Jazzhoops   The Three Musketeers By Stef Siepel When the going gets tough, some people have to step it up. Stockton and Malone have always done that, but this year they might get some help. Three guys have stepped it up in the beginning of the season. All three of them are forwards, and all three of them are helping the struggling Jazz to find their groove. Scott Padgett, Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring are all trying to get the Jazz back on track, and it seems that if they continue to play like this, they will succeed. Scott Padgett surprised everyone last season. His three-pointers were a welcome addition to last year’s Jazz team, which lacked good three-point shooters. In almost 18 minutes, he averaged 6.7 points per game, while shooting 48% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. Those stats were good enough to get him re-signed by the Utah Jazz this off-season. For a long time, it didn’t seem like the Jazz were going to re-sign their 1999 draft pick. If they had signed Donyell Marshall, who went to the Chicago Bulls after he negotiated with the Jazz for months, the Jazz wouldn’t have had the money to sign Padgett. But, instead of signing Marshall, the Jazz signed the less-expensive Matt Harpring, leaving them enough money to bring Scott Padgett back for his fourth season. The Jazz are now benefiting from his signing, but they were lucky to get their hands on him at all. And then I’m not talking about this off-season, but I’m talking about the 1999 draft. The Jazz, who had three first-round draft picks, selected Scott Padgett with the 28th pick. This was surprisingly low for Padgett, especially after his successful college career, which included a NCAA championship. “Scott Padgett has quietly and stubbornly risen to the level of potential late lottery selection” George Rodecker, a well-known draft analyst, wrote before the draft, “He accomplished this not-so-small-feat through hard work and a consistent effort. With Scott, it’s not any one thing, but rather the sum of his game that allows him to stand out.” Padgett can go inside, but his strongest point is his long-range jump shot. Padgett has proven to Sloan that he belongs in the rotation, and that he wants, and deserves, a lot of playing time. "If Jerry would play me 40 minutes, I'd probably fall in love with him," Padgett said. Coach Jerry Sloan may think 40 minutes is a bit too much, but he agrees that Padgett deserves to be on the court. "Scott Padgett did a terrific job of coming off the bench and doing the little things that you have to do to have a chance," Sloan said. "Making the right plays and obviously making a couple shots, but more importantly some of the plays he made by being able to pass the ball." Padgett has learned that Sloan wants him to do those little things, and because he does them Padgett gets his playing time. And he is helping the team a lot in the minutes he is on the court. Someone who still has to learn to do those little things, like passing the ball instead of shooting it, is Andrei Kirilenko. "Andrei"s not quite understanding some of the situations," Sloan said. "He thinks taking shots is going to get you out of a lot of trouble.” That is the biggest problem for the talented Russian. But his offensive game isn’t the main reason why he has been starting anyway. The main reason is his defensive play. He is 25th in the league in blocks per game, and he also is 39th in the league in steals per game. Those stats aren’t always a good indication of someone’s defensive qualities, but what stats don’t tell, the coach does. In this case, Hawks coach Lon Kruger: "Kirilenko came out early and was very, very active. He set the tone, perhaps." Jason Terry, the point guard for the Hawks, was hitting everything in the second Hawks-Jazz game of the season, this time played in the Delta Center. Sloan decided to put Kirilenko on Jason Terry, and, after he completely shut down Glenn Robinson in the early part of the game, Kirilenko was too much for Jason Terry as well. Terry, who already scored 31 points before Kirilenko started to guard him, didn’t score another point. Although fans might suddenly see a very bright future for the Jazz after such a game from Kirilenko, Sloan says they shouldn’t be too optimistic. "He (Kirilenko) thinks he can guard anybody in the league. . . . It doesn't always work that way. He has to learn -- fundamentally -- to stay in front of people. But I thought he did that pretty well tonight." Although he still has a lot to learn, defensively he is always a presence, because of his shot blocking ability. He isn’t only a presence defensively, but the young Russian has been part of the offense as well. Despite jacking up several unwanted shots, at least unwanted by Jerry Sloan, he still averages 12.7 points per game, while shooting 53%. That is pretty good, especially if you consider that he is only one of three Jazz players shooting better than 50%. He ranks just behind John Stockton, who is also shooting 53% (53.2% to be more exact, Kirilenko is shooting 52.8%), and he ranks just in front of Scott Padgett, who is converting 50% of his shots into points. After a bit of a rough start of the season, Kirilenko is finding his groove again. And when Kirilenko finds his groove, he is a vital part of this Jazz team. Someone who was expected to have a rough start, but didn’t, is Matt Harpring. Harpring, who averaged 11.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 1.3 apg in 31 minutes for the Philadelphia 76’ers last season, is having a great start with his new team. He has exceeded the expectations, which were pretty high. He was expected to bring everything to the Jazz that Sloan loves. “What Matt brings to us is toughness,” former Orlando Magic coach Chuck Daly said. “He brings us rebounding and he can make shots. And, above all, he will play defense.” He was expected to bring that to the Jazz as well, and he has done that. In 27 minutes, he has been averaging 14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 2.2 apg. He gets those 14 points by shooting at a high percentage, 48% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc. His hard work has already made him a fan favorite. He has proven to be a perfect fit for the Jazz system, and that, while he is still learning it. "I feel a little better," he said. "It's coming. I know it's coming. Down the road I think this will be a great situation. . . . It's going to take a little bit of effort to get to know these guys," he added. "It's going to take time and patience. " A guy like Matt Harpring will get all the time he wants from Sloan to get to know the system, because he is working hard. And guys who work hard every night can count on more time, playing time as well as time to adjust, than people who don't. And Harpring will work hard for the Jazz, just like he has done for every other team he has played for. With the hard working Matt Harpring, the young and talented Andrei Kirilenko, and the good shooting Scott Padgett, the Jazz have three guys who are doing everything they can to help their team. Playing better than in any point of their careers, these guys are helping Stockton and Malone to carry the load. If these three guys hadn't played like they have, the Jazz would have been in a lot more trouble. All three have stepped it up, and they have played better than everyone expected them to. The three musketeers at the forward position are fighting their way to more minutes, more recognition, and, most importantly, they are fighting to get the Jazz back to the top of the standings. They have worked hard, and they continue to work hard for the whole team. One for all, and all for one.