But here's the thing: Even if the Jazz are healthy, even if everything goes well, they are fundamentally flawed.

And it's remarkable that team management hasn't recognized that fact. If they have, it's even more remarkable that they haven't done anything about it.

Their flaw is defense.

They struggle to stop teams, especially good teams, the kind of teams they would face in the playoffs, should they be fortunate enough to get that far.

And that shortcoming gives them no chance to win a championship as presently constituted.

Some say that conclusion is unfair, given the Jazz's bad fortune with injuries this season. Wait until Carlos Boozer gets back, they say. Well, Boozer is a terrific scorer, a low-post presence that will give the Jazz 20-plus points and 10 boards a game, unless he goes into the kind of funk that plagued him during the playoffs a year ago. And that will help the Jazz score more efficiently and rebound better, but it will make them only marginally harder to score on, given Boozer's defensive board work helping reduce opponents' second-chance points.

On the other hand, Boozer is a defensive liability because of his limited lateral quickness, his lack of sound defensive anticipation and his inability or unwillingness to give a full effort at that end of the floor. It's an amazing thing, really, that an athlete who is quick enough and strong enough to maneuver himself into scoring position isn't quick enough and strong enough to stop others from scoring.

Boozer's return, whenever it comes, won't solve the Jazz's most pressing problem.

Andrei Kirilenko's return from ankle surgery will help, the forward being the Jazz's best defender, especially coming from the weak side. His on-the-ball abilities aren't bad, either, better than any of his teammates. His return in a few weeks would hold more promise if his presence before the injury had made a bigger difference.

The Jazz rank 20th in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage, well behind most of the league's serious title contenders, including the Celtics, who rank first, the Cavs, second, the Magic, third, the Nuggets, fourth, and the Lakers, sixth. They rank 15th in average points allowed, which would be a bit more indicting if the Lakers didn't rank 16th. But the Lakers also outscore everybody, including the Jazz by nearly seven points a game.

Only a handful of teams foul more than the Jazz, who too often settle for that option rather than playing the defense required to make it unnecessary. And they rank only 19th in average rebounds.

It's curious that a Jerry Sloan-coached-and-constructed team would suffer this way on defense. The Jazz are much better offensively than defensively, and one look at the roster reveals a bunch of players who aren't exactly known for rugged D.

Mehmet Okur? Boozer? Kosta Koufos? Kyrylo Fesenko? Kyle Korver? C.J. Miles?

From whom are the stops going to come, particularly in the low blocks and out at the three-point arc, and against the West's best teams, such as the Lakers and Spurs?

Where are the defenders, inside and out?

Deron Williams is decent, although he sometimes struggles against quicker point guards. Kirilenko is an asset, unless he's trying to stop Kobe. Paul Millsap is better than Boozer. Ronnie Brewer makes good plays, and also gets burned. Matt Harpring has already used up a lot of himself.

The interior defense needs special attention.

But it does not get it.

For whatever reason, the Jazz have not made a move to bolster their deficiency, Instead, they have stayed pat with a talented-but-injured team, waiting, apparently, to see how it all plays out. Kevin O'Connor frequently makes reference to the difficulty in finding strong interior defenders, and, then, nothing changes. Some of the best deals are the ones you never make ?

With potential opt-outs and free agency coming to multiple players, there are changes ahead. Still, it's interesting and puzzling that the Jazz haven't already pulled off some sort of trade, giving up some of their offense to boost their obvious weaknesses.

They won't win a championship, even if they are healthy, with their roster. And yet they make no move. Which is an admission to their fans that they are happy enough with what they've got, instead of desperate enough to do anything and everything they can, maybe even take a risk or two, to earn the title they've never had.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Monson and Graham Show" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 1280 AM The Zone. He can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com