This team is better off!

[DRIVEWAYBALL]

You are so right! What team wouldn't be far better off without their most efficient player?

As for the problem at center, that got solved last summer when KOC extended Okur.

 

[Harcher]

Agree with OP.

The Jazz are better off becuause the attempt/experiement/strategy/formulation/recipe of the Boozer/Okur/AK/DWill has not brought forth the desired results. Some of you have pointed out you knew this would not work all along and for that you can step up and tell the Jazz FO "i told you so." However, today it is appearant to all that it is time to try another formulation.

Signing CB is/was not an option. It is over. Everyone involved knew it.

While the Jazz do not like the term "rebuilding" it is in fact that time (call it reformulation if it is easier to take.) You have to take a step back during this process - it is inevitable. The question is how long do you take in the process? Take on Luol Dengs contract so we can all feel better about 'getting something for Boozer?' Not me. Cap space is a reasonable asset. When you are under the cap you can sign free agents (yes hard to do here in Utah, but we did land Boozer and Okur that way) Also when you are under the cap you can make uneven valuded trades. So having players who are valuable, but cheap is a reasonable asset. With AK comming off the books next season (and potentially in some trade action mid year) the Jazz are then in a position to add significant pieces to the reformulation.

So is this offseason the worst ever? Even as a Jazz "apologist" I'm disappointed right now about Booze leaving but i realize it is thing the team HAS TO DO.

I'm one who believes that the Jazz regular season record will not be that different than with Booze. Hopper has pointed out that fact in the numbers. AK will step in the 4 position at times and even flourish a bit. However, i also believe that the team is not as good as with Booze come playoff time. (During the regular season, "heart" has a lot more value.) But since Booze was not the answer here, we try again.

 

[vslice02]

Hey, can someone refresh my memory? When did AK become more injury-prone, before of after his max contract? If it was after, I justify his max contract because of the way he played at the time (playing PF right?) cause he was all over the court back then.

Kirilenko missed a total of 6 games in his first 3 seasons, then averaged 62 games over the next 6 after signing the max-extension. At the time I thought it was the right move.

 

[7StraightIsGreat]

Vslice02 wrote:

To those who think there is no dropoff between Millsap and Boozer, don't forget we got the Williams-Matthews-Miles-Millsap-Okur lineup against Phoenix in the season finale in what was essentially a playoff game. How did Millsap do in that one?
Sap is talented, but he's not Boozer. This will be a really intriguing offense-defense tradeoff.

And how did Boozer do in the playoffs agains the Lakers the past 3 or 4 times we've faced them? Isn't the ultimate goal to become the best team in the west and try to win a title? If it is, then by your own logic Boozer is not the answer.

Only difference is, I have a few years of playoff series and missed games due to injury to build my case against Boozer. You're example was one game when Millsap was put in as the starter after spending something like 75 games coming off the bench. If we're going to look at what Millsap does as a starter, wouldn't it be more honest to go back to 08/09 and look at the stretch where Sap had to start 20+ games in place of the injured Boozer? Have a look at those numbers and then try to convince me that there is a substantial drop-off by going with Sap.