Comments about ‘Utah Jazz: Millsap feels worn down’

Millsap has one thing Boozer will never have. My respect.

SAP for giving it all. Hopefully you can get some energy and rest.

D-will needs to get him the ball in areas where he can score. That is the point guard's job. Is SAP getting the cold shoulder because he was getting too much press? Is he getting the treatment that AK received two years ago? I know these question will get a harsh response.

THis might be a good thing. Millsap realizes he can't be "the man" night after night. Perhaps he'll be happy to go back to his super-sub role off the bench for 25-30 mins per night.

That would eliminate any conflict he would have with Boozer.

I've been in the trade Boozer camp for a long time, but part of me wants to see what this team would look like with everyone healthy.

The subs (Knight, Korver, AK and Millsap) were blowing teams off the court early in the season. Starters were struggling w/o DWill, then Booz went down and the lineup had to be shuffled.

I don't care about a championship. I'd just like to see the Jazz put on a late season rush, maybe get HC in the first round, then somehow upset the Lakers and send those smug bas#$#@ down to defeat.

Last night I watched sports center. They did a piece on the Utah Jazz. Playbasketball calls the Jazz the most complete team in the league. They compile stats from all the sites. They quoted John Germanally, He said,"I will take the Jazz over any team. Millsap has heart and Dwill is the best point guard." Frank Olonbower who did a piece on the intangibles of connectivity of players, calls the Jazz head over heels above the rest of the teams. After analysing the stats from the gruber report, I believe the Jazz will make a major trade this week for Shaq.

Millsap is obviously banged up, he's super effective off the bench, his intangibles against the kind of players he plays against if he plays against the bench of the other team, makes him one of the best bench players in the league.
Not only is millsap banged up, the jazz really need someone bigger as a starter, someone who can withstand the physical punishment. You gotta start the game on the right note, send the message that the jazz are going to make it difficult to score.
While fesenko sits on the bench, and mehmet starts at center?
It's not a demotion for millsap to come off the bench, that's utilizing his special talents in the best way. It's not a demotion for okur to play powerfoward, either. It's utilizing okur in the way that is best for him.
All this, while Fesenko sits on the bench? Has no one seen what i've seen from fesenko. He's what the jazz need, and he sits. And sloan, just does what he does, and the jazz get blown out; and sloan just says it's hard for him to judge?

Millsap plays with heart day in and day out. He never complains and goes about putting 100% into every game, much different then Booz.
He has my respect and is a GAME PLAYER and TEAM LEADER!!!

Let us know when you wake up from that pipe dream. Jerry Sloan and the other big Jazz boys wouldn't get anywhere near having Shaq on his team #1 and second who cares what the stats say about the Jazz when they're tetering on the edge of a playoff berth. Even should they get in it will be as a doormat against a better top western team.

Shaq to the Jazz, now that's a good one. That would bring Larry Miller stumping (literally) to the ESA to beat his son senseless. You'll see ice sheets at Beelzebub's place before you'd see Shaq in a Jazz uniform. Good for a laugh though.

The Jazz have many elements of a great team when they work the way they are supposed to. However, I doubt seriously if they could beat LA, Boston, SA or Cleveland in a 7 game series. They are still very vulnerable to tall line ups inside. Their interior defense is lacking. They are vulnerable to good 3 point shooting teams. They are vulnerable to quick defensive teams that create a lot of turnovers.

Further, the implementation of the Sloan system is erratic. I doubt if the Jazz will trade for Shaq. Who would they trade? Why would they pay blood for a very old center (they could have had Mutumbo for less than 1 mill)? Why would Shaq come? How long would it take for Shaq to learn the offense?

I think they need to make some minor moves that address at least one of their weaknesses but it is not in the corporate culture to make a big move.

They could have fixed one or more problems long before now for little expense or flexibility in CAP. The Jazz are just too conservative (from Miller to Sloan) in the way they approach the game to win.

I don't usually support trade ideas, but i think the jazz are letting a great opportunity slip by if they don't try to do everything they can to get amare stoudamaire. It's not often that a player of this caliber can be traded for, and in the way that phoenix would like to trade him. It's similar to the way the grizz just wanted to unload gasol.
It would seem, the jazz have some players that fit what the suns are looking for; and i think the jazz will be better with amare.
Not only is amare a better powerfoward than anyone the jazz have, he's not injury prone. He's getting blamed in phoenix, and it's not his fault. He's a good fit for the jazz, he's a more dynamic player than any of the other jazz forwards.
This is a situation where the jazz need to do something. The jazz are at a point, where they can take a new direction, and this is a golden opportunity-this year has been wasted by injury, to hold onto the current roster when stoudamere is available, is a hollow promise.

the Jazz have lost so many games this year is that they do not have and have refused to get a back up for Millsap. SAP replaced Booz. He really stepped up, but there was no one to replace SAP. For a while K2 did a good job of backing up Okur. However, lately he is not being played.

Sloan has run his starters into the ground.

I am not blaming Sloan. I blame management. They did not care enough about winning to go get the depth that the needed. Look at Cleveland. They are doing what they have to and it shows. Look at LA and Boston. Look at SA. They always fix whatever they have to and don't bust their budget.

Yes, I know, a lot of key players have been hurt. That is all the more reason to go get a back up for Millsap. They could have traded Collins and Almond (expiring contracts at no cost) for a decent back up.

The other thing that they could have done is play K2 or possibly Fez as much as possible. The more they play the faster they develop.

The Jazz problems are at the top.

Magnus,
You had me for a moment there. I thought you were serious and really dumb. But I get you now. Sarcasm is your forte. Excellent work. There is no way in @#$% that the Millers and KOC would bring in such an ego-maniac as SHAQ. But for a momemt there, the thought of SHAQ in a Jazz uniform was SCARY!!!!!

had a a bad micro knee injury, Boozer is a better defender and I doubt if Amare will respond to Sloan or his system. Amare is a ball hog. That is one of the reasons PHO wants to trade him.

First off, shaq is overrated at this point in his career, he's an allstar, but that's an empathetic placement. In reality, you can't say he's an allstar.
Further, the jazz have two young centers. We don't really know exactly what kind of players fesenko and koufus are, but they could develop, or not. It's a time for the jazz-where they should be seeing what these young centers have, but instead, especially with fesenko, they sit on the bench. The jazz don't need shaq.
On the other hand, the jazz know what they have in boozer and okur. Stoudamere is a good trade idea, and he'd be an upgrade. The thought of stoudamere in a jazz uniform, is scary-crazy-good.
As well, the jazz could move okur-is gerald wallace still available?
With the trades, the jazz probably aren't any better or worse, for this year. But, it really clears the way to have a great year next year, and although this season isn't over; the chances aren't good, so it's time to take a new direction and plan for next year.

Although I think it would be great for the jazz to get a player of stoudamere's caliber, i think phoenix is making a mistake to trade him, although, in their situation, it's understandable, they're kind of in a bad spot no matter what they do; which is probably why they'd be interested to see how a boozer or okur meshes for half a season, and if it doesn't work, they're off the hook for any salary. On the jazz side, it's ridiculuos to not see that it's a significant improvement.
No matter who stoudamere goes to, i expect that team to have an appreciable and immediate improvement. Perhaps not the degree that billups had with denver, which took them from the gutter to nearly the top; but closer to what gasol did for the lakers, took a good team and made them one of the two or three, unquestionably, best teams.
For example, if golden state gets stoudamer, look for them to be in the playoffs again. If utah were to do something to get stoudamere, they could move past denver and be included in the group of very best teams.

I give Sloan credit for not playing Fez or K2 more. Yes, maybe they should get 2 or 3 more minutes per game, but to play them the way people want, would probably leave us about 10 games below where we are now in the standings. Sloan has always said that it is his job to try and win ball games. It is not his job to tinker and give players experience for next year. His job is the here and now. Even if that means a #8 seed... both years. You have to admit he has guts.

Fesenko, right now, gives the jazz the best chance to win. The jazz have no one in the middle. Right now, fesenko starting center, gives the jazz the best chance to win. Fesenko is good enough rigth now, to be on the floor.
These are the things fesenko does well.
He runs the floor, better than okur.
He recovers quicker thank okur. Fesenko is quick enough to jump out on a midrange jumpshooter, and recover to the basket for a block or rebound--something okur, simply has never done.
Fesenko is simply bigger than most everyone. He's going to get more rebounds and blocks, he's going to change shots.
Fesenko is going to get second chance points.
He isn't going to demand the ball.
He'll be a force in the paint, on the offensive boards, and he'll change shots, and maybe get some points in transition.
That's what he can do right now, that's not future speculation.

Fesenko right now? Come on...This guy can't even dominate in the D-league. You make is sound like he is better than Memo. That's a joke right?

Magnus, I love the idea of Shaq in a Jazz uniform. He is the greatest comedian to ever play basketball. Even better is that he hates the Lakers and would dominate against them. The slow Jazz offense would be perfect for him due to being out of shape all the time.

Millsap is admitting that he can not even handle 30 minutes a game. So trading Boozer would be a great idea (rolling eyes). I am so tired of the trade this guy, trade that guy. Most of the trades posted on here are just dumb.

And last of all, never mind....

Fesenko has a rare combination of talent. This is the truth, there isn't anyone in the league, who is as big as he is, and as quick as he is. Fesenko is freaking huge, he's not the biggest guy in the league, but he's bigger than most, and he's quicker than anyone-and everyone-who is in the league and who is as big as he is. That is the truth.
If anyone can think of one player as big as fesenko and as quick, i'd like to here who it is, i can't think of anyone.
He's bigger than dalembert, and quicker. Look at what dalembert does for that philadelphia defense. Dalembert is big and quick, look at what he does for the philly defense, and offense. Dalembert is also a good outlet passer.
I'm not saying fesenko is as good as dalembert, but he's bigger and around the same quickness, maybe faster maybe slower; so, at least fesenko gives the jazz an opportunity to have someone in the middle who can get some blocks, rebounds, change shots, and second chance points.

@I Disagree

Yeah, your right he CAN do those things. Does he do them consistently when he gets minutes? No, he absolutely does not. Don't get me wrong I'm all for giving them minutes, But I think I rather would see Koufos. One thing I am definitely sure on is that Collins shouldn't be getting any minutes. It really pisses me off that sloan has stopped putting in Koufos and gave Collins the minutes. I don't care if 'he's been working the hardest is practice' or whatever it is. Fesenko/Koufos bring energy and an inside presence to the floor, while Collins brings his inflamed elbows.