SALT LAKE CITY — The NBA’s irregular season has arrived.

The Utah Jazz will miss out on 16 games, but the compressed 66-game schedule should make for a wacky and wild ride through April 26.

Here are 10 Jazz games that could provide the most thrills:

10. New Year’s Eve bash

Saturday, Dec. 31: Jazz at Spurs

Who’d you rather spend your night watching, Dick Clark or Tim Duncan? They’re both entertaining old men. No? Fine then, which younger suave star would you rather see perform, Ryan Seacrest or Tony Parker? If that doesn’t sell you, then at least this game — the first of four Spurs-Jazz duels — will give you something to do until the countdown begins and the chips run out.

9. Cheer on the champs

Jan. 19: Dallas at Utah

This might cause an awkward moment for some Jazz fans. Like most Americans, they rooted heavily for the Mavericks to beat the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. Do fans applaud them for winning or boo because they can’t keep cheering for Mark Cuban’s team out of principle, and especially that guy still has the German referred by some as “Dirty Dirk,” right? No doubt the awkwardness and/or hospitality will have worn off by April 16 when Dallas visits again.

8. Turn up the Heat

March 2: Miami at Utah

It’s always fun when the Heat’s Big Three come to town. Who can resist watching Mickell Gladness, Terrel Harris and Norris Cole? It is a shame Sundiata Gaines won’t be there to welcome LeBron James back to EnergySolutions Arena.

7. Thunder rolls to town

Feb. 10: OKC at Utah

The Jazz, who dodged a bullet by only having to face Oklahoma City three times, might put extra emphasis on this one. A Valentine’s Day rematch awaits them four days later in OKC, and that’s on the third night of an all-road back-to-back-to-back set.

(P.S. Utah won’t pay a visit to Florida this season. But traveling media don’t have to go to Milwaukee or Detroit this winter, so a certain Jazz beat writer will absolve the NBA schedule-maker for this otherwise egregious error.)

6. Windy City rivalry

March 10: Utah at Chicago

Sorry, Utah chapter fans. There’s only one game against the Chicago Jazz this season, and it’s on the road. That means ESA spectators won’t get to boo Carlos Boozer or cheer, ooh and ahh over Kyle Korver or warmly applaud Ronnie Brewer until the 2012 NBA Finals.

Salt Lake City will also miss out on seeing Derrick Rose in person, making this a must-see-MVP-TV game.

5. The AK-47 Game

Teams and time TBD

SALT LAKE CITY — Imagine Greg Ostertag. Now picture a court full of guys who were much shorter, remarkably slower and worse outside shooters than the oft-goofy player Karl Malone called out for returning one fall with an oversized caboose.

That was what the Utah Jazz coaching staff had to work with during a fantasy training camp this past week.

Considering how silly they got to make newspaper, TV and radio guys look for a two-hour period, this was one media session the coaches clearly savored.

Perhaps their favorite part?

Most of us were too winded to ask inane questions.

While a new labor deal is hammered out, Tyrone Corbin, Scott Layden, Jeff Hornacek and Sidney Lowe have extra time on their hands. Sure, they’ve strategized and prepared for whenever real basketball gets here. In the meantime, they’ve put on camp-like clinics at the team training facility for season ticket holders, sponsors and VIPs.

For a day, participants experience what it’s like to be Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward — minus the million dollar contracts and pink princess backpacks.

Wednesday was the media’s day, and we were given full access to the place.

We parked our clunkers in the secured lot where Deron Williams’ fancy cars used to chill.

We goofed around in the locker room, where smiling media guys took over personalized lockers usually occupied by NBA players.

We even got to dip into the water station gum dish.

There were limitations. No whirlpool, massages or kicking back with popcorn in the team theater room. While wandering through the training room, I was teased, “What are you doing back here?” (I resisted making a Carlos Boozer joke.)

But I did manage to find my way into Kevin O’Connor’s office, which has a big window that overlooks the two basketball courts.

“Keep your day job,” the Jazz general manager said after watching me struggle with 20 media types.

The coaches might be reconsidering their career paths due to their closer view of the court carnage. At the very least, they might have to reel in unrealistic expectations once they get their real players back and see how good they are compared to media ballers.

Coaches witnessed us stumble while stretching. They heard our groans in warm-up exercises, encouraged us as we tortured the rim (and air) with off-target layup and jumper attempts, patiently guided us through drills and watched as four teams struggled for 10 minutes to hit three buckets in scrimmage action.

Considered by many (people named Jody Genessy) to be the John Stockton of the Kearns South Stake in the 1980s, my hoop skills were rusty.

SALT LAKE CITY — Imagine Greg Ostertag. Now picture a court full of guys who were much shorter, remarkably slower and worse outside shooters than the oft-goofy player Karl Malone called out for returning one fall with an oversized caboose.

That was what the Utah Jazz coaching staff had to work with during a fantasy training camp this past week.

Considering how silly they got to make newspaper, TV and radio guys look for a two-hour period, this was one media session the coaches clearly savored.

Perhaps their favorite part?

Most of us were too winded to ask inane questions.

While a new labor deal is hammered out, Tyrone Corbin, Scott Layden, Jeff Hornacek and Sidney Lowe have extra time on their hands. Sure, they’ve strategized and prepared for whenever real basketball gets here. In the meantime, they’ve put on camp-like clinics at the team training facility for season ticket holders, sponsors and VIPs.

For a day, participants experience what it’s like to be Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward — minus the million dollar contracts and pink princess backpacks.

Wednesday was the media’s day, and we were given full access to the place.

We parked our clunkers in the secured lot where Deron Williams’ fancy cars used to chill.

We goofed around in the locker room, where smiling media guys took over personalized lockers usually occupied by NBA players.

We even got to dip into the water station gum dish.

There were limitations. No whirlpool, massages or kicking back with popcorn in the team theater room. While wandering through the training room, I was teased, “What are you doing back here?” (I resisted making a Carlos Boozer joke.)

But I did manage to find my way into Kevin O’Connor’s office, which has a big window that overlooks the two basketball courts.

“Keep your day job,” the Jazz general manager said after watching me struggle with 20 media types.

The coaches might be reconsidering their career paths due to their closer view of the court carnage. At the very least, they might have to reel in unrealistic expectations once they get their real players back and see how good they are compared to media ballers.

Coaches witnessed us stumble while stretching. They heard our groans in warm-up exercises, encouraged us as we tortured the rim (and air) with off-target layup and jumper attempts, patiently guided us through drills and watched as four teams struggled for 10 minutes to hit three buckets in scrimmage action.

Considered by many (people named Jody Genessy) to be the John Stockton of the Kearns South Stake in the 1980s, my hoop skills were rusty.

CHICAGO, (AFP) – Carlos Boozer officially became a member of the Chicago Bulls who convinced the two-time NBA all-star to leave the Utah Jazz for the Windy City.

Boozer agreed to a deal reportedly worth 75 million dollars over five years on Thursday. The team did not disclose the exact terms.

“I feel we have the talent here to begin competing for a title and I cannot wait to get started,” Boozer said.

Boozer is expected to compliment point guard Derrick Rose and forward Joakim Noah nicely. Chicago signed the free agent with the hope he would be able get them into the second round of the playoffs after two consecutive first round exits.

The Bulls had also tried but failed to convince Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to switch teams.

“We are confident that his skill set, toughness and leadership are all qualities that make him a great fit for the Bulls, and he will add a low-post element to our team that we have been searching for,” Bulls general manager Gar Forman.

“Post players, with the skills that Carlos possesses, are at a premium in the NBA and we believe that we have landed one of the best big men in the NBA.”

Boozer spent six years with Utah, averaging 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds last season.

In other signings Thursday, the Orlando Magic have signed point guard Chris Duhon.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Duhon is expected to play behind Jameer Nelson.

The Milwaukee Bucks also signed their 2010 first round entry draft pick forward Larry Sanders.

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