I'm worried about Kirilenko.

[Jazzfan12]

He can still dominate in man defense and on the glass when he chooses to, but he seems almost useless on offense this year. He just can't seem to jump and finish around the rim like he could last year. The team feels it's going 4 on 5 on offense with him in the game recently. I hope he can get his hops back...

[kwill]

Ak was 4-7 from the field 8-9 from the line for 16 points. He had 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 BS and 3 assists. May I suggest you select a different game to talk trash about AK.

[HolyToledo]

I think he is having a better alround year than last year and is actually hitting his outside at a dcent percentage. The only thing I worry about him is that once he gets older, he has the type of game that can get worse with age. As his athletic ability decreases with age so will his game. The Jazz must take that into consideration at the trading deadline and/or after the season during his free agency.

[Montanajazz]

I agree with Toledo! Kirlinko is a chip for a Shooting guard and some cap relief this year at the deadline or $ to get a shooting guard and small forward next year! Evans and Hayward will take a couple of years to develop and we could have a center coming next year!

[Brighteyes49]

I haven't looked at this years stats compared to last years, but from what I can see AK is having a much better year. And I don't know if he's all that great of a trading chip. Anyone remember the Boris Diaw proposal??? I'd much rather keep Mr. Kirilenko.

[CareySkyScurry]

I would not say that I'm worried about him physically. Those skills will inevitably diminish. What concerns me is that he goes for long stretches without touching the ball. With Jefferson, Millsap, Williams (and Miles to a certain extent) getting the lion's share of shots, there's not much for Kirilenko to do. He's the 4th and sometimes last offensive option for the starting five. And putting him on the second unit does not solve that.

His jump shot has improved, but he needs to get in a rhythm to start making it. Last night it seemed that the jump shots he took were quick to try and keep warm. And that's ok, in the Jazz offense he is a jumpshooter. Should he slash more and try to create (while under control of course)? Absolutely.

AK is GREAT at getting to the line. He KNOWS the offense. At this point, his extra offense is a plus. Defensively, he's not a slow 2 or 3, he's a quick 4 and needs to be close to the basket to wreak havoc. And I think he's trying to be a good teammate.

That's the quandary, isn't it? Do you trade a guy that has game changing potential but is so little of your offense, or do you try to maximize his strengths as you make a new push at the Lakers/Spurs?

If it's stats you're looking at, put AK on the Nets, Bobcats, etc. and he could likely produce a bit more. But that's not his game. Even during his all star year he averaged 11.9 shots a game! Some of our players match that in one half of play.

Ignoring the MAX salary, I would like to see Andrei retire as a Jazzman. With the lockout looming, I believe this is his last year in Utah anyway.

[Luigi]

Cap experts, if AK was traded and bought out to return to Utah, could we get him a contract extension around MLE price? Or would we have to wait until the offseason to sign him to that?

I think that going into a potential lockout, he might be willing to sign on with Utah for security at a lower salary for the next 3-4 years, and I'd love to see him take that role/salary for the team.

[loserX]

Cap experts, if AK was traded and bought out to return to Utah, could we get him a contract extension around MLE price? Or would we have to wait until the offseason to sign him to that?

We'd have to wait. We already spent most of our MLE this year on Bell and Watson; we only have about $2.7M of it left. That's the most we could offer Kirilenko (or anyone else, of course).

[Luigi]

Cap experts, if AK was traded and bought out to return to Utah, could we get him a contract extension around MLE price? Or would we have to wait until the offseason to sign him to that?

We'd have to wait. We already spent most of our MLE this year on Bell and Watson; we only have about $2.7M of it left. That's the most we could offer Kirilenko (or anyone else, of course).

Thanks, man.

[HammerDunk]

AK has been more than solid this year. He may lose steps in the coming years, but his passing will still be top notch, and he still can dunk the ball no problem. The only real problem I see is when he gets stuck down low surrounded by defenders, he almost always misses or turns the ball over. Otherwise, he can be the source for some pretty spectacular offensive plays.

[BarneyGumble]

AK might be the highest variance player I have ever seen. You never know what you are going to get out of Mr. Kirilenko. Back in 2004 when he was consistent night in and night out, he was a top 10 player in the league IMO. Now, he's just as likely to give you 5 airballs and a bundle of turnovers as he is to get you a double double. When he's on...it sure helps.

I was wondering if AK would be the type to let us trade him and then sign back with us in the summer. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds....

[Ern III]

I've glimpsed the future over the past couple of Gordon Hayward's games, so I'm not concerned about Andrei. What I find worrying is the general play of Al Jefferson and how we're seemingly going to be too small or athletic to be a contender for the umpteenth straight season.