I want to be great. I want to improve, get better, prove to people who I am, what I'm about, what I can do. ...

"This is my livelihood. ... I'm a leader. We have other guys who are leaders, too. I've worked my tail off to get back. I'm more comfortable with everything this year. I'm prepared to be more vocal, to make things happen, to take more risks. ... I want to be able to show people my stuff. I'm eager.

"I'm all about hard work. People don't really know me. Hopefully, they'll get to know me better this season. You can always do better. You get out of it what you put into it. I'm optimistic. If we play defense in the fourth quarter, when it counts, we'll be good."

Carlos Boozer spoke those words.

In November 2005.

He's living up to them now.

Dooming some to forget what they should remember.

This season, Boozer has averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds, and those numbers aren't just about him. The Jazz have the third-best record in the West, and have won 18 of 21 games. Over the past few, Boozer has delivered 24 points and 16 boards, and in his last game went for 33 points.

"He's been playing great," says Kyle Korver. "He's now the centerpiece for us. We feed off of him and Deron. We depend on him."

The Jazz have depended on Boozer before, and have been both rewarded for it and robbed. No significant player in club history has bounced the Jazz back and forth between those two extremes, like a SuperBall hurled in a shower stall.

Boozer has lived up to his words -- over stretches. Remember his playoff performance in May 2007? Remember that 41-point showing on the way to the Western Conference finals, when he averaged 24 and 12? Remember Game 7 in Houston, Boozer putting up 35 points, 14 boards and five assists?

There have been times like that, and like this.

Times like Sunday night when Boozer sent his team to overtime and victory with a put-back at Portland. And Wednesday night, when Boozer took in a pass and flushed it home, bouncing up and down like a kernel of JiffyPop on a hot burner, giving his team energy and an eventual win over Charlotte.

Memorable is an anecdote from three years back, when Matt Harpring was talking in the locker room after a win, underscoring the Jazz's potential. When Boozer overheard the P-word, he disgustedly turned toward Harpring and muttered the F-word, as in, "F--- potential." He, apparently, had quicker, bigger plans in mind.

That's the good stuff. The bad, the ricochet of the bouncing ball, you should know:

Boozer's history of getting injured, proclaiming himself healthy when it no longer mattered, his selfishness, his untrustworthiness, his disingenuous tone, his premature intentions of getting a raise, no matter what, his stated desire in radio interviews to play in Miami, in Chicago, in ... wherever.

Nobody's been more critical of Boozer than I and I still suspect what's happening now is directly tied to his contract status. He's auditioning for suitors around the league, first and foremost, as opposed to trying to bring a championship to Salt Lake. A lot of players are like that, but some, like Deron Williams, after they get a big deal, absolutely burn for a title. Jordan, Stockton and Malone were like that. Kobe's that way now.

If Boozer had always shown his current improved attitude and effort and hunger, if he sustained that, questions about his character never would have arisen, at least not anywhere beyond Cleveland.

But Boozer deserves acknowledgement for what he's doing. If he's going to get that raise he talked about last year, the verbal mistake that ticked everybody off, he's doing exactly the required things, straight down to stressing the importance of teamwork and the blessings of togetherness.

He's playing hard and well, saying those right things, and staying healthy.

It warrants credit.

Dude's been a beast.

Will it last?

Those flipping to the point where they want the Jazz to re-sign Boozer have done more than appreciated the now, more than remembered the good times, more than looked past his injuries, and more than forgiven him for his unreliability through sizable periods.

They've forgotten history.

Do they really want to repeat it?

GORDON MONSON hosts the "Monson and Graham Show" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 1280 AM The Zone. He can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com.