Boozer is the Cream of This Crop

by Chris Alvino on June 30th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Maybe I have missed something here.  Ric Bucher has Carlos Boozer as the #2 free agent in this year’s class.  There are reports that Boozer would not be the main target of the Detroit Pistons if he decided to opt out of his current deal.  To that effect, Boozer might not opt out of his current deal if he cannot get more than the $12+ million that he is scheduled to make this coming season.  Boozer is coming off an injury plagued season in which he made headlines for publicly saying that he was going to opt out of his deal.  During that time, Boozer’s backup, Paul Millsap played well enough to earn him more than a MLE deal from the Utah Jazz.

I have never really been rubbed the right way by Boozer’s attitude.  Saying that he would opt out of his deal was classless on his part.  While it was a good financial decision, what he did to Cavaliers when they let him go was also classless.  (As an aside, does anyone think the Cavs would have a title by now if Boozer never screwed them, but instead he played as LeBron’s sidekick?)  Boozer has always had a “me” attitude about him that I have never liked.

Okay, with all that being considered, Carlos Boozer is the best free agent in this year’s class.  Better than Turkoglu. Better than Ariza.  Better than David Lee.  Better than Millsap.  Better than Marvin Williams, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Charlie Villanueva, and Ben Gordon.  While Boozer might not be the class of the PF position in the NBA like Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett, he is at the very least on the next level with Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand (when healthy).  Brand signed a mega-deal last summer.  What has Brand done to prove he is a better NBA player than Boozer?

Carlos Boozer is one of the best rebounding forwards in all of basketball.  He played on Team USA last summer (not like that is a big deal, but it shows that he was among the league’s best).  He has an ugly offensive game, but he is still a good scorer.  He competes hard and is effective in the pick’n'roll set.  His defense is a bit suspect though.

One of the problems that Boozer has is that he is an old 27.  While many players at 27 appear to be heading into their physical primes, Boozer, to me, looks older.  He has had injury plagued seasons before this past season.  That can scare away suitors.

Perhaps I cannot use numbers to necessarily show that he is head and shoulders above the rest of his class.  Perhaps it is just the perception I have of this guy.  I cannot really tell.  But when push comes to shove, Carlos Boozer is a definite top 10 PF in this league, and arguably a top 5 PF.  Who does he rank behind?  Duncan, Garnett, Amare, Dirk, Bosh (?), Gasol (?), West (?), Brand (?), and Josh Smith (?).  Boozer’s value might lie in the eye of the beholder, but I figured I would make a post about him because I do not even think it is close that he is the best free agent out there now.  He is not the sole piece to a championhsip team, but he is more than simply a role player, a third or fourth option.  He is a 1B type of player that can help a 1A type of player win a ring (if that makes any sense.  Think about Pau Gasol).

I wrote this a long time ago, but I think the Nets should aim for Boozer.  They need a bruiser in the paint to play alongside Lopez.  He is a better fit than a guy like Chris Bosh, who lacks Boozer’s grit.  The Nets cleared enough space to sign two players to max deals next summer.  If I was Kiki or Rod Thorn, I would consider dealing away Courtney Lee and Bobby Simmons in a S&T for Boozer at a slightly less than maximum deal (perhaps 14 per year for 5 years?).  Boozer worked well with Deron Williams.  Devin Harris can be the new Deron.  A starting lineup with Terrence Williams and Carlos Boozer could be a mean tandem.

About Chris Alvino

Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →
  • Bruno

    I agree he’s easily the best FA this year. I’d be surprised if he’s not in Detroit, but NJ is a good fit as well to be one of their ’10 FA’s a year early.

  • KBT1615

    Uhh Kobe?

  • CircleLimit4

    Kobe ain’t going nowhere.

  • Myles A. Mills

    The Nets aren’t going for Boozer now that they’ve dumped all of that salary for 2010. Boozer isn’t an elite player, and they wouldn’t sacrifice all that money for him. They’re trying to go young anyway, and they’re still willing to give Yi a chance to prove he belongs.

  • KBT1615

    so he is still a possible free agent.

  • Kid Tarheel

    I have no love for boozer. In addition to being a dookie, he doesn’t seem to be worth the money he is seeking. He is a nice 4, but he isn’t all that athletic and he doesn’t have a defining skill that would allow him to excel as he ages. I wouldn’t give him a long term deal. 2-3 years would be my cap, and I doubt he’ll go for that.

    Hedo on the other hand seems to be still rising at 30. His jumper and passing skills will allow him to continue to be a good player well into his late 30′s. Some team is going to be very lucky (prolly toronto) to get him.

    And Kobe is not an FA. He’s just not.