Utah Jazz notebook: Boozer finds confidence after 'chilling' out

After his rocky summer and a rough beginning to the 2009-10 season, the San Antonio Spurs turned out to be just what Carlos Boozer needed.

Go figure.

While snapping out of a funk in Utah's first win over the Spurs, Boozer also rediscovered his confidence and found the playing form that helped him earn spots on two Olympic and All-Star teams.

"I just chilled out and relaxed," Boozer recalled, "and ever since then, I just took off."

Prior to the takeoff, Boozer's wheels were spinning on the tarmac. He opened the season by hitting just 13-of-42 shots (30.9 percent), and then only played 24 minutes in a loss at Dallas.

Since then, though, Boozer has soared to averages of 21.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He notched a season-high 28 points — on a scorching 12-of-14 shooting — in the Thanksgiving Night blowout win over Chicago. That edged his previous best of 27 points, which came in the oh-so-helpful 113-99 home win against San Antonio on Nov. 5.

That victory accomplished the opposite of what most games against the Spurs have done for Jazz players over the past decade — it boosted his self-esteem.

Now Boozer says he's "100 percent" shooting for another All-Star bid and wants to "get back to the elite level" with the Jazz.

"You definitely get confidence when you see the ball go to the rim. You get confidence when you stop your man a couple of times and get a couple of rebounds," Boozer said. "Obviously, the ultimate confidence is when we win — that helps your confidence a great deal. So, all those things came together at the same time."

Though Boozer has hit 60.5 percent of his shots since the win over the Spurs, his accuracy isn't the only thing improved, according to Jerry Sloan.

"I think, as much as anything, his shot selection has gotten better," the Jazz coach said, "and he's passed the ball more, and that's made him even more effective."

Sloan added that Boozer is adapting better to getting double-teamed, and credited the power forward for becoming a more consistent threat away from the basket.

"That's kind of the same way Karl Malone progressed over the years," Sloan said.

Yet Boozer has also been aggressive in attacking the basket and not just settling for easy-out jumpers. That's something Deron Williams has noticed.

"People," he said, "have to pay a lot more attention to him, you know, when he's attacking the basket, dunking on people, drawing the defense into him."