CJ was on Sports Radio Corpus Christi yesterday. I missed the first part of the interview, but here's what I did catch. A lot of this is paraphrased because I couldn't transcribe fast enough and there wasn't a podcast. I'll put any direct quotes in quotes.
On Boozer leaving
He and the rest of the guys understood the move. They knew there would be a lot of teams going after Boozer. As a player, he said he knows that he could be in practice and get told that he could be traded. He said Boozer had to do what was best for him.
On whether he relishes going up against former teammates.
He said he definitely did, especially guys that you played behind and though you should have played more. He didn't say names, but it sounded like he was talking about Brewer perhaps though they have yet to play the Bulls this season.
His favorite team to play against and location?
His answer was Dallas since he's from there. He also likes playing at MSG. He did say that anytime he's "healthy and can step on the floor," that's where he likes to be.
On what's caused him to turn the corner in Utah
He said being on the floor and getting playing time gives him confidence and swagger. He feels he continues to improve with more minutes.
What was the toughest thing about coming to the NBA?
He said the toughest thing was learning how to guard guys in the NBA. He spoke of how the wing players he guards are traditionally the most talented on the team so that made it tough. The guys that can contain those players are the ones that stay on the floor.
On living in Salt Lake and Utah
He said the normal stuff, the town is slower, people are nice, fans are supportive of the team, etc. He said that if you're a young guy and want to focus on basketball, it's a good place to be.
On the Decision
He was in agreement with a lot of people that said it wasn't so much that LeBron left but how he did it. He didn't like that it took an hour to say "three words."
Toughest match-ups for the Jazz?
He listed the Hawks and the Lakers. Atalanta because they're so athletic and can switch on everything with the flex. The Lakers of course present problems because of their length.
On his role with the team
From the start of the season, he was told that he would be the energy guy off the bench. He feels that it's been beneficial for him because he has the ball more in that second unit. It's also helped him to grow as a player and a leader.
Thanks to iBOOGiE for the tip on twitter
If I looked at the dots correctly, then according to this graph from Ben Golliver, Deron is the 7th-most consistent scorer in the league. Golliver takes the top 20 scorers in the game and takes a look at their scoring consistency. Kevin Durant is in a league of his own when it comes to consistency. Michael Beasley is as well.
So you think Evans could draw Deron as a ninja? Here he is sketching out Hayward on his iPad:
via Twitpic
Sad Hayward is sad. As a side note, shouldn't someone make a movie where Hayward's shot against Duke goes in last spring and he goes on to have a different like ala Mr. Destiny?
Some guys never lose it. That's a big reason why Coach Sloan is still coaching and still involved in basketball. Here's a great quote via the Deseret News when talking about the he was on a team that's had a similar season to the Cavaliers,
"The bottom line is who are we?" said Sloan. "Who are we going to be? Are we going to be a team (that accepts losing)? It's about as nasty a feeling as you can have as far as basketball is concerned. If you acquire a taste for losing, I think you enjoy it and end up trying to say, 'It's OK.' I still can't do it (accept losing) at my age now."
Happy National Sundiata Gaines Shot Day! Gaines just got a 10-day contract with the Raptors. Good for him. They don't play the Heat until the 22nd, so LeBron has some time to sweat this out.
Sundiata Gaines Game-Winner, 3-Point Buzzer Beater vs Cavaliers (via WhereLakerzHappen)