This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Alex Jensen knows the Cleveland Cavaliers, who visit EnergySolutions Arena on Friday night.
Jensen spent the last two years as the coach in Canton, which is the Cavs' franchise in the NBA Development League. He left the Charge last summer to become a player development assistant for the Jazz.
"It really is a first-class organization," Jensen said. "The owner, Dan Gilbert, makes sure you have everything you need.
"When I was there, they were obviously going through a rebuilding process. But it's a great practice facility, great people. It's only a matter of time before they are really good again — year in and year out."
Jensen was the D-League's Coach of the Year last season, when he guided the Charge to 30 wins and a division championship in only their second year of operation.
Jensen again credits Snyder and the Cavs.
"Whether it was facilities or means, I had everything at my disposal," he said. "It was a great situation where you could only blame yourself if you didn't succeed."
Jensen was born and raised in Bountiful. He attended the University of Utah and played in the 1998 NCAA championship game against Kentucky.
After college, he played seven professional seasons in Turkey and one with Yakima of the old Continental Basketball Association.
He was an assistant at St. Louis under Rick Majerus from 2007 to 2011 before taking the Canton job.
"It was tough to leave," Jensen said. "It wasn't something I searched out, and they were really good to me. There couldn't be a better place for a first [head] coaching job."
Burke's numbers decrease
Point guard Trey Burke's numbers have dropped since being named the NBA's Rookie of the Month in December.
Burke is averaging just nine points on 10-for-36 shooting in the last three games. He has committed 24 turnovers — one more than he did in his first 18 games of the season — in the last seven games.
"As you have success in this league — and he's a rookie — teams find out what you like to do and they try to take those things away," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "Now you are a bigger part of the scouting report. He's a known and they know, if he's doing well, our team's doing pretty good."
According to Burke, opponents are playing him "a little bit" differently as they attempt to disrupt the Jazz's offense and, at times, force the ball out of his hands.
"I have to make adjustments ... and I think I'm getting better at it," Burke said. My shot selection, getting others involved, getting into the paint — it's all a read, and it's my job to make the right read."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Jazz vs. Cavaliers
P At EnergySolutions Arena
Tipoff • Friday, 7 p.m.
TV • ROOT Sports
Radio • 97.5 FM, 1280 AM
Records • Jazz 12-25; Cavs 12-23
About the Jazz • Gordon Hayward scored the team's final 17 points in a 112-101 win over the Thunder on Tuesday. … After some struggles, center Enes Kanter has put together three straight double-digit scoring games. … Jazz assistant Alex Jensen was the head coach of Cleveland's D-League team, the Canton Charge, from 2011-13.
About the Cavs • Traded disgruntled center Andrew Bynum to Chicago for forward Luol Deng, who is expected to make his first appearance for his new club in Salt Lake. … Point guard Kyrie Irving is averaging 22 points and 6.1 assists a night. … Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall draft pick in June, is putting up just 2.5 points in 10.7 minutes a game.