Boozer fits right in with Jazz

When Carlos Boozer first joined the Jazz for the start of training camp a month or so ago, so much was so new.

"We didn't run these plays in Cleveland at all," the ex-Cavaliers power forward said way back when he was first getting to know the Utah playbook, which — so seemingly unlike that of various other NBA teams — actually has plays in it.

In a short time, though, the Jazz's $68 million free agent signee apparently has learned a lot.

For his Jazz debut, last Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Boozer produced a team-high 27 points and game-high 11 rebounds. In Friday's win at Golden State, he had a team-high 16 points and game-high nine boards. Then there was Saturday, when Boozer merely scored a game-high 30 points and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds in Utah's 106-82 win at Denver.

In three games, he has taken 13, 16 and, on Saturday, 19 shots — and made a combined 30, including 13 of 19 against the Nuggets. That's a 62.5 percent clip. That's impressive.

So how has he done it?

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan calls Boozer "a basketball player."

"He's understood pretty well, for the short time he's been here, what we're trying to do on each play (and) where he's supposed to be," Sloan said.

There is, however, plenty of learning left.

"Sometimes he gets a little bit confused playing 5 (center) with Andrei (Kirilenko) at 4 (power forward)," Sloan said. "That lineup is not comfortable as well as I think it will be in the future."

THE KEYS: With three blowout victories in as many outings, something has to be behind the Jazz's early season success.

Boozer offers one thought: "We play the way we practice," he said Saturday night.

Guard Raja Bell, who is coming off the bench, offers another.

"Our energy is really great to start games this year, and we've been able to jump out on people. And that always helps," Bell said after the Jazz beat the Nuggets behind a 33-20 opening quarter. "When the second unit doesn't have to come in and dig you out of a hole, and we can come in with energy and we're already up, it's a different kind of game."

LUCK OF THE IRISH: On Nov. 22, the Jazz will formally retire point guard John Stockton's No. 12.

Adrian Dantley's No. 4 still has not been raised to the rafters at the Delta Center, despite the fact he was a scoring machine in his seven seasons with the Jazz.

But Dantley, now an assistant coach with Denver who is back in town for tonight's Jazz-Nuggets game, is not forgotten by all of his former teams. He was among 25 players named recently to Notre Dame's All-Century team, joined by the likes of Austin Carr, LaPhonso Ellis and Pat Garrity.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com