Anyone know who Grant was talking about tonight?
- Thread starter Gary
- Start date
Can AK47 REALLY be a PF? It seems with certain matchups he could do it and take the sting out of the loss of Daly. No, I'm not saying he's a shot blocker but as little as I know of him (great wife) he seems darn quick and quickness has a use around the paint. Also, as I think putting Salmons on the bench makes him useless because we've seen that before, I have a lot of concerns.
So what I am looking for from the REAL basketball gurus is a few answers about AK47.
So what I am looking for from the REAL basketball gurus is a few answers about AK47.
Kirilenko has on occasion at Utah played PF, but his best positon is SF. He's a very good weakside shotblocker, and is the type of player you would love to have at the SF position if you don't have a post shotblocker on your team. In general, Kirilenko is a very smart, and quick defender who can also give you some offense, and assists, since he's a good passer. He was one of my first choices as a freeagent we should go after. In many ways, he's like a 6'9" Doug Christie.
Yes, AK can play the PF depending on the matchups, and honestly that is all we need him for at that position. I'd look for him to guard guys like Dirk, Frye, Josh Smith, Bargnani and other 'stretch 4' types.
He also comes in handy when teams go small ..If a team like Miami played Bosh at C and James at PF.
I think his primary role would be as the backup SF .. possible starter depending on how Salmons plays. Salmons is a solid defender, but he is limited by his size. SF's today are just huge dudes. Anthony, Pierce, Beasley, Wallace .. Salmons will struggle defending those bigger forwards. Last season we put Greene on them, and he did a solid job all things considered, but AK is in another league. Much more effective and reliable offensive player aswell.
If we add AK though ... lots of obvious logjams are going to be created. Something will have to give at some point.
He also comes in handy when teams go small ..If a team like Miami played Bosh at C and James at PF.
I think his primary role would be as the backup SF .. possible starter depending on how Salmons plays. Salmons is a solid defender, but he is limited by his size. SF's today are just huge dudes. Anthony, Pierce, Beasley, Wallace .. Salmons will struggle defending those bigger forwards. Last season we put Greene on them, and he did a solid job all things considered, but AK is in another league. Much more effective and reliable offensive player aswell.
If we add AK though ... lots of obvious logjams are going to be created. Something will have to give at some point.
Ok people stop. Anyone who wants AK47 to play PF on a team with Cousins, Hayes, Thompson and Hickson already on it, not to mention Whiteside, go slap yourself with a fish.
At SF, OUR WEAKEST POSITION as well as Kirilenko's natural spot, he gives us a huge size/length advantage and can smother a wide variety of superscorers. At PF he takes minutes away from the single deepest positon on our entire team. Once half a dozen years ago he put up his best stats there. But he was still weak physicaly for the position. If he's comeing, with all we have stacked upon on this team now we don't need him to be a star or an understrengthed big. We need the long elite defensive stopper/roleplayer fixing our SF hole. Its the beginning of balance with a potential Cousins/roleplayer/roleplayer/Thornton/Evans lineup.
At SF, OUR WEAKEST POSITION as well as Kirilenko's natural spot, he gives us a huge size/length advantage and can smother a wide variety of superscorers. At PF he takes minutes away from the single deepest positon on our entire team. Once half a dozen years ago he put up his best stats there. But he was still weak physicaly for the position. If he's comeing, with all we have stacked upon on this team now we don't need him to be a star or an understrengthed big. We need the long elite defensive stopper/roleplayer fixing our SF hole. Its the beginning of balance with a potential Cousins/roleplayer/roleplayer/Thornton/Evans lineup.
Not trying to play him anywhere, just saying that he can do it.
Nothing would make me happier than seeing AK as our opening game starting SF, but I don't know If I see it with Johnny around. We went through months of Garcia outplaying him, but having Salmons force himself into the starting lineup because he didn't give you anything off the bench.
Nothing would make me happier than seeing AK as our opening game starting SF, but I don't know If I see it with Johnny around. We went through months of Garcia outplaying him, but having Salmons force himself into the starting lineup because he didn't give you anything off the bench.
I hope Salmons has changed as if I remember correctly he was almost useless coming off the bench. Maybe better put, he seemed to be a different player as a starter than as a guy coming off the bench. If he is the same guy, AK47 makes the trade that got Salmons look bad. Granted what I am referring to was years ago. In fact, something must have changed with Salmons or Petrie wouldn't have been so hot to get him. Salmons is the kind of guy that makes me hold my breath until I actually see him on the court and if we get AK47, I will be far past turning blue as getting AK47 eliminates any positive thoughts I had of getting Salmons.
There better be a trade coming.
There better be a trade coming.
Come on, we all know we are going to see him at the PF at some point, if we get him, this is WP we are talking about right? He might even see some center....
I haven't paid much attention to AK the last few years I remember thinking he was very good/versatile a few years ago but his stats have dropped a bit the last couple hope its not the defensive end.
I haven't paid much attention to AK the last few years I remember thinking he was very good/versatile a few years ago but his stats have dropped a bit the last couple hope its not the defensive end.
If we get AK, then you want him playing the SF position, because playing him at the SF spot allows you to more comfortably play both Cousins and Hickson in the C/PF spots. Neither Cousins or Hickson have shown to be shot-blocking bigs, but you can get away with that more readily if you have someone like AK out there.
It's a cause for concern to pair the two if you have Salmons at the SF, but with AK it's a completely different thing.
I would love to be able to start Hickson at the PF next season, just so we get a really good look at him. The problem with doing that is the defense that you might get when combined with Cousins. Bringing in AK fixes that for you.
We know what JT is going to bring and we know what Hayes is going to bring. To me Hickson is the big question mark right now, and having AK creates a situation where you can play him a lot, while still be competitive on the defensive end, because I'd like to win as many games as possible.
It's a cause for concern to pair the two if you have Salmons at the SF, but with AK it's a completely different thing.
I would love to be able to start Hickson at the PF next season, just so we get a really good look at him. The problem with doing that is the defense that you might get when combined with Cousins. Bringing in AK fixes that for you.
We know what JT is going to bring and we know what Hayes is going to bring. To me Hickson is the big question mark right now, and having AK creates a situation where you can play him a lot, while still be competitive on the defensive end, because I'd like to win as many games as possible.
The Thing I like best about Kirilenko isn't so much his shot-blocking or steals, rather his ability to PASS. He's an EXTREMELY underrated passer.
You add Kirilenko to the roster and you got yourselves two fine defensive forwards who also know how to move the ball to the open man in AK47 and the Chuck Wagon.
I'd LOVE to see a line-up of
Jimmer/Tyreke/Thronton (any 2 at a time)
with
Kirilenko/Hayes at the forwards
DMC at center
That's a really, really nice balanced roster.
You add Kirilenko to the roster and you got yourselves two fine defensive forwards who also know how to move the ball to the open man in AK47 and the Chuck Wagon.
I'd LOVE to see a line-up of
Jimmer/Tyreke/Thronton (any 2 at a time)
with
Kirilenko/Hayes at the forwards
DMC at center
That's a really, really nice balanced roster.
Thornton/Evans/AK/Thompson/Cousins will be a sick lineup.
Get the feeling this team will be playing some great team defense, we have a couple workhorses to get the bulk of our point (inside and outside) and every guy can score with some reliability when called upon.
More and more it feels like we're going to the Memphis Grizzlies of this season- maybe able to sneak into the playoffs and give a higher seed hell.
Get the feeling this team will be playing some great team defense, we have a couple workhorses to get the bulk of our point (inside and outside) and every guy can score with some reliability when called upon.
More and more it feels like we're going to the Memphis Grizzlies of this season- maybe able to sneak into the playoffs and give a higher seed hell.
Oddly common perception, but as I have mentioned in the past when urging us to look at AK47, his stats have actually been very consistent for years. He had that brief period in his early career where they were almost historic on the defensive end. But for years now as the SF roleplayer for the Jazz he's been very steady:
07-08 30.8min 11.0pts (.506 .379 .770) 4.7reb 4.0ast 1.2stl 1.5blk 1.9TO
08-09 27.3min 11.6pts (.449 .274 .785) 4.8reb 2.6ast 1.2stl 1.2blk 1.8TO
09-10 29.0min 11.9pts (.506 .292 .744) 4.6reb 2.7ast 1.4stl 1.2blk 1.4TO
10-11 31.2min 11.7pts (.467 .367 .770) 5.1reb 3.0ast 1.3stl 1.2blk 1.8TO
07-08 30.8min 11.0pts (.506 .379 .770) 4.7reb 4.0ast 1.2stl 1.5blk 1.9TO
08-09 27.3min 11.6pts (.449 .274 .785) 4.8reb 2.6ast 1.2stl 1.2blk 1.8TO
09-10 29.0min 11.9pts (.506 .292 .744) 4.6reb 2.7ast 1.4stl 1.2blk 1.4TO
10-11 31.2min 11.7pts (.467 .367 .770) 5.1reb 3.0ast 1.3stl 1.2blk 1.8TO