AK-47 Reloads - 猶他爵士 Utah Jazz

AK-47 Reloads
Dan Sheldon
Reporting
Jun 4, 2007 7:30 pm US/Mountain

Let me preface this latest news with my overall impression of Andrei Kirilenko.
He's one of the most accessible, happiest, and most thoughtful professional
athletes I've ever covered. During this most recent playoff run, a couple of
Jazz players would on occasion become surly, combative, elusive, or all three.
One player actually cursed in my direction when I dared ask him for an
interview before a morning shootaround.

Kirilenko has never been that way. Even with his frustrations during the
Houston series that re-emerged to a certain degree during the San Antonio
series, he always was willing to talk. Not only that, he will give you
answers that go beyond the clichés a lot of athletes will fall back on.

It's this ability that works well for him in good times, but not in bad times.
Kirilenko feels the pressure of his max contract and simply can not come to
grips with the ever-reducing role he has in the team's offense. The team has
evolved and he hasn't been able to evolve with it. His offensive game is best
suited to what the power forward does in Jerry Sloan's system but he can no
longer get minutes there because of two guys named Boozer and Millsap. At the
small forward spot, points are more often derived from jump shots and AK's
jumper is still not reliable (and may never be).

If he was a player that could be easily moved, it would be done, and done
quickly. But Andrei's max contract that runs through 2011 won't be easy to
unload. If it ended after next season, other teams would consider taking a
one season flyer and then view it as a salary dump if things didn't work out.
But another franchise has to be sure they can get something productive out of
him for the next four years in their system before they would ever consider
pulling the trigger.

The next factor is what can the Jazz get in return? Teams have been interested
in acquiring AK in the past, but have not offered up anything that the Jazz
would consider of equal value. Do the Jazz now change their approach? Do they
look for a trade partner willing to give them players with expiring contracts?
The Jazz could use the money to afford an extension for Deron Williams next
summer. With AK, Memo, Boozer, and Deron all still in a Jazz uniform next June
or beyond, Larry Miller would be rubbing against if not exceeding the salary
cap. That would put the team in a spot all NBA franchises attempt to avoid:
paying the dreaded luxury tax for every dollar over the cap.

I don't know how this situation goes through the summer without some sort of
resolution. I would be surprised if Kirilenko is still in a Jazz uniform for
training camp. As much as Jazz fans would love a change in his outlook,
Kirilenko has too much pride in his all-around game to be happy playing the
role of a Ben Wallace, Dennis Rodman, or Bo Outlaw. He doesn't think he's
merely a defensive stopper and wants to play for a team that can exploit his
creative abilities on offense that don't include coming off a screen and
hitting a jump shot (which he can't do consistently).

Credit Jerry Sloan for trying to some degree. You see plays out there where
AK is handed the ball to dribble around the perimeter with the only purpose
of giving him a chance to touch the ball. (At least that's what the segment
of that play only ever seems to accomplish).

But Sloan has reiterated time and again that he is not a mental health
professional and his only answer for most of his players' troubles is to go
out and work harder. That's not going to work in this case; unless the Jazz
don't mind dealing with these AK issues over and over again throughout the
next four years.

Something has to give this summer. While we wait for it to happen, you can
bide your time by heading over to the NBA trade machine at ESPN.com.


http://kutv.com/dansheldon/local_story_155213717.html

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