Salty is such a m-fn blind AK hater, it revolts me to the core. Yeah, AK usually was guarding the other teams go-to guy in the fourth quarter, so a lot of his minutes were not against scrubs but the other team's best player. Boozer, on the other hand, usually guarded the other team's weakest offensive big, no matter what part of the game.
What to do with AK?
- Thread starter AtheistPreacher
- Start date
SaltyDawg
Well-Known Member
AK was not "usually" guarding the other team's best player. Matthews was. AK did once in a while, but it was Matthews doing it most of the time.
SaltyDawg
Well-Known Member
Matthews was guarding the other team's best player way before AK got hurt. And Brewer was doing it before Matthews.
This thread is all over the place -- Let me try to recap:
1) Salty is an idiot.
2) In regards to AK, we should....[unresolved]
I'm feeling quite unfulfilled having read through all of this, since nothing has really been settled in regards to #2, and #1 has been established for years. I give the thread a D for content and B+ for entertainment.
1) Salty is an idiot.
2) In regards to AK, we should....[unresolved]
I'm feeling quite unfulfilled having read through all of this, since nothing has really been settled in regards to #2, and #1 has been established for years. I give the thread a D for content and B+ for entertainment.
Ideally, we would have AK defend the lesser of the 2 wings and have his superior help defense, but he is usually the most effective man-2-man defender we have also.
SaltyDawg
Well-Known Member
AK is not a very good man to man defender. His reputation of good defense is based on his help defense. Matthews was a much better man to man defender than AK. Brewer was too. And now Bell will probably guard the other team's best wing.
gregbroncs
Well-Known Member
Brewer was not a better man to man defender than AK. Equal at best. Brewer's "defense" consisted of leaving his man to try and get steals. AK is not a great man to man defender but he is ok at it.
DWill_Gr8tness
Member
AK will be amazing this year as long as he realizes that he has to Play the 4 and fill in other roles to sub people out. No 3 pointers! Just attack the hoop and roam around blocking shots with Big AL in the middle!
SaltyDawg
Well-Known Member
This board is literally the only place I have ever seen where getting steals was considered a bad thing. Well, I guess it's a good thing when AK does it at least...
It's not like Brewer was getting lit up by his man (or having the other team design game winning plays by taking it right at him in an iso play at the end of the game).
//r00t 4 Jazz
Well-Known Member
The reasons people hate AK:
#1 His contract, completely understandable he is overpaid for his output on the floor
#2 Booz started getting bashed unrelentingly and fans that really liked him started directing their vitriol towards him and lets face it masses people become sheep, plus combine #1 and #3 it snowballed.
#3 Fans may not know or forget the way AK played and can effect the game, a lot of fans tuned out the Jazz a bit at the end of S&M days and especially the first year or two after they retired and didn't really pay attention until they got names like DWill or attracted a FA named Booz.
#1 His contract, completely understandable he is overpaid for his output on the floor
#2 Booz started getting bashed unrelentingly and fans that really liked him started directing their vitriol towards him and lets face it masses people become sheep, plus combine #1 and #3 it snowballed.
#3 Fans may not know or forget the way AK played and can effect the game, a lot of fans tuned out the Jazz a bit at the end of S&M days and especially the first year or two after they retired and didn't really pay attention until they got names like DWill or attracted a FA named Booz.
You are feeling "unfulfilled" because bunch of fans on a message board could not have "settled" AK situation? As if we did settle it here on the board, it would mean anything at all. Before calling someone an idiot, perhaps a good hard look in the mirror is on order.
SaltyDawg
Well-Known Member
You forgot a few major reasons why people hate AK...
1: Complaining about his role during the post game interview after huge wins while everyone is celebrating.
2: Literally crying to the media about his role while the Jazz are in a tough playoff series.
3: Not giving a full effort.
4: Not improving key holes in his game.
5: Openly saying he wanted out of Utah.
6: Holding the franchise hostage and demanding a max contract.
How did you miss these?
AKistheFEARFACTOR
Well-Known Member
AK getting a lot of minutes backing up Millsap will prove good. Knowing this going into the offseason I expect him to put on some more weight like he did last season, AK in the paint can get stuffs.
Before deciding if a player is underrated, I would think we need to see how he is "rated" first. And big part of rating is a contract. At least that's a starting point. Obviously Jazz "rated" him pretty high if they have given him a huge contract like that. But that is not all. Even after AK became a shell of a player he was, over the years, Jazz had chances to get Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Tracy McGrady for him, as well as simply release him from his contract (a la Fisher) - remember? Each of these times Jazz "rated" him highly enough to keep him. Now, how is he "underrated" again if Jazz on 5 separate occasions I just mentioned willingly chose to pay (or continue paying) him the MAX, and he performs like a mid-level guy (whenever he is actually healthy enough to perform)? Or is there another rating available, which I did not take into consideration?
Jazz4ever
Well-Known Member
Pretty much all these points only apply to that one year, or even one series. We don't know the whole story on what caused AK to break down that year but the guy is human and at least wasn't snorting coke, getting DUI's, or making rap records. Facts are Boozer changed the face of the franchise when he came here. He got all the touches AK was getting the previous year, bumped him out of his more natural position, and the BOXSCORE stats followed. Real stats (+/- and adjusted +/-) still say AK was, by a huge margin, a better player every year than Boozer was. Coincidences dont happen 6 straight years. It is indisputable.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Except that ain't gonna happen once Okur is healthy. KOC talked about a 3-man rotation with the bigs. That means Jefferson, Okur and Millsap. AK's expiring will be shopped hard at the deadline. It's the only way for the Jazz to really improve. They're not going to use the Harpring TPE (due to being $5M in the tax already), won't have a pick, and would have to use the full MLE to re-sign AK. So it's better to get a player for AK, say a starting SF or SG making $8-$10M (and the rest in exprings or contracts that can be bought out). Then they'd also have the MLE available next summer.
If the parameters stay the same, or the tax threshold increases a bit, Jazz could add the player they got for AK + a player at the MLE and still be reasonably close to the tax line. Add two starters by those means, and you could then trade CJ for salary relief (Raja and Hayward would be the backups).
//r00t 4 Jazz
Well-Known Member
Not that your going to agree with me but:
1. I Honestly don't remember him complaining openly after wins like you state, if he did I would like to hear it but I would bet he was bated into the question and he voiced his frustration and even after that your right I wouldn't have liked that.
2. He did literally cry but out of frustration, he cried because he cared and he wanted and knew he should/could help the team, that is better then not caring. But yes I was not a fan of him crying but lots of other players have cried on national TV (AK's was local that turned into national because it was during the playoffs).
3. Ya no argument that there are games he just seems disinterested in (not talking about bad games every player goes through those stretches) and it frustrated me to no end but I could also see he wasn't involved and let his frustration get the better of him. He is a grown man and should've handled it much better.
4. I guess this is one I can say I overlooked myself and that he should've done this and it ties in with #3 as far as being a man and handling the situation better had he improved (weight or jumper) maybe it would've forced the Jazz to do what he was hoping for.
5. I don't remember it in the same context as you, yes that ONE summer after the crying breakdown when asked said he would be open to leaving but never said he didn't like it here just again frustrated how he was being used.
6. Weakest of your arguments, he didn't hold anybody hostage, as was stated already if the Jazz didn't give him the max another team was going to, I also was resigned to the fact he was likely going to get it but wasn't happy about it. I thought as dynamic as he just showed being the face of an overachieving team (42-40) he was just off of being a max type player.
Now I have heard it all. You think many teams will be lining up to give him 80 mil next year like they did for Booz?