Boozer trade could result in tears ? of joy News Utah Jazz

Bye-bye, Boozer. Those are the words that most Utah Jazz fans have been hoping to say for several weeks. And, any day now, they're going to get their wish. We've often been told to be careful what we wish for, because we just might get it.

Well, Jazz fans, you're going to get your way on this one, so don't grumble if it doesn't work out quite the way you thought it would, or should. But in this case, I've gotta agree with you ? the Jazz front office is doing the right thing for the team's long-term well being. With their decision to match the Portland Trail Blazers' four-year, $32 million offer to restricted free agent power forward Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer ? the man Millsap will permanently replace in Utah's starting lineup ? can definitely start packing his bags, if they're not already packed and waiting for a forwarding address. Sure, right now, Boozer is a better Basketball player than Millsap, at least on the offensive end of the floor. But Millsap, who has a ton of up-side and a great work ethic to him, will hopefully bust his butt to earn those big bucks, and I don't believe we've yet seen the terrific player he will become someday. I do believe we've seen the best of Boozer, though. And while his scoring ability will no doubt be missed at times, and he has a well-deserved reputation as a 20-point/10-rebound guy, Boozer just might be the most vilified Jazzman since Greg Ostertag. In Ostertag's case, it was because he landed a fat contract extension and then just seemed content to remain the same, bumbling big guy with bad hands that he was in the beginning. He frustrated the heck out of Utah's fans with his occasional superb performance, which would usually be followed by a series of maddening, flat-line efforts. Ostertag never seemed to care enough to improve his game, never lived up to our hopes and expectations and thus never earned the big investment Utah had made in him. The scorn for Boozer, though, might run even deeper because he possesses such great ability on the court. The 6-foot-9 power forward could have been a major impact player for this franchise for many years, but he selfishly seemed to care far more about his own statistics and comfort level than he did about the team's success. Let's face it, Boozer is a proven low-post presence and a tremendous scorer/rebounder who opposing teams must reckon with. But it's not all the things Boozer did that infuriated Jazz fans. It's all the things he didn't do. He didn't play hurt, missing major portions of three of the five seasons he played here. In the two seasons when he wasn't hurt ? 2006-07, and 2007-08 ? he was indeed that reliable 20/10 guy everybody was hoping to see. During the 2007 playoffs, his 23.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game were a huge reason the Jazz reached the Western Conference finals. He came up with two monster games of 41 points and then 35 points/14 rebounds in the opening-round clincher against Houston that year. We thought we might be seeing the second coming of Karl Malone. But, unlike The Mailman, Boozer wasn't indestructible, and it took him forever to heal from injuries that Malone might've simply taped up and played through. He didn't play defense. Even though his physical size and stature were similar to that of Malone, Boozer usually chose to avoid opposing players with a matador-like, "ole'" style instead of getting nasty with them when they came into the paint. It's not that he couldn't play defense due to his physical limitations; it's that he wouldn't. In fact, rumor has it that when Boozer finished up his collegiate career at Duke in 2002, he still had four years of defensive eligibility remaining. He didn't endear himself to fans with his "I'm gonna get a raise regardless" comment last season, a careless statement coming at a time when the nation's economy is in the Dumpster. It's always a good idea to think before you speak; and while Boozer usually said all the right things, sometimes as if his cliche-filled quotes were printed on cue cards, he showed his true feelings with that one poorly chosen, selfish statement. It all adds up to a player who might've become a beloved cornerstone ? the word he liked to use for himself ? for this franchise, if not for those heartless things he didn't do. And that's why so many of us will be glad to say bye-bye, Boozer. e-mail: rhollis@desnews.com