Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz, Game 3 

The idea that Derek Fisher might be booed in his playoff return to Salt Lake City tonight has been bandied about for so long that Jazz fans, likely enervated, just won't be up for it. Or, they were embarrassed by their shocking turn earlier this year in Fisher's presence, and learned from it. You can probably tell which way I'm leaning.

But just in case there are some hopeless mugs with internet access who are relishing a chance to boo the man, let me go over a few reasons why, exactly, you are a hopeless mug.

(And, as it nearly always is, I'm dealing on strictly basketball terms. Personal issues, however significant, are being pushed to the side here.)

You have to start with the fact that Derek Fisher did the Jazz a huge, huge favor.

The guy is 33, the contract that he agreed to dissolve would have paid him until he was nearly 36, and 6-1 guards with streaky jump shots who spend the bulk of their early 30s playing average-to-below average basketball don't exactly age well.

That likely wouldn't have stopped Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, however, from handing the starting spot to Derek Fisher this year, and possibly the next; even with Ronnie Brewer improving. Jazz fans are kidding themselves if they think that Sloan goes for the up-and-comer for big minutes over younger talent, and if they need any further wakeup calls, I'll kindly shout the names of Matt Harpring and Calbert Cheaney in their direction.

Sloan just favors the comfortable and hustling over youth, and unless the youngster's name is Shandon Anderson (good call) or Quincy Lewis (why, Jerry, why?), he's due to come off the bench with three minutes to go in the first quarter.

Better yet, Fisher's waiving took a good 22 million in cash spread out over three years off Utah's cap. That didn't clear any space, but it allowed a team in a small market some flexibility under the luxury tax, and the chance to take on Kyle Korver's contract.

Korver is twice the shooter Fisher is, even with Fisher shooting 40 percent from behind the arc this year. Derek is the epitome of a streak shooter, and in his final season playing in Los Angeles (in the same offense, mind you, so let's not get into the idea of "comfort zones" or anything like that), he shot 29 percent. He's up, and he's down. He's great, a huge reason Los Angeles is playing so well this year, but he's up and down.

Korver is always up. And with Fisher on the books and in the rotation, the Jazz would have never traded for him, because it would have meant a luxury tax hit once the team had to bear down and re-sign Deron Williams this summer and Paul Millsap the next.

So, even though the Jazz made the Conference finals last year, let's review: Williams, Fisher, and Ronnie Brewer in the backcourt? Or Williams, Brewer, and Kyle Korver in the backcourt - with the superior Brewer playing more minutes? Which do you prefer? And you want to boo this guy?

Again, I appreciate Fisher quite a bit. Anytime any cable TV yammerer goes on about how Kobe Bryant supposedly "learned to trust his teammates," I'm the one yelling about how no person in their right mind should ever trust Smush Parker, and wondering why it is that nobody realizes that Derek Fisher is a significant improvement over what Kobe's had to deal with in years past.

He's perfect for the triangle offense. He's perfect for guarding point men, and not the shooting guards that dominated the Jazz last year (you remember, Jazz fans, you remember). And because he's having a hot shooting year, he's winning games for Los Angeles.

And Utah? He's cleaned up your rotation. He's off your books. He'll allow you to pay Deron Williams what Deron Williams is worth this summer, retain the others, and keep Paul Millsap around. He allowed your GM to trade for superior talents that were a better fit. He did you a favor.

Do us all a favor, whoever's left, and grow up.

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