Hooped Up

Free agent to be Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz is intrigued with the prospect of joining the New York Knicks this summer, because he thinks Mike D’Antoni is “dope”. Word Up!

“I love D’Antoni, he’s the dope,” Boozer said. “Spending time with him in the Olympics, his offensive mindset is unbelievable. He’s got the best plays I’ve ever been around — on a whim. It’s like rappers when they come out on the top of the dome with quotes. He’s got plays in the back of his head with plays for that moment.”

Of course this is quite different from what Stephon Marbury feels, who just thinks Mike D’Antoni is a dope.

H/N New York Post

Reeling Wizards can’t challenge Jazz
Thanks to a schedule that didn’t call for them to play in the first 60-plus games, the Jazz never saw the Washington Wizards team of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler that made all the wrong headlines in the NBA this season.

By the time they arrived at EnergySolutions Arena for Monday’s game, the Wizards’ season long ago had been lost to guns, guilty pleas and recklessness, leaving Andray Blatche, Al Thornton, Mike Miller and others to pick up the pieces.

The Jazz took full advantage of a team in free fall, dismantling Washington 65-35 in the middle two quarters on the way to a 112-89 thrashing, leading by as many as 34 points in sending the Wizards to their eighth consecutive loss…
Salt Lake Tribune

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Featuring nine members of the gold medalist 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and a total of 11 Olympians who have captured a combined 15 Olympic medals (nine gold medals and six bronze medals), USA Basketball revealed today 27 players who have been named to the 2010-2012 USA Men’s National Team program. The selections were announced by USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo.

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Much like every single album that has come out in the last 10 years, the 2010 all-star reserves list has been leaked and Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list to be reveled Thursday night in their NBA logo sports mug.

The Eastern Conference reserves include Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace, Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

The Western Conference reserves include Utah’s Deron Williams, New Orleans’ Chris Paul, Los Angeles Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki , Zach Randolph from Memphis and Brandon Roy from the Portland Trail Blazers.

David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol, Josh Smith, Chris Kaman, Monta Ellis and Chauncey Bilups will all have to wait for next season.

H/N Yahoo! Sports

When training camp opened Saturday, coach Jerry Sloan made it known he had not yet decided if incumbent Carlos Boozer or backup Paul Millsap will start the 2009-10 NBA season at power forward for the Jazz. It was news to Boozer.

“I feel like I’m the starter,” the two-time NBA All-Star said Sunday, before the Jazz open their second day of two-a-days. “I think I’ve earned that. That’s the only role I’ve been in my whole career.”

Boozer has started each game he’s played in four of his five seasons with the Jazz, and started 129 of 156 in during his two years in Cleveland.

“I think it’s great to have competition,” said Boozer, who during the offseason expressed eagerness to be traded to either Chicago or Miami. “You know, I think Paul is very good. I guess if we are competing, then we’re competing for it. But I feel like I am the starter.”

Desert News

The Jazz were trying to land David Lee in a sign-and-trade that could involve Carlos Boozer. While that scenario had been discussed earlier in the summer [...] multiple sources denied anything lately had developed to bring any imminent status.

One went as far as saying “Not happening” when asked specifically about the Jazz scenario.

It seems pretty clear that Donnie Walsh isn’t interested in dumping an impressive young power forward who happens to be one of the franchise’s homegrown assets.

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Add the Dallas Mavericks to the list of NBA teams that were — and perhaps still are — interested in acquiring trade-cravingCarlos Boozer. While you’re at it, scratch South Africa off of Boozer’s more immediate travel itinerary. Though it’s still unclear where exactly he’ll end up this NBA season, Boozer won’t be going to Johannesburg this week to participate in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program Wednesday through Sunday as was announced earlier this summer.

Deseret News

Though Carlos Boozer wants to be traded to the Heat, Miami has put the issue on hold, at least for now. “We listen to all inquiries but there is nothing going on,” Heat president Pat Riley said Tuesday about Boozer, his first public statement since June.

Contrary to an Internet report, there was no discussion with Memphis about a deal that would send Udonis Haslem to Utah, Boozer to Miami and Dorell Wright to theGrizzlies.

Miami Herald