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boozer believes he has the right to start

"I feel like I'm the starter," Boozer told the Deseret News on Sunday. "I think I've earned that. That's the only role I've been in my whole career."

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... ks_boozer/

As I said, trade this clown as he is already starting to be a distraction. He states he has "earned" the role of starter. I guess playing half the games of the season is enough to "earn" the role.

Get rid of his azz today!!!!!!!!!!!! AK-47 can play back up PF and SF that he is not needed at all.

Just a few days ago he admitted he put his foot in his mouth over the summer, now he comes out surprised that he actually has to work for his starting position even though during the playoffs he was sitting on the sidelines in the 4th quarter (or most the season with his injury) as Milsap finished games for us. Good thing Boozer isn't in the NFL "WHAT? I'm not the starting QB by just showing up?? HUH? I was a starter last year!?! I've been a starter all my life!! You want me to practice for my job??" What an idiot. Also way to hurt your trade value ya dork by saying stupid stuff like this Boozer.

Anyway I hate him as much as you guys, but it's his contract year, he knows he needs to play for $$$, he doesn't give a crap about Utah/Utah Jazz or the fans..his excuse of being asked if he would like to play somewhere else because "he" thought he was good as gone and traded...I'll give him some room and excuse after his media day for that but saying management openly told him he was gone and not part of the plans, after KOC denied saying that..that I don't (who do you trust? KOC? or Boozer?)

Anyway let's see what happens - we got till the trade deadline to decide if he's part of the future or not. I think he's gone either way but might as well test drive the offense out and see how everyone gels before making a rush trade (or letting him walk). Unless KOC pulls a rabbit out of a hat trade that we just can't turn down I don't see us getting better trading boozer. Boozer has part of a season to prove he's actually worth keeping and he should be motivated to win for $$$$.

I don't have a problem with Boozer thinking he should start. I would like my whole team to have this desire and strive to impvoe to make it happen rather than being content to be the 12th guy.

Gotta love Sloan.

Maybe this will put a big enough chip on his shoulder that he will actually play hard and aggressive for once.

Damn that 2-time All-Star, how dare he think he should start!!!!!!!!!

I think it is a good move by Sloan--make it an open competition for the position. That way Millsap doesn't feel disrespected and the de-facto starter in Boozer has to come out and defend his starting position. Its all good for the team. If someone is afraid of being beat out and competiting for the job, he doesn't deserve it.

Good move by Sloan. It's smart to start the season competing. They'll both work their tails off trying to one up each other and that should equal out to a few more wins during the season.

Boozer will start, I'm just surprised he's surprised.

I agree with DelaneyRudd... Boozer should know best... he should know he'll start and just keep his mouth shut (wait... that's just the things he cannot do...)

I think we'll see a base 3 man rotation with Boozer and Memo starting but Milsap playing a long side Boozer more than in the past. That would give all 3 players 32 minutes each and keep them all happy.

Injuries, mismatches, leads, and foul trouble would pull Koufos and AK into the rotations.

Boozer needs to take a few public relations lessons. If he would have said things like "I look forward to work hard to retain my starting position" and "battling Paul for the starting position will only make us both more focused and better prepared for the season" and "Paul is a great player who deserves a starting position on any team but this is my position on this team and I will do everything to keep my position". Those statements would have shown leadership and confidence in his own abilities, rather than the whining statements he made instead.

"That's a coaching staff thing, I'm a basketball player under contract; whatever Coach decide will be ok"

It's too much to ask for?

Boozer doesn't need PR lessons; he need to stop "PR-ing" at all. Just play basketball and get a little set of pre and post game interview all around sentences.

nyjazz wrote:Boozer needs to take a few public relations lessons. If he would have said things like "I look forward to work hard to retain my starting position" and "battling Paul for the starting position will only make us both more focused and better prepared for the season" and "Paul is a great player who deserves a starting position on any team but this is my position on this team and I will do everything to keep my position". Those statements would have shown leadership and confidence in his own abilities, rather than the whining statements he made instead.

If you read the article the things he says are actually more along these lines. Definitely with a Boozer twist. What he actually said was basically that he feels he has earned the starting role but if he and Paul have to compete for it then he is fine with that.

We all know Millsap is gonna get screwed here tho. No matter how hard either of them plays Boozer will start. Just as he should. It may hurt our record this year but we aren't a championship caliber team anymore anyway. Trading Boozer for trash, without at least attempting to increase his trade value, just to save us from a few distractions would be a huge mistake. Sacrificing a few wins here or there for the future of the organization makes far more sense. After all it's not like we are throwing entire seasons to possibly one day improve our team a la the Knicks.

Boozer definitely didn't deal with this situation as well as he could have, but the fact that verbal prudence isn't one of his better traits doesn't mean that he's not clearly the better player and that he doesn't give us the best chance of winning this year. Yes, he's in a kind of limbo with the team, but it's a contract year for him, so he'll be playing hard to raise his value. If he's not injured, he'll either raise his trade value enough so that we can get a satisfactory offer or play at an all-star level for the entire season. I guess there's a chance that the team could combust from within, but I like to believe that won't happen.
It's going to be very hard to divvy out all the minutes up front. Boozer, Memo and Sap obviously need significant time, but I really think we need to get Koufos out there consistently as well. He needs playing time to develop and we need a long seven footer who can defend to be taken seriously. It would also be a shame to let AK's versatility and weakside shotblocking ability go to waste by playing him exclusively at the three, but it might be difficult not to.

Of course he should start. What are we paying him for if not? Just because he was a moron over the summer, doesn't mean he shouldn't start. Him not starting so many games last season really put us back. Let's just hope that he can stay healthy and start at least 90% of the games this season. That would be a major boost for us.

Who do you believe, KOC or Boozer? That has to be Boozer. He has no vested interested whatever in saying that he was told that he was not in the long range plans for the team. To the contrary, I am sure it was somewhat embarrassing to ackowledge that. On the other hand, KOC has a vested interest in trying to maintain the highest possible trade value for Boozer. Saying publicly that he was not in the long range plans for the team compromises that.

I hate to keep bringing this up but the only player who WANTED and TRIED to leave the Jazz this off-season was MILLSAP.......

Not Boozer, MILLSAP.......

People keep forgetting that little fact........

red4hf wrote:I hate to keep bringing this up but the only player who WANTED and TRIED to leave the Jazz this off-season was MILLSAP.......

Not Boozer, MILLSAP.......

People keep forgetting that little fact........

You make normal people brain hurt. Millsap played the game the way it's supposed to be.

red4hf wrote:I hate to keep bringing this up but the only player who WANTED and TRIED to leave the Jazz this off-season was MILLSAP.......

Not Boozer, MILLSAP.......

People keep forgetting that little fact........

That's right, Red. The difference is Sap played by the rules. Boozer didn't. The Jazz told Sap to try and explore the market and that's what he did. Boozer, on the other hand, opted to stay with the Jazz and then tried to force a trade to his 2 favorite destinations. Besides, Sap never said he wanted to leave.
I have no problem with Boozer saying he thinks he should be the starter though. His argument was the same that Sloan always uses. No player should lose his starting spot because of an injury. Now, if either he or Sap bitches about being benched, it will be a whole different thing.