Jazz match Okies' offer for CJ Miles

[Ted]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=294&sid=3854353


I was surprised at this move. I thought for sure the Jazz would never match 4 years and 15 million for Miles. I'm glad we kept him because I think he's got as much potential as Brewer does, but this puts the Jazz over the luxury tax in 2009-2010, so someone has to move before next year or we will lose Paul Millsap.

Joe, Skander . . . what do you guys think of this move?

[jemagee]

but this puts the Jazz over the luxury tax in 2009-2010, so someone has to move before next year or we will lose Paul Millsap.

Even when you subtract boozers contract after he leaves?

[Ted]

Even when you subtract boozers contract after he leaves?

Boozer may leave, and that would alleviate the luxury tax pressure, but he would be a fool to leave. The Jazz will either give him a max offer or trade him away. Letting him walk out the door would be a disaster.

[jemagee]

but he would be a fool to leave.

Why?  Cause he likes having zero shot to win a title year after year after year?  Cause he likes unrealistic expectations based on a guy named  Karl Malone?  Cause he'd rather live in salt lake city during the season than miami (where his home is anyway)

Yeah, be real foolish from him to leave.

[Ted]

Thanks for the fair and balanced reply . . .

Here are Boozer's pros and cons for staying in Utah as I see them:

Pros
More money in Utah
Plays with a top-two point guard who makes him look better than he is
BETTER shot at a title with an experienced yet young team in a quickly aging Western Conference
Primary option on offense instead of 2nd or 3rd

Cons
Lives in Miami in off-season
Not living in a wasteland
Could play with Dwyane Wade and his hamburger knees and lose to the Celtics, Pistons, or Sixers in the playoffs for the rest of his career
Not exposed to Mormon girls who might spurn his advances and forever poison him against anyone associated with the name

As I see it, Boozer has a better career playing with Deron Williams. But there are a lot reasons for him going to Miami as well. Saying he'd be a fool to leave is probably too strong. I admit I don't know what drives Boozer. Maybe making a good chunk of money playing third fiddle and living where you're comfortable is more important. If that's the case, then he's probably not the player the Jazz need. I just hope they get something in return. Pulling a Wallace and trading or letting go of an elite big man for nothing would royally piss off us Jazz fans.

[jemagee]

BETTER shot at a title with an experienced yet young team in a quickly aging Western Conference

I like the fair and balanced portion, especially ignoring that there are other young teams, with a variety of experience who are believed to be serious contenders in the future...Lakers and Blazers for instance.

I just don't think the jazz have a real shot at a title any time soon, and think they already missed their window and are grossly over rate everyone after williams and boozer...at least in the east it seems you can get lucky...and rileys track record of winning titles is better than sloans.

[Ted]

No doubt the Lakers are the biggest obstacle for the Jazz in the West. The Hornets are tough, but Deron Williams can own CP head to head, so I like their chances. The Blazers are kind of freaky with all of their young beasts . . . tell me though, what kind of "variety" of experience do the Blazers have?

I see the Lakers, Jazz, Hornets, and Blazers as the teams on the rise. Phoenix, San Antonio (unless they do something more interesting than signing Kurt Thomas), Dallas, and Houston are on the way down.

Miami sucks, and although Boozer would help a lot, he's not nearly as effective when he doesn't have someone feeding the ball. Who's going to feed him? Wade? Marion? Who's the point guard on Miami? I can't recall right now.

By the way, Pat Riley is not the coach of the Miami Heat.

[jemagee]

The Hornets are tough, but Deron Williams can own CP head to head,

And if it was a best of 7 one on one, maybe I'd give it to Chris Paul, I think the hornest are a better team, now and going forward, 1-12 than the jazz...just my personal opinion.

By the way, Pat Riley is not the coach of the Miami Heat.

Thanks, I'm aware of that, I also remember what happened last time riley 'left' coaching the heat when they stunk, and then what happened when they got better and could contend for a title, anyone who doesn't think riley would do that again is naive...he wants the glory....

Plus, personal opinion, I don't think Jerry Sloan can get it done, he didn't when he was the cream of the western conference, i don't expect him to do it now....plus he's getting more and more crotechety with the 'new players' and i think he's going to start alienating more of them.

[WayOutWest]

No doubt the Lakers are the biggest obstacle for the Jazz in the West. The Hornets are tough, but Deron Williams can own CP head to head, so I like their chances. The Blazers are kind of freaky with all of their young beasts . . . tell me though, what kind of "variety" of experience do the Blazers have?

I see the Lakers, Jazz, Hornets, and Blazers as the teams on the rise. Phoenix, San Antonio (unless the do something more interesting than signing Kurt Thomas), Dallas, and Houston are on the way down.

Miami sucks, and although Boozer would help a lot, he's not nearly as effective when he doesn't have someone feeding the ball. Who's going to feed him? Wade? Marion? Who's the point guard on Miami? I can't recall right now.

By the way, Pat Riley is not the coach of the Miami Heat.

I think I posted right after the Lakers/Jazz series that IMO the Jazz have the most talent at the most posistions than any team in the league with the possible exception of the Lakers and Celtics.  IMO the Lakers and Celtics are just more stacked at a few positions while the Jazz are better top to bottom.

[ziggy]

Jazz were the second best playoff team in the West last year, only the Lakers were better.  They will be one of the 2 or 3 best teams in the West for at least the next 3 years.  Western Conference finals in 07, and would have been in 08 on the other side of the bracket.

[jemagee]

Since Boozers future with the jazz is unknown past next season i'm not sure how you can project them for 'at least' the next 3 years...losing boozer would be a big blow on the court, of course sloan would probably bad mouth him on his way out.

[Ted]

Since Boozers future with the jazz is unknown past next season i'm not sure how you can project them for 'at least' the next 3 years...losing boozer would be a big blow on the court, of course sloan would probably bad mouth him on his way out.

Jerry Sloan too? Your axe must be darn near ground down to a nub.

Sloan rarely talks about an individual player in the media. There have been several examples of players who played good basketball with the Jazz and have then gone on to do very little with the rest of their careers (Scott Hansen, Jay Humphries, Jeff Malone, Adrian Dantley, Blue Edwards, Shandon Anderson, Jeff Foster, Howard Eisley, Keon Clark, Thurl Bailey, Bryon Russell, Delaney Rudd, John Crotty, ). The few who have left town on a bad note are the ones who have gone on to do next to nothing: Chris Morris, Jeff Malone, Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek. The most acrimonius splits were Arroyo and Giricek, and Sloan said absolutely NOTHING about them to the media. I suppose Sloan let his actions do the talking: benching Arroyo and sending Giricek home early.

[WayOutWest]

Since Boozers future with the jazz is unknown past next season i'm not sure how you can project them for 'at least' the next 3 years...losing boozer would be a big blow on the court, of course sloan would probably bad mouth him on his way out.

Jerry Sloan too? Your axe must be darn near ground down to a nub.

Sloan rarely talks about an individual player in the media. There have been several examples of players who played good basketball with the Jazz and have then gone on to do very little with the rest of their careers (Scott Hansen, Jay Humphries, Jeff Malone, Adrian Dantley, Blue Edwards, Shandon Anderson, Jeff Foster, Howard Eisley, Keon Clark, Thurl Bailey, Bryon Russell, Delaney Rudd, John Crotty, ). The few who have left town on a bad note are the ones who have gone on to do next to nothing: Chris Morris, Jeff Malone, Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek. The most acrimonius splits were Arroyo and Giricek, and Sloan said absolutely NOTHING about them to the media. I suppose Sloan let his actions do the talking: benching Arroyo and sending Giricek home early.

Adrian Dantley?  I remember him doing just fine until the Pistons traded him.  Maybe I have the order of Dantley's teams mixed up?

[jemagee]

The jazz seem to be talking an awful lot of crap about CJ Miles this off season

[ziggy]

Since Boozers future with the jazz is unknown past next season i'm not sure how you can project them for 'at least' the next 3 years...losing boozer would be a big blow on the court, of course sloan would probably bad mouth him on his way out.

Of course you can't project anything out very far, without the tacit understanding of all other things being equal.  No doubt losing Boozer would hurt, but Boozer will make his decision based upon what he believes will happen if he is there.  If he is there, and all other things being equal, I am quite content with my statement.