In Need of a Special Delivery

Posted by Jeffrey Wank on January 08, 2009

I know I’m a dreamer. I dream at night (sometimes they’re dirty). I daydream at work (usually dirty). When I fall asleep at the wheel while driving, I am dreaming then too (always dirty). With MLK day coming, I have a dream! My dream is the return of The Mailman.

With Boozer out until at least the All-Star Break and maybe the entire season, I wish that Karl Malone would put on the Jazz jersey again. He would be wearing the Jazz blues for the first time. Bring the old-school 32 down from the rafters for one more year. At the All-Star Game in New Orleans last season, he looked like he is still in game condition and could easily play 15 minutes a game, teaching youngsters a thing or two along the way.

Malone knows Sloans’ system better than anyone (with maybe the exception of Sloan and John Stockton), so the learning curve, even with the D-Will and Brewer instead of Stockton and Hornacek will be slim. He is 45, which is old for the NBA, but Dikembe Mutumbo is listed at 42 (although he is probably lying about his age like a Chinese gymnast) and every team is excited like a 15-year-old boy about the possibility that 39-year-old PJ Brown will come out of retirement, again. Neither Mutumbo nor PJ ever had Malone’s talent, so he is already ahead of those fellow old fogies there.

On the current jazz squad, Malone and Millsap would be the Louisiana Tech Twosome. It is the Mailman and the Paperboy together. Malone could start. Millsap could play the bulk of the minutes, and then the two could play side-by-side for the last few minutes of the fourth. That would definitely be special delivery. The 4th quarter five could Williams, Okur, Millsap, Kirilenko/Korver, and Malone.

Strangely, though, the Lakers still control the rights to Malone, so they might not want to give his rights to the Jazz for nothing. But as my friend, who is an obsessive Lakers-fan, admits, the Lakers owe Utah for Derek Fisher. Letting Malone come back to the Jazz for the remainder of the season would be fair payback.

Malone should have left the game in a Jazz jersey. While, I bought his Lakers’ #11, it was a shocking day for me when he switched to the Purple and Gold. I think karma got the better of him and caused the injuries. He got to the Finals, but couldn’t play and didn’t win. Maybe if “My Name is Earl” were on the air then, he would know that karma would be against him for switching from the Jazz Club to the Lake-Show?

Now would be the perfect time for Malone to comeback and retire properly. He is needed on this roster. There is hole at the Power Foward spot with Boozer out, and there is a lack of winning veteran experience. No offense to Brevin Knight, but playing on 20 NBA teams does not make you a winning veteran, just a journeyman.

So lower #32 from the rafters, have the trainer break out that magic spray, and call the pick-and-roll because it is time and it is needed for the Mailman to a make a special delivery again. That is my dream.

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9 Comments

Clint on January 08, 2009 said:

I like it.

HEATHER WILLIAMS on January 08, 2009 said:

Honestly we need a special shipment out of here with Boozer, Miles, Collins in return for Bosh. My opinnion is that Boozer just wants to get paid and if he wins doing so great, but if he is getting his raise he will settle for loosing. Miles just does not get involved enough. He sits back and waits, makes silly misstakes, and is the cause for the Jazz slow start lately. Collins does not offer offense and in this game you need more.

Did you see the olympics when Williams and Bosh were in the game together, it was awesome. They play well together and Bosh is hardley ever hurt, he is not in it for the money but for the game, like Milsap. Milsap and Bosh would make a great defense too. Then you add Okur and that is a pretty good back court. I say make the deal.

Oh and you could move Brewer to the 3, Korver starts at the 2, and have AK still come off the Bench for Brewer or Milsap, then use Almond for Korver as a sub or even Price (which I love). Remember you have K2 also who could sub for Bosh, and Okur for Milsap. The team will still be loaded.

Go get him, get Bosh! I will be the first to enlist a campain for Bosh.

bigcrab24 on January 08, 2009 said:

ARE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY! But it would be cool to see the Mailman once again!

staaarpower on January 08, 2009 said:

I think the best think for the Jazz right now is to try and come to terms with Boozer and get him comfortable in Utah, however, if that doesn’t work they should try to get a trade, maybe for Chris Bosh. Think about this trade: Chris Bosh for Boozer, and if they want something else, throw in C.J Miles. Think about it Boozer is great but if he’s unhappy then he’ll be unproductive. Look at the birght side to this: Chris Bosh can do basically everything Boozer does plus more cause he’s a better defender and with a great facilitator like D. Will, Bosh’s PPG would definately go up!!! I think its worth a try if Boozer is too much trouble but pls dont get me wrong, I ilike Boozer to stay so the Bosh deal would only be a contingency plan!

Boondock Saint on January 09, 2009 said:

Honestly, when I started to read this I was like give me a break but in the end I can’t help but be giddy as a school boy at the prospect. It might literally be a disaster like most comeback stars have been but ITS THE MAILMAN. I can’t help but want to see him in a Jazz uni again!

Brian McCann on January 09, 2009 said:

If Karl came back, I would buy his new Jazz uni that day, no questions asked. You know he can still play. Plus he would pimp slap anyone that didn’t show up motivated. He is like the Tony Robbins of the NBA.

As for the Bosh trade, I would be the happiest man on earth if that went down, but you are not going to get him for Booz, an overpaid CJ and Collins. Remember, the trade has to make sense to Toronto, and right now, Bosh is Toronto. You can’t just expect to unload your unwanted players to sweeten the deal. Bosh for Booz is a good deal, but Toronto isn’t shopping Bosh, and with Boozer’s contract expiring, most likely Utah would have to put a lot more on the table for that deal to go down (maybe Brewer or Korver?). If that is the case, i don’t think Utah would pull the trigger. Now if toronto wanted Boozer’s expiring contract to rebuild they might do it, but they just did that with Vince a couple of years ago, so I don’t know that they would want to do it again so soon.

deb southam on January 09, 2009 said:

Please, I’d love to see D will to Malone. Maybe we’d get more respect from the officiators. If I can see the plays at home, from 250 miles away, what is with the officiating!!? Come back #32!!

Craig on January 09, 2009 said:

If this happened I would loose it! It would be the most fantastic thing ever!! I love and miss you Karl.

Shiny Shan on January 10, 2009 said:

I have been on my own campaign for Bosh for the last year or so, but unfortunately I just don’t see it happening, however awesome it could potentially be. Bosh would fit into our Utah Jazz system perfectly but he is the face of Toronto and unless they have some of the worst management in the league, Bosh should stay in Toronto. However I do think the Jazz have a shot at Bosh only if the Raptors have a terrible season this year and its gotta be terrible….

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