Every year we see a player or two break out into stardom. Last year it was Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. In these cases, players such as Stoudemire and Wade had already proven themselves as solid, capable NBA players. But after help came along the way, for both these players, they sprouted from solid starters to superstars---only in a matter of one year.
And of course in their case, the arrival of Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal, the top two MVP candidates of last season, brought them to that upper echelon.
With that said, I believe that Carlos Boozer has a chance to be that kind of player this season.
Although most Jazz fans will tell you that Boozer had a rather disappointing season in 2005, he still put up 18 points and 9 rebounds a game---which is still more than acceptable for any starting NBA power-forward.
With the drafting of Deron Williams, an intelligent, and crafty pass-first point guard, as well as the return of well rested Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, Boozer has the supporting cast to take his game to a higher level.
Boozer has already proven himself as a solid scoring and rebounding big man, even at 6'9", so there is no doubt in my mind that he is capable of playing at a high level. Although he and Jerry Sloan clashed throughout last season, they are sympatico and ready to go. Sloan knows how to put a good offensive unit on the court, dating back to the Malone and Stockton days, so there is no doubt in my mind that he will do the same with this unit, with Boozer leading the way.