Sloan blasts defense of Boozer, Okur

It amounted to stating the obvious, but Jerry Sloan muttered the words anyway.

"I'm not really sure our defense is that good," the Jazz coach said.

That was Friday night in Chicago, after Utah fell to the Bulls and lost for the eighth time in a row. One night later, before losing at Milwaukee and stretching the streak of ineptitude to nine straight, Sloan went and additional step.

Asked specifically about each, he openly discussed the two.

Two rather big ones, too.

No muttering, either.

In fact, Sloan went to great lengths to offer vivid details in addressing the defensive deficiencies of the Jazz's two highest-paid players — power forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur, Utah's most-notable free agent signings this past summer.

It's probably no coincidence, either, that the comments come as the Jazz prepare for one of their toughest weeks of the season — with a Delta Center game tonight against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs, who merely have beaten Utah 18 consecutive times, followed by games Wednesday night vs. Phoenix, Thursday night at Sacramento and Saturday night vs. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Regarding 6-foot-9 Boozer — who bolted the Cleveland Cavaliers for a six-year, $68 million offer from the Jazz, and since has become Utah's leading scorer with an average of 20.1 points per game — Sloan was pointed and precise as to what he wants.

"If he (Boozer) is going to get to be a better player in this league, he's got to step up to those challenges, and accept them, to be able to hold his own," he said. "That's how he's got to grow.

"I think he's better than what he was maybe a month-and-a-half ago in those situations, but he's got to accept those challenges and say, 'Hey, you're not going to score on me,' " Sloan added. "Because he's got the body, and quickness. He shows quickness with his offense — and it has to be there defensively."

When it hasn't been, it's cost the 11-24 Jazz dearly throughout what is so far their worst season since way back in 1982-83.

"It's just a matter of concentration," Sloan said, "in order to be able to use a little technique to try to stay with your guy."

The story is similar for 6-11 Okur, who left the NBA-champion Detroit Pistons for the Jazz's offseason contract offer of $50 million over six years.