Jazz: Boozer's Babies

Last night my brother Tim turned to me and asked me, "Do you think all the Jazz players are really injured and can't play or are they just being babies?" The Utah Jazz have the potential to be one of the best teams in the NBA but you wouldn't know it by their 12-8 record. The injuries have plagued the Jazz all season long. They have hit several role player along with their two stars Derron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

My brother's question really made me think about it. I hate to be the typical Jazz fan but we talked about the Stockton and Malone era. Would Malone come out of the game and sit on the side line while he let his injuries heal? Probably not. Believe me, I don't have a man crush on Stockton or Malone but those guys wouldn't let these small injuries stop them from playing. Even if they weren't at 100% they were still threats that the other teams had to cover.

So, with that mentality I look to several players who are currently sitting out for the Jazz because of injuries. Do you think they could play if they really wanted to? Yeah, I think some of them could. There have been several times when I have heard Boozer say, "When the pain stops, I will start playing again." He's basically admitted that the treatment has gone well but it's just painful for him to play. Are you kidding me? How much are you getting paid? I'm sure Karl Malone would beat the crap out of Boozer for not playing because of a little pain.

Maybe this is coming from a frustrated Jazz fan who is sick of wondering what color of suite the Jazz players will wear to the game rather than what they will be doing on the court that night. Boozer and the other babies on the bench need to step up and start playing. I understand that some injuries require down time. But I'd love to throw Stockton or Malone into some of those situations and see how often they'd sit out. My guess is they wouldn't sit out often.