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Both 6'9" combo forwards who are both prolific shot blockers and finishers. Both also happen to be capable of being good passers. Their biggest weakness would be 3 point shooting, although AK47 has the edge in this regard.

So what would be their biggest differences?

Kirilenko is an above average role player, but still a role player. Josh Smith can be given a bigger responsibility and he could be a legit 3rd option in the contender. There have been times when he played like a superstar and can you say so about Kirilenko? That's the difference for me.

This comparison would be better if AK wasn't at the tail end of his career. In his prime in Utah, he was an effing beast. I was always waiting for him to get a quadruple-double.

TwentyOne920 wrote:Both 6'9" combo forwards who are both prolific shot blockers and finishers. Both also happen to be capable of being good passers. Their biggest weakness would be 3 point shooting, although AK47 has the edge in this regard.

So what would be their biggest differences?

I don't call players who shot low percentage shots good passers. Simple as that. A major part of being a good passer is recognizing WHEN to pass it. Josh Smith is bad at that, Kirilenko is a full on point forward. Huge difference.

AK47 was an infinitely better player at his peak. However his peak was really short and his performance fell off sharply. Josh Smith is a big athletic freak but I would never want to be the team paying him 8 figures every year because his game is severely limited.

AK47 was a basketball player who was a good athlete. Smith is a good athlete who plays basketball.

Biggest difference is BBIQ. Kirilenko is just a smarter basketball player and better to have on your roster.

Kirilenko with Love and Pekovic gives Minny one heck of a front line. AK47 was the mvp of the Euro league and still looked like he's got it from what I saw in the Olympics. Kirilenko can block the occasional shot something neither Love or Pekovic can do. Plus he's a threat to score around the basket as well. That front line can play with any in the league. Smith will help the Nets as well. Both teams look very improved. As long as Lopez stays healthy. Pekovic as well who was not totally healthy at the end of last season.

ahonui06 wrote:Biggest difference is BBIQ. Kirilenko is just a smarter basketball player and better to have on your roster.

Very underrated observation. To his credit, Smoove has come a long way as far as his BBIQ is concerned. That said, he's still nowhere near AK47 in that regard. Kirilenko knows his role better and doesn't force the issue the way Smith does a lot of the time.

Smith still has potential to be a star or closer to it then AK ever has been
AK was a good starter, a better rebounding Prince

AK47 by far.

Before he got injured in 2005, AK was putting up 16/8/3 shooting .515 % from the floor and blocking a ridiculous 4.8 shots a game. only 13 games, but he could have sustained close to that production if healthy

kasino wrote:Smith still has potential to be a star or closer to it then AK ever has been
AK was a good starter, a better rebounding Prince

Why, because Smoove is flashier?
And no. You're undervaluing Kirilenko here. He's a better passer/playmaker than Prince could ever be.

Jase wrote:

kasino wrote:Smith still has potential to be a star or closer to it then AK ever has been
AK was a good starter, a better rebounding Prince

Why, because Smoove is flashier?
And no. You're undervaluing Kirilenko here. He's a better passer/playmaker than Prince could ever be.

no not about flashier, although that does demoralize opponents but that his is the better scorer/rebounder/defender/passer
I'm not trying to undervalue him but scoring wise Prince does have the edge in some circles was considered the better defender in their primes, and never thought of AK's playmaking ability to be better then Prince's first it's coming to my attention that it was
I do like Kirlenko as a player and wouldn't turn my nose up at the idea of him starting for my team but I much rather Smith without much thought he doesn't reach his potential but at that time still the better of the two

Jase wrote:

ahonui06 wrote:Biggest difference is BBIQ. Kirilenko is just a smarter basketball player and better to have on your roster.

Very underrated observation. To his credit, Smoove has come a long way as far as his BBIQ is concerned. That said, he's still nowhere near AK47 in that regard. Kirilenko knows his role better and doesn't force the issue the way Smith does a lot of the time.

Yup. Smith is a borderline all-star candidate who should be a consistent all-star if he just din't make dumb moves. A healthy prime Kirilenko is even better than that. A top 10 player in the league really.

If he's really back, and he comes into a situation designed well in Minny with the right attitude, Minny could easily be the most improved team in the league.

kasino wrote:Smith still has potential to be a star or closer to it then AK ever has been
AK was a good starter, a better rebounding Prince

Nah man, when Kirilenko was at his peak, he was amazing. Prince is a role player, Kirilenko was capable of being the best offensive and defensive player on a decent team, and he could scale in the right situation.

no way is he capable of being the best offensive player on a decent team 2nd/3rd at absolute best
he isn't a point forward to create for another teammate
maybe an above average rebounder
we can say a great defender but that adds up to a good starter, that could be stretched to great starter but never star, maybe in the Euroleague but not the NBA
Prince Is the same great on one end of the floor/isn't a 1st option scorer/decent rebounder/for his position as with AK a decent playmaker
I feel role players come off the bench not in the 6th man role...neither of these guys were that

Going by RAPM, AK47 is clearly the better player of the two. And honestly, boxscore and the eyes agree.
Prime vs prime, AK scores slightly less on much much better efficiency, can be considered a capable point forward and is just slightly worse as a rebounder. He's also clearly the better help defender, outdoing Smith on blocks and steals. I honestly didn't follow much the NBA during AK best years, but I do remember him being everywhere on the court at once, his main probllem was being made of glass, a very short 3 years prime. In a way it reminded me of a smaller KG. By no mean it could be said he was just a role-player, if he were in his prime right now he would start on every team in the league not named Heat.
Also I don't understand what screams "star" or "untapped potential" about Smith. I mean, he's 26yo and a 8 years veteran in the league. Sure, he has been coming along a good deal IQ-wise, but that was bound to happen as he grew more experienced. He still is not what you'd call an high IQ basketball player, and he hasn't really shown more than marginal improvement in basically anything in the last 2-3 seasons, so really what are the chances for him to suddenly start improving again as he gets older? IMHO he's going to max out as what he is now: a marginal all star, whereas AK was a surefire all star every year of his prime.
Last but not least, AK47 has to be one of the best nicknames ever given to an NBA player.

So yeah, I'd pick Kirilenko.

kasino wrote:no way is he capable of being the best offensive player on a decent team 2nd/3rd at absolute best

I just have to stop you here. You clearly don't actually remember prime Kirilenko, you're just extrapolating.

Go to his b-r page.
Note the season he peaked in Win Shares ('03-04)
Go to the Jazz that year, and notice that he was his team's best scorer, and led his team in all major categories except assists, and that the team in question won more than it lost.

Right there, that's a decent team, and Kirilenko is clearly the best offensive and best defensive player.

Going forward, now remember that this is the year after Malone & Stockton retired and many predicted the Jazz would challenge the record for worst record in history. Instead they simply pivoted and based the team around Kirilenko, and it was almost enough to make up for losing both of those HOFers.

kasino wrote:he isn't a point forward to create for another teammate

Kirilenko has been used to create for other teammates, that's what you will see him referred to as a point forward at times. And again, you're just sitting here denying things that there to be googled if you don't remember. I don't understand why you do that. Do research, ask questions, get informed.

Kirilenko. Both of them are great defensively, but Kirilenko actually has a brain on the offensive side of the ball. I mean, no disrespect intended for Josh Smith, because he actually is quite unselfish with the basketball and passes it a lot...it's just that his shot selection makes me cringe. He's a crappy midrange shooter that thinks he's Dirk or something, and takes way too many of them.

Kirilenko's passing was awesome btw.

Aeternus wrote:Going by RAPM, AK47 is clearly the better player of the two. And honestly, boxscore and the eyes agree.
Prime vs prime, AK scores slightly less on much much better efficiency, can be considered a capable point forward and is just slightly worse as a rebounder. He's also clearly the better help defender, outdoing Smith on blocks and steals. I honestly didn't follow much the NBA during AK best years, but I do remember him being everywhere on the court at once, his main probllem was being made of glass, a very short 3 years prime. In a way it reminded me of a smaller KG. By no mean it could be said he was just a role-player, if he were in his prime right now he would start on every team in the league not named Heat.
Also I don't understand what screams "star" or "untapped potential" about Smith. I mean, he's 26yo and a 8 years veteran in the league. Sure, he has been coming along a good deal IQ-wise, but that was bound to happen as he grew more experienced. He still is not what you'd call an high IQ basketball player, and he hasn't really shown more than marginal improvement in basically anything in the last 2-3 seasons, so really what are the chances for him to suddenly start improving again as he gets older? IMHO he's going to max out as what he is now: a marginal all star, whereas AK was a surefire all star every year of his prime.
Last but not least, AK47 has to be one of the best nicknames ever given to an NBA player.

So yeah, I'd pick Kirilenko.

Incidentally, it's his all around game (and the fact that Minny moved scrubs like Wesley Johnson out to make room for him) that makes advanced stats guys say the Wolves jump into playoff contention, and that takes into consideration Rubio being out for the start of the season. He'll be the leading shot-blocker of the Wolves, and will also likely lead the team in total steals. Isn't he the only active player to post multiple 5 by 5s?

And yeah, there's the mention of the post Stockton/Malone season (2004) where everyone predicted them to be Bobcats bad but AK made the All-Star team and Sloan placed 2nd in Coach of the Year voting (which he should have won IMO).

If Smith had a coach that could have instilled discipline early on, he could have easily been a top 15 player up to now. His shot selection is his major downfall. The sad part is, that some nights he has the right shot in mind the entire night, and the next night he just completely goes away from that. Woody eventually got through to Smith, but didn't know how to use him properly.

I honestly say its a toss up between the 2. Smith's play this year really showed how good of a player he could be. Seeing as its really only one season though, I can't just put Smith over AK47. If I had to choose, it would be Smith. Give him a good HC that can really utilize him effectively to the max, and Smith becomes a scary player. AK is more Pippen lite when he was in his prime. That's a pretty good player to have, but Smith could be closer to Pippen in the right situation.