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Jazz look to get A.K. involved

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Chico | 12:53 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I want to absolutely hurl when I read that the Jazz coaching staff said

"one of our goals is to have each of our players proficient at a position other than their primary one" (Phil Johnson)

What a bunch of crap. Do you know how many games we lost last year because we were trying to play point guards and small forwards and 2 gaurd?
Now they want to play an all star power forward at center, and an all star center at small forward. They are even talking about playing one of the best up and comming point guards in the league at the 2 guard at times????

Dump Linx!! Give the minutes to Milsap, develope one of your two's and get on with the game. AK is finished, there is no point taking away the strengths of our more important players just to get AK to play. So what if AK returns to all star form just in time to implode the chemistry of the team.

Williams said it. AK got plenty of touches last year, and every time he did 20,000 fans held their breath and waited for the worst. And we saw it often.

Ranx | 1:01 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

how about let AK play C, Okur play SF?

Jazzman | 1:01 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Chico you took the words right out of my mouth.

Why play your core players out of position just so a defensive specialist with psychological problems can become more involved in the offense?

Comments continue below

Ranx | 1:08 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

How about having your head examined? AK is the weakest link on the team. He can play center against Golden state and that is it.

How about having him shape up or shipped out? That sounds a bit more rational than playing everyone on the team out of position doesn't it?

Larry will get sick of signing those checks by January. Then AK will be released cause his contract is to be to be moved.

Just wondering | 1:15 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Can you immagine Greg Popovich doing crazy things like playing Tim Duncan at small forward, or Manu Ginobli at power forward just to try to get a defensive specialist like Bruce Bowen more touches in an effort to give him the "spark" to play defense?

AK if you want a "spark" try using your free pass. Just quit trying to use it on your teamates, and us fans cause we are not your type.

Conejo | 1:16 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Getting good players proficient at other positions create matchup problems of their own for the other team. If they get proficient. That is the key. One reason Okur is so good on offense is he plays away from the big guys that can guard him. I'm not saying play the whole game that way but if AK can play PF for 8 minutes while spelling Boozer and gets 6 points because of matchup problems then great!

Willow Creek | 1:25 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Your team just went to the western conference finals and what do you do?

You try to find all kinds of ways to mix up what worked, in an attempt to get a non offensive threat the ball. Funny thing is, if they succeed the ball is surely to be turned over.

It is I | 1:31 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

My only problem with Andrei is that I believe that he would rather be the best player on a bad team than a solid player on a good or great team.

pdhitman | 2:19 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

How about put sloan on SG and AK47 as coach...

elpadrote | 3:18 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Is there a statistic for the number of times AK got the ball into the lane last season, and then was unable to ever get the ball above his shoulders? I've never seen a single player get the ball stripped as consistently as I have with AK. Good luck with those dribble penetrations, 47. Maybe if he didn't have the physique of an 8 year old.

Lee Harlan | 3:31 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I like what I am hearing. Kirilenko has tremendous talent and he is young. He is not "over the hill". Watching film of those games when he did well will give clues. Yes, a lot is up to Andrei, but it sounds like all the Jazz are willing to work with him. Focusing on opportunities near the basket rather than on the perimeter sounds like the right approach. I don't think you can give up on a guy they have invested so heavily in. With Andrei's A game, the Jazz can beat the Spurs.

Fan | 5:43 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

It has always seemed that Sloans way of coaching was "work hard in the system and you'll get minutes, pout and you'll sit out." This is the first time that I've seen him coddle a player, and wow, he and the organization is going to the extreme!

Gretzky | 7:12 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

It's about time AK47 was involved again. that's why the Jazz lost last year. that and the fact that the NBA will never let the Jazz win a championship due to the small market and low TV ratings.

jazzrule | 7:28 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

All of you who say the jazz are better without andrei are crazy. You can't measure how valuable his blocks, steals and hustle plays are to the team. If you get him more involved in the offense then he will be happier and subsequently you will bet more great defense from him. The jazz need andrei to be his best to have a legitimate chance of winning anything. The west is too freaken good for us to compete without him.

Playing people at different positions isn't as difficult as some of you think either. Putting okur at the three just means in the jazz's 1-4 high set okur will start at the wing instead of at the elbow. Chances are teams won't change who defends who, so it really doesn't complicate things too much, it just allows memo to get outside, which he loves, and allows andrei to get a little closer to the rim which could lead to more offensive rebounds.

Get andrei rolling and the jazz have a shot at the title, no andrei= first round loss.

steven | 7:46 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

The man can't shoot. Learn to shoot or we give you da boot!

Lenin's Sneakers | 7:48 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Lenin thinks that Kirilenko should remember good Soviet proverb. "They who vote don't decide election. It is they who count the votes that decide election"

Wild Willy | 7:57 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Regardless of what Jerry might say before the season starts, it's going to be really interesting to watch AK and others ride the bench when they don't play the system. Sloan is Sloan, yesterday, today, and forever.

Remeber Arroyo | 8:29 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

This whole thing about playing good for your home country for Kirilenko reminds me of when Carlos Arroyo really played well for Puerto Rico in the Olympics and then he came back to NBA life and wanted to run the show for the Jazz and then him and Sloan got into scuffles that got him traded away.

The lesson: playing in the euro games is not like playing in the NBA and if you would rather be a star in a sub-par league than to then play your role in the NBA (the best league) then take your ball and your wives stupid gateway shop and head to Russia Kirilenko

Kachinko | 8:29 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

KaaaaChinkOOOoooooooo thats teh sound of a basketall hitting the rim and bouncing out

AC | 9:20 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Kirilenko can't shoot, but he sure can steal the ball when he wants to. Has anyone thought of trying to get some weight on him so he doesn't break so easy when he plays against the big guys? He looks like a skeleton out there!

Really, Gretzky? | 9:27 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Gretzky- the Jazz lost last year because AK didn't play? That's funny, because the Jazz reached the WC Finals for the first time in AK's career, and it is when he played the least. Do you actually follow basketball, or just hockey?

We'll see how involved AK will really be when the season starts. All I have to say is, if the Jazz start out 8-11 but AK is averaging 13 per, I'm not going to be happy, and neither are all of the league-highest season ticket holders.

I just know that if AK takes Milsap's minutes away, he's going to be walking away and pulling down double digit rebounds on another team. Let's hope everyone meshes, whiners and workers alike.

bodhi k | 9:34 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Dont worry Jazz fans. Sloan and KOC have this whole Kirilrnko situation under control.

Why the Special Treatment | 9:35 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I can understand making changes to a scheme if a team isn't performing well. I can also understand involving a player in the offense more if he's a good offensive player. Like if the Bulls in their heyday found out they suddenly weren't involving Jordan in their offensive sets enough and that was causing them to loose games. Then obviously they should get him more involved to hopefully win more games.

What I don't understand about this whole AK issue is just why we even want to involve him more in the offense? The Jazz win more games when he's less involved in the offense, not more involved! WAKE UP AK! Just because you are a STAR offensive player in Russia, doesn't mean you are didily squat in the NBA. Play to your strengths of defense, rebounds and hustle plays to improve the team. You already have your big money contract, now go out there and help the Jazz WIN GAMES!

MH | 9:36 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

weres D Brown what happened to him

AK the PF | 9:47 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

You know what? Let's play AK more at the 4. In fact, let's start him over Boozer. Let's put Boozer in at the 3, and have him shoot jumpers, and AK can post up 250 pound giants. He will get injured 4 games into the season and we won't have to worry about getting him the ball at all as he rides the pine for 20 games with a tweaked knee after Drew Gooden sits on him.

Sparks24 | 9:49 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Jazzrule is right on the mark if you people think for one minute that this team is better with out AK you better go to a basketball 101 training camp. With out AK this is one of worst defensive teams in the league. People get over your emotions and think.

Mike | 10:14 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I don't think most of you actually watched any Jazz games last season, or read the article for that matter. Boozer played at center quite a bit, D-Will played at the 2, AK played anywhere from 4 to the 1. These things aren't unusual for the Jazz.

"Actually, as strange as it sounds," Johnson said, "we did (those) things last year quite a bit ï¿½ and we're going to continue to do a lot of those things."

If anything this help the Jazz become defensive problems for other teams because of matchup problems. It's always advantagious to have players profficient in more than one spot. It really won't take minutes away from Millsap either because he doesn't just play the at the 4, either. Lets actually learn something about basketball before we make stupid arguments, instead of just looking at a stat sheet and saying someone is horrible. If AK really was horrible, then explain why he's an all-star, mvp, defensive madman...... When Malone whined, the Jazz organization worked with him, because they needed him. It even made the team better when they did. AK makes us a better team, so what's wrong with trying to work with him?

jazzrule | 10:46 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

You people don't understand. Andrei is one of the best defensive players in the NBA. I love milsap, but his skills are different than andrei's. You may not realize it but it is possible to play a andrei at the 4 on offense yet still have him guard the 3.(mayber you think that is dishonest, but I think it is ok) It's not like Okur wants to post up anyway. Kirilinko romes on defense anyway, so it really doesn't matter who he is guarding.

You have to involve kirilinko in the offense because when he feels involved offensively his defense is way better. I am fine with him shooting 4/10 and having three turnovers if he gives me 5 blocks and ten rebounds. Having somebody patrol the lane like he dose changes the whole game for the other team. Do you remember how Yoa got scared of having his shots blocked by kirilinko? Without Andrei we lose that series.

stop crying | 10:51 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

All NBA players are babies and losers. If AK47 didn't make millions of dollars playing a game he would be delivering heating oil to some prison in siberia. He wouldn't have had a pop star wife. Making rubles a day. I am sick of NBA players whining about everything. THey make more money in a year than most do in 3 life times. Without NBA they would be in jail or selling me my big mac. Let's stop caring about cry babies and start watching the skyline girls high school basketball team because they play for the game. So Bengals

RE:MH | 11:51 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Dee Brown is playing euro ball, he never signed the offer the Jazz gave him because it was not a guaranteed contract. so he thought he would have a better shot over seas at playing time.

Joe | 11:58 a.m. Oct. 3, 2007

jazzrule: I agree with much of what you said. My son just told me that one of his friends kept comparing Andrei unfavorably with other potential trade bait. Specifically he said he would rather have last year's Richard Jefferson than last year's Andrei.

I think he doesn't appreciate what Andrei does for us. He is enamored with points and forgets Andrei's performance against Yao and Andrei chasing down guys to block their shots on fast breaks and Andrei being able to handle PG duties in the playoffs when we were desperately short of PGs.

We sit here and quibble about Andrei and are ready to toss him out because his major weakness (perimeter shooting) is so visible. But he does almost everything else very well.

I get frustrated with the guys who are blindly supporting of Andrei and want to rip Sloan and Williams but I also get frustrated with those who don't appreciate what a gem we have with Andrei.

At this point, my only questions about him are his mental and emotional states and his desire.

jazz fan!! | 12:04 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

i am a fan of andrei and without him we would be one of the worst defensive teams in the league... okur is a great center but definitely one of the softest in the league at that position, he refuses to go inside and when he does he gets man handled. AK for Marion could be one of the only things i'd wanna see happen... even though he'd probably opt out and be gone after this season

Sokel | 12:05 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Maybe I am asking too much but why doesn't Ak 47 work on his shot? Can Hornacek help him more like everyday? It is pretty tiresome, all the nonesense over your fourth or fifth best player.
We are not talking about Malone here...We are talking
about the 'Dennis Rodman of Russia.' The Greg Ostertag wannabe.

Good Idea | 12:09 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

CHICO: What is wrong with moving Okur away from the basket on offense and playing Kirilenko at the 5 spot on Offense? I can see that being a decent move. Okur is a better shooter and AK plays his best when he is around the rim. Plus, look at the mismatches it creates...Big guys have to step out from the basket to cover Okur and small forwards have to guard AK down low where he is at his best anyways. Pulling Okur away from the basket more and bringing other teams 5's out to cover him gives the Jazz who already crash the glass hard even more offensive rebounding chances....AK and Booz would tear the offensive glass up!

Anonymous | 12:16 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Find a way to pull Okur to the perimeter where he loves to play on offense anyways and let AK play center on offense....you don't have to play it that way on defense. Ak can guard 3's and Okur can guard 4's and 5's.

The Jazz need AK to step up. I would like to see him average 12 ppg, 8 rpg, 3-4 bpg, 2 spg, 4 apg. That is a solid line which AK could do with ease and the Jazz would be tough!

Anonymous | 12:29 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

All you guys who say he should shape up or ship out need to remember his price tag. He's uncuttable, nearly untradeable. You need his D, so keep him on the court for 35 min at whatever position he needs to spell someone else, and then on O just make him a roamer, setting picks and screens like Malone did, then getting his open looks lower to the hoop on rolls or freeing up others for easy looks. he doesn't NEED the ball to be more involved on O. Think about it.

To Russia with Love | 1:12 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Send him back to Russia!!! He will never be happy here now that he is not the center of attention. This season will be a disaster if this is allowed to continue.

Remember AK's glory shot | 1:14 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Let's all remember, we owe AK. Remember his 3 pointer in game 7 against Houston?????That shot was money!! I know he's really not even a decent shooter, but everyone's throwing him under the bus; and if it weren't for that money shot we would have been out and Houston would have been in the conference final.

So in the end if AK doesn't make that shot, there's no way we would have the same hopes going into this year as we do.

ID Jazz | 1:31 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I don't think most of the people on here want to get rid of AK but are questioning revamping an offense for a guy that your not sure how much scoreing and offensive participation is going to be enough to satisfy his wants and needs. I would think that most people on here would agree that he does make the Jazz better defensively but if you cannot satisfy him and he is a cancer to the young players as well as the locker room then I would hope the Jazz management would perform some chemotherapy. I am discouraged that Sloan, Williams, Coaches, and Teammates state they are going to try to mix it up and work with him to get him involved more and then after they say that he says he still stands by what he said about Sloan and playing else where. At some point AK needs to step up to the plate and acknowlege that he is appreciative and is willing to bend a little to make it work. Its like marriage we have seen one side give know it is AKs turn.

Anonymous | 1:31 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

To Russia With Love: Sloan, Miller, DWill and Booz won't let him ruin the season. Come on give me a break!

ID Jazz | 1:57 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Just wanted to throw this out there to see what you all think. It is just a possabilty and nothing I know for sure but.
What if the meeting with AK, Sloan, and O'Connor was really about telling him "Hey we know from last year and your blogging that you do not want to be here but here is our problem -Your trade value is not even close to what your contract is, so to get your value up and you gone, then we are willing to change the offense enough to get you involved and your scoring up and you do what you do on the defensive end. You will also need to shut your blogging mouth and no more negative press which also kills your value because you are known out there by other teams as whiner and Kryalenko. If you want out then this is what it is going to take. If it all works out will have you traded by the deadline. P.S. We only signed CJ in case some other team need another guy in a trade. (just thoughts on a boring day)

Maria | 3:08 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

The real problem here is Jerry Sloan and the coaching staff. Adjusting an entire team for the sake of a weak player is a sign of not only poor judgemnet but poor leadership skills.

Jazz fan | 3:11 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Go Jazz!!

Squirt Gun 47 | 3:12 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Money ruined AK. He used to play for the love of the game. Now all he cares about is being "the man". Can he gain some maturity or will he continue Squirt Gun 47 mode?

Jazz need him badly, though. Without him the defense is really bad.

odogtriever | 3:27 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Hey ID Jazz, I can almost promise you that is not what was said. It may be a passing thought of LHM, but it was not said in that meeting. I'm sure they just talked and worked out some of the differences that AK brought up in the Russian Blog. It was also said by a Jazz player that the teams offence will speed up more this year because they are a more athletic team. I think you will see more games where the Jazz use there flexibility and run when they can and slow down when necessary (remember the Golden State series). I think that changing pace suetes D-Wills style more.
Go Jazz and every one quit whining.

GNM | 3:44 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

What do you mean, quit whining? Isn't that what this space is for; seems most want to express opinon mingled with facts then whine for change. And most of us who express ourselves are pretty good about chronic whining. Seems like our community is good at it.

Why not tweak the O? | 4:06 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

Hey why not tweak the offense a bit? As we all know, we cannot and have not beat San Antonio with the way we have been playing. A game a season doesn't count, in the playoffs with our current system we don't stand a chance. So we change it up a bit, at the very worst we still lose to SA and we're back at square one. Meanwhile this versatile offense can produce many different Offens and defensive schems, which make preparing to play the Jazz a nightmare. With our versatile players, we have a fully "customizable" team!

skyfa11ing | 4:32 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

I say let the jazz run everyone out of the building. Put the young guys in until they're out of gas and insert the next guy. They have horses on the wings, plenty of them that can play the 2-3, 1 stud point and 2 others that are young and can run. 2 great power forwards and a center that would just assume pull up at the 3 point line. Run the guts out of all the other teams that go 7 deep first team to 120 shots wins. Could you see Duncan trying to keep up?

J. Fan | 5:05 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

If Squirt Gun 47 gets more shots as a result of getting more touches, can Larry H. Miller really afford to replace all the broken backboards resulting from those bricks? And does the cost of replacing broken backboards count against the salary cap? If so, the cost of broken backboards might push the Jazz over the luxury tax threshhold.

Anonymous | 5:38 p.m. Oct. 3, 2007

AK shouldn't be getting all this attention for acting childish and whining about not wanting to play for us anymore. If he's going to act like a child he needs to be treated like a child, not get more attention and possibly more playing time. If he doesnt want to play for us then get him out of the contract, Larry doesnt want him to play for the Jazz either.

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