Should #47 hang from the rafters at ESA

[LjJazzman]

Can someone provide a link to historical Jazz stats? Such as total Jazz points by player, blocks, rebounds, that kind of stuff. I Can't find anything like that. I think you have to look at those kind of numbers before you can say if AK deserves it or not and also compare his numbers and achievements to the other Jazz players that have had their jerseys retired.

I also think the uniqueness of his number improves his chances of having it retired.

 

[oldtimer]

I still want AK back on the team next year, but even if he doesn't play for us again I think he earned the honor.

 

[Grandpa Jazz]

This sounds familiar. I wonder where I've read this before? And to think, I was just about to rep you. Good thing I didn't, as I would never do anything to stop one from achieving their goals.

If you read that goal before i am totally unaware of it. But i do appreciate your honoring my effort.

Started this thread just to verify in my mind what the general population of Jazz fandom would say. Just about dead on with my expectations. No player (body) should have his number retired without at least a majority approval of the fan base. This will not happen with Andrei and some of us will be sorry, but the majority rules.

 

[Magic Spray]

The fact that you need to ask this question I think answers the question for you and that answer is No. If you are even debating retiring #47, then you better retire #8, #5, possibly #13 as well.

Which wouldn't be surprising. This is the Jazz we're talking about they retire everybody's jersey. Even people that never played for the Jazz.

 

[One Brow]

If Kirilenko plays another couple of years for us, then I would say defrinitely. Currently, I think he is a borderline case.

 

[Grandpa Jazz]

As i expected about 5-1 against this proposal. When the public perceives someone is grossly overpaid and not earning those obscene amounts they can become pretty merciless. But no individual should have his number retired when the vast majority of the fan base doesn't agree with giving them the honor. Sorry Andrei. But i will always believe he earned it. In my mind 47 flies from the rafters.

 

[Jazz Spazz]

As i expected about 5-1 against this proposal. When the public perceives someone is grossly overpaid and not earning those obscene amounts they can become pretty merciless. But no individual should have his number retired when the vast majority of the fan base doesn't agree with giving them the honor. Sorry Andrei. But i will always believe he earned it. In my mind 47 flies from the rafters.

So do the Jazz have 8 fans or something?

 

[Qman]

Can someone provide a link to historical Jazz stats? Such as total Jazz points by player, blocks, rebounds, that kind of stuff. I Can't find anything like that. I think you have to look at those kind of numbers before you can say if AK deserves it or not and also compare his numbers and achievements to the other Jazz players that have had their jerseys retired.

I also think the uniqueness of his number improves his chances of having it retired.

I think this is what you are looking for:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/UTA/leaders_career.html

 

[Grandpa Jazz]

So do the Jazz have 8 fans or something ?

Sorry, i may be obtuse but i didn't understand this comment. Would you care to explain it to me?

5-1 is a ratio. You did understand that ? Anyway then you should have wrote " so do the Jazz have 6 fans or something ?

 

[NUMBERICA]

The less I am forced to remember that giant of softness, the chances he cost this team, and the sideshow that he was, the better.

 

[vslice02]

I'm someone who's gone on record saying that, at the time - Kirilenko's max-extension in 2004 made quite a bit of sense (to reemphasize: in hindsight it was a mistake, but at the time it actually seemed like the logical move) but there's no way AK should have his jersey retired.

He ranks favorably in career numbers with the Jazz:
-7th in games played
-6th in scoring
-7th in rebounds, 5th in assists
-2nd in blockss
-4th in steals
-4th in FT's made
-10th in double-doubles.

However, the impact he made in the overall success of the franchise wasn't larger than the ones made by Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer or Mehmet Okur. If you retire AK's number at this point then those other 3 players deserve their numbers retired and that just can't happen.

That said, I was looking through some old games the other day and reminded just how good AK was from 03-04 through 05-06 when the Jazz relied on him to play a much larger role. He had games where he was literally all-over the place, he looked like a shotblocking Scottie Pippen flying around the court. The inability to keep that up when we transitioned to a Boozer-DWill team will likely result in his career being viewed as a disappoinment, but he was as unique a talent as there was in the NBA when he was on his game the first 5 seasons of his career.

 

[carolinajazz]

Phil Johnson gave the best arguement when he told Jazz nation AK was lazy didn't work hard and was mentally weak.

Next topic.

...rather than hang a klinko jersey from the rafters....I think all Jazz fans stupid enough to buy one should bring them to a designated Jazz home game.....and have a great big bonfire in the middle of the court!

 

[Sneakers]

So do the Jazz have 8 fans or something?

Lol, he means a 5-1 ratio against vs for you dolt

 

[carolinajazz]

I'm someone who's gone on record saying that, at the time - Kirilenko's max-extension in 2004 made quite a bit of sense (to reemphasize: in hindsight it was a mistake, but at the time it actually seemed like the logical move) but there's no way AK should have his jersey retired.

....his max contract NEVER made sense....when do you pay a guy 17 million a year who is injury prone, can't shoot worth a lick, gambles on defense despite being told not to by the coach a thousand times.....and misses more layups than a YMCA womans league???

 

[Grandpa Jazz]

vslice02. I will rep you for the best post most even handed and truest post made on this subject.

 

[vslice02]

....his max contract NEVER made sense....when do you pay a guy 17 million a year who is injury prone, can't shoot worth a lick, gambles on defense despite being told not to by the coach a thousand times.....and misses more layups than a YMCA womans league???

If one can remember as far back as 2004, it made quite a bit of sense. AK was coming off a breakout season in 2003-04, where he was an all-star and had games where he was the best player at BOTH ends of the court that season - and was only 23 years old.

Yes, in retrospect it was a huge, huge mistake, but at the time, it made alot of sense because AK was easily the face of the Jazz franchise, was still extremely young and had VERY FEW injury problems up to that point (missed a total of 6 games in his first 3 seasons). Where the franchise was in '03-04 after losing Stockton and Malone, there was no way the Jazz could risk losing AK to another team and have him become a superstar elsewhere. Each year AK had improved his perimeter shooting, ability to attack off the dribble and it looked like he still had alot of improvement left in him. He started the 04-05 season playing lights out and was the early favorite to be DPOY before a freak knee injury in San Antonio. I remember multiple analysts at espn praising the extension and touting the ability of Utah's new frontline (AK, Boozer, Okur) to become one of the best in the league. AK's development into a franchise player obviously never came to fruition, but saying it "never made sense" is simply Monday morning quarterbacking when you can't even remember what happened on Sunday.

 

[carolinajazz]

So do the Jazz have 8 fans or something?

......only 8 that want Klinko's number retired!

 

[Sneakers]

If one can remember as far back as 2004, it made quite a bit of sense. AK was coming off a breakout season in 2003-04, where he was an all-star and had games where he was the best player at BOTH ends of the court that season - and was only 23 years old.

Yes, in retrospect it was a huge, huge mistake, but at the time, it made alot of sense because AK was easily the face of the Jazz franchise, was still extremely young and had VERY FEW injury problems up to that point (missed a total of 6 games in his first 3 seasons). Where the franchise was in '03-04 after losing Stockton and Malone, there was no way the Jazz could risk losing AK to another team and have him become a superstar elsewhere. Each year AK had improved his perimeter shooting, ability to attack off the dribble and it looked like he still had alot of improvement left in him. He started the 04-05 season playing lights out and was the early favorite to be DPOY before a freak knee injury in San Antonio. I remember multiple analysts at espn praising the extension and touting the ability of Utah's new frontline (AK, Boozer, Okur) to become one of the best in the league. AK's development into a franchise player obviously never came to fruition, but saying it "never made sense" is simply Monday morning quarterbacking when you can't even remember what happened on Sunday.

I wouldn't go near as far as to say it made sense. More accurately, I would say we were hustled and pressured into giving AK the match, due to his demands to be paid "fairly" combined with not wanting to temper excitement after our FA acquisitions of Booze and Memo. It wasn't smart, but we were in uncharted waters

 

[carolinajazz]

I wouldn't go near as far as to say it made sense. More accurately, I would say we were hustled and pressured into giving AK the match, due to his demands to be paid "fairly" combined with not wanting to temper excitement after our FA acquisitions of Booze and Memo. It wasn't smart, but we were in uncharted waters

...."uncharted waters?" These owners have been giving these clowns bad contracts for decades! They have either been smoking dope, drunk....or had the tattoo ink these players have in their bodies......seeping into the brain cells of these stupid owners!

 

[MVP]

More accurately, I would say we were hustled and pressured into giving AK the match, due to his demands to be paid "fairly" combined with not wanting to temper excitement after our FA acquisitions of Booze and Memo. It wasn't smart, but we were in uncharted waters

It was his agent who was negotiating, not AK himself. Again, it was Miller who made decision to give him that contract and nobody was holding gun to his head to do it. They could let him test free agency but they did not do it as they knew he would have gotten same contract offer from 10+ teams on the first day of free agency.
You guys need to focus not on that max contract but how max contract player who was called future and face of the Utah Jazz by O'Connor in 2004 was underutilized by team's coach starting 2007. Jazz had a chance to let him go or trade for Marion in 2007, it wasn't not AK's problem that it never happened, he actually asked to be traded, don't you all remember that? Again it was Miller who valued ( or if you want to say overvalued AK ) and made him stay and fulfill his contract with the Jazz - so why you bitter at AK? All he did since 2007 he played the way he was forced to play - as a role player (with max contract) in Sloan's 1 to 4 dominated system.