The Boozer review
It's just one writer's opinion, but I think years from now we will be debating the Jazz's decision to trade away Carlos Boozer far more than we will even remember the decision to match Portland's offer sheet to Paul Millsap.
Simply put, the Jazz run tremendous risk in parting ways with a two-time All-Star entering the prime of his career at age 28. Just remember the one game the Jazz won against the Lakers last playoffs was the one in which Boozer totaled 23 points and 22 rebounds.
This is not to suggest that the Jazz are wrong in looking to trade Boozer. The environment with him in Utah has become too toxic, to borrow the word of the off-season. But Boozer very well could/will become a perennial All-Star for another team.
There's been a lot of speculating about what Boozer's all about as a player. I think the answer is pretty simple: He wants to be regarded as a star in the NBA and will be out to prove it wherever his next stop will be.
There's also been a lot of speculating about what Boozer's all about as a person. I'm not about to venture a guess, but I will share one story from last season:
Both my stepbrother and stepsister live in Boston, so my parents made the trip up from Washington while the Jazz were in town to play the Celtics in December.
They wanted to see what a day in the life is like, so I took them to the morning shootaround. They waited off to the side at TD Banknorth Garden while we talked to Jerry Sloan and Kevin O'Connor in search of the daily developments.
Each Jazz player filed by on the way to their locker room and bus. All of them said hello. I missed all of it, but my parents reported back that one player stopped to introduce himself. That would be none other than Carlos Boozer.
That's probably a different Boozer story than what you've heard.
It's interesting to examine how the Jazz and Boozer got into this position in the first place. I can only speak to what I've seen as a beat writer the last two seasons, plus the 2007 run to the Western Conference finals.
From the injury-plagued start to his career in Utah, Boozer seemingly was both forgiven and redeemed after the Jazz reached the conference finals. He came back the next season and played in 81 games, a number that must leave some fans still in disbelief.
But Boozer picked a terrible time to tail off at the end of the season. He struggled even to match his season averages in the Jazz's first-round rematch against Houston, followed by their loss to the Lakers in the conference semifinals.
There's no telling how much Boozer was burdened by his personal issues, but he wound up as the scapegoat. With three sports radio stations in town, there was no end to the Boozer bashing that summer, even as he played on the Olympic team.
(That experience meant more to Boozer than any of us will know. He commented in Miami how neat it was that the Heat hung banners celebrating Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway for having played on a gold-medal winning U.S. team. It was Boozer's wish that the Jazz someday would do the same for Karl Malone, John Stockton, Deron Williams and himself at EnergySolutions Arena.)
Back to the bashing, which took on a theme, as even casual fans started asking me why Carlos Boozer couldn't play defense. For what it's worth, I've found that to be an overblown issue considering some of the team-wide breakdowns the Jazz have suffered.
Then Boozer limped off the court with a strained quadriceps tendon in his knee. As far as some fans were concerned, it might as well have been a third strike after the foot and hamstring injuries Boozer suffered to start his career in Utah.
Boozer didn't help his cause with his ill-timed comments in December about opting out and getting a raise, which detracted that night from a Jazz team that came back to beat New Jersey after trailing 27-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite declarations of an imminent return, Boozer eventually needed knee surgery. Once he returned in February, the Jazz went just 15-11 to close the regular season and made a first-round exit from the playoffs.
Although Boozer said all the right things about wanting to return, the expectation was that he would opt out for free agency. Greg Miller then channeled his late father during an interview on KSL and criticized Boozer's leadership and defense.
That set the stage for June 30, when Boozer decided to opt in, with his $12.7 million salary for 2009-10 becoming a chokehold for the Jazz. No matter what, though, it's impossible to fault Boozer for exercising an option in his contract.
The last two weeks have seen the Boozer/Miller conversation, the Trail Blazers' offer sheet to Millsap, Boozer's interview with a Chicago radio station and the Jazz's widely reported efforts to try to trade him.
What conclusions are there to draw? It probably was Boozer's misfortune in the end to play in Utah, where the fans seemingly feel a deeper personal connection to the players on their team than just about anywhere else in the NBA.
Boozer drove a Rolls-Royce and wanted to keep people at arm's length. He also was the first player to the arena most game days.
You can question Boozer's sincerity, but the NBA remains a players' league first and foremost. Even more than that, it's a superstar league, with a required amount of superstar maintenance on just about every team.
There were instances when the Jazz could have helped turn public sentiment back in Boozer's favor but didn't. Miller's comments didn't help, as entitled as he was to make them after writing so many millions in checks to Boozer last season.
That's not to say the Jazz were wrong in not offering Boozer the extension he wanted. Given his injury history, the Jazz's position absolutely should have been to invite Boozer back to prove his worth this season.
We'll see in the coming weeks just how much pressure the Jazz feel to complete a Boozer trade sooner rather than later. They have to market and sell their team this summer, something that's harder to do as long as the Boozer uncertainty looms over all.
In the meantime we'll wait for the schedule to be released - - either at the end of July or start of August - - to learn when Boozer will be back in Utah for one of the most uneasy reunions in Jazz history.
--Ross Siler
Simply put, the Jazz run tremendous risk in parting ways with a two-time All-Star entering the prime of his career at age 28. Just remember the one game the Jazz won against the Lakers last playoffs was the one in which Boozer totaled 23 points and 22 rebounds.
This is not to suggest that the Jazz are wrong in looking to trade Boozer. The environment with him in Utah has become too toxic, to borrow the word of the off-season. But Boozer very well could/will become a perennial All-Star for another team.
There's been a lot of speculating about what Boozer's all about as a player. I think the answer is pretty simple: He wants to be regarded as a star in the NBA and will be out to prove it wherever his next stop will be.
There's also been a lot of speculating about what Boozer's all about as a person. I'm not about to venture a guess, but I will share one story from last season:
Both my stepbrother and stepsister live in Boston, so my parents made the trip up from Washington while the Jazz were in town to play the Celtics in December.
They wanted to see what a day in the life is like, so I took them to the morning shootaround. They waited off to the side at TD Banknorth Garden while we talked to Jerry Sloan and Kevin O'Connor in search of the daily developments.
Each Jazz player filed by on the way to their locker room and bus. All of them said hello. I missed all of it, but my parents reported back that one player stopped to introduce himself. That would be none other than Carlos Boozer.
That's probably a different Boozer story than what you've heard.
It's interesting to examine how the Jazz and Boozer got into this position in the first place. I can only speak to what I've seen as a beat writer the last two seasons, plus the 2007 run to the Western Conference finals.
From the injury-plagued start to his career in Utah, Boozer seemingly was both forgiven and redeemed after the Jazz reached the conference finals. He came back the next season and played in 81 games, a number that must leave some fans still in disbelief.
But Boozer picked a terrible time to tail off at the end of the season. He struggled even to match his season averages in the Jazz's first-round rematch against Houston, followed by their loss to the Lakers in the conference semifinals.
There's no telling how much Boozer was burdened by his personal issues, but he wound up as the scapegoat. With three sports radio stations in town, there was no end to the Boozer bashing that summer, even as he played on the Olympic team.
(That experience meant more to Boozer than any of us will know. He commented in Miami how neat it was that the Heat hung banners celebrating Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway for having played on a gold-medal winning U.S. team. It was Boozer's wish that the Jazz someday would do the same for Karl Malone, John Stockton, Deron Williams and himself at EnergySolutions Arena.)
Back to the bashing, which took on a theme, as even casual fans started asking me why Carlos Boozer couldn't play defense. For what it's worth, I've found that to be an overblown issue considering some of the team-wide breakdowns the Jazz have suffered.
Then Boozer limped off the court with a strained quadriceps tendon in his knee. As far as some fans were concerned, it might as well have been a third strike after the foot and hamstring injuries Boozer suffered to start his career in Utah.
Boozer didn't help his cause with his ill-timed comments in December about opting out and getting a raise, which detracted that night from a Jazz team that came back to beat New Jersey after trailing 27-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite declarations of an imminent return, Boozer eventually needed knee surgery. Once he returned in February, the Jazz went just 15-11 to close the regular season and made a first-round exit from the playoffs.
Although Boozer said all the right things about wanting to return, the expectation was that he would opt out for free agency. Greg Miller then channeled his late father during an interview on KSL and criticized Boozer's leadership and defense.
That set the stage for June 30, when Boozer decided to opt in, with his $12.7 million salary for 2009-10 becoming a chokehold for the Jazz. No matter what, though, it's impossible to fault Boozer for exercising an option in his contract.
The last two weeks have seen the Boozer/Miller conversation, the Trail Blazers' offer sheet to Millsap, Boozer's interview with a Chicago radio station and the Jazz's widely reported efforts to try to trade him.
What conclusions are there to draw? It probably was Boozer's misfortune in the end to play in Utah, where the fans seemingly feel a deeper personal connection to the players on their team than just about anywhere else in the NBA.
Boozer drove a Rolls-Royce and wanted to keep people at arm's length. He also was the first player to the arena most game days.
You can question Boozer's sincerity, but the NBA remains a players' league first and foremost. Even more than that, it's a superstar league, with a required amount of superstar maintenance on just about every team.
There were instances when the Jazz could have helped turn public sentiment back in Boozer's favor but didn't. Miller's comments didn't help, as entitled as he was to make them after writing so many millions in checks to Boozer last season.
That's not to say the Jazz were wrong in not offering Boozer the extension he wanted. Given his injury history, the Jazz's position absolutely should have been to invite Boozer back to prove his worth this season.
We'll see in the coming weeks just how much pressure the Jazz feel to complete a Boozer trade sooner rather than later. They have to market and sell their team this summer, something that's harder to do as long as the Boozer uncertainty looms over all.
In the meantime we'll wait for the schedule to be released - - either at the end of July or start of August - - to learn when Boozer will be back in Utah for one of the most uneasy reunions in Jazz history.
--Ross Siler
10:43 PM
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7 Comments:
That's a very well written and thought out article.
It does seem to be Boozer's misfortune to have ever played here.
I as well want him traded. I totally understand the fans perspective.
Yet, there was a time a few months ago when I did stand up for him- I encouraged people to consider what kind of personal things he might be dealing with. Granted, players aren't "supposed to" bring personal issues to the court. But sometimes life intermingles with the game- or, gasp, is bigger than the game.
I don't know him. I have never seen the players in practice or in the locker room. But I have said all along, there's probably a lot more going on behind the scenes than what meets the eye.
Unfortunately for him, Jazz fans don't know how to take that into account, and their(our) perspective is often very limited.
As much as I want to see him go at this point as well, (I mean really, the team doesn't play well with him. The other players don't connect at all with him and no one can argue that honestly) based on the team's situation and the fan's desires, I do feel sympathy for him and the whole situation.
It's true. He has All Star potential still. And other people and fans around the league may scoff at the choice to trade him. But I don't think the All Star potential can ever be fulfilled here. Not after the last few years. And that's the sad truth.
Dear Ross The Intern,
What are you smoking???
"The Jazz run tremendous risk in parting ways with Boozer." Hardly. How many teams were knocking down Boozers door to sign him to a new contract? Oh, like, NONE! Boozer opted in! So one week after Boozer takes the 12.7 million Jazz contract, Boozer the victim/scapegoat pops up on Chicago radio and he wants to join the Bulls. Yeah, Boozer the victim. That poor kid Boozer. Someone should report the Jazz Fans to the Department of Child Services. Ross must have forgot that Carlos is a 28 year old MAN!
"Boozer very well could/will become a perennial All-Star for another team." Ya really think so? The Jazz offense feeds directly into the power forward position which produced Boozers All-Star years. D-Will had a little to do with it as well.
Without the Jazz offense and D-Will, Boozer is NOT an All-Star. He's not even close!!!
Obviously, Ross The Intern is a Jazz Hater and Boozer lover. Both Ross The Intern and Boozer should catch the next beeline taxi out of Utah.
First of all, its "fans" like Rowan who make the rest of the country roll its eyes when hearing about Jazz fans. If all you are going to bring to the table is childish and baseless ad hominem attacks, then don't waste everyone else's time.
Boozer was on the cusp of becoming an All Star with the Cavs, and he likely will be an All Star again if/when he joins the Bulls or Heat. At 28, he's too skilled and talented not to be successful. There are only of handful of players at his position that can finish at the rim with both hands and that can rebound at the rate he does. He is an incredible player and was so fun to watch when he was healthy.
Despite Boozer's skill and potential, I think that the Jazz have no choice but to trade him. He has shown his entire career that he expects to be treated like a team's most important player. That's not going to happen as long as DWill is around.
The Jazz will lose a superior player in Boozer. It's too bad. Hopefully Millsap turns into an effective low-post and pick/roll threat with DWill. If he does not, though, the Jazz will languish for the next several years as a middling 3-8 seed with no realistic chance of getting back to the NBA Finals (or even WC Finals).
This event will certainly be debated in the future. The debate, however, will not hinge on whether the Jazz should have traded Boozer or not. That horse is already out of the barn, as your article so aptly demonstrates. Rather, the debate will be on whether the Jazz got fair value in return for a two-time All-star. A Bulls' offer of Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas in exchange for Boozer and Miles seems like a fair trade. A dollar-motivated deal of Boozer for Udonis Haslem does not.
Siler, Love the blog. You add a lot of inside insight and knowledge in there. It's a must read for me everyday. The Jazz are losing a lot of offensive talent. A strong big man that can score a 20 point average and can shoot with both hands. He can also hit the 20 foot jumper very consistently. A shot that Milsap does not have yet. He also draws double teams that frees up the Okur three. That is not a product of the Jazz system. That is the product of a skilled offensive player. I am worried how this affects the Jazz. If Boozer misses a third of his games for his new team then I think the Jazz come out ahead. If he stays healthy then they are BIG losers. I don't buy the crap that Boozer milked his injuries. I believe they were legit injuries but if the guy is prone to get hurt and maybe that is a factor of his physical offensive game then you have to go another direction. Jazz fans make me laugh because they don't realize how hard he sacrificed his body on the offensive side of things. I think that was something that was way overlooked. It would have been nice to have him sacrifice that a little more on the defensive side but part of that may have been coaching as well. We could not have him get in foul trouble. My first pick in a trade would be Richard Hamilton but it looks like there is no shot of that happening. My next pick would be Hinrich. That gives us a shooter that can play both gaurd spots and I think Kirilenko can be our backup 4. My next pick would be Tyrus Thomas backing up Milsap and the small forward. This Haslem trade I am not a big fan of but it sounds like it will give the Jazz the best help financially. If they could get Beasley from Miami then that's my top pick but I doubt Miami will do it.
I think this post highlights one of the fundamental problems with professional sportswriters. The closer you are to the players, the less objective you can be. Carlos Boozer introduced himself to your frakking family? So much for impartiality.
This is why I prefer fan blogs to yours. Without access to the players, fan blogs judge team decisions based upon a players actions on the court. Because at the end of the day we'd rather have one more win than one more player greeting your family before shoot-arounds.
Ross, I appreciate your work, you always bring a thoughtful and unique perspective.
In response to Rex, I'm glad you include the stories about your personal interactions with the players, because that adds a layer of humanity that we can only speculate on in fan blogs. Objectivity is a myth, anyway. I just want to hear about your experience with the players.
That being said, I can't get over your observation that "It probably was Boozer's misfortune in the end to play in Utah." Playing in Utah was his opportunity, not his misfortune. He had a chance to be a legend and to get paid much more than he was going to get from the Cavs. The flip side of the criticism from Jazz fans in response to his behavior is the adulation he could have enjoyed.
I understand the case you make: Boozer's aloof personality and bad luck didn't play to his advantage in this market. However, as a reader of league-wide coverage, I can't imagine any other market giving him a pass under similar circumstances.
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