About the only basketball that’s been going on these days is over in Europe, where Andrei Kirilenko and his Russian comrades upset Spain in the title game of the FIBA EuroBasket tournament Sunday. Kirilenko was named MVP of the tournament after averaging 18 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 9 games. What’s more, he’s really happy about it, as TrueHoop reports.
And why shouldn’t he be? It’s a bigger achievement (qualifying for the Olympics and beating a heavily favored Spanish team) than anything he’s yet done with the Jazz (except perhaps his only All-Star appearance). It’s got to be especially sweet considering the way 2006-07 went for him and his role on the Jazz. Clearly, the AK-47 can still play (granted, against weaker competition, but still).
The Painted Area has a great post about Kirilenko’s performance in the tournament, including this glowing description:
Kirilenko did it all offensively: jumpers, turnaround jumpers, post-ups, and driving lay-ins. His key sequence of the second half came in the third quarter, after Lithuania made a run to tie the game at 52, and they seemed ready to take the momentum away from Russia. But AK47 single-handedly sparked a 8-0 run with a three-pointer, then on the next offensive possession he snaked his way to a falling down lay-in plus the foul. Then on the ensuing defensive possession AK made a gigantic block on a Kleiza dunk attempt, which led into a J.R. Holden bucket to all-of-a-sudden make the game 60-52. Huge sequence for Russia. But that was not it for AK; he added some more big plays in the fourth when Lithuania made a few more mini-runs. Andrei ended the day with 29 points on 10/14 (8/11 fts), eight rebounds (4 off), three steals, and three blocks. Jeezum Frickin’ Crow.
All this begs the question: what do we do with Andrei? The recent report from the Arizona Republic shows that, even if it was in theory only, AK-47 still commands some decent trade value. The word around the league is that Andrei is especially coveted by teams that run a wide-open style of offense — like the Suns, or the Warriors, and rather un-like our own Jazz. But as this summer has shown, even if teams are interested in Andrei: The Player, they’re terrified of Andrei: The Contract. He’s not going anywhere, and this tournament has shown that we’d be crazy to consider it.
So we play him. But how? And where? It’s easy to see that in a setting where Andrei can demand the ball and establish the offense (as with Russia, or with the Jazz in 2004), he can and will thrive. He’s simply the kind of player that needs contact with the ball to get in the flow of the game offensively. With Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur around, he’ll never get the kinds of touches he craves, and when he does get the ball, he’ll freak out and take ill-advised shots or spastic drives resulting in charging calls or turnovers. (By the way, for those of you who were wondering, Memo averaged 10 points and nearly 8 boards a game for Turkey in EuroBasket. Decent numbers, but hardly indicative of an NBA All-Star. Hmmmm…)
Here’s my proposal: move Andrei to the bench.
Before anyone freaks out, consider this: the Jazz bench could definitely use the help. (I can’t find a team-by-team comparison of bench scoring from last season — if any Hollinger-type stat head out there can track that down, I’d appreciate it.) There were periods last year where I would look at the team the Jazz had on the floor and marvel that we expected to score at all. A team of Jason Hart, Gordan Giricek, Matt Harpring, Paul Millsap and Jarron Collins isn’t going to intimidate anyone.
Also consider that the Spurs use Manu Ginobili off the bench to tremendous effect. He doesn’t start, but he gets in the game early, leads the scoring for the second unit as their go-to option, and gets warmed up so that, by the end of the game, he’s confident and in the flow and can put up those clutch flops, er, shots the Spurs count on him for. I can see Andrei having a similar impact.
So let’s say the Jazz start a lineup of D-Will, either Mo Nuts or Gira, Ronnie Brewer or Paul Millsap at the 3, Boozer and Okur. Plenty of scoring, a designated gunner, an energy defensive guy in Brewer, and the size to crash the boards.
Now our second unit looks like this: Jason Hart or Ronnie Price, Matt Harpring (or Mo Nuts or Gira), Paul Millsap or Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jarron Collins (or, dare I hope, if he develops fast enough, Kyrylo Fesenko). Now Andrei’s the primary offensive option out of that group, with plenty of room to roam in the post (WHERE HE BELONGS). Now the Jazz suffer less of a let-down when D-Will and Boozer are out of the game. Now Andrei gets his touches and has the energy and confidence to come in at the end of the game and do his thing. Where is the downside to this?
Being a bench player doesn’t mean sacrificing minutes (look at Ginobili). It does mean that Andrei has to accept a non-starting role. But the point is, he will get more touches, more points, and feel better about himself as the focal point of the second unit than as a fourth-option afterthought starter. He’s too talented (and too expensive) to let him suffer through another year like last year. This needs to happen.
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Layton Shumway is the copy chief for BYU’s Daily Universe newspaper. You can reach him at lss83@byu.net.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I like the idea, in theory, and leaving egos out of it. One thing troubles me, however, which is whether Millsap has the speed necessary at the small forward position. I recall reading several articles that question his ability there. As I see it, AK is better at the 4, but so is Millsap, which makes things a bit congested. If Millsap can start at the 3, that leaves Harpring to play that position off the bench, while AK moves to his preferred power forward position. But that is still a big “if”.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
First off, it does help his trade value, and that can never hurt. Depending on how he opens this upcoming season, the Jazz may want to hang on to him, or they should trade him now that his value is rising again.
In my opinion, this could make the Andrei Kirilenko situation worse. He now expects more of himself, after dominating in the EuroBasket championship, and he’ll want to prove himself this season. If the Jazz made him a sixth man, that would likely provoke another complaint.
Six weeks from now, the Jazz should keep him as their starter, and continue to have him be the fourth scoring option. If the Jazz are in control of the game, sure, give him some extra shots…
September 17th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
You’ve both hit on the only flaw in the plan — that Andrei will take the not-starting thing as a personal insult and end up even more hurt and angry. But aside from losing the status symbol of not starting, there’s no indication that moving to the bench will hurt his numbers, or even his minutes. Again, look at Manu Ginobili. Last season, Ginobili averaged 27.5 minutes per game, the lowest number since his rookie year. Yet he posted higher statistics in almost every offensive category. Also remember that Ginobili was almost always on the floor in fourth-quarter, end-game situations.
Now, let’s look at Andrei. He averaged 29.3 minutes per game last season, his lowest average since 2003. Yet he took 200+ more shots in each of his first two seasons, even though he played fewer minutes. Here is the key comparison, in my opinion:
Year G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
02-03 80 11 27.7 0.491 0.325 0.800 1.8 3.4 5.3 1.7 1.5 2.2 12.0
06-07 70 70 29.3 0.471 0.213 0.728 1.3 3.4 4.7 2.9 1.1 2.1 8.3
AK’s stats are higher across the board (except for assists) in 02-03. And he hardly ever started! He played slightly fewer minutes per game but had more touches, more shots, and better production — off the bench. True, he was younger then, and he was playing with Stockton and Malone. But that should make an even stronger case for moving to the bench, now that Stockton and Malone 2.0 (D-Will and Booz) have come into their own.
It’s just a theory. But I really think it could work if everyone, especially Andrei, gives it a chance.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Just read an article claiming that Ak47 has said on his Russian Website that he doesnt see his future with the Jazz.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_23360.shtml
I think that he would perform better for another team, and it also may help team chemistry, but I wouldn’t want to see him leave unless we can get someone like a Marion for him…..
September 18th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Hey Shums, Great idea, too bad i came up with it awhile ago. (if you don’t beleive me check my past posts) ha ha. But really it does make the most sense, and honeslty, AK-47 is a good dude. He isn’t all about himself as everyone makes him out to be. If he really wants to win, and look good doing it, coming off the Bench is where he needs to be. He will get starter minutes, become the “go-to” scorer, run the floor on defense, and dominate the opposing bench players. He’ll have to prove that he belongs in the game the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter, but he, again will do that. You don’t trade a player\talent like Andrei Kirilenko, you plug him in any way you can, and win win win!
Now that you and i have got it, lets hope Jerry Sloan, D-will, and Andrei get it!
September 18th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Didn’t mean to steal credit, brother. I know it’s an idea that’s been bouncing around Jazz circles for a while — I doubt anyone really knows who first broached the subject. But I haven’t seen anyone else analyze it statistically, and I was surprised at how strongly the numbers seemed to support the idea. I also think we only now have the depth and experience to move someone like, say, Millsap into the starting lineup and have him be effective. We couldn’t have done that at the start of or even midway through last season.
Anyway, great minds think alike, and Jazz fans all have great minds. Done and done.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:23 am
I am so happy that AK did well in the olympic trials and was eventually named the tournament MVP. If the Utah Jazz could find a way to work him into the lineup I don’t think that anyone could stop the Jazz. Look how great he was against the Golden State Warriors last year. If I was Sloan I would put him at the three spot. This is the position that fits him the best. They need to find him when running fast breaks because he is an awesome finisher. He can score 15 points a game and they need to run some plays early in games that will help to get him going early in the game.