Okur's importance to Utah

[GIVE_WADE_THE_MAX]

While Okur may not be the most gifted player on the planet his presence alone turns Utah from a good team to one of the elites. I believe the reason the Jazzz struggled early on was due to Okur's absence from the lineup.

When Okur is on the floor he forces the opposing Center to defend out to the three point line. The significance of this one aspect really opens up Utah's offense and allows Boozer and Deron to be the stars they are. IF Okur is spotted at the 3 point line that means Deron can drive the ball without having to worry about the opposing center waiting and clogging up a driving lane. Boozer as well can avoid weak side help from opposing centers. The Jazz basically make a defensive center irrelevant.

The matchup probelms they can create with Okur on the floor really opens up the offense and leads to good ball movement. In this type of an offense the ball is constantly moving and everyone can find a good shot.

While Okur is not the greatest player, by any means, his importance to the team is in more then just numbers.