(Local media videos)Jazz basically screwed up the whole Cavaliers franchise

They are not evil, they have a smart franchise that's well runned. I still hate them, but have to give them a little respect.

 

this is what you call smarts and cleverness. i wish our management would be like this.. attack on your opponents weaknesses. even if jazz doesnt get boozer, they still have alot of cash to spend on fa's... if cleveland matches, like you said, they will be really screwed, if not, yep, still screwed... i like the way the jazz management works this offseason. cd and les should learn from them. being clever and smart can get you some really good things...

 

isn't the nba a competition???

 

the jazz might come out looking like geniuses but i wonder if this is worth the reputation its going to receive from other FAs in the future and other teams alike.
personally i'd rather have our management looking like nice, trustworthy guys. just look at rudy, he has everyone's respect and players have a good feeling about him. even shaq gave rudy t props and said he would have liked to play for rudy but not on the lakers.
just my opinion.

 

How does this make Utah look bad? They didn't break any promises. They signed a free agent at fair value.

Boozer and especially his agent, on the other hand, are not to be trusted ever again.

 

I cant think of two better forwards that would fit into a Sloan system than Boozer and AK-47! Talk about lunchpail!

 

This just pisses me off. Look at the Rockets. Our rebuilding process took FIVE freaking years and a lucky lottery ball bounce to regain our status as contenders. The Jazz's "rebuilding" looks like it'll only last one single year and it's not even a bad year at 40-42. Thankfully we have 2 championships, which makes me feel better.

 

What goes around will probably eventually come around...

 

I will take 5 tough years if it lands us Yao and Tmac. The upside is much larger than Boozer/AK-47. But Utah should be pleased with what they were able to do. They will be solid.

 

Hey, has anybody noticed the irony of a guy named "Boozer" going to the state of Utah?

 

Along with the irony of Utah being the Jazz? Why not!

 

A whole five years? Dude, don't even go there. The Nugs are lucky we've only taken 10 years to return to the playoffs. Teams like the Clippers, Wizards, Hawks, they have it bad.

 

... Actually, Clips made it in '97. Hawks in '99. Warriors are completely cursed.

Does anyone else think that Boozer is perfect for the pick and roll?

 

I'll believe the coming Utah dynasty when I see it.

I think they overpaid for Okur (but, being Utah, I think they have to overpay for a lot of FAs) but they've pretty much locked themselves in with the crew of Okur-Boozer-Kirilenko-Arroyo for the next few years and will have to surround them with role players.

They might have some good seasons, but these guys aren't going to bring them a title as the nucleus, I don't think. (I am not an Okur fan -- he looks like a turkish Jason Collier). They will be forever in search of a true franchise type player (Kirilenko is borderline and does many things well, but can he be a 20-10 man? I don't know) and they won't be able to draft one because they'll always be middle of the pack or sign one bc they'll have no $. As long as they never win a title, I'll be happy, they can pile up all the 48 win seasons that they want along the way.

 

You're right. There are definitely worse things than being a Rockets fan. That said, the only reason the Rockets are being contenders again is because we got the #1 pick in the right year. Until then, the Rockets personell moves haven't exactly been much better than those teams you mentioned.

If you to say two years ago that a lineup of Ben Wallace/Rasheed Wallace/Prince/Hamilton/Billups can win a NBA title, people would think you're smoking something. Sure, Utah has no superstar, but the lineup is solid, and Sloan is possibly the best coach in the league. If Boozer and Okur both improve, AK-47 becomes a 17/9/5 type of a player, this team has a few shots at the championship. Granted, they're longer shots than our Yao/T-Mac combo, but I wouldn't write them off.

 

I agree with Sam's position and I'll add:

Here is the thing: those guys ARE role players. Even AK47 is an outstanding all-around player, but leader of an offense--I don't think so.

They don't have a Yao, TMac, TD, KG, Shaq, Kobe, Dirk, perhaps not either a Gasol or Nash or Bibby or Webber or Carmelo.

We have seen over and over a collection of good to above average players rarely leads to playoff success. To borrow from TNT you need an offensive "beast" to succeed in the WC playoffs.

All we have do is look at the Clippers--Brand, Kandi, Odom, Maggette, Q, Dre--they still were pretty mediocre because those guys are good but none are a BEAST.