Chris E. on April 09, 2009 said:

I hate to say this but Boozer needs to book it. We could alternate with Paul Milsap and Memo. Memo is not a true center. He is an oversized PF and has excelled in previous years at that position. We should use the extra space from Boozer’s contract to pick up a dominant defensive center. That would bolster our interior defense which we desperately need! And whoever we wind up getting it needs to be someone with an attitude on the road. Someone who gets off on pissing off the opposing teams fans. Someone who has a fire under them on the road. Someone who gets angry. Someone who has vendetta, a chip on his shoulder and rubs off on the team. Deron Williams is the only player we have who really plays with that intensity on the road. He is a great leader but he is a quiet leader. And he or someone needs to just open up and call everyone out. Motivate and push. Not just saying crap like Sloan says: “These guys are paid the same amount to play on the road.” We need a motivator. A verbal, vocal, motivated leader to compliment Deron’s quiet confidence and leadership style.

JazzNoseBleeder on April 09, 2009 said:

I like this and agree for the most part, I can’t wait to hear your (later) posts, but the area I wanted to get to now is how much I agree with you on letting BOOZER GO!

What happened Boozer? You were supposed to be our power in the paint. You were our big man! Why are you playing like you’re 5′11” with no coordination what so ever. I say let him go. I don’t know how much longer I can watch him get the ball stolen from him when he is trying to work the 1 on 1 down in the paint, and don’t tell me you all don’t know what I am talking about… Here’s the typical setup.. Williams gets the ball passed in from Okur, Williams dribbles down the court, puts a little move on the man guarding him, gets the defense all on one side of the court, and dishes the ball to Booz, from there Booz has the 1 on 1, leans back on his defender, holds the basketball away from the basket, all of a sudden another defender comes from out of boozer’s sight and SLAP, there goes the ball. I can’t see this happen one more time or I am going to lose it.

I know you had a surgery Booz, but you need to fight it, and you need to fight for this team. I see two people exploding around the rim, and that is Derron William, and Andrei Kirilienko*. Derron is a finisher, unfortunately we all know AK is a bit wild and flaily out there, but has been putting in some real hustle the past few games when he has started for Miles. Boozer is not going for rebounds like he should, he has about a 3-inch vertical jump after his surgery, and we all know his heart is NOT with this team.

*(I forgot to mention Beasty Brewer, he is always explosive around the hoop)

It has to be getting harder being Williams. You can see the frustration on his face after he attracts 3 defenders with his sleek moves, dishes the ball out, just to have someone not paying close enough attention and fumble the loose ball that results in a turnover. Boozer should be playing at that intensity, he should be trying to stir the spirit in the team the way Williams does. Why would you want to leave Utah when your Guard is Derron Williams? That means that you will be getting golden opportunities to shine because Williams will find you if you get open while he has three dudes trying to defend him, not to mention that Boozer and Williams could be the next Stockton and Malone. Williams is already deep in the shoes Stockton, and for a while there I thought Boozer was our Malone, but after watching him play recently, he is not trying for that part. He is not exploding around the basket, he is not forcing his way to the rim… The only thing I have seen from Boozer is trying to battle 1 on 1 down low, only for him to do his infamous turnaround jump shot, actually its not a jump shot, its the TURN AROUND CATAPULT. I know his unorthodox Catapult shot works for him here at home, but that shot isn’t going to win games….

Send Carlos “THE CATAPULT” Boozer packin I say, We did better when Millsap was playing his position….

End Rant

Chris E. on April 09, 2009 said:

Milsap filled that position much more effectively. And I have to add, Boozer must be leading the league in getting swatted. The times that he doesn’t get robbed of the ball and does go to the rim he just goes as if no one is there. No maneuvering, no shaking and baking like he used to. He just goes up, predictably and gets swatted. Over and over again. Like5 or 6 times per game! ARGH!! I swear. Look at how many shot blocks the opposing team has been getting on us in the last 10 games. Freaking Birdman had like what 8 blocks in like 20 minutes on the floor? Or if he can’t get any separation, he turns and shoots that awkward fade away and misses almost every time!! If we want someone taking outside faders give it to Deron or even Brewer!! I have been a big Boozer supporter throughout this ordeal, even through the comments that he made about “getting a raise.” But his game is just really pissing me off!! His shooting percentage is awful since his return and it’s his fault! He is not working in the flow of the game. He’s playing his own game out there and his instinct of knowing where to be at the right time is almost non-existent. He just doesn’t seem to be paying attention or something. I don’t know. I still have hope that MAYBE he will get it together in time for a playoff run but it looks very, very doubtful at this point.

Trent on April 09, 2009 said:

I’m not sure how Boozer thought he would get a raise, because he sure isn’t getting it here in Utah (since we can’t afford it).

I wish there was a way to re-negotiate AK’s salary. I want him to stay in Utah but his pay is killing us right now.

Think about where we might be if Derrek Fisher’s salary was still on our books. Glad that isn’t part of the problem!

J R Stewart on April 09, 2009 said:

Blogged at the time, Fish or Cut Bait, and said I thought the Jazz brass all probably had to haul their downcast faces off the podium, for a pottie break, and jump up and down, like a bunch of kids, at the thought of cutting Fish’s salary and getting a roster spot, before returning to lament the move of Fish closer to his daughters medical care in NYC.

I think it was something like 6.5 million for each of the next 2 years, which would have put the Jazz in the lap of luxury (tax that is).

Jazzaholic

Julie on April 09, 2009 said:

Here’s my team. Boot Carlos….he just doesn’t seem to have that desire to want to play. He doesn’t have that intensity or fire we need in a PF. He’s just taking up space on the court and costing the team in TOs’. Besides, Millsap loves the game and brings that fire every night. I think that Boozer thinks the sooner the Jazz are out of the playoffs, the sooner he can bolt Utah. BYE BYE. Send Collins and Knight packing. We all know Ronnie Price is a better PG than Knight. Collins, no explanation needed. Resign Price, Almond, Fes and Millsap. Keep Memo and definitely keep Korver. If you can get a good PF and/or center in a trade for Harpring or Ak, go for it. I really would hate to see Matt go. Just my .02

Jake on April 09, 2009 said:

I agree, we really need good defensive big men on our team.

Mal on April 09, 2009 said:

This roster needs a good shake up. Something is wrong, wrong, wrong with this team and I can’t put my finger on it. It’s frightening. I love that you say keep Memo though. I agree.

And Boozer is going to look like even more of an idiot for saying he was opting out now that he’s not going to.

Dallan on April 09, 2009 said:

So did you all hear the comment that Boozer made when he was being interviewed and asked about being a back up? “I am a starter period”! Thats what he said if i was sloan i would bench him just to show him and the team he is not going to put up with crap like that. Boozer is not playing like a starter so i dont know who is going to want him. He for sure is going to opt out and there is no way the jazz are going to take him back when he wont get the money he thinks he is going to get. What the jazz should do is trade AK for Vince Carter for the simple fact that he would be off our salary in one year instead of two and instead of ronnie and shooting guard put him and SF and then have CJ back him up. Then we have Vince Carter and KK at shoooting guard.. What do you think of that?

J R Stewart on April 09, 2009 said:

Cousin Vinnie has frequent injuries and is getting long in the tooth. I’d rather see AK go for a couple of young bucks with room for improvement and a smaller salary.

I can’t see the Jazz going for aging veterans.

Jazzaholic

JayD on April 09, 2009 said:

Heres my 2 cents worth . I am very dissappointed with the way Boozer is playing , he is getting to many tornovers lately . He hasnt been able to score that well either . I think that if he cant get it together for a playoff run then maybe he is better off somewhere else .
I also agree with Mal , there is something definatly wrong with this team . I find it hard to beleive that with all this talent that we cannot play well on the road . There is no fire in there eyes when they play away from the ESA Center . They should hear what everybody says about them .
I think that it will be interesting to see what and who gets traded this summer .
As far as going for aging vetrans , they have done that a few times seeking expeirence . I think that Matty will be retiring when he leaves the Jazz . I think that BK makes alot of mistakes with TO’S . He may make some steals , but it dosent do us anygood if he turns it over .
Well I hope that we can find some more defense also in the draft or Free Agency market .
Jay

josh on April 09, 2009 said:

its simple… we need a REAL center.. and we need to let boozer go.. we dont have the “toughness” in the paint…

Cmon jazz….

justalars on April 10, 2009 said:

J R love the way you use facts and don’t let your emotions get in the way of your blog. keep it up. PS for everyone else Carlos isn’t the only problem on this team!

Chris E. on April 10, 2009 said:

Your right justalars Boozer is not the only problem. The Jazz are a better team with him in the lineup when he’s playing at his usual All-Star level. When that’s going to start happening, well, who knows? But I think that on the road a lot of the problem is ENERGY. And I think a key element and contributing factor to that problem is Brevin Knight. Statistically, I can understand why Sloan likes Brevin. He has always had a great assist to TO ratio. He steals the ball alot and he understands the game. But on the road when we need someone to go in and ATTACK and play with energy, we are really, really losing out by keeping Ronnie on the bench and subbing Brevin for D-Will. There is more to it than just looking at a players stats and his understanding of the game or even how many mistakes he will make. When you can put a player on the floor who will bring energy the way the Ronnie does, although he make make some mistakes, it rubs off on everyone else!! I’ve seen in happen time and time again where BK comes into the game at a rough time and you see everything just SLOOOOOOOW down. Everyone gets complacent, stops rotating on defense, stops running hard cuts and it all just falls apart from there. BK gives no one on the floor anything to get excited about and it just comes apart from the seams from there. By the time D-Will gets back, everyone has just gone flat. That’s exactly what happened in Dallas the other night. EXACTLY. Time and time again, but Sloan LOVES his veterans and Ronnie probably won’t see playing time and will eventually leave and we will have another Mo Williams scenario where the Jazz organization is scratching their heads saying, “How did we let that one go?” Where all the fans in Utah are saying “I told you so!”

Chussie on April 10, 2009 said:

I disagree with most. I like Booz. I think the jazz need him. They are a better team with him. He can say some really dumb things to the media and might have a bit of an ego, but I trust him when he is on the court. I also like Brevin. He may not play with the same intensity as DWill but he is a good motivator behind the scenes (this has been documented in the press a few times) and his experience shows on the court. I love me some Ronnie P, but I don’t think he has it right now. In a couple years yes, he will be the man. Don’t forget that Jerry is no dummy. He knows what he’s doing. He is not going to bench a great player and put someone in who isn’t as good.

DeronWilliamsforPresident on April 10, 2009 said:

I suported Boozer through the injury. Saying things to my friends like “he’s still a 20/10 guy” and “he’s arguably our best offensive threat”. But now that he’s been back for a month or so I’m finding it really hard to jump back on his boat. The Jazz have been sinking lately and I think a lot of it has to do with the ineffectiveness of Booz holding the ball 2 feet away himself on the low block, and if he manages to somehow hold on he takes his shots falling away from the basket. Whereas if you look at his counterpart (Millsap) he’ll pivot, out and then back in taking easy layups and going to the basket. But I guess in refernce to this blog, I’d have to say I’d hate to see Ronnie P go, one of my favorites by far. And I’d hate to see D Will getting frustrated, and start playing at a lower level (in referece to JazzNoseBleeder’s comments) I once heard “put a slow horse with fast horses, and it’ll speed up, put a fast horse with slow horses and it’ll slow down” If DWill ever thinks he’s with slow horses we can kiss this team goodbye.

Chris E. on April 10, 2009 said:

Yes he is. We saw him do it almost the entire year last year with Jason Hart!! It took Jason Hart getting injured 3/4 of the way through the season for Sloan to realize that he was crap and that Ronnie should have been starting the entire time. Brevin is better than Hart by a landslide but Price is much more valueable than I think they realize.

Mitchy Mack on April 10, 2009 said:

Everyone agrees we need a dominant defensive center. I agree, but who do you have in mind J R? Love the way you crunched the numbers btw.

justalars on April 10, 2009 said:

Chris E. remember if we didn’t trade Mo Williams we wouldn’t have moved up to get D-Will. Which would you rather have?

Trent on April 10, 2009 said:

Chussie makes some good points. We all know what Boozer is capable of. I remember when he dropped 40 points on the Rockets in the playoffs even when Yao Ming was guarding him. Lately, he is not playing well, but when he does play well, the Jazz can beat anybody. If he wants a raise, he needs to earn it, especially by playing better on the road.

I like Brevin Knight, and he is waaaaaay better than Jason Hart. I would like to see Ronnie Price get more time on the floor but it is difficult to give three point guards good minutes when Deron is getting most of them.

If we do lose Boozer, I think we need Memo to play more PF and let Koufos play the center.

josh on April 10, 2009 said:

who ever said Ronnie Price needs to be put in for Brevin Knight is EXACTLY right.. i HATE brevin… when hes bringing the ball down everyone just stands around and they look uncoordinated… he messes up their rotation on Offense and Defense.. and boozer, poor guy, fighting a surgery… but he better start doing something special or else he will have noooo fans,…
i hope Dwill can speak up more and get things goin and not slow down to the pace of his team..

Trent on April 10, 2009 said:

If we traded Boozer, I would love to see the Jazz bring in Chris Bosh. He only gets paid about 2 million more than Boozer currently.

J R Stewart on April 10, 2009 said:

If the Jazz have a great win against the Spurs tonight, we’ll all be saying how good Booz or Brevin is, so don’t get too caught up in the moment, as depressing as it is. The playoffs are a whole new season.

I don’t think the Jazz can handle Boozer’s salary, and sign their young guns, without taking a hard hit in the luxury tax, of $2 for $1, and the loss of the money split they get from the luxury tax pool (I’ve heard everything from a $2-$5 million hit). And you’re right, his play has been severely lacking and his presence on the court affects how everyone else plays defense and tries to cover up for him. He also affects Memo’s offense. If he doesn’t opt out, expect a trade by Feb. to regain salary sanity.

Brevins play early on was much better the Ronnie’s, but the last few weeks, with the exception of the Hornets game, it would be nice to play Ronnie and see what he can do before the playoffs.

It’s not a question of which center I like, it’s who can Kevin get! If we like him, his team probably likes him too and won’t let him go. I hope the Jazz don’t give up on Fes and exercise his option. There just aren’t that many 7′4″ undiscovered car mechanics out there. Other teams are going to feel the cap crunch, like the Hornets trying to trade Chandler. Something hopefully will come up this summer.

Mo was a restricted free agent, not a trade. The Jazz didn’t match. In retrospect, a poor decision, but there was some rational for the decision, which later proved faulty.

Jazzaholic

montgump on April 10, 2009 said:

I know we can’t get Dwight Howard, but we need someone like him. Memo is great, but we need a guy thats gonna grab 15 rebounds and swat 4-5 shots a game. No one wants to see AK go, but he probably should with his salary. He needs to be traded for a big man too.

Armin on April 10, 2009 said:

All i have to say is if we let memo go i probably wont watch another jazz game until 2012 not just because iam a memo fan but because i actually counted the number of times fans jumped out of their seats in a game a while back and 80% of the time it was after memo hit a 3 or deron embarrassed their defense

J R Stewart on April 10, 2009 said:

Bosh makes $15 million with a 2010 opt out.
AK is $16 million and Booze is $12 million, if he doesn’t opt out, both trades will work.
I would rate Bosh better than either Booz or AK, a great pickup, but you’ve still got the salary crunch.
The Raptors may be receptive, but the Jazz still will probably have to get rid of one of their big salaries. Not just trade but eliminate the salary.

Jazzaholic

Dallan on April 10, 2009 said:

There is no point in going after Chris Bosh because he will come in with the same attitude that Boozer did. Bosh wont want to be here after 2010 so he will just opt out and he will be gone. He may help us for one year but is it worth it? Then we have to find someone else. We NEED to get rid of AK salary though it kills us when it comes to try and get other people. I think we have to good centers that we just need to work into the rotation and make it work. They both are good players and are really young. So why not get them in and see what they can do for us. It has to be better then puttin the 6′9″ millsap on a center it just does not work. Even though milsap hussles his butt off we need someone under there so the guards dont have to crash on the center. As soon as they crash they kick it out to the 3 point shooters and we get killed every game on open threes.

Chris E. on April 10, 2009 said:

A memo to the Utah Jazz.

There have been numerous theories on the cause of the road woes that the Jazz, as well as all of us, as fans, have suffered over the last two seasons. Boler and Booner, DJ, PK, Pace, Thurl, Sloan, etc. have all speculated, hypothesized and theorized the question. I haven’t done my research on this but the question is, why do the Jazz have possibly the most unbalanced road to home winning percentage over the last two seasons than possibly any team through any two season span in the history of the NBA?

I have a theory. In the ESA, they feed off of the fans like a ravaged mountain lion. Booner has made the comment that when you are in that type of atmosphere you feel like you start the game with a ten point lead. In that atmosphere, they BELIEVE that they can win. When they went on that 12 game winning streak and fought from behind to win their 3rd straight road game, Boozer made the comment, “We never stopped BELIEVING that we could win.”

Self belief and what you say to yourself in these situations can be very powerful. An author/PHD named Shad Helmstetter wrote a few books on the subject of self-talk. If any of you have read any of them you can probably relate to what I am saying. In a post game interview a couple of weeks ago Paul Milsap made a comment that really bothered me. It was nothing monumental but he stated, quite assertively, that “we are not a good road team,” or “we don’t play well on the road.” Something to that effect. That really makes me wonder about the mentality of the guys on this team.

There’s a passage in the bible that states that “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Through scientific studies of the brain we have come to learn just how correct – how scientifically correct – that passage really is. People become the living result of their own thoughts and how successful you will be at anything is inexorably tied to the words and the beliefs about yourself that you have stored in your subconscious mind.

So my question is, is this the mentality that is going around that locker room? Do you they talk to each other about how awful they are on the road? Do they concede themselves to this negative type of thinking? It looks to me like they have convinced themselves that they play poorly on the road, so when they get out there and play, they simply carry out the action that they have already convinced themselves they would. And they play poorly.

It’s a mentality thing. The ability is there, they have proven that. They simply have to stop telling themselves that they NEED to play better on the road because by doing that they are still telling their subconscious not to worry about it because it doesn’t apply TODAY. They need to start telling themselves that they ARE A GOOD ROAD team. And say it as if they have already accomplished the goal of being a good road team. So then when they go out on the road they are already programmed to know that they will play well. And, hopefully, they will. I’m not a psychologist but this seems to make sense. Physically and talent-wise, they can beat anyone. It’s the mentality that they need to have on the road that will make the difference. So that’s my two million cents.

Chris E. on April 10, 2009 said:

And it doesn’t matter who you bring in that attitude is like wildfire, it will spread. I’m going for the record on the longest Jazz bot post of all time. Brian gave me my own blog post once and I was denied on being a Jazzbot writer so I’m going for 2nd best. LOL

Derrick Daye on April 10, 2009 said:

Chris,

Time to take a second look at you. Please call me at 813-842-2260.

Best,

Derrick

DeronWilliamsforPresident on April 10, 2009 said:

Now I’m no genius but I do remember my highschool psychology class. I believe what Chris is refferring to is called the “self-fullfiling prophecy”. It basically says you become what everyone (or you tell yourself) tells you, you’re going to be. They should recruit us Bots to go on road trips with them. Like myself Chris, The Meyers, justalars, canadajazz, JR, Linda (just to name a few off the top of my head) I’m sure us believing they can win on the road more then they do would have an enormous positive impact.

JayD on April 10, 2009 said:

I have to agree with Chris E , the mind is a powerful tool . You can overcome surmountable odds just by beleiving in ones self . There is also another scripture that states that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain . I think that our boys need to learn that they have that power in the palm of thier hands .
I also think that the Jazz struggles on the road is connected with the calls that they get when they are away from home . They seam to get more calls when they are at home . If they could juats get past letting these calls get to them , then maybe they could believe themselves .
I still beleive in them , GO Jazz !!!!!!!!
Jay

Amir on April 10, 2009 said:

okur,derron,brewer,milsap,korver these 5 should stay yes utah need big man they didn’t solve protect the paint since they trade greg ostertag to sacramento utah needs go two guy williams and other guy who can put the ball on the floor and score by himself cleveland did same thing they got mo lakers got gasol and utah never had guy like wade pierce kg until they dont get one they will be exitin 1st round of playoffs

lquan on April 10, 2009 said:

We do have some smart Jazz fans!
Boozer has played about half of his contract games to date and hasn’t helped his giant “I’m a Starter period” salary he thinks he deserves. How can you not play with some heart and urgency every game after coming back from an elongated recovery, 0 points 1st half against the Spurs. Nuff said!! He’s no Malone and you can wish in one hand——- you know the rest.

I’m not going to beat a dead horse, but I can’t say it enough. How can Sloan leave a player with more heart, talent, energy and spark on the bench then Ronnie Price!!!!!! GIVE ME A BREAK. YOU NEED ENERGY AND A SPARK OFF THE BENCH, IT’S BROKE FIX IT!!!!!!!!! That is who R. Price is. I’ve watched him from working to get to the NBA from Provo, then work to backup Bibby from Hart at Sac, had to do it again with Utah against Hart, AGAIN.
The big money guys will fall in place depending on how the front office handles them and how much they think their worth and the integrity for the game they have, but O’Connor would be an idiot to loose a young, talented, hard working, and not least, humble Ronnie Price, their’s not many players like him.

montgump on April 10, 2009 said:

8th place? Really Jazz? You suck.

Chris E. on April 11, 2009 said:

Iquan, there will never be another Malone. He is arguably the greatest power forward to ever play the game. We were lucky enough to have him here in Utah for most of his career and I think that we were spoiled by his toughness, and his durability for almost 20 years. Boozer still is a great player when he is playing at his best. But I don’t know that we will ever have another player that we can honestly compare to KM. Malone makes just about any player look subpar. I still have faith that in time Boozer will get back to his old self but we will never have another Malone. And Derrick I will call you a little later today.

Chris E. on April 11, 2009 said:

The more I read about the options we have in the off-season the more I think that Boozer just needs to be traded. Milsap will fill in at his position beautifully and is still developing into a great PF. He is durable and it’s almost scary how physically similar he is to Malone. His FT% is also improving just as Malone’s did early in his career. I think that we need to address our weaknesses such as INTERIOR DEFENSE. By trading Boozer for a high caliber defensive center that can clog the paint and block shots we would be dropping our greatest defensive liability in Boozer and gaining size, strength and DEFENSE in the middle. As it is now, we struggle with teams who have an inside threat like Dwight, Duncan, Dirk, etc. + three point shooters that they can kick out to. Our problem is that we have to rotate our perimeter defenders inside for help defense and then they kick out for the open three. Or if we simply leave our undersized non-shot blocking Center (Memo) to guard one on one he gets taken to school every time by Duncan, Howard, etc. I mean seriously, can Memo really stand in the paint with Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Dirk, etc.? If we had a big, strong defensive center who we could just leave down there to guard these guys one on one we would improve our interior defense and stop the kick out for open threes, thus improving our three point defense. Those are our two BIGGEST weaknesses as a team. And having Boozer, arguably the worst defensive PF in the game down there does not help. KM was amazing on defense and that’s what we need badly.

Chris E. on April 11, 2009 said:

Boozer for Yao? Boozer for Chris Kamen and Marcus Camby from the Clips? Boozer for Tyson Chandler + cap space? We know that New Orleans is shopping Chandler.

Mitchy Mack on April 11, 2009 said:

How about we trade AK and a pick for a high draft pick this year? We can draft Thabeet.. hahaha (he actually would be a good defensive presence). But that way we get rid of a big salary, and we are able to sign a young good talent for a lot less money. I actually love the idea of a Chris Bosh Boozer trade. I think with him in our ine up we would be title contenders. I think he will love playing with DWill. If we win with him, I think he will be more motivated to stay during the summer of 2010.

J R Stewart on April 11, 2009 said:

I did go to a couple of road games and provided absolutely no psychological lift to the Jazz. That appears to not be the solution. Maybe I just brought bad luck.

Booz is playing poorly. His offense, his best attribute, is no where near back to what it was. His mobility, especially laterally, is still very poor. We fail to remember how well he could play before.

Still his and AK’s salaries are millstones. When healthy in mind and body, they can be impressive.

I can’t wait for the Rockets and Magic to trade Yao and Howard to the Jazz. Of course, we’d have to play Yao at power forward, because he has a better game away from the basket.:-)

The Spurs were another in a long line of missed opportunities, but if the Jazz can beat the Warriors, who now field a team for wheelchair basketball, the loser of the Hornets/Dallas will join them in the 8th spot, putting the Jazz in the 7th seed, with the tie-breaker.

Jazzaholic

josh on April 11, 2009 said:

Boozer for Bosh is the ultimate trade… i can see alot of good things happening with that.. JERRY SLOAN I HOPE YOU GET THIS hahah

josh on April 11, 2009 said:

Boozer for Chris Bosh is the ultimate trade… i can see alot of good things happening with that.. JERRY SLOAN I HOPE YOU GET THIS hahah

DeronWilliamsforPresident on April 11, 2009 said:

Yeah I can definitely see the Raptors letting Bosh go for the incredibly underachieving Carlos Boozer If Bosh were a serious prospect for the Jazz orginization they would hope for Boozer to excersie his option and wait until next year when Bosh becomes part of that 2010 free agent bonanza. But I don’t think the Jazz are as interested in Bosh as we all seem to be. I could, however, see a realistic attempt to bring Shawn Marion over when his contract frees up. He plays well to the system. Perfect player for the Jazz under the radar, great player who’s best attributes don’t always show up on the box score. Let’s face it, he’s fun to watch and all but CJ Miles just isn’t becoming what we hoped he’d become in that starter role. I can see it now. D Will, Brewer, Marion, Millsap, Okur. 2nd unit being Ronnie P, Korver, Miles, AK, Koufus.

Dallan on April 11, 2009 said:

Ok so if winning solves everything and that would solve chris bosh then how come it did not work with boozer? We made it to the western conference finals, he fits in the system, he is playing with the best point guard in the league. So if boozer is not going to stay when we win and have a good point guard, Why do you all think that bosh is going to stay? He wont we need unselfish players like milsap and dwill and brewer and okur that will stay here cause they know that they fit and can win. Bosh is not one of those people he will leave toronto cause its not a big enough market there. But mitchy mack no one will take AK cap space. He is getting big money for not big production. Who knows maybe he would thrive in a different system like a run and gun. The phoenix suns, or the knicks. I do agree that if boozer does not opt out then we should trade him and one of the clippers bigs would be huge cause they want to get rid of them. And also chandler would be good but he would want to start and what would we do with memo?

karen on April 12, 2009 said:

Chris E I completely agree with your theory. Know the saying if you think you can or cant, your right. And the Jazz dont think they can win on the road therefore they dont.

Scott L Ritchie on April 12, 2009 said:

Keepers:

D-Will for sure. After he has the summer off to get completely healthy again he will be a 20-10 next season without a doubt.

Millsap for sure. Right now the guy is just beat up. Both knees are banged up. Another summer to heal and work out.

Ronnie B for sure. He is still young and is going to make mistakes but there are few leapers like him that the Jazz could get with AK’s contract eating up cap space. Plus… look at the muscle he added over the off-season last year. Do that again and he can man-up with some of the best.

Ronnie P as D-Will’s backup. The guy is quick and just needs a solid spot in the rotation.

Korver. For what the Jazz are paying for him he is a steal. He has had an off year with his shooting but his D and intensity has picked up 100%.

Think About:

CJ… He would be going into the draft this year had he gone to Texas. The kid is still learning and needs to bulk his body up.

Koufos… Showed some flashes of what he can do. Again… like CJ… would be 2 years away from the draft had he stayed at Ohio State. Lot’s of growth potential and some Acutaine.

Memo… Needs to come to camp in 100% top shape or he is gone!

Fess until his 3 year contract is up and he has decided if he truly wants to play hoop or not!

Coach Sloan… a summer on the farm after a rotten season will have him ready to sew some of his old wild oats next year. Then we say good bye and thanks for the memories.

Matty… If he can come back with semi-good knees we need an enforcer and he fits the bill perfectly!

Dump ASAP:

Boozer… let him go play 60 games every 3 years somewhere else (and then only show up in 1/2 of those) Bonehead move of the year award for his “opt-out” announcement timing.

AK… If at all possible get him gone. He has no heart anymore. What happened to the 5 x 5 guy we once saw? He is still a youngster too! Maybe even eat some of his contract if necessary. 2-20 (at any time, not just the last 2 games) just doesn’t cut it for a guy making 14.5 million!

JC… Time to play demo derby with your twin on the golf course again.

Mo Almond… No D period. All he wants to do is run and gun.

Brevin… Too small and not consistent enough to be playing 10 minutes a game behind D-Will.

srchn

Betty on April 12, 2009 said:

Scott you took the words right out of my mouth. I completely agree with you. COMPLETELY.

Fox on April 12, 2009 said:

Boozer needs to go he is playing weak sauce down low he acts like he is scared of the opposing players. Memo is more of a perimeter guy the Jazz need to find a true center in the free agency this summer. The Jazz have a dominating point guard all they have to do is find a dominating power froward or center.

Scott L Ritchie on April 12, 2009 said:

I think with a solid off-season and a great strength coach working with him the Jazz have their strong power forward in another La Tech product. That man is Paul Milsap. Get him a strong back-up and bring in a real center (someone with footwork that can and will play Defense) and the Jazz have a team that can contend. Milsap is a grinder. He is perfect for Coach Sloan’s system and bust his butt when healthy. Even when hurt he works hard. Perhaps a bit small but with some additional strength and some work on his low-post game he could easily be a 20-10 guy. Along with D-Will that is 20-10 guys at PG and at PF (Remind anyone of another Jazz team?) and a potential sharpshooter (Korver with starter minutes) with Ronnie B to slash and play strong D. The missing piece is in the middle.

Scott L Ritchie

Chris E. on April 13, 2009 said:

Having a scoring SG or SF that can create his own shot would be nice too.

Dallan on April 13, 2009 said:

I agree with Chris we need a good scoring guard or small forward. CJ is that guy i believe very strongly. We have seen a young guy turn into someone that really wants to play. I think this extra year will help all our players to get healthy but to get bigger and stronger and improve their game. But also we will not have to hear hopefully that our team is young. Cause we have had the same issues the last two years so hopefully now we will be able to get over the hump and play some good basketball.

Scott L Ritchie on April 13, 2009 said:

I think Ronnie B has been shooting the ball very well of late. His problem stems from getting booted out of the rotation on Coach Sloan’s auto-rotate system and then not getting back into the game in the 4th. Leave AK on the bench. The guy just has not been producing and he has been eating up the minutes that keep the one slasher and above-the-rim guy that the Jazz have (Ronnie B) off the court. Yes… he needs to rebound. However, right now his assignment is to rotate back when a shot goes up. The problem is… the Jazz have him in the low post early in the shot clock and only after it hits 10 does he begin to rotate back to the wings. This leaves him out of position to rebound and out of position to get back and defend against the break.

srchn

Lose n' the Love on April 13, 2009 said:

I agree with Chris E., there is no belief. After a big win at home before they go on the road, every player interviewed is asked by the press ‘ so how do you take this on the road, how can you turn around your horrible play on the road’? They can’t even enjoy a win before they are reminded by the press that they can’t win on the road. But none the less, the problem is theirs. They are truly a headcase with no belief in themselves. They make too much money to have excuses.

Also, the one thing that hasn’t been said (has been aluded to), the Jazz are now just real SOFT. There is no one in the middle that will make the opposing team pay if they come in there. I’ve never seen a softer center than Okur, Boozer doesn’t want to break a nail, CJ doesn’t know what the game looks like from inside the key, and frankly the only tough guy we have, Millsap has decided why should I take one for the team if no one else will. This does not address Matt because he just doesn’t play enough to be a threat any more.

Another thing, by playing an extremely ineffective and careless Boozer, we have lost Millsap. Other than the first couple of games he came off the bench after Boozer’s return, he has been extremely ineffective, and I didn’t think that was even possible. But think how hard it would be to be in his shoes. He has 16 straight double doubles, keeps the team in the hunt for half the season while their super-star is injured, and as soon as Boozer is back he steps back into the starting role. But, that is to be expected (that Jerry would put Boozer back in), but the difficult part would be that Boozer plays horribly, hurts the team, disrupts the teamwork that was in place, but still gets the start every game. I don’t think we have been hurt any more by Boozer’s BAD play as we have been hurt by losing the Paul Millsap we all came to love and count on.

I think the Jazz need a power in the middle, move Okur back to a power forward, put some gloves back on this team and play Sloan’s dirty style of defense. I only became a Jazz fan about 4 years ago, and it took me 3 years to do that after moving from the Bay Area. I realized why it took so long, because I hated the Jazz because they were a dirty, bullying team. Where has that team gone, they need to return to their roots, or get players that are willing to go there. They’re soft, unconfident and non believing.

Speaking of Jerry, I think he has given up as well. I think creating the proper mindset of a team is as much of a coaches job as the xxoo’s. Jerry has no answers and seems to put it all back on the players saying “they are professionals and make good money, they need to figure it out”. I understand his rational, but he makes the big bucks as well, and part of his job is to help his “young” team figure it out.

I think they have all quit at this point…the year can’t end too soon…needs a fresh start with some fresh attitudes.

Scott L Ritchie on April 13, 2009 said:

Hear Hear!!!

J R Stewart on April 13, 2009 said:

Instead of a run at the 2 seed, which the Jazz controlled completely, they did a swan song, ending up in a probable 8 seed and a Laker first round elimination.

They will keep their 1st round pick, unless they trade it, which is exactly what I hope they will do. That could be just the little extra to get a deal done to dump a big salary, gain a roster spot and go after some cheap free agents with potential. Look at those 7 pickups the Warriors used to thump the high paid Jazz players! There are really only 5-10 players in the entire league, who should be paid the max.

The Jazz should keep their salaries down, roster spots open and put extra money into their scouting, player analysis and tryouts.

This is probably not the stratagem to win the championship, but it is a good way to have a competitive team stay in Utah.

Jazzaholic

Scott L Ritchie on April 14, 2009 said:

JR,

As much as I like to believe a small market team like the Jazz could win multiple Championships and having been a life-long fan I know the reality of the situation. LeBron or D-Wade or Dwight Howard are never going to come here.

As such… I would be happy to be in the ESA year after year with the place rockin’ with loud and crazy Jazz fans… watching a team work hard and knock some people on their butts like Matty has done for the last 2 games. As long as they are making the Playoffs and have a fun team to watch I will be there.

Go JAZZ!!!

Kick some Laker butt tonight!!!

srchn

Scott L Ritchie on April 14, 2009 said:

Correction needed for that last post… Even if they weren’t making the Playoffs… as long as they are out on the floor working hard…. I WILL BE THERE!!!

srchn

canadajazz on April 14, 2009 said:

Regarding all this Boozer for Bosh talk: If you think the Jazz have underachieved this season, take a look at the Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh is loved in Toronto, yet trade talk is starting to get whispered. He just might be available, especially if a shakeup is in the works for the Raptors – a team that deserves it infinitely more than the Jazz. At least we’re in the playoffs, and in the West, to boot.
One rumour has the Raptors trading for Steve Nash, letting him finish his career in Canada. Could the team afford both Bosh and Nash? Could it afford Nash and Boozer, for that matter?
I believe the Jazz have one good upset left in them, and will advance to Round 2. What if Boozer has a great series like he did against Houston last year? Will it be enough to endear him to management, and even less likely, the fans?

Shannon in Sacramento on April 15, 2009 said:

I say let’s dump Boozer. Remember, the Jazz are the third team he has played for and he’s been hurt almost every single season. He has only played half of his games. For someone making the kind of money he is, it just makes me sick to think he’s that injury prone. Also, I really hate it when he thinks he’s like Karl Malone. First of all, Malone was hardly ever injured and only missed, what, 10 games his whole career? Boozer is only like Malone in his dreams. I really liked Boozer at first. He seemed like a good guy who would fit into the Jazz system perfectly, but now I just get sick watching him play. The worst part is his jump shot. It kills me and what kills me more is the loud noise that comes out of his mouth, as if he actually thinks he’s going to make it when he’s missed that dang shot countless times before. Oh and he may have played decent against the Rockets, but he played horribly against the Lakers, who we face on Sunday. Odum made him look like an idiot out there.

I would love for them to keep Milsap. If you saw the article on how much each player makes, this kid plays harder than most players on the team, besides D Williams of course, and he makes less than a million a year.

They need a center that is kind of like Ron ARtest. I know he’s not a center, but what we need is somebody who will get in the other team’s head on the road and not be scared of the situation. They need to be a trash talker and back what they say up with some tough defense. I hate that we are now labeled as a soft team. That means we are as bad as the Dallas Mavericks, and I always thought we were tough.

This year has just been so hard to watch. I don’t get to see all the games living out of the state, but when I do, more often than not, they have dissapointed me, besides Derron Williams, who looks like he’s pissed off playing harder than everyone else.

My hope for the next week: Please Jazz, don’t embarass yourselves like Denver did last year against the Lakers. At least go down with a fight!

Here’s hoping we come stronger next year!

Thanks for the rant too

J R Stewart on April 17, 2009 said:

This summer should be real interesting.

There should be some real bargains out there because of the lowered luxury tax and economics of the teams. Europe doesn’t appear to be the option it was either.

Hold tight and let the big dogs consume cap space for the few teams willing to spend and then pick up some nice fits.

Jazzaholic

JazzNoseBleed on September 26, 2009 said:

Hahah,

This post seems almost silly now. Preaseason has started and its basically the exact same team.