Monday report
Have to say, it was a little strange that Carlos Boozer failed to call in Monday afternoon for a teleconference after the official announcement that both he and Deron Williams had been selected to the U.S. Olympic team.
Williams was able to attend in person, having played in a Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce golf tournament along with Jazz president Randy Rigby. Williams has done so many community events this summer, you'd think he was running for mayor.
Boozer was supposed to check in from Miami but somehow the connection wasn't made. The power at the Jazz practice facility did go out for a couple of minutes before Williams' press conference, so maybe the call didn't go through.
Long after the television crews and reporters had left, the Jazz finally reached Boozer and issued a written statement on his behalf.
Joking around, a couple of us wondered whether Boozer knew he'd been chosen for the U.S. team . . . or if he knew that he needed to be in Las Vegas on Saturday for practice . . . or if Tyson Chandler had his opening to be added to the roster.
* * *
Since everything comes back to Chris Paul and Deron Williams, Deron Williams and Chris Paul, here was Williams answer to my question about whether he was happy neither he nor Paul was left off the U.S. roster.
"We had talked about it earlier in the season, how fun it would be," Williams said. "I really didn't know how it was going to go. I knew it was four point guards for three spots. I just hoped and I'm sure he did, too. It's going to be fun playing together. I guess if one of us made it and the other didn't, we'd have to hear a lot more from you all."
Williams said he heard from Jerry Colangelo that he had been chosen for the Olympic team last Monday (June 16). It's interesting to note that Chauncey Billups withdrew from consideration one day later, citing family reasons.
* * *
There's definitely a couple of us who think the Jazz might be in for a slow start next season with Williams, Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko all playing in the Olympics this summer. Here was Williams' take on the debate about taking on a full summer of basketball.
"We were so deep [last year] that nobody played more than 16 minutes a game, so that's really not a lot of wear on your body," Williams said. "Plus the experience you get from playing with the type of players you're playing with is better than anything.
"You have to work out in the summer to stay in shape, stay ready, you've got to stay conditioned. What better way than to come out here and play with 12 of the best players in the world as opposed to going and playing in the gym where you might get hurt playing against somebody that doesn't know how to play basketball.
"I think this is way better than anything you can do in the summer by yourself."
* * *
The current state of world affairs wasn't far from Williams' mind as he talked about playing in the Olympics.
"We have troops fighting overseas and fighting for us," he said. "This is our way to fight. We've got to do it on the basketball court and go represent our country and try to win a gold medal, get USA Basketball back to the top, where it belongs."
* * *
Rigby said the Jazz had reached an agreement with Westwood One to air all of the Olympic basketball games on 1320 AM.
* * *
The U.S. last won a major international competition in 2000, having lost seven games in the last three tournaments. They finished sixth at the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis, third at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and third at the 2006 world championships in Japan. There's definitely some work to be done for Williams, Boozer and Co.
--Ross Siler
Williams was able to attend in person, having played in a Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce golf tournament along with Jazz president Randy Rigby. Williams has done so many community events this summer, you'd think he was running for mayor.
Boozer was supposed to check in from Miami but somehow the connection wasn't made. The power at the Jazz practice facility did go out for a couple of minutes before Williams' press conference, so maybe the call didn't go through.
Long after the television crews and reporters had left, the Jazz finally reached Boozer and issued a written statement on his behalf.
Joking around, a couple of us wondered whether Boozer knew he'd been chosen for the U.S. team . . . or if he knew that he needed to be in Las Vegas on Saturday for practice . . . or if Tyson Chandler had his opening to be added to the roster.
* * *
Since everything comes back to Chris Paul and Deron Williams, Deron Williams and Chris Paul, here was Williams answer to my question about whether he was happy neither he nor Paul was left off the U.S. roster.
"We had talked about it earlier in the season, how fun it would be," Williams said. "I really didn't know how it was going to go. I knew it was four point guards for three spots. I just hoped and I'm sure he did, too. It's going to be fun playing together. I guess if one of us made it and the other didn't, we'd have to hear a lot more from you all."
Williams said he heard from Jerry Colangelo that he had been chosen for the Olympic team last Monday (June 16). It's interesting to note that Chauncey Billups withdrew from consideration one day later, citing family reasons.
* * *
There's definitely a couple of us who think the Jazz might be in for a slow start next season with Williams, Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko all playing in the Olympics this summer. Here was Williams' take on the debate about taking on a full summer of basketball.
"We were so deep [last year] that nobody played more than 16 minutes a game, so that's really not a lot of wear on your body," Williams said. "Plus the experience you get from playing with the type of players you're playing with is better than anything.
"You have to work out in the summer to stay in shape, stay ready, you've got to stay conditioned. What better way than to come out here and play with 12 of the best players in the world as opposed to going and playing in the gym where you might get hurt playing against somebody that doesn't know how to play basketball.
"I think this is way better than anything you can do in the summer by yourself."
* * *
The current state of world affairs wasn't far from Williams' mind as he talked about playing in the Olympics.
"We have troops fighting overseas and fighting for us," he said. "This is our way to fight. We've got to do it on the basketball court and go represent our country and try to win a gold medal, get USA Basketball back to the top, where it belongs."
* * *
Rigby said the Jazz had reached an agreement with Westwood One to air all of the Olympic basketball games on 1320 AM.
* * *
The U.S. last won a major international competition in 2000, having lost seven games in the last three tournaments. They finished sixth at the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis, third at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and third at the 2006 world championships in Japan. There's definitely some work to be done for Williams, Boozer and Co.
--Ross Siler
8:39 PM
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