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Good News -- Another Year of AK47!

cowhide said:
Good News another year of homer AK fans defending AK for his lack of success. You guys can put your box of Kleenex away until Feb. when AK will most likely get dump unless he gets hurt again. Las Vegas odds 5-2 he gets hurt and 3-1 he gets traded before the deadline.
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Perhaps you should pack your bags and hit the road like drivewayball did to Chicago.
 
NUMBERICA said:
Williams/Watson/Price
Bell/CJ/Thompson
AK/Hayward/Evans
Millsap/AK/Jefferson
Jefferson/Fesenko or Elson

This starting lineup sets a very nice defensive tone and this may also help Jefferson in that respect with him being the C and him understanding that the C is supposed to be the captain of the defense (even though I don't think he'll ever be great, he certainly can improve a lot). This also leaves AK as the clear 3rd option and secondary ball-handler/playmaker which is important for him to have priority in the offense. Bell and Millsap as 4th/5th options are their ideal roles and you could do a hell of a lot worse with them as your 4th and 5th options. CJ off the bench will give him a good opportunity to have higher priority in the offense and against weaker defense, and this should also help hide his defensive inadequacies if he still has them. The same could be said of Hayward. AK slides to the 4 and his role would change somewhat, but he should already be engaged in the game. There's an interesting dynamic between emphasis on interior and perimeter scoring when AK's at the 4 and Jefferson's on the bench and when Jefferson's on the floor, so that should create some difficulties for the opposing team's defensive gameplan provided that the team gels well and are fluid in that offensive shift.

Getting a little more back to the original point, I have more hope for AK this year than in years past because I haven't seen him have a stretch like he had last year since 2005. The Jazz were damn unstoppable, and so long as AK is given some priority (as kind of childish and coddling as it is), the dividends could be massive. On paper, Jefferson should make AK worse, but there was an off-court dynamic between Boozer and AK that didn't seem good (and maybe that was just the AK homers making a stink), so hopefully there's growth from the absence of Boozer (even though to be more clear, Jefferson has been a way worse black hole than Boozer).
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Completely agree. +1
 
I'm excited for AK this year. We're going to see max effort, and he's got a chance to play a big role for the team.
Whatever happens though I don't want to sign him at ANY price next season. Let him have a great year, and get overpaid by some other team.
Let's use him this year when he'll be playing hard then let him walk at season's end.

You owe us AK. I for one will be waiting to collect.
(Can you pick up my League Pass bill too? thanks)
 
NUMBERICA said:
Williams/Watson/Price
Bell/CJ/Thompson
AK/Hayward/Evans
Millsap/AK/Jefferson
Jefferson/Fesenko or Elson

This starting lineup sets a very nice defensive tone and this may also help Jefferson in that respect with him being the C and him understanding that the C is supposed to be the captain of the defense (even though I don't think he'll ever be great, he certainly can improve a lot). This also leaves AK as the clear 3rd option and secondary ball-handler/playmaker which is important for him to have priority in the offense. Bell and Millsap as 4th/5th options are their ideal roles and you could do a hell of a lot worse with them as your 4th and 5th options. CJ off the bench will give him a good opportunity to have higher priority in the offense and against weaker defense, and this should also help hide his defensive inadequacies if he still has them. The same could be said of Hayward. AK slides to the 4 and his role would change somewhat, but he should already be engaged in the game. There's an interesting dynamic between emphasis on interior and perimeter scoring when AK's at the 4 and Jefferson's on the bench and when Jefferson's on the floor, so that should create some difficulties for the opposing team's defensive gameplan provided that the team gels well and are fluid in that offensive shift.

Getting a little more back to the original point, I have more hope for AK this year than in years past because I haven't seen him have a stretch like he had last year since 2005. The Jazz were damn unstoppable, and so long as AK is given some priority (as kind of childish and coddling as it is), the dividends could be massive. On paper, Jefferson should make AK worse, but there was an off-court dynamic between Boozer and AK that didn't seem good (and maybe that was just the AK homers making a stink), so hopefully there's growth from the absence of Boozer (even though to be more clear, Jefferson has been a way worse black hole than Boozer).
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A little different than mine but I agree. As long as Bell is starting at the 2 guard I honestly don't think its huge deal between Miles or AK starting at the 3. I like both scenarios. But Bell is the key for us at the 2 guard.

I do think Miles will be backing up the SF and SG spot though if he comes off the bench. Hayward won't be off the bench before CJ at either position. Either way I am excited for the year. I think having Jefferson deep in the post will actually open things up for slashing. People think having more shooters opens up slashing but that is not always the case. Balance opens up slashing opportunities. Having Jefferson in the post creates more space in the mid range which helps you initially get to the hoop. There might be a guy standing at the hoop but once you get past your man but you can either shoot or dish it off (which AK is great at) to the guy next to the hoop.
Jefferson will help create balance on the floor which opens up everything. We have a very balanced scoring team now. Before I felt like we were 3 point or mid range with the old team. Floor spacing looks awesome. AK will be slashing more now.
 
If that is true, (and Jefferson is not only finally finding the open man, but keeping an eye out for the open man and making the proper pass) the Jazz will challenge for the 1st seed in the conference as Kobe and Bynum continue to fall apart.
 
NUMBERICA said:
If that is true, Jazz will challenge for the 1st seed in the conference as Kobe and Bynum continue to fall apart.
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If we stay healthy I think we can be the 2nd best team in the west.

But that is just my opinion. It comes down to how we utilize Jefferson more than anything. Can he fit into the offense. I think worse case scenario is we struggle getting him into the flow the first month but I think he has a good attitude and I think Deron and him will eventually click. Even during that first month Millsap can pick up some of the scoring slack. I see us being more consistent on the road. On the road usually we relied on Boozer too much on offense. Having Millsap and Jefferson will help us if one of them isn't playing well on offense.

Bell will fit in perfectly. No transition.

Hayward: Won't play enough to make or break us. But he is a smart player and I think he is more versatile than Korver. He will get more open shots and shoot a good 3 point percentage.

Evans: He won't even play. More of a prospect.

Earl Watson: Huge upgrade in my opinion. He won't do anything amazing but he will be solid.

Elson: I don't know enough about him but with his length and athleticism I think he will help against the bigger teams. I like Elson playing back up PF with the bigger PF's and AK against the smaller.

Fesenko: Hopefully the weight loss will help him a lot. I think it will.
 
Twin Towers said:
Hayward: Won't play enough to make or break us. But he is a smart player and I think he is more versatile than Korver. He will get more open shots and shoot a good 3 point percentage.

.
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For Hayward a personal goal should be having a season which is ATLEAST as good as what Wes had last year. Not quite impossible. He is a lotto pick after all, not an undrafted rookie. If AK is required to handle some mins at PF as Sloan indicated, then there is plenty of mins available at the wings. I don't expect a 33-yr old Bell to hog all the playing time.

How far Miles and Hayward grow would be a big X-factor for the Jazz this season.
 
Interestingly, in comments from media day reports in the Des News, O'Connor backed off saying he would "guarantee" AK would be with the Jazz at the start of the season. Does that mean the Jazz are listening to offers to shed his salary? Sounds like it.
 
vj_74 said:
For Hayward a personal goal should be having a season which is ATLEAST as good as what Wes had last year. Not quite impossible. He is a lotto pick after all, not an undrafted rookie. If AK is required to handle some mins at PF as Sloan indicated, then there is plenty of mins available at the wings. I don't expect a 33-yr old Bell to hog all the playing time.

How far Miles and Hayward grow would be a big X-factor for the Jazz this season.
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Agree. Don't forget, though, Wesley was a 4-yr player for Marquette. Hayward is only 20 yrs. old. So Matthews was a lot more mature as a player and person than Gordon. However, there's a reason Flash was picked #9; he's got a ton of potential (and he's 6'9"). Gordon will be able to contribute right away offensively, but he's going to get abused at times on the other end. I hope Sloan can give him 10-15 mins early on, especially while AK is getting some of his minutes at PF.

I think the other rookies, Evans and Thompson, may also develop into nice role players for the Jazz.

And I agree re: Miles. We know Jefferson is going to have a great year. He can put up 20/10 with scrub PG's. Millsap will get at least 15/10 just on the basis of playing 30+ mins. CJ - he is our new "X" factor. If he's improved his mid-range game, if he can learn some "D" from Raja - that will be huge.
 
write4u said:
Interestingly, in comments from media day reports in the Des News, O'Connor backed off saying he would "guarantee" AK would be with the Jazz at the start of the season. Does that mean the Jazz are listening to offers to shed his salary? Sounds like it.
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When has KOC ever said he "guaranteed" AK would be with the team?
 
I think KOC might've said that in an earlier interview, about the guarantee, which was why the reporter mentioned it and asked him that question ... but would have to check.
 
TICC said:
Boy has he grown a lot since the draft.
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Typo. 6'8" with shoes. What I was trying to point out is that Gordon was drafted #9 because he's a tall wing who many feel may be able to play SG and had only 2 years at college. After 4 years, you figure a guy like Wesley would be pretty much at his peak (or so everyone thought). Hayward still has a lot of potential and needs to grow into his body, just like CJ has done.

In fact, I think Hayward and CJ have similar potentials. Gordon has better ball-handling skills and is a better rebounder; CJ is more athletic. But it may be a tos-up in terms of shooting ability. CJ has been a fantastic practice player for the last several years. IF he can translate that into actual games - and he started to do it the last couple of years before having the injury and setback last season - he can be deadly.
 
write4u said:
Interestingly, in comments from media day reports in the Des News, O'Connor backed off saying he would "guarantee" AK would be with the Jazz at the start of the season. Does that mean the Jazz are listening to offers to shed his salary? Sounds like it.
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O'Connor never said anything like that.
 
Just the messenger, McFly:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700069113/Utah-Jazz-New-look-Andrei-Kirilenko-fields-questions.html

Asked if that meant the Jazz are no longer involved in those trade talks — a reported deal that on the local level would send Kirilenko to Denver and bring Boris Diaw and Quinton Ross to Utah — O'Connor offered a curt response.

"I wouldn't say anything like that," O'Connor said. "I would have no comment on that."

The Jazz GM also quickly backed off his short statement he made that Kirilenko "will be" with the team on Day 1 of the 2010-11 season.

"Can I guarantee that he's going to be here? No," O'Connor said.
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I think McFly meant that KOC wouldn't have guaranteed that AK would be on the team on opening night (is it as obvious as it seems?).
 
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