Posts tagged Andreikirilenko at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

The Utah Jazz didn't advance as far in the playoffs as they did a year ago, but they're still optimistic about their future. Said Deron Williams to Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune as he cleaned out his locker, "If we can keep this team intact, I think we're only going to get better as we play together. I look forward to it."

Even Andrei Kirilenko, a man reduced to tears when talking about his role during the playoffs last year, has seemingly rescinded his desire to be traded: "This is the only team I know in NBA," Kirilenko said. "I know everybody. I love everybody here in the organization."

Maintaining the status quo isn't the recipe for success for most teams ousted in the second round, but the Jazz are so close to a title that I don't want them to change a thing. They could stand to get a few more points out of the two-guard spot, but Ronnie Brewer was extremely efficient this year, shooting a team-high 55.8%. Plus, rookie Morris Almond should be ready to contribute after lighting up the D-League to the tune of 25.6 points per game, including two 50-point performances.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Lakers-Jazz Western Conference Semifinals Game 6 this evening. Be sure to stop by later tonight for FanHouse's signature LiveBlog of this game. It'll be Vujacissimo!


1. Over The Back, Against The Wall: Regardless of your feelings on the Pau Gasol put back that clinched the game for the Lakers (and I personally think Okur flopped and am glad the refs didn't call it), the onus comes back on Mehmet Okur. It's not so much a one sided, "Okur has played badly" as it is that he hasn't been able to put it all together. If he scores, he struggles on the glass. If he rebounds, he can't put the ball in the hole. In the one game where he did manage to have a complete game, the Jazz won convincingly. If Utah wants to extend this series back to Staples for a shot to steal what they couldn't in Game 5, Mehmet Okur has to step up tonight.

2. Odom Overdose: Lamar Odom had a simply spectacular Game 5. He's been a joy to watch for the last month and even as Lakers fans have to be wondering when the joyride stops and the old Lamar returns, he's been a major contributor to them winning. He's making smart decisions, being aggressive with openings, playing with confidence, and getting the ball to Gasol and Kobe when he needs to. The Jazz have bad matchups for Odom outside of Andrei Kirilenko. They want to maintain their edge on the boards so they're not willing to switch AK to the 4. But their power forwards are too slow to guard him and Ronnie Brewer has his hands full with that Kobe Bryant fellow you've heard so much about. If Odom keeps playing the way he has? This series ends tonight.

Andrei Kirilenko missed practice on Thursday, a day before an elimination game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Utah due to a family trip to France.

Let me explain.

So Kirilenko has had this big trip planned with his family France this summer, right? But in order to make it, he had to secure a travel visa. And as you know, things like travel visas aren't exactly being handed out like annual spouse-allowed infidelities anymore. So Kirilenko scheduled an appointment weeks ago to secure the visa. He informed coaches of it weeks ago, and, presumably, reminded them of it. He was given permission to miss practice today on account of that little trip for what I can only imagine was a lot of standing in line, waiting for paper work to go through, and generally being annoyed at he endless bureaucracies we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.

Jazz fans probably will be initially disheartened and annoyed by this. After all, tomorrow night in Salt Lake City could be the last game in the Jazz's season, they're locked up in a very tough matchup with the tough seed in the West, and Kirilenko kind of, you know, starts for them.

However, this is one of those situations when you need to remember that athletes are still people like the rest of us in a lot of ways.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. NorthJersey.com: The Nets are talking trade for Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets are listening. [via SLAM]

2. Dime: "Hornets Shutting Up the Haters"

3. The Sporting Blog: Deron Williams has a Twitter feed. Sure he does.

4. Third Quarter Collapse: Chauncey Billups sat out Game 5, but somehow got an assist anyway.

5. Deseret News: Could Andrei Kirilenko get deported before Game 6?

6. Channing Frye's Blog: Advice on keeping the ladies happy.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Jazz-Lakers Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 this evening.

1. Is The Back Back?: All eyes will be on Kobe Bryant and his back tonight. Kobe's been near indestructible throughout his career, rarely succumbing to injury (remember the pinkie? Yeah, neither did I.). So to see him so shaken up is kind of surprising. What's worse, this is not exactly the team you want to have a back injury against. Bryant's going to need to take defenders off the dribble for jumpers tonight, because if he posts, he's getting a stiff elbow in the back, and if he drives, well, just don't drive, Kobester. No doubt Bryant will play through the pain and he'll most likely be brilliant. He's kind of legendary like that. But if he suffers like he did in Game 4, he needs to trust his teammates. Of course that requires ...

2. Backups To Provide Backups: I don't know what exactly else the Lakers should have done in Game 4. I mean, Pau Gasol had 23, Lamar Odom had 26, and Fisher had 15. So maybe all that talk about how the other Lakers disappeared isn't fai ... oh yeah, it was overtime, and they gave up 123 points. The Lakers have to be able to create a consistent effort behind Kobe, or they have to manage to stop the Jazz for, oh, I don't know, a possession or two. With Kobe a question mark with the back, now would be a great time for the Pau Gasol statement game.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Lakers-Jazz Western Conference Semifinals Game 3 this evening.

1. How Do You Stop The Unstoppable: Ronnie Brewer can't guard Kobe Bryant. Don't get me wrong. I love, love, love Brewer's game. He's what I envision in the small guard of my dreams. But Shoals was on to something when he said that Kobe was the only player that could win on talent alone. When he's amped, there's no stopping him. This is how good he has become, a point where if he's having one of those hurricane-like nights, it's all over but the shouting. You might as well pack up and go home. So there's no use putting a player that could be better used elsewhere on him. Conversely, do you see Vlad Radmanovic going to the rack? Do you see him slashing and taking people off the dribble? No. He's a spot up shooting guard in a lunatic's clothing. Put Brewer on him and let Andrei Kirilenko work Kobe. Kobe will still make the Mad Russian look ridiculous, but at least your overall matchups are better and it puts AK closer to intercepting a pass to Odom with his length. Strength in small victories.

2. The Word Is "Juggernaut": The Lakers lead all teams in the playoffs with 114.7 points a game. The Lakers lead all teams in the playoffs with 49.1% field goals shooting per game. The Lakers lead all teams in the playoffs with 26.5 assists per game. The Lakers are second among playoff teams with 43% three point shooting per game. Starting to get that mental picture yet, are you? Here's a hint. A big, mobile armored tank with lots of guns and spikes and a flamethrower. And a great stereo. It's pretty simple. The Lakers aren't going to struggle unless the meet a playoff team that can actually play a lick of defense against them. And this Utah Jazz team doesn't necessarily play defense, so much as they just ...

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for in today's premiere of the Jazz-Lakers series.

1. Hairy face, meet hairy chest. With no offense to Ronnie Price and Jordan Farmar, the clear "vital" matchup heading into this brawl will be Pau Gasol versus Carlos Boozer. Both are elite scorers on the block, able to finish off the pick-and-roll, in isolation down low, or popping off from 15 feet. Even elite defenders have trouble handling each fellow. Luckily for the impartial viewing public, neither of these guys are elite defenders. Gasol could average 30 in the series and still come out only even with Boozer unless he and/or Lamar Odom can force 'Los into some tough misses inside.

2. Speaking of hairy chests ... Ronnie Brewer's gonna grow up quick if he's left in single coverage against Kobe. Brewer's stout defense derives from his twitchy hands, which affect opponents both in the passing lanes and on perimeter dribbling. Kobe, of course, almost never turns over the ball (considering how many possessions he's responsible for). Brewer's got the height and heft to keep Kobe out of the post, but even Ronnie's great foot speed and lateral quickness won't be able to keep Bean from either starting a one-man lay-up line or getting to the line incessantly. The (possible) solution (in a perfect world)? Matt Harpring. (We'll get to him soon enough.)

Three more, after the jump.

Andrei Kirilenko's wife Masha is infamous in NBA circles for her reported deal with the Jazz forward (in which Andrei is allowed to sleep with another woman once a year). We can now additionally thank her for introducing us to the world of Russian pop and AK-47's renowned dance moves (not necessarily in that order), via SLC's 1280 AM's morning show's blog.



I'd point out specific passages which are hilarious, but the level of humor derived is directly dependent on whether you think the fact Andrei shoots hoops and engages in a pillow fight with his buddy's petitte lady friend is funny, or whether you think 2,000 consecutive awkward glances away from the camera by a filthy-rich Russian pop princess wearing a large, fuzzy white hair is funny.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Jazz at Rockets game tonight.

1. Bueller? Rafer?: So much for the speed of Aaron Brooks. Brooks' size was insufficient to deny Deron Williams and his passing lanes, and Bobby Jackson looked like he might as well have been wearing clogs against Williams. Rafer Alstonis not supposed to play tonight, and that could mean more T-R-O-U-B-L-E for the boys in red. The big problem is that with Steve Francis long ago put on the shelf, and Rafer still doubtful, the Rockets have no one with the skills necessary to guard Deron. They jump directly from inept guards to tall forwards. So they are limited in what they can do. And with the way the Jazz are spacing the floor, a trap is just too risky. The Rockets can't stop Deron, they can only hope to contain him.

2. Will The AK Firing Continue?: The big question on everyone's mind in this series is if Andrei Kirilenko will continue the kind of shooting that he displayed on Saturday night, scoring 21 points on 50% shooting. He torched the Rockets with everything from the outside games to the post and mid range jumpers. And all of this while holding Tracy McGrady to 20 points on 7 of 21 from the field. It's probably too much to ask for this every night from Kirilenko, but even if he only performs like this twice more, that could likely be the difference.