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Utah Jazz are missing key players

It would help if someone would teach Boozer how to defend. I know, how about have a different team teach him. Trade him, please.

CJ isn't a baby. Notice how he never is hurt. Sloan just won't play him in the 4th cause Sloan wants his babies on the court who can't finish the deal. Play CJ in the 4th and we would have two more wins.

Put aforkinem! They blew being the top seed in the west on that road trip. When you play the Lakers in LA you will lose and the playoffs are over. Anything less than WCF is a failed season!

Unfortunately, even with D-Will in the line-up, we don't have enough "IT" to win the tough ones on the road.

"IT" is the clutch, winning quality that ultimately separates Superstars from the Kirilenko's and Boozer's. There are 5 players in the league who I believe have this all-important ingredient in their DNA. Before now, Michael Jordan had "IT".

Today's Players with "IT":

Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dwayne Wade
Steve Nash
Shaquille O'neal
Deron Williams
Chris Paul

With D-Will out, the Jazz are soft and Boozer is at the center of it.

Unfortunately Boozer does NOT have "IT".

Stockton had "IT". Malone did NOT.(And Malone was FAR Superior to Boozer.)

This is all eerily familiar...

All that said- It's a long season and we still have time to get healthy and gel before the playoffs. I no longer believe we can win 60 games since we were bitten by the injury bug...BUT I still am optimistic that our Jazz are in the top 4 teams in the West.

Beat Phoenix and get back on track!!

The Jazz will be fine. They really need to focus on getting Williams totally healthy, he should sit at least until Fri. at SA, even if he is doing jumping jacks and begging to play, it's pretty clear that when it comes to his own health the guy cannot be trusted. With Okur and AK in the lineup I think the Jazz will go at least 5-3 through the end of November and they should go 7-1. That will put them at about 12-6ish going into another brutal December.

I think December is when we find out whether this Jazz team has the stuff to really be a contender. Everyone should be healthy and settling into their roles. The Jazz will play 9 of 15 games on the road including games at Phoenix and Houston and a brutal 5 game east coast trip that includes Boston and Detroit. If they can win 10 games in December I think they will be poised to win 60 and be a legitimate title contender.

the current state of jazz health could be a positive down the road in the way of either:
a) experience for players that will need it
b) find out who they players are that should be on the court in the second team rotation

re: BJ Jazzy Rasta

AK47 also has IT, but in his own way. What you're talking about is the attitude that players need to MAKE wins, versus TRY FOR wins. AK47 has the right attitude, as does D-Will. Boozer, Memo, and Brewer don't. Harpring probably does, but hasn't been a factor in awhile due to injuries. But he plays like he's got IT.

I think you're equating IT to both talent level and attitude, but in reality, it's the attitude that makes the player. There are plenty of talented players in the NBA that have IT as far as raw talent goes, but many of them rest on their laurels, so they're not thought of as having IT.

I put more stock on the right attitude than the pure, raw talent that players with IT have.

As good as Boozer plays (scoring, rebounding), his lack of attitude keeps him from having IT. He also seems to have no clue who's around him--gets the ball stolen a lot. He's also a poor passer--too many unforced turnovers trying to pass. His negatives diminish his positives. For these reasons, I'm all for letting him go elsewhere next year.

I think the previous poster about the players that have IT would be sick to his stomach to see PurplePeopleEater suggest that Kirilenko has IT. I see the points being made, but we're talking about IT. And AK, as good as he can be at times and whne his fingernail isn't sore, doesn't have it.

Keep D-Will out for 2 more weeks if that's what it takes to get him healthy. It will be rocky in the meantime, but get him healthy (even if that means telling him that he can't play).

magnus, I predicted the Jazz to win 56 games this year they have already blew that. From what I have seen so far. They will be lucky to win 54 games maybe less. This is because Milsap, Miles and Brewer are all less mentally tough than I thought they were. magnus, you are dreaming about 60. Come back magnus. Come back to reality. I know you are a bright Jazz fan. But your heart is getting in the way of your brain.

Boozer is just like Malone. He is not a go-to guy down the stretch. DWILL and Stockton are more the go-to guys. AK is a great player, but not an IT player. He cries to much. Look if Boozer, Memo and Dwill would pick up their defense by only 10% more in effort, this team would be unbeatable. But until the stars on the team buy into playing tough, hardnosed defense. This team is not an elite team.

What are you guys doing . I never seen such a bunch of babies. When Stockton and Malone played there was never this much whining about injuries what was it Malone missed less than 10 games his whole career. And him and Stockton made alot less money then these whiners do. As we say here in Illinois you guys need to get a grip and play like winners.

What is wrong with you Deseret News readers wanting to trade Boozer? He is clearly the best player on the team at the moment. Who would you trade him for? Guys like Bosh, Howard, and Stoudemire may be better defenders (more blocks, comparable numbers of steals) but other than that, who can you say you would rather have than Boozer?

You guys have a good team and obviusly the injuries have gotten the best of you to start the season. However, I think that in order to win a cahmpionship and be a legit contender youhave to overcome thses things. I know it early in the season but look at what the suns have dealt with, Amare and Barbosa missing 2 weeks of pre-season each, Nash suspended, Barnes suspended, Shaq kicked out of last night game for a completely legal aggressive paly, Barnes missed 2 games earlier in the yr because his wife had twins, and last Barbosa's mom died and we missed him the last couple of games, SOMEHOW they are still 8-3. SO, MAN UP and OVERCOME ADVERSITY I guess would be my point or you are in for another disappointing early post-season exit. IF THAT!

Man, I've sprained my ankles several times. I'd never be able to get back for about a month. After that, it still took several months to trust the ankle again. I just hope this doesn't flush William's season down the drain. I know he's a fighter, so he'll come back, but he just might do it too soon. I don't mind him sitting until Christmas if it means his full recovery. If the Jazz can keep in around .500 without him, he will be strong enough to get us into the playoffs after that. And we know we can beat anybody when it comes down to it, except for....

The ankle is one thing, but father's illness, a jammed little pinky, and Harpring's trashed body is just too much to overcome. If the Jazz can make the playoffs, they will be a 6th, 7th, or 8th seed, and exit in the first round. They do this every year....go east and blow up on the road to rummy teams. The Jazz are no better than a 'D' league team with the players available....no question about it. This team is too nice to win. Paul Millsap is the only thug on the team who can put his nose in and be physical. The rest of the players on the floor, including Boozer are just NICE players, and have no claim to winning anything. I can't believe these teams that hang division and conference banners up in their rafters. What is that all about? There is only one championship banner...everyone know it. This league is only entertainment...let's not forget it. A business? You can't believe that. Winning is the business and the Jazz and other teams allowing players time off for whatever halfway legitimate reason, along with sprained eyelash injuries are just losers in my book

All this aside....GO JAZZ!!!

Deron william does NOT have IT,

atleast he has not shown it.

Stockton did NOT have IT, either.

I never once saw stockton in the fourth quarter or last few minutes score a dozen points to bring the jazz back for a win.

Only a couple times in seveteen years did he make the the last second shot in big game,

but I remember the many many times stockton could do nothing in last few minutes.

stocton did not have it, he was a great point graud but nothing more.

And Deron williams has yet show he can carry a team, score twenty-five in the second half to carry the team to win,

he has yet to show he can bring a team back from behind by scoring 15 in fourth quarter, or a lot in the last few minutes,

and do all this on regular basis,

Deron does not have IT,

the jazz have never had it.

Bigjazzfan, suggesting that Stockton didn't have "it" is beyond ridiculous, it is imbecilic. I can recount numerous occasions when Stokcton rescued the Jazz, whether it be getting a key steal, creating a shot for a teammate, or, yes, hit the game winning shot. i.e., game 6 of Western Conference Finals- he was brilliant in the last few minutes, scoring, I believe, 14 in the last 6 minutes and also draining the 3 over Barkley. Stockton was a quintessential pg who made everyone around him infinitely better. To claim he didn't have it makes me wonder what Jazz games you were watching.

It may be 15 games into the season before D-Will gets back into the flow of things -- and that's if we're lucky. Stockton missed 18 games at the beginning of 1997-98 after starting for the All-Star team and making the Finals the previous season and the coaches snubbed him. I'm thinking D-Will may have blown his chance to make the All-Star team when he rushed back from the ankle injury.

HE did it once or twice?

I would someone who has it do more once twice in seventeen years. They should be doing iy once twice a week.

I remember whole series where the last six minutes of a game stockton and malone could nothing, and another player it was who kept shooting and missing three pointers.

1 big shot in the playoffs does not mean you have it, everyone who handles the ball lot will eventually make one, but how many time did he take the shot at the end of a game and miss?,

too many to count.