From Light to Heavy Odds and Ends

One. Fes said on Media Day, “I’m here to play.” When the coaches called a huddle during the Jazz’s first practice, he tried to show that by being the first guy over and standing at attention. Unfortunately, his true nature took over within seconds (might have to enable .gif animation in your browser).

I also found it curious found it noteworthy noticed that all of the Euro guys (Elson, AK, Memo, and Fes) were wearing shirts under their jerseys, while the American guys were wearing just their jerseys. Yatta was the exception, but he played in Italy so it makes sense. Or whatever. Moving on…

Two. Great quote from Jerry, Part 1: “[Sundiata Gaines]’s got a great body. Don’t try to preserve it. Get out and let it get some bumps and bruises on it.” (sltrib)

Three. Great quote from Jerry, Part 2:

Four. The Jazz recently announced that Matty Harpring will be joining Boler on the call this season (and Booner and his unique brand of hilarious unintentional comedy will be moving to radio). I think one day, I’d like to see a Matt Harpring/Jarron Collins color analyst team. Say what you want about Collins, but that is one extremely articulate guy.

Five. The Koof has been impressing in Minnesota: “So far, Koufos is looking like much more than salary dump. Acquired in the Al Jefferson deal, he has been impressive so far. / So far in training camp, he has been a living, breathing, energetic big man who’ll bang and can shoot it with some range.” (Those are a lot of “so far’s”…also, that last sentence could very well be on the front of an adult video.) I’m happy for him. Hopefully, the “Boom Bitches” movement is well underway in Minnesota. (Star Tribune)

Six. Big Al is not a fan of alley-oops. During the first day of training camp, “Williams brought up the pick-and-roll sets Utah’s offense has long been based upon. Jefferson replied that he’s not too fond of catching lob passes. Williams responded: No problem–I’ll use bounce passes.” (sltrib)

Seven. Earl Watson on what drew him to the Jazz, and why he signed with the Jazz knowing that he wouldn’t start or get starter minutes:

For one, the fans to me are the best in the NBA consistently over the time…I’ve been in the NBA. Two is the organization, the tradition of excellence. Anytime you have a great organization, great fans, and a Hall of Fame legendary coach, and a great team…you want to be a part of something unique.
…
To win a championship. You’re seeing teams being built right now where guys are sacrificing money which is, you rarely hear that in the NBA, and sacrificing playing time and ability to score the ball as much as possible, but for me I’m sacrificing a chance to start, but at the same time I’m gaining everything I’ve always wanted since I was a kid, and that’s a chance to win a championship. (KALL)

Eight. Locke did a podcast with NBA.com blogger Sekou Smith. Midway through the conversation, Locke asked Smith about his thoughts on Boozer joining the Bulls. I wonder if Locke was surprised when Smith went off on a three-minute rant about Carlos:

[I was] disgusted with the stuff that came out of his mouth this summer. Anybody who’s read the blog before knows I am not the world’s biggest Carlos Boozer fan just as a player. … I watched him in that Lakers series and thought to myself, “Is this the best you can do?” Boozer’s talking [in Chicago] about, “We’re a championship team.” I never heard him speak with the kind of bravado in Utah that he has since he’s been in Chicago, and he talks about Derrick Rose with this reverence, like Derrick Rose is already atop the point guard rankings in the league or something. I never really heard him speak about Der-ron Williams in that tone [employ auto-tune] about Deron Williams in that tone. The way he can just quickly flip like that and start talking and beating his chest the way he has in Chicago really bothers me about Boozer, because I don’t think personally that Carlos Boozer is the kind of guy you hitch your wagon to and say, “This is the dude that’s taking us to the promised land.” I don’t believe he’s that kind of guy, and I think if Bulls fans believe that he’s that kind of guy, they’re sadly mistaken.

[At this point, a violently purple Bagley grabs his phone and starts making calls asking if anyone knows anyone that can “take care of” Smith.]

Locke says that when he used to ask scouts and coaches about Boozer vs. Millsap, they all said that they worried about Boozer more because they didn’t fear Millsap:

“…so to me, it was really just that simple. But then there is this other end of Carlos where I just think everyone–every fan, every coach, every teammate–always kind of looked at him and wondered, including myself, what is your intention here? What is it you really want to get done here? And I almost felt like yesterday at Media Day, wow, it was noticeable that that wasn’t there anymore. Last year’s Media Day was such a sideshow with him and this time it didn’t exist.

Sekou went on to say that it wasn’t necessarily Boozer’s fault and that it’s sometimes the league’s fault for mis-casting a franchise guy:

“There’s a certain time of year when you have to be what people think you are or you officially are not. I think Carlos Boozer’s one of those guys who, there have been times, you say all right, Boozer’s in that class. He’s an All-Star, he’s this, he’s that, and then you’re quickly reminded come Playoff time, no, that’s not who he is.
…
I thought Boozer got handled [during the Lakers series]. In the games where Pau Gasol played well, which was basically every game in that series, you got a chance to see what kind of gulf there is between the Pau Gasol power forward in the NBA–that level of power forward–and then Boozer, who I think is clearly on a tier below the Gasols and the Kevin Garnetts and those guys, and even Amare Stoudemire. … He’s just not that same level of guy when it matters most, and that’s in the postseason. There’s no shame in that, it’s just the way it is.

Smith also said later on that Jerry is his favorite coach in the league, FWIW.

Nine. AK, on going into his tenth year with the Jazz, and never having played for anyone but the Jazz:

“I like that,” Kirilenko said. “You know, I’m a pretty loyal guy. I like to play on the same team a long time.” (desnews)

Ten. On a related note, I have shelved my emotional, tear-filled, heartsick, rambling stream of consciousness on the AK trade for now, and I hope for good.