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SALT LAKE CITY — In honor of Pioneer Day, we will celebrate those who were transplanted to the state of Utah, especially to the Jazz.
This isn't about pioneers in terms of coming first, but those who weren't originally members of the Jazz. This is players who actually started their career with another team, and originally played against the Jazz instead. So, Derrick Favors could count, while Trey Burke wouldn't.
Here's a count down of the best five Jazz transplants.
5. Mehmet Okur, C, 2004-'11
The "Money-man" Mehmet Okur starts the list. The stretch-big that eventually allowed Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer to run the pick-and-roll without the opposing center giving help. Okur got the "Money-man" moniker by coming up big when the team needed him the most. His shot from the corner was always deadly.
Okur never put up huge numbers, but he was very good. In 2005-06 he scored 18 points per game and grabbed 9.1 rebounds. He was also healthy for most of his career, until his Achilles injury in the playoffs vs. the Denver Nuggets. He missed 31 games in his first six seasons with the Jazz.
Okur made an All-Star appearance in 2006-'07.
4. Carlos Boozer, PF, 2004-'10
Boozer has become a bit of a villain in Utah. His lack of defense and consistent injuries plagued his tenure with the Jazz, but he lead arguably a top-5 all-time Jazz team. He was essentially a walking double-double.
In the ‘07-08 season he played 81 games and averaged 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. In those playoffs he scored 23.5 points per game and grabbed 12.2 rebounds.
Boozer is a player remembered for what he isn't more than what he was. His backup Paul Millsap was always the most popular guy in town thanks to his blue-collar attitude, but Boozer was the thoroughbred. Boozer had a shot almost everywhere and was a perfect complement to Deron Williams.
Boozer played in two All-Star Games with the Jazz in 2006 and 2007.
3. Rickey Green, PG, 1980-'88
Remember how John Stockton didn't start his first three years in a Jazz uniform? Well, Rickey Green had something to do with that. He wasn't the most prolific point guard in Jazz history, although it could be argued that he was probably the fourth or fifth best. However, he was really good for his time.
In the 1982-'83 season it was Green to Adrian Dantley. Green averaged 14.3 points per game and 8.9 assists that year and 13.2 points and 9.2 assists the year after. In those two years, he also had 2.8 and 2.7 steals per game. He went to the All-Star game in 1983.
Once Stockton took over his duties as point guard, Green was his backup for the ‘87 season. While Green was probably a little upset about it, he did a fine job that season in limited minutes. He left the year after.
2. Jeff Hornacek, SG, 1993-2000Jeff Hornacek was the missing piece for the Jazz to make a title run. The 30-year-old guard came from the Philadelphia 76ers where he spent time playing point guard. Moving to his better position at shooting guard he opened up the Stockton-to-Malone with his outside shot.
He was a great shooter, hard worker and better than advertised defender who drew the task of guarding Michael Jordan in the Finals more than a few times.
His final season he shot 95 percent from the foul line and 47.8 percent from beyond the arc. His seven years are the best seven in Jazz history. That isn't just coincidence.
1. Adrian Dantley, SF, 1979-86It didn't really matter what position Adrian Dantley played, he simply scored. He was a small forward by height and a power forward by skill-set. The Hall-of-Fame player put up big numbers with the Jazz and had his number retired where it now hangs from the rafters of the Energy Solutions Arena.
Dantley scored more than 30 points per game in three straight seasons starting in 1980. In that first season, he also added 6.4 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 80 percent from the line. In his years with the Jazz, he had one season where he played less than 36 minutes per game. He played 42.7 minutes per in the 1980 season.
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He was moved because a young buck named Karl Malone came to town and was set to make a leap his second year. Dantley was originally drafted by the Buffalo Braves and spent a half year in Indiana and a year-and-a-half with the Lakers. Dantley still leads the Jazz in points per game with 29.6 per game. He went to the All-Star game six times with the note on his chest.
