Kirilenko putting up some ridiculous shooting stats

DENVER — This is not at all to suggest the services of recently acquired sharpshooter Kyle Korver are no longer needed in Utah.

But in his last nine games played — coinciding with the flap between swingman Gordan Giricek and coach Jerry Sloan that led to Giricek being trade to Philadelphia and Korver being acquired from the 76ers — Jazz small forward Andrei Kirilenko has attempted 14 3-point shots and made 10.

Limited as it may be, that's a 71.4 percent clip, up more than 55 percent from Kirilenko's first 26 games of the season. It's also absolutely ridiculous — especially for a career 30 percent 3-pointer shooter who hit just 23.9 percent from behind the long-distance line last season.

As to whether it's coincidence or not, only time will tell.

For now, though, Kirilenko is crediting largely a change in mindset for his improved shooting numbers.

"I like when you don't hesitate and take a straight shot," he said Wednesday.

"Right now I'm not thinking about it — I'm just shooting when I have a position," added Kirilenko, who also is shooting 5.7 percent better from the field over the past month (51.9 percent) as compared to the start of the season. "I think that's a good improvement."

It is, and it's one Sloan — whose Jazz visit Denver tonight — can only hope continues.

"When he's shooting the ball in his rhythm, I have tremendous confidence in his shooting," Sloan said. "It's just that sometimes he gets caught not knowing exactly where he's gonna go, and that shot is always questionable."

Beyond mindset, Kirilenko has another source seemingly deserving of credit.

It's special assistant/shooting coach and retired Jazz shooting guard Jeff Hornacek, who — at the Russian forward's request before the start of the season — has been working on a part-time basis exclusively with Kirilenko prior to practices.

"I feel that I'm improving working with him," Kirilenko said of Hornacek, who commutes from his home in the Phoenix area.

So does Sloan.

"You make a special effort to try to help yourself," the Jazz coach said, "I don't see how it could (do anything) but help you."

TRADE TALK: According to Sports Illustrated's Marty Burns, writing Wednesday on SI.com under the headline "Break up the band?/Chemistry concerns could spur the Suns into action," Phoenix has "had internal discussions about Utah's Andrei Kirilenko, the (Los Angeles) Lakers' Lamar Odom and Memphis' Pau Gasol, according to a source."

The source was not identified.

"But," Burns wrote, "the Suns might not want to help the rival Lakers, while the Jazz and Grizzlies would be reluctant to take Shawn Marion without a strong indication that he would re-sign with them."