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We don't have any new player besides Eric Maynor
We have the same team who struggle last year and we still have Boozer who have been advertised we don't count with him.
But O'Connor is happy with where Jazz stand... http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_13186308

and you???

No, most contenders have gotten stronger, while we did nothing. Not a great way to start the season.

Yes,

I've always been one to think that Boozer is the best player the Jazz need to hang on to. Though over time he has said wierd things and made himself out to look like a fool. But I'm very optimistic that this team can win a championship if they don't have the injuries like last year. If one compares a healthy season (I know what if's) but a healthy season the Jazz are arguably one of the best teams in the league with the Lakers and Boston. So I'm anxious for the Jazz to start the year WITH Boozer and see how his contract year goes.

It appears like O'Conner and company have the same views.

And why would the Jazz trade away the opportunity to be apart of next years big free agency grab. If not Boozer there are a ton more players next year to make the Jazz even greater. The ripple effect of all those top players next year could change the NBA teams drastically and open up a lot of players that don't want to be behind someone else. This isn't really the year to make changes... next year is.

nghedman wrote:Yes,

I've always been one to think that Boozer is the best player the Jazz need to hang on to. Though over time he has said wierd things and made himself out to look like a fool. But I'm very optimistic that this team can win a championship if they don't have the injuries like last year. If one compares a healthy season (I know what if's) but a healthy season the Jazz are arguably one of the best teams in the league with the Lakers and Boston. So I'm anxious for the Jazz to start the year WITH Boozer and see how his contract year goes.

It appears like O'Conner and company have the same views.

And why would the Jazz trade away the opportunity to be apart of next years big free agency grab. If not Boozer there are a ton more players next year to make the Jazz even greater. The ripple effect of all those top players next year could change the NBA teams drastically and open up a lot of players that don't want to be behind someone else. This isn't really the year to make changes... next year is.

Even if Boozer, Harpring, and Korver all leave next season, it won't put us far enough under the cap to be players in the free agent market. This absolutely IS a year to make changes, but the Jazz are just sitting on their thumbs.

yeah if we dont trade AK for Z or an expiring we will be at the cap next season, with Brewer and Korvers extensions being pondered, maybe even Boozer, we wont be making a splash.

we'll all get excited, but then the same old road woes will come back, we'll remember why AK annoys us so much, we'll remember why we loved Millsap starting so much when Booz shows no D, we'll remember why we wanted better defenders so much and length.

I'm pumped up for the season, but same old team, same old problems will crop up

The Jazz wouldn't be making a run at LeBron or Wade or a top tier guy of course. But the way I read nghedman's post is the Jazz could get someone who can contribute with the mid-level or something like that. There is a ton of free agents and teams will only get one or two at most. The 2nd or 3rd tier guys are ones who could be had and contribute.

I'm not 100% happy with where things are. I think the team as assembled can be better if they avoid the injury bug. At the same time there are things like the Boozer situation that leaves me concerned. I'd like to address it but only if it makes sense both short and long term.

I'm willing to give the season a shot even if they don't make any additional changes. If things don't go well, there will be opportunities to make deals leading up to the trade deadline. Boozer would be a decent rental for someone looking to make a push--if they aren't concerned about signing him long term.

Deal with the Warriors goes down tomorrow or Wednesday.

What deal?

At least we don't have dudes checking into rehab after tweeting "the world's against me" or "life sucks" kind of stuff... I wonder what the heck is wrong with NBA guys? Many Jazz fans would have traded Boozer for Beasley in a second... there's so much behind the scene we just don't have a clue about...

stevebozell wrote:What deal?

He thinks we're gonna give the Warriors Boozer or AK for Maggette, Claxton (can only be traded after Aug, 25th) and Wright or something like that.

Although I'm not happy with the way things are right now, I don't think things are that bad either. And, IMO, next year is the year to make an impact. We can sign-and-trade Boozer, since there'll be a ton of teams under the cap looking to land a big FA and only the Jazz can give Boozer one extra year on his contract. Boozer wants big money, so I'm sure he won't mind a sign-and-trade. We can get a lot more value for a re-signed Boozer than for an expiring Boozer. We'll have the Knicks pick and AK's expiring, which are two huge trade assets. Maybe standing pat this year is not such a bad idea.

outerspacefella wrote:At least we don't have dudes checking into rehab after tweeting "the world's against me" or "life sucks" kind of stuff... I wonder what the heck is wrong with NBA guys?

For the most part the same things that are wrong with non-NBA guys. The main difference is their lives are on display.

I have a hard time trying to understand youngsters whose income is measured in millions , living in a comfort zone accessible for only an hyper-tiny part of humanity, and still finding ways to inform us little mortals that their lives sucks... I find it extremely stupid. I suppose those guys just wouldn't survive "real life".

Money doesn't buy everything a person needs. Sometimes I think people who become wealthy get depressed knowing they are in fact the same mortal they were before.

And to be fair, it isn't completely accurate to say O'Connor is happy with the way things are. Notice what the quote is in the article and what the writer summarizes:

O'Connor likes how the Jazz are positioned heading into his 11th season in Utah.

"We have a good core, from an asset standpoint," he said. "When Carlos was hurt last season, we started four players who were under 25 and we think those players are going to get better. ...

"We would like to get longer and we would like to get more athletic. But those kind of players are hard to find, especially when you've been drafting where we have been drafting."

The 4 starters who were under 25 while Carlos was out are Deron, Ronnie, CJ, and Paul, right? With Okur at C. So he likes the young core and is trying to get longer and more athletic players.

DelaneyRudd wrote:Money doesn't buy everything a person needs. Sometimes I think people who become wealthy get depressed knowing they are in fact the same mortal they were before.

+1

There were some insightful posts over at the Heat forum in response to some trolls criticizing Beasley and sports stars in general for not being happy. The best one made the point that compared to someone living in a developing nation, those of us reading this board are as wealthy as Michael Beasley. Relatively speaking we're wealthy and healthy. Yet we still have issues.

Give a troubled 20-year old millions of dollars and he's still a troubled 20-year old.


Back on topic... if you'd told me in March (in the middle of that win streak) that this whole team would be back for another run I would've been happy.

But now I don't know what to think. I'm surprised the roster is still intact - but then who isn't?

Some fans (and even some front offices) seem obsessed with making a deal just to make a deal. It sounds stupidly obvious, but if there weren't any good deals for the Jazz then not making a deal is the best move.

I do question KOC's intimation that there haven't been any good deals offered. I wonder if he is sometimes too pessimistic to get a big deal done. Based on his interview with 1280 early in the summer I get the impression there are deals he takes off the table before he even asks the other party about them. I remember the radio hosts asked him about trading for a defensive big man, and KOC got all testy and said those guys aren't available (or something to that effect). A few months later Okafor and Chandler switch places.

Perhaps those guys could only have been traded for each other -- but the haste with which KOC dismissed the notion makes me wonder about his ability to find deals.

Yeah, I'm a Hawks fan, but I'm amazed the front office just stayed pat. You can't do that in the West. Any chance you can still unload Boozer? I loved the way Milly played for you guys down the stretch and I think he could shoulder the load.

Where do you think you guys rank in the West if the season started today?

Karl Moats
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third.

HappyProle wrote:I do question KOC's intimation that there haven't been any good deals offered. I wonder if he is sometimes too pessimistic to get a big deal done. Based on his interview with 1280 early in the summer I get the impression there are deals he takes off the table before he even asks the other party about them.

The example you give isn't a very good one to make such an assumption about his trade talk practices. To me it serves more to highlight his frustrations about trying to swing such deals with only Booze, AK and CJ to work with. It'd be great if KOC had a Chandler to offer people, but he never has.

Perhaps those guys could only have been traded for each other -- but the haste with which KOC dismissed the notion makes me wonder about his ability to find deals.

Again, I don't see the correlation. That haste could merely indicate experience rather than a lack of ingenuity.

Is there anyone out there that doesn't think that Okafor for Boozer would not have been a better deal for Charlotte than Okafor for Chandler? Either the Jazz don't believe Okafor is worth the money he will earn over the next several years or they are dedicated to staying beneath the salary cap as much as possible. Perhaps they could have gotten Okafor for Okur. Now, that is a deal that would have perhaps made the Jazz a better team this year.