For all the KOC-hating Goons...

[theNBAnerd]

I thought it was interesting to see them ranked by their alphabetic stature.

alphabetically speaking, i'd rank a lot of those guys over sloan. jackson, rivers, fitch, even del negro. not zaslofsky, though. that guy sucks.

 

[Hitman]

I understood that the late LHM was the driving force behind this contract. Plus this was just after Pau Gasol was given a max contract he didn't deserve which "set the market". I don't blame KOC for this contract.

I have to agree with this. The biggest reason the contract is so bad is because his role changed. He was once the first option, now he is the 4th or 5th. How can anyone live up to that contract with that? Imagine if Gasol was the 4th or 5th option on his team??


Edit: Wait. You accusin a dead guy that can't defend him self? classy!

I know you weren't actually having a dig at me, but I still thought it worth trawling teh intrawebs for a contemporary article to let LHM speak for himself. This is from the Deseret News, 6 Oct 2004:

With a late-in-the-month deadline looming, Jazz All- Star forward Andrei Kirilenko is hopeful his NBA rookie contract will be extended for seasons to come -- and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller is confident a deal to do just that can be struck.

"We'd like to extend it," said Miller, whose franchise opened training camp Tuesday morning at Dixie State College.

"I mean, Andrei's a guy who we think belongs here," the Jazz owner added during a media-day session prior to the club's Monday-night departure for St. George. "He's certainly been a huge part of the excitement of the team the last couple of years, and I think, in terms of character, he's clearly our kind of guy.

"Talent-wise, he's clearly a person anybody would want to have. So, we certainly want to make a deal with Andrei -- and we need his agent to realize that there's got to be cooperation on both sides a little bit."

Kirilenko's agent -- Connecticut-based Marc Fleisher, who also represents recently signed Jazz center Mehmet Okur and recently re-signed Jazz swingman Gordan Giricek -- was out of the country Tuesday and could not immediately be reached for comment, a spokesman said.

But Kirilenko said discussions are ongoing between Fleisher and Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president for basketball operations.

"They're trying to talk about numbers, or some options, some rules in the extension," the 23-year-old Russian said.

"I know everything is going," Kirilenko added. "I don't how far it's going, but it's going. So, we'll see. We'll see."

O'Connor confirmed negotiations are under way and have been for some time.

An agreement, however, does not seem imminent -- despite the fact Kirilenko would become a restricted free agent if no deal is struck by Oct. 29.

"We're gonna continue to talk and see what comes out of it," O'Connor said. "I can't say 'yes' or 'no' or anything else."

Like O'Connor, Kirilenko did not want to publicly discuss specifics regarding the negotiations.

"I have an agent; he will work on it," Kirilenko said. "He knows my price, my situation, my position. That's why I pay him money."

There are other terms to iron out, but it is money matters that must be settled foremost before the deal can be extended.

Reports suggest Fleisher has acknowledged the Jazz already have expressed a willingness to pay Kirilenko something monetarily in excess of the six-year, $68 million contract the Jazz recently used to sign free-agent power forward Carlos Boozer.

But it is not known how close they are to offering something akin to the six-year, $76 million extension New Jersey recently gave to Richard Jefferson, or something similar to the deal recently made between Memphis and Grizzlies big man Pau Gasol.

Gasol reportedly signed a six-year extension worth the max permitted by terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players union -- likely somewhere between $82 million and $86 million, depending on a variety of variable factors, after all is said and done.

The Gasol agreement did not pass without notice from Kirilenko, who finished last season as the Jazz's leader in scoring (16.2 points per game), rebounding (8.1 per game), blocks (2.76) and steals (1.92).

"I think he deserved it," Kirilenko said. "He did a great job for Memphis, for the three years.

"Right now," the Jazz forward added, "I feel a little bit unhappy - - because his deal is done, my deal is not done. But that's a work in progress."

It's also one that seemingly would work out as beneficial for both sides.

By extending him now, the Jazz would avoid exposing their lone All-Star to a market in which another team could offer Kirilenko a highly front-loaded deal designed to dissuade Utah from matching.

And by consenting to extend now, Kirilenko could guarantee himself a six-season deal -- important considering the possibility that contract lengths could soon by shortened within the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement.

"I think it makes sense," Miller said, "for both sides to do it now, especially if you look at the potential pitfalls in the collective bargaining agreement."

According to Miller, however, coming to terms will require "a little bit of conciliation -- from both sides."

If that's what it takes, Kirilenko may be willing. He has, after all, often expressed a desire to remain with the small-market Jazz.

"For sure," Kirilenko said. "Salt Lake is my first city for NBA in America, and I like everything here.

"I'm ready for anything," he added. "You know -- I think good, but I'm ready for bad."

Key points: this article quotes Miller extensively, barely mentions KOC, compares AK to Gasol, and reminds us AK was the team leader in points, boards, blocks and steals.

 

[Borat]

I understood that the late LHM was the driving force behind this contract. Plus this was just after Pau Gasol was given a max contract he didn't deserve which "set the market". I don't blame KOC for this contract.

Gasol turned out to be worth his contract though, unlike AK, who turned out to be worth 1/4 of his.

 

[freakazoid]

Buford T justice.

Don't act like you don't know the flaming chicken.

Balls.......Shaved..........

 

[Borat]

I know you weren't actually having a dig at me, but I still thought it worth trawling teh intrawebs for a contemporary article to let LHM speak for himself. This is from the Deseret News, 6 Oct 2004:



Key points: this article quotes Miller extensively, barely mentions KOC, compares AK to Gasol, and reminds us AK was the team leader in points, boards, blocks and steals.

So? Because this article does not quote KOC, that means he had nothing to do with the huge mistake of signing AK? BS. The key quote is this:

"We're gonna continue to talk and see what comes out of it," O'Connor said. "I can't say 'yes' or 'no' or anything else."

Now we see what came out, and it wasn't anything too good, was it?

Besides, Jazz had opportunities to trade AK for Marion, Carter, TMac, and simply get out of the contract (a la Fisher), which AK proposed after World championships. They refused every one of these moves. Whether it is KOC or Miller, I don't know. But AK's situation was a huge mistake by FO, and they kept making it again and again choosing to keep AK and his contract even when there were opportunities to get rid of it.

 

[Harcher]

InGameStrategy,

I sit corrected and aplogize for the rant at you. I was so fired up reading this thread about KOC getting some props from a random outsider and then having the insiders tear him down. Then becuase you have posted - reasonably - against Sloan in the past, i just attacked. And i shouldn't have.

Sorry,
Harcher.

 

[InGameStrategy]

InGameStrategy,

I sit corrected and aplogize for the rant at you. I was so fired up reading this thread about KOC getting some props from a random outsider and then having the insiders tear him down. Then becuase you have posted - reasonably - against Sloan in the past, i just attacked. And i shouldn't have.

Sorry,
Harcher.

Hey thanks for the apology bro. Not needed or expected, but duly acknowledged. I know that I can be a spark at times. --IGS