Boozer's red hot and Matthews is a Viking?!
Just ran into a neighbor of mine at the gas station – thanks for buying the Diet Coke refill, Kevin! – and we chatted about the Jazz for a few.
What strikes me about conversations I’m having with people and the Jazz lately, though, is how the topic has shifted a bit. All summer and even early this fall, the question was always the same: “So what’s going to happen with Carlos Boozer?”
Now it seems to be more along the lines of: “Boozer’s sure playing great, isn’t he?”
Yep, sure is. Scary good.
So good you’ve got to wonder if the Jazz aren’t wondering if they can somehow keep him here longer than this year (or if they should strike a trade while the power forward’s hot). When he’s playing like he is now – hitting from everywhere and trying on defense – he’s a special player. And he just barely turned 28, so he has the potential of being a special player throughout another long-term contract.
Makes me wonder if someday in the future at a gas station – hopefully when the drinks are on Kevin again – if conversations will go something like this:
“Man, why did the Jazz ever let Boozer get away?”
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The end of the New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints game was being shown on the TV screens in the Jazz locker room as media members entered to do postgame interviews Monday night.
Some quick football chat revealed an interesting tidbit about Wesley Matthews. He admitted something Cheeseheads won’t like to hear. He’s a Wisconsin guy, but he’s a Minnesota Vikings fan.
Seems almost blasphemous (in a sports sense), but I’m sure Marquette supporters will forgive him.
Must be the No. 23. Matthews laughed as I pointed out that his decision to spurn the nearby Green Bay Packers for the Vikings was like Ohio native LeBron James rooting for the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Indians.
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Boozer’s last five games: 25.2 ppg on 49-70 on 70-percent shooting; 9.8 rpg; and 5.4 assists. Very impressive.
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Deron Williams ended up having a great shooting game, going 9-for-15 for 22 points in the 120-93 blowout win over Memphis.
The first quarter boxscore was kind of interesting, though. Williams was 1-for-5 and backup Eric Maynor missed his only shot.
Every other Jazz player who attempted a field goal was perfect, though, in the opening period. Ronnie Brewer was 4-for-4, Boozer went 6-for-6 and Wesley Matthews drilled his only shot, a 3-pointer.
Utah shot 70.6 percent in the first quarter and then “cooled off” to hit just 55 percent of its attempts in the second quarter to finish with 62.2 percent clip for the first half. That, by the way, is the third consecutive first half in which the Jazz have shot 60 percent or better, which is crazy good shooting.