Golf once was played by different rules. There was no marking of the ball on the
green, if a player's ball was in your putting path, too bad. Great players
learned how to chip over it on the green. Yikes! The thought gives me shivers.
But the concept, the idea, is the same as the situation the Jazz find themselves
in right now.
They are stymied. Dead in the water. Up a proverbial creek without a paddle.
Two words, one dilemma. Andrei Kirilenko.
AK47, as he once was known and loved, is an immensely talented basketball player
with one of a kind skills, a game changer, the best off the ball defender in the
world, and in my opinion, the main reason the Jazz aren't playing Cleveland in a
dream match up for the NBA finals.
Some think the Spurs are simply a better team. That's a good way to look at it,
because it takes away some of the sting knowing you had the ring in your grasp
and it slipped out of your hands and into the mire. I wish I could think of that
way. I can't.
Without AK47 firing on full automatic, the Jazz are nowhere the team they could
be, should be by all rights.
It's been quite a saga, from injury to recriminations, from tears to exaltation,
and now to this.
The Jazz are much closer to a championship than previously thought, only needing
a few pieces and a little maturity to complete the rebuilding of our once proud
franchise. As I see it, we have two choices.
One, we can change the rules. Two, we can learn to chip. The first choice
negates the need for patchwork, but the second choice may be our only
alternative. Obviously, the rule change is trading Andrei and solving the
problem the easy way. The difficult part about that is getting value in return.
Learning to chip involves finding a way for Andrei to play at anywhere near his
potential. Jerry Sloan is many things, tough, smart, incredibly motivated and
knowledgeable, but one thing he can never be is a baby sitter outside the
confines of his own family.
Since winning a championship wasn't enough motivation for Andrei, I am
reluctantly forced to come to a very painful conclusion.
Andrei has to go.
Sure, we can learn to chip, somehow find a way to utilize his immense talents
within the framework of the Jazz system. We can also hope that Tim Duncan, Tony
Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire all break a leg right
before the playoffs. I think the probability of both happening is about the
same.
Look, it shouldn't be that difficult. Andrei, play defense, rebound, block
shots. Sure, be glad to.......Championship. The reality is that Andrei, for
whatever reason, pride, stubbornness, lack of proper translation, is not going
to change. He wants the system to change so he can fit in it.
For me to contemplate losing Andrei Kirilenkov is heartbreaking. It's well known
I appreciate shot blockers, not to mention the hair, the infectuous smile, the
bones in a suit look......Andrei was my favorite Jazz player. That's was, as in
the past. That Andrei Kirilenkov is gone. There comes a time in every
relationship when reality becomes obvious. You stay together, or break up.
Trade him for beans, trade him for anything. Get it over with so the Jazz can
move on.
I'll be the one listening to sad songs and staring into the distance on a lonely
bench.
I'm sorry it didn't work out.
|
