Q: What do you make of the talk that Carlos Boozer is going to opt out next summer and take his ambidextrous ways to Miami? If true, what can the Jazz do to make the best of the inevitable?
— Barry, Salt Lake City

A: That is the word around the NBA, though I still wonder since Beasley is a power forward and you better have a good point guard to make Boozer effective. But the talk has been Boozer's daughter needs a warmer climate for health reasons and he has a home in Miami. You can see the Jazz is drafting big guys, and perhaps this keeps them from dealing Kirilenko, who really is out of position at small forward. Boozer had a poor playoffs trying to go against bigger guys in a half-court set as his shot wasn't going down. So I still wonder if he is the answer for Miami.

Q: Will the Raptors' acquisition of Jermaine O'Neal transform them into contenders in the Eastern Conference?
— Jack, Los Angeles

A: Perhaps. It's a risk because O'Neal hasn't been healthy or interested for the past few years. It's a good gamble, to me, because when players like that start to come up on the chance for a new contract they begin to reawaken some. I do think there is some duplication between O'Neal and Chris Bosh and perhaps O'Neal takes some shots from Bosh. But it was vital for the Raptors to move T.J. Ford. I'd say the Raptors are iffy contenders because it remains difficult to count on O'Neal after so many injuries and so much inactivity. But it was a risk worth taking.

Q: Sam, the Hornets came oh-so-close to making it this past season. What offseason moves do you think the organization needs to make to put them over the top, or is it simply a matter of letting the young core mature together?
— Joel Waltzer, New Orleans

A: The core is pretty good, and obviously dependent upon on Chris Paul. But the bench was poor and still needs some upgrading. There's no one to replace Paul, but even when Chandler is out they suffer and they could use some more reliable perimeter shooting off the bench. They were the surprise team in the West without question, and I don't think taken seriously much of the season. They will be now.

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