And The Jazz Pick...Who???
Posted by jrstewart on 06,26,2010
When Carlos Boozer went down with yet another skeptical injury last season, Paul Millsap seized the opportunity to prove what kind of player he is and the kind of player that he could become. He was like a fat kid in a candy store, a hunter walking into Cabellas, or me walking around through Fanzz. His eyes lit up as his first opportunity to be the starting power forward for an NBA team finally arrived. What did he do in these 38 games as a starter?
He averaged 16 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He had the longest double-double streak in the NBA last season with 19 straight. People often refer to Boozer as a double-double machine, but I've never seen him get 19 straight. Millsap was locked and loaded every time he stepped onto the court. He came out firing so people would know what he was made of. He's a man of steel and won't back down from any challenge that's thrown at him, which was shown back in November of 2008 when he completely rejected a dunk by Shaq.
The fun eventually came to an end when Boozer finally recovered from his injury and reclaimed his spot as the starter. This seemed to cause a little bit of a stir in the locker room. I'm not sure Millsap thought Boozer deserved the spot as a starter for a couple of reasons. Most people believe Boozer was milking his injury and didn't come back as soon as he should've, and there's no reason to believe why Millsap wouldn't think the same. Millsap was putting up good numbers and keeping the Jazz afloat while Boozer was out, and it'd be hard for him to give up that title as a starter and give it back to Booze.
After hearing Boozer's comments all last season and this offseason, it seemed as though he'd be packing up his things in Utah and moving to another NBA city. Millsap's free-agency market depended a lot on Boozer's decision. How likely would it be for him to sign with the Jazz if Boozer had opted in? He'd have to once again spend another season as a bench player, unless of course this season was the same as the last 6 and Boozer somehow got another injury. Millsap had eventually signed an offer sheet with Portland, yet he'd see the same problem there, coming off the bench, as Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge already claim the starting roles as big men for Portland.
I don't see any way that Carlos Boozer will sign with the Jazz next offseason when he becomes a free agent. Millsap will have to ride the pine for one more season and continue to be the best back-up power forward in the game. I think it will continue to bring animosity to the team and towards certain players, but hopefully when they step on the court they can put all drama behind them and play to win. It can't be easy to be #2, but Millsap will eventually get to take on the role as the starting power forward for the Jazz, and he deserves it. He's paid his dues and has worked his tail off.
As hard as it is to accept, Carlos Boozer is a better player than Paul Millsap right now, but the sky is the limit for Paul and Jerry Sloan will continue to make him better and Millsap can one day soon be an all-star caliber player. Until then, let's hope Boozer can play this season with his mouth shut so we can have a drama-free and winning year.
