Utah Jazz: Boozer talks about injury; Millsap ready to play

LOS ANGELES — Speaking publicly for the first time since the Jazz announced his damaged left knee needed arthroscopic repair, NBA All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer expressed hope for successful surgery.

"Pretty much they have to go in there and clean it out," Boozer said prior to the team's practice in Utah on this morning, "and hopefully I'll feel much better after that."

On the same day the Jazz learned they might get replacement starter Paul Millsap back on Friday from a left-knee injury of his own, Boozer said he won't be sure until surgery is performed exactly what it is that's irritating the joint he hurt more than six weeks ago in a Nov. 19 game against Milwaukee.

"They won't know until they put the camera in there," said Boozer, who will miss a 22nd straight game when the Jazz visit the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night. "But there's something in there. They'll clean it up, then I'll be back when I'm ready.

"I don't what to expect," he added, "until my doctor (Los Angeles area-based orthopedic surgeon Richard Ferkel) goes in there and checks it out."

Boozer also revealed today that he had known he would need surgery "for about a week" before the Jazz indicated he was told last Monday, but "I just wanted to get two or three MRIs to make sure I had exhausted all my options."

Asked to describe his emotions, Boozer said, "there's not really a word for it."

Frustrated, he added, "would be the first word I would use, but, you know, it's tough, because I didn't think I would be out this long, obviously. ... But sometimes you've got to play the hand that you're dealt."

Boozer said the surgery will be performed Jan. 9, which is the date the Jazz initially said had been targeted.

No best-case/worst-case scenario timetables for return were offered by Boozer on Thursday, but last Tuesday Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said he expected the 27-year-old would miss at least another month.

Asked if he wished — with the benefit of hindsight — that he had gotten the knee scoped right away, Boozer indicated otherwise.

"I mean, all the experts I talked to said maybe we could rehab and get it better that way,"' he said, adding he never had surgery during his college career at Duke University or previously during his NBA career.

"So that was obviously the first option we wanted to try before we just went in there and got it scoped," Boozer said. "But obviously it didn't work out."