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Boozer's return to Utah Jazz not as good as news might sound
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I, for one, would hope that most Jazz fans care more about winning more than they care about whether a player said something stupid one time. Sorry, folks, but if the options are: A) give up Boozer for nothing and keep Milsap or B) keep Boozer and hope he stays healthy or that he can be traded for some value and lose Milsap, I go with B. Boozer's a monster on offense and, while Milsap is a slightly better defender (dude is 6'8" on a good day, he's not big-time defender in the post), he doesn't command a double-team in the post and he can't run the pick and roll.
But, on the other hand, Milsap didn't hurt anyone's feelings. Apparently, that's what Rock thinks is important.
On the positive side, it is in Boozers best interest to be at his best this year for the big contract next year.
1. Millsap is loved and respected and the phototype of hard work and making it. But he is not the PF that the Jazz can build the franchise around. Neither is Boozer.
2. Blaming Boozer or the other players is not fair. The Blame is with management. Just like GM they have overpaid almost all of their players for years. They finally seem to understand that and are adjusting.
3. The Jazz are in a position to get the franchise PF they need unless the do some dumb management like insist on playing Millsap for the next 5 years. Millsap is not quick enough, can't defend tall quick opponents any better than Boozer and does not have Boozer's shooting.
4. The next 2 years is the perfect time to create the team for the next decade. Get the right players even if you keep Sloan and his mediocre system.
However--I'm not a Boozer fan anymore, but I'm appalled that Brad Rock and Gordon Monson think they can claim or suggest, without evidence, that Boozer was sitting out but wasn't really hurt. That's the lowest accusation you can make in sports, and it's outrageous to make it with no evidence other than the fact that a guy has been out a lot. Some guys probably do it, but that's no reason to tar every fragile player with that shameful brush.
The situation with his signing has always been questioned. He left a team "high and dry" to sign with the Jazz.
You all love to make comments about the Fisher deal but not until you want Boozer to leave do you write about his "disloyalty", etc. in signing with Utah.
He is an offensive beast and an allstar for his offensive results.
Curse:
He is an absolute PR disaster. The guy could not sit down and come up with worse things to say if he tried not to mention have worse timing when he does it.
I have repeatedly heard from sportswriters that Boozer sits in front of the mic and says whatever you want to hear on the record and then clearly has a different perspective off the record. He is EXTREMELY disingenuous!!
Basically, he is a selfish liar who can not be trusted.
He is injury prone and a slow healer to boot.
He is a defensive liability and too short.
All things said though the goal of this team is to have the best talent on the floor to win games and Boozer is offensively the best talent at the PF position.
Millsap is by far a better person, team mate, effort-guy, yada yad BUT Millsap is not the best offensive talent at PF. Millsap is too short and does not demand a double team.
The Lakers basically won because they have more matchups that require double-teams.
Game. Set. Match.
If I were writing about the things boozer says, the issue would be he talks all this smack about winning a championship, but he plays like he expects his teammates to pick up the defensive slack he leaves behind. It appears that he isn't such a bad defender as much as he isn't interested in playing defense. At the 15 mil a year he wants you'd think he'd have an all around game. Same goes for okur, and especially okur, who is one of the worst defenders in the league, hands down. The jazz would have to get lucky to win a champoinship with okur and boozer, their defense isn't consistent enough for the claims to be easily believed.
*DNP, coach's (his college coach, by the way) decision.
A gold medal dud, more accurately stated.
Rock is right (as usual) he had the guts many people here do not have such as the 'sloanaholics"
The truth
I agree with him 150 percent...