What Happened to AK47?

[SportsInfoBar]

He was a stat stuffing machine, a super star in the making back in 2003-2004...why did he not take the next step? Why has he seemed to regress?

Is it because he is playing out of position? Is he a natural PF? Injuries?

I was looking at some box scores from 2003 and man was he a beast, here is one: http://www.basketball-reference.com/box ... 40PHI.html

I am asking because I was wondering how he would fit on the Cavs as our PF? There is a sample trade in the trade forum, not sure if those pieces would be good enough either way, but I am interested in hearing why some of you think AK has not lived up to his potential and his contract?

[seejaydeja]

I think a lot of it had to do with him being the best player on the team. We had a pretty ugly roster back then. Once booz, dwill and okur came around, I don't think he was able to do the same thing simply because there are other players now to help carry the load.

[erudite23]

He was never anything special as an offensive player. He had fairly high usage for a combo forward without any real special skill: no J to speak of, only a "fair" handle (with very weak hands), no signature shot, no signature move, no particular spot on the floor that he excelled from. Really, the only thing he did on offense that approached excellence was his ability to draw fouls.

So as an offensive player he was distinguished only by the wide array of things he could do, with nothing particularly well (though is passing from the PF spot was quite good).

It was as a defensive force that he was truly special. His ability to effect the outcome of the game on defense was as good as I have ever seen. Ever. He would catch fire defensively like you see Kobe Bryant, Wade, James, or other superstars catch fire on offense. He would go into a supercharged fury of activity and produce insane amounts of steals, blocks, deflections, atlered shots, and general chaos for the opposing offensive team. He never won DPOY because the Jazz were only a middling team in a small media market off the beaten path, but he was every bit the NBA DPOY for 03-04, and a strong candidate for 04-05 and 05-06 as well, though injuries would have prevented him being at the top of the list.

So what happened? That's the million dollar question, isn't it? When he got a max deal, no one questioned it. For NBA junkies, there was no doubt that he deserved every cent of it based on his play up to that point.

My theory is this: AK is used to being the alpha dog. His frantic states of energy and defensive dominance usually came after making several good plays on offense. Despite the fact that his primary value was on the "other" end of the floor, his game has always been predicated on his offensive flow. When Boozer was added, we saw a mild down tick in AK's production, but nothing too alarming. However, as Deron came into his own, we saw AK's game suffer in an inverse proportion to Deron's growth. AK needed to be directly involved in the game, in the offense in order to charge hismelf on defense. As Deron took more and more of the offense into his hands, AK slid further and further into the background and his effect on the game was felt less and less. Gone are the days when he would simply take a game into his hands and will the Jazz to victory. Gone are the slews of blocks, the frantic jitterbug movements and the countless contested shots at the rim.

Now, AK is content to play his man straight up, move the ball within the offense and take anythingn remotely close to an open jumpshot that might come his way. He rarely gets off the ball blocks any more, and though he is still a factor in the passing lanes, he doesn't get as many deflections and his steals have fallen off moderately.

It is my belief that the Jazz are one of the worst fits in the NBA for AK's game. He needs to play on a team where he can get 20+ mpg at PF, next to a big time post presence who can rebound and score down low. A team that runs a fair amount would also do him good.

More than anything, I think he's had his pride taken from him. Everyone knows about the crying incident in Houston, and the trade demand. He's a player who thrives on energy and emotion, but who can only get himself "up" to it under certain conditions. Right now he has the look of a mercenary. A disillusioned, world-weary former idealist who has settled into his place in a system that he is forced to accept but cannot invest himself in.

I've thought for the last two years that any team with the financial chops to take on his deal could be getting a borderline superstar if they could provide him with the right environment for his peculiar skill set. With the Jazz he is simply a good player who can do a lot of things fairly well. On a different team, he could still be AK47.

[SportsInfoBar]

He was never anything special as an offensive player. He had fairly high usage for a combo forward without any real special skill: no J to speak of, only a "fair" handle (with very weak hands), no signature shot, no signature move, no particular spot on the floor that he excelled from. Really, the only thing he did on offense that approached excellence was his ability to draw fouls.

So as an offensive player he was distinguished only by the wide array of things he could do, with nothing particularly well (though is passing from the PF spot was quite good).

It was as a defensive force that he was truly special. His ability to effect the outcome of the game on defense was as good as I have ever seen. Ever. He would catch fire defensively like you see Kobe Bryant, Wade, James, or other superstars catch fire on offense. He would go into a supercharged fury of activity and produce insane amounts of steals, blocks, deflections, atlered shots, and general chaos for the opposing offensive team. He never won DPOY because the Jazz were only a middling team in a small media market off the beaten path, but he was every bit the NBA DPOY for 03-04, and a strong candidate for 04-05 and 05-06 as well, though injuries would have prevented him being at the top of the list.

So what happened? That's the million dollar question, isn't it? When he got a max deal, no one questioned it. For NBA junkies, there was no doubt that he deserved every cent of it based on his play up to that point.

My theory is this: AK is used to being the alpha dog. His frantic states of energy and defensive dominance usually came after making several good plays on offense. Despite the fact that his primary value was on the "other" end of the floor, his game has always been predicated on his offensive flow. When Boozer was added, we saw a mild down tick in AK's production, but nothing too alarming. However, as Deron came into his own, we saw AK's game suffer in an inverse proportion to Deron's growth. AK needed to be directly involved in the game, in the offense in order to charge hismelf on defense. As Deron took more and more of the offense into his hands, AK slid further and further into the background and his effect on the game was felt less and less. Gone are the days when he would simply take a game into his hands and will the Jazz to victory. Gone are the slews of blocks, the frantic jitterbug movements and the countless contested shots at the rim.

Now, AK is content to play his man straight up, move the ball within the offense and take anythingn remotely close to an open jumpshot that might come his way. He rarely gets off the ball blocks any more, and though he is still a factor in the passing lanes, he doesn't get as many deflections and his steals have fallen off moderately.

It is my belief that the Jazz are one of the worst fits in the NBA for AK's game. He needs to play on a team where he can get 20+ mpg at PF, next to a big time post presence who can rebound and score down low. A team that runs a fair amount would also do him good.

More than anything, I think he's had his pride taken from him. Everyone knows about the crying incident in Houston, and the trade demand. He's a player who thrives on energy and emotion, but who can only get himself "up" to it under certain conditions. Right now he has the look of a mercenary. A disillusioned, world-weary former idealist who has settled into his place in a system that he is forced to accept but cannot invest himself in.

I've thought for the last two years that any team with the financial chops to take on his deal could be getting a borderline superstar if they could provide him with the right environment for his peculiar skill set. With the Jazz he is simply a good player who can do a lot of things fairly well. On a different team, he could still be AK47.

Thanks for the thorough analysis, much appreciated. If the Cavs got him, he would play at least 20-25 min. per game at PF. I think he would be a great fit on defense, but not sure he would get enough touches on offense, just like his problem there in Utah. But he would be playing in between Shaq and Lebron, which may loosen things up for him to return to his old self??

Again thanks for the good info.

[nghedman]

It would be very interesting to watch AK play with Lebron and/or Shaq to see how that works for him and his inside game, and I think I would encourage that acquisition if I was a GM with Labron or Shaq, or Z for that matter.

But, I just wish the Jazz would aquire an offensive inside presence FIRST!

[Lava Rock Kid]

While other players got bigger and stronger in the offseason, Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players worked on "signature moves", Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players had the burning desire to win a championship, Kirilenko would rather be partying in russia.

[@ndrew]

While other players got bigger and stronger in the offseason, Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players worked on "signature moves", Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players had the burning desire to win a championship, Kirilenko would rather be partying in russia.

Wow, that a BS. While he is not a gym rat, he is just not interested in partying. He loves to spend his vacation with family, but can you blame a man for that?

[StocktonShorts]

While other players got bigger and stronger in the offseason, Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players worked on "signature moves", Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players had the burning desire to win a championship, Kirilenko would rather be partying in russia.

If by "partying in russia" you mean leading Russia to the EuroBasket championship in 2007 then I guess you're right.

[nghedman]

He also gained a few inches on his arms and chest, which doesn't just come with a couple weeks of lifting weights. He put in a lot of work over the off season to get those results.

[Soul Patch]

While other players got bigger and stronger in the offseason, Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players worked on "signature moves", Kirilenko partied in russia.
While other players had the burning desire to win a championship, Kirilenko would rather be partying in russia.

This is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen on this forum. Grats dude.

[Paper Face]

While I don't agree outright with Lava Rock's post, I do think AK should be criticized for never improving his body or developing his skills. He's a mental case when it comes to shooting, and despite his claims otherwise he has never shown consistent improvement in that department.

Erudite is correct to characterize Andrei as a mercenary. He used to go all out before Deron and Boozer started taking all the offensive touches. Part of the problem with AK is that he thinks he is a complete player. So with his touches reduced, he has let go of the notion of playing D with any semblance of heart. Which basically equates to a physical display of dishonesty for truck-loads of cash.

If AK is traded, he will absolutely give more to his next team than his current one. Especially if it's a contender. He'd probably even try to paint the whole thing as some sort of redemptive "escape" from Utah and the shadow of Jerry Sloan. Everyone will act amazed, and that team will reap the benefits. But the truth is that his heart quit on the Jazz permanently somewhere between '05 and '06, and it has everything to do with hubris, envy, and being disingenuous on the court.

[jazzh8ter]

His wife's offer guilted him into not having extramarital affairs...if you were an athlete, wouldn't that hamper your game?

[Racer X]

There are 2 reasons why AK is not the player that he once was:

First, similar to what has been mentioned before, he plain and simple does not have the ball in his hands. People always talk about Booze and Memo not being able to coexist, when really Deron and AK cannot coexist. Both need the ball in their hands to be effective.

The second reason is he simply has gotten his legs and ankles injured too many times. He does not have close to the same explosiveness that he once had. If you watch AK he just does not have the same ability to recover and block from the weak side. It is sad because he was once upon a time the 2nd most electric player in Jazz history next to a young Karl Malone.

[HolyToledo]

Jerry Sloan happened to AK-47! He uses him wrong and dislikes him thus treats him poorly. Sloan is an old school coach and AK-47 is a new age type player. Sloan cant adjust to new style of BBall thus he make players adjust to his style and AK-47 simply cant nor is bright enough to do so. In conclusion, Sloan doesnt put AK-47 in best position to help the team and show his game. Such a waste of career as I feel Ak-47 could have potentially been seen as one of the greatest defenders alltime if he had a different coach.

[StocktonShorts]

Jerry Sloan happened to AK-47!

Sloan has been AK's coach his entire NBA career, including his great years. This makes very little sense.

[MeestR]

He was a stat stuffing machine, a super star in the making back in 2003-2004...why did he not take the next step? Why has he seemed to regress?

Is it because he is playing out of position? Is he a natural PF? Injuries?

I was looking at some box scores from 2003 and man was he a beast, here is one: http://www.basketball-reference.com/box ... 40PHI.html

I am asking because I was wondering how he would fit on the Cavs as our PF? There is a sample trade in the trade forum, not sure if those pieces would be good enough either way, but I am interested in hearing why some of you think AK has not lived up to his potential and his contract?

jazz got a point guard.

ak is more of a point forward. he needs the ball in his hands, and the confidence knowing it is his team to lead. he lost that a few years ago. now he is a typical jazz sf role player.

[yDiamond]

Bravo Erudite23!

Absolutely perfect analysis. I think you are the most knowledgeable poster on this forum on Jazz-related issues.

I have been a fan of AK for many years, and he is the reason I have been watching Jazz games and reading Jazz forums for several years now.
Different players are motivated by different things. Some of them are motivated by dollar bills (Boozer for instance). Others are motivated by the possibility of championship rings.

I believe that AK really wants most of all "to be the best possible player he can be". That is his motivation. When this possibility is taken away, when he is put in a box where improvisation is forbidden and he is only allowed to do a few things out of his wide repertoire - he become uninspired. He acquires this mercenary approach, mostly to stay sane, because he cannot change circumstances around him. He cannot change the coach for obvious reasons and he cannot change the team because of his contract.

In fact, I think his contract became his basketball curse. While it definitely allows him to live a very comfortable life, he underachieved in his career because of this contract due to extremely high expectations from fans and inability to change teams when it became obvious that he cannot peak under Sloan.

Sorry for my non-native English, I hope these ramblings are not that difficult to understand.