Healthy or not, Boozer's no Karl Malone

Lloyd Bentsen, the failed vice presidential candidate to Michael Dukakis, took offense to then senator Dan Quayle's self-comparison to John F. Kennedy during their memorable debate in 1988.

"Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

Carlos Boozer, by virtue of his position, current NBA team and hefty contract, was being compared to a certain other Utah Jazz player from a previous era prior to last season. While it hardly seemed fair then or now, the fact remained that Boozer, himself, told many people that his hero was Karl Malone and he was trying to pattern himself after the Mailman.

Well, Carlos, I knew Karl Malone. I spent hundreds of hours courtside watching Karl Malone work. Karl Malone was an acquaintance of mine. Carlos, you're no Karl Malone.

Again, it's not even a fair comparison. Malone was one of the best power forwards of all time, arguably the best ever. He's second only to Kareem in career scoring.

Boozer, meanwhile, is a former second-round draft pick who overachieved for two years in Cleveland and got a big contract because of it. He's still just 24 and could turn into a solid player.

But Boozer will never be the player Malone was — especially since he's always injured.

The Jazz went out of their way to make the point to skeptical media members and fans that he really is hurt — trotting out Dr. Lyle Mason, the team's orthopedist, to the team's practice facility on Thursday. Mason said the initial diagnosis of Boozer's strained left hamstring first hurt Oct. 6 was correctly termed "minor." But since that time, MRIs show that the injury has gotten worse.

Dr. Mason, no doubt, knows exactly what he's talking about. Boozer shouldn't — and won't — play for at least another month. By the time he gets back into game shape, it may well be 2006.

Still, fairly or unfairly, it's clear Boozer's honeymoon with Jazz fans is over. He still more popular in Salt Lake City right now than he is in Cleveland. But just barely.

After all, he's a guy making $68 million for six years — and the first year-and-a-half, frankly, have been busts. Sure, he scored a team-high 17.8 points with a team-best 9.0 rebounds per game last year. But the team was losing on a regular basis even before his injury. And his defense was spotty at best.