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Utah Jazz: Paul Millsap valuable but not a franchise changer

disaster. If you lose a good player and replace them with a better one that is not a disaster as long as you do not over pay the replacement.

Millsap is a Mo Williams he is good enough to start for some teams (not contenders). He is a great back PF. Neither he nor Boozer are capable of leading the Jazz to a championship. Both are obsolete. The new phototype PF is longer, more agile, defends his mand and provides help defense, can defend inside and out and also put up good offensive numbers.

The PG and PF are the 2 most important positions in Sloan's offense. The Jazz have to have a better and complete PF. One who can both score and defend.

The Jazz need to get that PF this year or maybe next year and still stay under the salary cap and get enough talent in the role players.

This organization took a major step forward when it did not blink and called the bluff of the opt outs.
It should go forward from here and carefully make smart changes over time.

I now have hope for the Jazz. Their management is getting smarter.

On becoming an All Star: it is not only based on how the player plays but on how the coach use him. Would Boozer and Okur be All Stars had they stayed with Cavs and Pistons respectively? Had Mo stayed with the Jazz will be be an AS?

I know being an AS is different with leading a team to a championship but the mechanics are similar.

I think the Jazz would be very unwise to give Millsap a contract so large that they are committed to him as a starter for the next 5 years. He hasn't proven he can be a full time starter, at a high level, so locking him into that position with a big salary would not be good management. This is what he is seeking, of course. If he can be had for a sixth man level salary--around 5-6 million starting, with raises--that makes sense, as he is proven at that level. Higher than that and they have to let him walk. Fortunately, no one else is going to give him much more than that either. He is too unproven, and his upside looks too limited. I'm hoping he comes back as a super sixth man.

I enjoy watching the Jazz and like to see them win, but it is just a business.

millsap is not comparable to mo or klinko. i am hoping he signs with okc to prove my point, he is the only one on the team who goes to work. screens rebound pick hard roll hard. only way jazz could recoupe if he left if dufus plays,with out millsap jazz are nothing. if you pay klinko 16 mil boz 12 mil and you dont think millie worth 10 i wonder what game your watching you sure dont need to be writing about it. go to la write about ariza. guess he is not worth 6 but artest is?there are some stupid people in this world.

I hope everyone sits back and really reads what is being written. Look at the $ we are speaking of. We talk about millions as if it is your child allowance. For a professional team to have a payroll of 70 to 75 million dollars is totally rediculous. I have been a major sports fan for many of my 55 years but I am so sick of money ruling the sports markets. For a basketball player who is 23 years old to make 10 to 12 million dollars a year is totally rediculous, then the owners , to make it even more appealing, make that guaranteed money. Play 1 year and retire at age 25. Give me a break. Look at what Stock and Malone did to earn their pay for all those years. Malone missed what 8 games in his "career". Lets admit it folks, basketball is entertaining but not 75 millions dollars worth. The owners have done this not only to themselves but to us fans. There needs to be a salary cap on what a player can make so the fans can afford to take the entire family to a "game" without having to use the company credit card.

he is average and we dont need him at all.

I hope the Jazz don't match a Millsap offer if it get's too big. Based on the current market, the Jazz should sign him to a 3 year $15 million deal. That is a huge salary increase for him, and if he proves that he should be a starter and/or potential all-star after 3 years, then another pay raise could be in order. Let's not pump out $10 million a year to someone who has a great work ethic and hustle but has only proved thus far that he is a solid NBA role player. The Jazz drafted him and have helped him become what he is. I hope the Jazz can keep him, but in the end it's about winning a championship and if you over pay Millsap, it could hurt in trying to bring in that missing piece that gets the Jazz over the top.

Are you drinking the water from hurricane Katrina? The days of average players make 10 to 15 mil are long gone! Reality is finally setting in, with management like it has with the fans for a long time. In other words we are tired to death of paying these stupid amounts of salary to these primma-donnas. Why should we work hard and give it all away for a couple hours of entertainment? I will not anymore, my family and our livlihood will come first, not supporting and bunch of kids and their reach for financial independence. Sorry but I'm done. As for Paul pay him 6-8mil, take it or leave it! End of story.

the Jazz would be making a huge mistake by giving milsap more than $8 million. Boozer is more valuable than most jazz fans think. Even though his defense is terrible, his presence on the court does a lot to spread the floor and helps put points on the board. I think you have to spend the market rate to keep Boozer next year and see get milsap for another year and see how he does.

Obviously it is worth $75 million, all you need to do is look around. People do not just come up with prices, but instead the places make themselves through a balance of the supply and demand curves. Take an intro to economics class.
Basketball players generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year (not including outside endorsements) and deserve a cut of what they produce.
Anyway I am sure a family of 4 could make it to a Jazz game for about $90 dollars, if you are willing to sit in the nose bleeds. Maybe it is a little price, but not credit card BREAKING as you call it.
On Milsap: pay him around 5 mil, if he gets an offer over 6 mil let him go. I love the guy, but he does not have the greatest talent an is undersized; he hides his faults with his hard work (which is a good thing really)

Prices* not places

Why do the Jazz continue to settle for mediocrity? Look at the rest of the teams the Jazz have to contend with: Lakers sign Ron Artest, Shaq goes to Cleveland, Spurs get Al Jefferson. We are supposed to be happy that Boozer and Okur resign, and are possibly going to overpay Millsap? Come on Jazz!

Boozer socre points and rebound, while AK scores less and rebounds less but defends, passes, gets steels, alters shots (sometime blocks them) and moves without the ball.

+/- stats are only valuable over long periods of time.

During the last 5 years when we had AK and Boozer - AK total combined Plus Minus is 833 points when on the court and -382 when he is off the court, While Boozer is + 332 when on the court, but +119 when he is on the coury - both less the than the teams total +/- of +451.

That means over the last 5 year when AK was on the court they outscored their opponets and won games and when he was not on the court the Jazz are out scored and they lose, but when boozer it makes no differnce if he was on or off the court.

AK impact to the Jazz winning games over the last 5 year is much greater than Boozer

What sad is that While Boozer helps you score points and rebounds, AK helps you win games. But everyone complains about AK salary and no one ever complains about Boozer salary. WHY?

Now Last Season.

Millsap had a +/- of 266 when on the court while he had a -49 when he was off the court. Now Boozer had a - 37 when he was on the court and a +274 when he was not on the court. Yes Boozer was injured, but if you take his first games his plus his plus minnus would be about +140 for the entire season - about what he has done for 5 year. Meaning even if Boozer was not injured last season, the Jazz would have outscored their opponents if Boozer was sitting on the Bench or playing. Fans and Media love stats Boozer gets you 20 and 10, but he over the last 5 years has not helped the Jazz win games. Boozer is also 27 meaning over the next 3 season his ppg are going to drop.

It is Boozer contract that is killing the Jazz

Millsap is 24 years old; He is a better defensive player, his offfensive game will peak in the next 3 years (His starting numbers last season was 16 points and 10 rebounds over 31 games starting.

The Jazz would be crazy not to offer Millsap a contract.

Even though boozer doesn't play defense, he's a better player than millsap, and if boozer--despite his injury history--can't get a contract for more than 12 mill, I really don't think anyone will be paying millsap that much. It's easier to get behind someone like millsap, as a fan, but when it comes to wins and losses, you have to be able to score, and boozer can at least score, he's a far better offensive player than millsap. If boozer would play defense, and be a true leader, he'd be someone people would love, and the jazz would win more. But as it is now, the jazz are going to win more will boozer than millsap, as frustrating as it is to watch someone making 12 mill a year to play a game not leave it all out on the floor. I know that boozer makes the jazz a better team than millsap, i hate it, but it's true.
If the jazz trade boozer for richard hamilton, i wouldn't be dissapointed to see millsap starting. Then, trade kirilenko and okur too.

You are right on, Rock.

Millsap for 6th Man of the Year!

I love Milsap... but you cannot pay him more tha 6 mil... Trade Boozer for Tyson Chandler or Rip Hamilton or with someone else to Golden St for Maggette and Tureof. Or Kiralinko to Golden State.

Actually, the Spurs signed Richard Jefferson, not Al Jefferson.

when Millsap started for Boozer he averaged around 19 and 11. he will probably be overpaid for his services next year but it will be a bargain after that