Sloan's School of Hard Knocks

The list of former Jazz players who have grown by playing for Jerry Sloan keeps lengthening. Previously DeShawn Stevenson, Mikki Moore and Raja Bell talked about the toughness Sloan instilled in them. The latest is Cleveland guard Mo Williams, who told the New York Post this week that Sloan was a key ingredient in his becoming an All-Star. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/03272009/sports/moresports/cavs_guard_got_big_assist_from_sloan_161508.htm.)

“Jerry taught me how to be a point guard,” he said. “I asked him what that entails: “To think versus rely simply on instincts . . . time and possession . . . teammates needing to be spoon-fed . . . not giving the ball to a big man on the break unless he has a free lane . . . creating space –separation — which is the object of the pick-and-roll, and then reading and reacting.”

Meanwhile, Bell, who is now with the Bobcats, once told ESPN the Magazine: “Jerry Sloan put a lot of stock into the way I played, with defense and hard work But he was also the first coach to show confidence in my offensive game. He told me not to worry about missing shots because he wasn’t going to pull me out of the game. I owe a lot to that man.”

Sloan isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak. England’s John Amaechi wrote in his 2007 book that Sloan was “out of touch” and that players such as Karl Malone rolled their eyes in their heads when Sloan went on his rants.

But ir’s hard to argue with Sloan’s contention players are obligated to earn their big salaries. That takes work. And in the end, it has made many of them better players.