For all malones an stocktons playing through injuries,

they were always broken down at the end of the season,

and subsequently they NEVER won a championship.

It's not that Stockton and Malone never had any injuries--they were banged up a lot. What made them special is that they played through a lot of the minor stuff that keeps some players out. AND-they demanded that of their teammates too. I heard that Malone and Stockton would give a look at a player who was nursing a boo boo and the player would start putting on their uni. Would you have wanted either of them thinking you were a wimp?

but virgins are hard to find in the NBA...too funny. And Williams is still suffering from last season's sprained ankle? Come on, that's impossible, he's bagging it already. If he ever has a bad game, he'll blame it on his high ankle sprain from last year, or the year before. I don't know, Boozer might be more than bad for this team.

Sports Insanity has a weird sense of history. If you remember, the Jazz didn't win those two titles because of someone called Michael Jordan. Otherwise, the East had no teams that would have beat the Jazz. It wasn't that Malone and Stockton were "broken down". I will grant you that Malone was not the best "step-up" guy in critical games.

Stockton and Malone had few injuries because like Jordan and other Hall of Fame athletes they worked hard year around to stay in shape and improve their game. They didn't go around trumpeting how great they were. They just worked extremely hard and let their game speak for them. The same was true for Jordan, Magic, Bird and the other top 50 players.

Right now, we have a potential Hall of Famer in Williams but I don't think some of them like Boozer want to put in the time (or have the talent) to be truly great.

saying Boozer doesn't want to put in the time?

Every coach Boozer has ever had says he is a hard worker (Coach K and Coach Sloan, two of the greatest minds in basketball.) He comes into camp in great shape every year. He is a bruiser and beast who works his butt off.

Karl Malone said there is a difference between playing through pain and playing hurt. He said he wouldn't play if he was hurt. I don't think Stockton or Malone would give CJ Miles a dirty look for missing games due to surgery. I don't think they can blame Okur or Boozer for tearing a hamstring or having knee surgery.

Boozer does come to camp in great shape, he does work on his offense, footwork and rebounding, but "works his butt off" would have to include more effort on defense in my mind. In the 2 Europe games Boozer still had guys drive past him with little more effort than a swipe at the ball. I want to see him with bent knees, watching a guys stomach, really trying to stay between his man and the basket. Without that effort he doesn't get a "works his butt off" grade from me.