroyo steps back on the court is if he gives into Sloan and impresses him in practice. A lot of teams could use Arroyo's services, the Lakers would top my list of good fits, but I'm not sure the Lakers have any players the Jazz would be interested in. I was surprised the Pistons were interested in him, they already have Billups, and Carlos Delfino. Another team might be the Suns, looking for a backup to Steve Nash, but I doubt the Jazz would consider trading Arroyo to a Western Conference opponent. How about trading Arroyo to the Pacers for Foster?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Waneko:</div><div class="quote_post">Those comments about being the boss, if Sloan made them, would explain that Sloan is more concerned about his power than winning games. What is making him feel like he needs to assert his authority to the point where it costs them games? Maybe he doesn't communicate as well with this team as he did when he had four white players starting (Stockton, Hornacek, Ostertag, and Malone).</div> Jerry Sloan always goes out to win games, but he has some questionable ways of doing so. He is prepared to bench the best player if they aren't putting in 100% effort. Carlos Arroyo has not been putting in enough effort during the season to satisfy Sloan, so he has been benched. Arroyo can work his way back, he just needs to put the effort in. He could be starting now if he'd put more effort in when he first got in the doghouse and didn't start complaing about not starting. It's things like this, which is causing Sloan to bench him. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Several times in the past few weeks, Arroyo has publicly expressed his unhappiness over not playing more and not starting. That probably won him no favor with Sloan, who countered by questioning Arroyo's record of attendance at non-mandatory practices and medical-treatment sessions.</div> <div align="center">Link</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">I was surprised the Pistons were interested in him, they already have Billups, and Carlos Delfino.</div> Larry Brown liked what he saw from Arroyo at the Olympics, which is basically the only reason the trade talk happened between the Jazz and Pistons happened. Supposedly the Hawks, Bobcats, Clippers, Lakers and Magic are the most likely destinations for Arroyo.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post"> A lot of teams could use Arroyo's services, the Lakers would top my list of good fits, but I'm not sure the Lakers have any players the Jazz would be interested in. I was surprised the Pistons were interested in him, they already have Billups, and Carlos Delfino. Another team might be the Suns, looking for a backup to Steve Nash, but I doubt the Jazz would consider trading Arroyo to a Western Conference opponent. How about trading Arroyo to the Pacers for Foster?</div> I don't think the Jazz are to afraid to trade him to a West team...he'll likely be a backup wherever he goes with the exception of Atlanta and the Clippers. The Jazz aren't too scared of those teams. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting heatfan:</div><div class="quote_post">Utah has admitted that they are shopping Carlos Arroyo and he will probably be gone before the trade deadline. What team do you think he might be a good fit in ?? </div> He'd love to go back to Miami or Orlando so he can be near is fan base and home...Puerto Rico. That's not likely to happen...the Lakers, Clippers, Bobcats, or Hawks look like the best fits right now. I think any of those teams would accept Arroyo's style of play. Expect the Jazz to wait awhile. The Jazz GM (Kevin O'Connor), always waits up to the last minute on trades. He will wait to the trade deadline to see if he can get any better trade offers than the ones that are already on the table. Then at the trade deadline, he'll pull the trigger on what trade the Jazz organization feels is best. My point is, expect the rumors to keep coming about Arroyo, but don't expect any action until very close to the trade deadline.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting heatfan:</div><div class="quote_post">Utah has admitted that they are shopping Carlos Arroyo and he will probably be gone before the trade deadline. What team do you think he might be a good fit in ?? </div> He'd love to go back to Miami or Orlando so he can be near is fan base and home...Puerto Rico. That's not likely to happen...the Lakers, Clippers, Bobcats, or Hawks look like the best fits right now. I think any of those teams would accept Arroyo's style of play. Expect the Jazz to wait awhile. The Jazz GM (Kevin O'Connor), always waits up to the last minute on trades. He will wait to the trade deadline to see if he can get any better trade offers than the ones that are already on the table. Then at the trade deadline, he'll pull the trigger on what trade the Jazz organization feels is best. My point is, expect the rumors to keep coming about Arroyo, but don't expect any action until very close to the trade deadline.
