I hesitate to even bring this up because I don't think he's worthy of the attention but as you've likely heard by now, Sid Rosenberg had Boozer on his show yesterday and tried everything he could to get him to say something bad about Utah and of course Mormons. From Dan Sheldon,
Rosenberg then steps on the gas by invoking stereotypes about Utah culture.
Rosenberg:
"Utah, I mean I've been out there. It's gorgeous, Park City, and if you like skiing and stuff it's real pretty but it is a horrible place to live. Horrible."
Boozer:
"No, it's not that bad. I raise my kids out there. It's pretty nice. We have a good time out there. Our basketball team is successful, of course. That's the most important thing of it. And it's a great place to raise your kids. And it is beautiful."
Not satisfied with that response, Rosenberg takes the plunge and insults the predominant religion practiced by Utah's residents.
Rosenberg:
"It is beautiful but those Mormon people are crazy, aren't they? I mean..."
Boozer interjects before the host can continue.
Boozer:
"No, they're not bad at all. They're not bad at all."
Rosenberg is nothing more than your typical shock jock who will say anything to get a reaction. His Wikipedia page has more examples.
And this morning Sheldon has some more from an Isiah Thomas interview with Rosenburg,
Thomas:"I think Karl Malone is probably a guy who got the most out of his talent and people talk about, they say Stockton and Malone and they used to think that Malone made Stockton. But come to find out that Stockton made Malone."
Rosenberg:
"Stockton and a little testosterone."
Thomas:
"I hear you on that, but anyway... (laughter in the studio)
But anyway, if Malone would've been a better foul shooter they would've won championships and that's the thing that I think really stopped them from winning championships is his inability to go to the foul line and make foul shots."
What a tool. I can't believe guys like him still have jobs. Honestly, who likes to listen to guys like this? When you have no talent, trying to get a rise out of people or making outrageous statements are all that you have. I think it was Bob Hope that said something to the effect that anyone can tell dirty jokes.
It doesn't take too much skill to say the things that Rosenberg says. I can't believe anyone would go on his show.
Give credit to Boozer for not falling for it unlike Thomas.
If you need convincing about trading with the Sixers for the #2 pick, Clark gives some compelling arguments.
Turning back the clock from last year's off-season, here's what was going on with Memo at the end of June,
Mehmet Okur is "leaning toward opting out" of his contract with the Jazz and could make the decision official as soon as today, Okur's agent, Marc Fleisher, said Sunday.
...
The Jazz could reach agreement on a contract extension with Okur before Tuesday, but Fleisher said he had no expectations of that happening. He also said Okur was "absolutely prepared" to leave Utah if it came to that.
That was on June 29th of last year. Of course Memo signed a couple of weeks later. It just goes to show how unpredictable things are this time of year. Just when it looks like everyone is going to opt out, they all come back. So with everything you hear about Carlos Boozer leaving or going, who we're drafting, etc., you just don't know until it happens.
This is the kind of stuff you get with off-season Downbeats. I was looking to see if Othyus Jeffers had been doing anything since the playoffs and this is what I found in Google News,
We have some good writers at SLC Dunk but to land someone of Jefferson's stature, well that's incredible.
There's been talk about taking a chance with Elijah Millsap in the second round. There's definitely low risk to taking him there and that's fine if he's the best that's left at that point. He seems to be somewhere between Paul and their older brother John skill-wise. He's not on Paul's level but appears he's going to have a better basketball career than John.
I see him getting training camp invites and just missing out on making a roster. So that leaves a D-League stint or playing in Europe. Here's some recent stuff that I found on Elijah,
Charles Barkley,
Barkley also said that UAB's Elijah Millsap, another early NBA draft entrant, "should stay in school.'' And then one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, who turned pro after three years at Auburn, started rolling on the subject."I don't know what these kids are thinking,'' he said. "If you're not going to go in the lottery, or in the first round, you should not go in the NBA draft. You put yourself in basketball limbo. You won't have anywhere to play. I'm not a big disciple of the D League (the NBDL).
Will Grant, Birmingham News,
All that aside, Millsap must work on his offense in order to have a realistic chance at the next level.
He must improve his mid-range game if he hopes to make it in the pros. The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder has a remarkable ability to get to the basket, proved by another school record for free throws attempted in a season, but Millsap's lack of outside shooting makes his offensive play much too one-dimensional.
Aran Smith, NBADraft.net
Paul's little brother Elijah is an older junior who felt ready and didn't see much benefit in returning to UAB. He appears to be a European player and probably would have gone undrafted in either year.
Mr. 6000
Millsap is an excellent athlete with good size and length, and the strength and build of Andre Iguodala. Millsap is a mismatch type of offensive player. He won't play PF in the NBA like he did at times in college, but he regularly beat PF's off the dribble in college. As a SF he also was an effective slasher and decent finisher with his athleticism and strength. He can handle the ball OK, and can create his own shots well and he got to the foul line at one of the better rates in the country. He is turnover prone though, and he will try to do too much when handling the ball. As a shooter, he's below average. He has no range, and his mid-range shot is kind of raw, even though he will make NBA-level shots off the dribble from that range a few times. As a rebounder and defender is where Millsap has the most value. He is a tough-minded player and he was a lockdown defender in the C-USA last year. That will probably be what gets him to the NBA if he makes it.