From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz: Boozer says the 's' word
Jazz star tries to shake off playoff slump
But Carlos Boozer used the dreaded noun to describe what he's going through in these playoffs. Even at the risk of having to add a quarter to the "Naughty Word Jar," Boozer admitted Thursday that he is indeed experiencing a mind-boggling (close your ears!) "slump."
He's bothered by it, badly wants to work out of it, says his team is suffering and struggling in part because of it, and knows it couldn't have come at a worse time.
"I am in a shooting slump," he said. "I am frustrated."
The Jazz's slumping power forward couldn't even go to sleep after Wednesday night's 120-110 Game 2 loss which put Utah in an 0-2 hole against the Los Angeles Lakers in this Western Conference semifinal series until about 6 a.m. Thursday. Even then, it was a short snooze. He had to be at a shootaround and film session only a few hours later to get ready for tonight's Game 3 (7 p.m. tipoff) at EnergySolutions Arena.
He's been playing his nightmare of late "back and forth in my head" to try to figure things out.
Against the Lakers, Boozer has hardly looked like the best power forward on the Jazz, let alone the clutch player who earned a spot on the All-NBA third team with his dominating inside presence and mid-range game.
Matched against the quick and lengthy likes of 6-10 Lamar Odom and 7-foot Pau Gasol, the 6-foot-9 Boozer has put up consecutive sub-par performances and that was coming off a first-round series in which he didn't exactly light it up. Against the Lakers, Boozer has only averaged 12.5 points thanks to a miserable 37.5-percent shooting clip. In eight playoff games, he is scoring just 15.1 points on 41.7 percent shooting.
That production is way down from his regular-season contributions of 21.1 points per game on 54.7 percent field-goal accuracy.
For a player at Boozer's talent level, yep, that puts him in bona fide slump territory, especially when considering he had seven turnovers in Game 1 and zero points in the first half of Game 2.
"For me, I'm a 20-10 guy all night long, and not to be getting those numbers bothers me," he said Thursday morning at the Zions Bank Basketball Center.
Recent comments
Everyone has a very good reason to dump on boozer.
He supposed one...
Anonymous | May 10, 2008 at 2:19 a.m.
@ Step up & MOTO X
Williams has struggled in this series I'll
give...
STEVE-O | May 9, 2008 at 5:41 p.m.
It surprizes me that you would even say that you cant believe that...
RE Fair Weather Boozer Fans | May 9, 2008 at 5:34 p.m.
- Former BYU professor remembered 10:47 p.m.
- Do you remember 11/22/63? 10:46 p.m.
- Real Salt Lake game at a glance 10:44 p.m.
- Jazz used to playing, winning 10:42 p.m.
- Photos: O Christmas tree 10:37 p.m.
- Bad month in Afghanistan ripples 10:36 p.m.
- Hatch, Bennett oppose health bill 10:26 p.m.
- Health care bill clears Senate hurdle 10:25 p.m.
- Armed man robs restaurant 10:24 p.m.
- Birthdays for Sunday, Nov. 22 10:23 p.m.
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- Can BYU throw vs. Air Force?
- Cougars cruise to victory in Hawaii
- Huntsman blasts media over trip
- Christian leaders not backing down
- Murder-suicide in West Jordan
- TCU still has a chance
- Orem man acquitted in tot's death
- Religion cited in deportation fight
- Hall breaks BYU record with win
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
192 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
173 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
122 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
112 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
100 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93 - Hall breaks BYU record with win
91 - Huntsman pleased with Obama
87
He's great as a defensive coordinator but has no skills as a head coach....
Wake up 6:43 One day you will not wake up. Then what? You might discover...
Gosh, BYU shouldn't even show up because the U is so good. THey have pretty...
that Max Hall is their "winner" when really Max has been one of the biggest...
Glenn beck is a CIA member to discredit the ron paul movment. Just ask alex...
Go Cougs!
I hope you now have your answer why the administration said what it said...
Glenn Beck. Barf.
By the logic that is said on here, TV could beat the Steelers. "The 5A teams...
You repugnants stirred up the hornest nest, rushed into Iraq and now you want...


