Will Millsap Force Boozer Out?

Posted by James Seaman on December 11, 2008

On June 2, 1925, New York Yankees manager Miller Huggins sat his regular first baseman—Wally Pipp—and replaced him with a youngster named Lou Gehrig. Undoubtedly, you know the rest of the story: Gehrig found his name on the line-up card for the next 2,129 games. Pipp was no slouch, twice leading the American League in home runs earlier in his career. But all Gehrig needed was a slightly ajar door through which he could burst, propelling himself toward baseball immortality and relegating Pipp to history’s proverbial scrap heap.

With Carlos Boozer nursing an ailing quadriceps, Paul Millsap seems poised to stage a similar coup. The product of Louisiana Tech collected yet another double-double Saturday night in the Arizona desert, his eighth straight. Before I get carried away, the Millsap-Gehrig comparison doesn’t go far beyond both men stepping in for an injured star. Millsap led the nation in rebounding three consecutive years in college. Gehrig, a terrifyingly huge 14 pounds at birth, didn’t miss a game in nearly a decade and a half, won six World Series, was the leading vote-getter on the fan-selected All-Century Team (chosen in 1999), and delivered the most famous non-political speech in American history.

While the comparison to Gehrig exists only in the most superficial sense, Jazz fans should think about the legitimate possibility of Millsap replacing Boozer. For the record, I am not a Carlos Boozer hater. The Jazz are a much better team with Boozer than without him. While Millsap easily eclipses Boozer on the defensive end, the third-year pro can neither shoot nor post-up as well as his Olympian teammate. Millsap simply can’t replace Booz in the pick-and-roll offense.

Yet the Jazz may have to choose because Millsap’s recent performance nearly guarantees that some team will throw a bunch of money at him next summer. Meanwhile, Boozer and Mehmet Okur can both opt out of their current contracts. With big money already going to Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko, and with Ronnie Brewer’s future also on the table, the Jazz have decisions to make. Of the players in question—Boozer, Okur, Millsap, and Brewer—Booz is the most likely to receive a maximum contract offer from another team. Millsap’s current production, while certainly helpful to the Jazz, only complicates the conundrum facing the club at season’s end. If Boozer’s health problems continue to linger and Millsap keeps shining, the Jazz might have to gamble on Millsap becoming the new Lou Gehrig to Boozer’s Wally Pipp.

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JayRay on December 11, 2008 said:

until millsap develops enough of an inside move repetoire, he will not command a double team from the defense. also, once that happens the man needs to learn to pass effectively out of the said double teams. then and only then could he possibly force boozer out.

face it: carlos > paul

J R Stewart on December 11, 2008 said:

Millsap at 5 million or Boozer at 15 million?

You probably can’t keep both and stay under the luxury tax.

Also, if you keep Boozer, you might just lose 2 players to stay under the salary cap.

Jazzaholic

common sence on December 11, 2008 said:

You have to look at the big picture. Daron is waiting to see what the Jazz plan on doing with booz or he would have probably signed a 7 year deal. He didn’t. Forcing the hand of the front office to resign someone who can run the pic and roll and help Daron get those assists. Bottom line is if this team ever wins a championchip it won’t happen with milsap as your inside threat. The reality is you need to find a way to keep them both.

JayRay on December 11, 2008 said:

boozer at 20 and 10
or
millsap at 15 and 10

boozer with great passing and high field goal %
or millsap with good d and hustle

boozer with double teams that create court spacing
or millsap with no double teams and tighter man to man d/zone defenses

trade millsap for some picks or a rookie, drop some of our dead weight. we’re good to go; there are other players that could leave that would have a much smaller effect on the team.

Doker on December 11, 2008 said:

But then of course Lou Gehrig died of a disease named after him…. how could nobody see that coming?

My case is that Boozer can’t handle playing hard…
- Booze stepped up with D-Will on the bench and then… HURT HIMSELF because he couldn’t handle any level of play above LAZY.

Donna Jefferson on December 11, 2008 said:

You know, we all would like to see him to come back, but either he doe’s ir or don’t. Don’t keep saying next game and then it don’t happen. Shut up when he is ready then come back. It get’s old hearing it.

Brian McCann on December 11, 2008 said:

Kinda reminds me of another Louisianna Tech product from the mid-80’s that was just waiting for the all-star power forward that started in front of him to step aside. I agree though, as of right now, Booz is the better player, and Deron needs to stay happy. Plus Booz is a good guy, and say what you want about him being lazy, but did you see his leg buckle? I probably wouldn’t jump right back on the court after that either.

Boondock Saint on December 11, 2008 said:

Good blog and it makes ya think. I like both Booz and Millsap. I don’t want to lose either and I am just glad that I am not the front office that has to make the decision because, even understanding all the details, if one leave I am going to be unhappy.

Jason Curtis on December 12, 2008 said:

I love Carlos Boozer, but he has a history of “verbally” committing with the team he is already on and then jumping ship when more money comes his way. The Jazz cannot afford to let him get away for free. If the Jazz have any indication that he is going to bolt for another team after this year, then they need to trade him! Milsap may not be as polished around the basket, but he makes up for it with his hustle and good defense. Boozer is very weak on the defensive end and at times that hurts the team. This is a tough decision, but the idea of people saying we need to get rid of Milsap is insane! Hopefully we can keep them both, but I don’t know if it will be possible.

michael on December 18, 2008 said:

i think jazz should trade booz and harpring with the knicks pick for tronto forward chris bosh we would be so dominit booz is a bad defender bosh isnt

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