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Phil Johnson on AK, 1320KFAN---the truth comes out!

sojodave said:
I loved when he said that AK didn't come into camp in the greatest shape and didn't work hard during the off-season. I think AK thought he was working hard by playing Euroball, but he never worked on his game. It was obvious that AK relied on his athletic talent instead of his work habit.
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That was the problem. Every year we'd hear abouit how AK had put on some muscle and worked on his game. Then we'd look at his picture day photos and try to convince ourselves that he looked bigger (kind of like snipe hunting...one person says he thinks he sees something and the rest of us agree, not wanting to sound foolish). And we'd hear about how hard he worked on his shooting, then he'd launch the same old bricks in the pre- and regular season games.

Even with just the one signature move...drive into the lane and throw his arms up in the air like one of those silly inflatables, hoping for a foul call...he was still a very good player. But what a waste. Had he worked as hard as Malone, Stockton or Millsap, or maybe even 50% as hard, he could have been one of the top-5 players in the NBA and on his way to the HOF.


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GlassEater said:
That was the problem. Every year we'd hear abouit how AK had put on some muscle and worked on his game. Then we'd look at his picture day photos and try to convince ourselves that he looked bigger (kind of like snipe hunting...one person says he thinks he sees something and the rest of us agree, not wanting to sound foolish). And we'd hear about how hard he worked on his shooting, then he'd launch the same old bricks in the pre- and regular season games.

Even with just the one signature move...drive into the lane and throw his arms up in the air like one of those silly inflatables, hoping for a foul call...he was still a very good player. But what a waste. Had he worked as hard as Malone, Stockton or Millsap, or maybe even 50% as hard, he could have been one of the top-5 players in the NBA and on his way to the HOF.


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You speak the truth.


I like the idea of Phil as part of the broadcast team. He can definitely provide an interesting insight you won't get from just anyone. Kind of makes me wonder if he regrets bailing with Jerry instead of taking on the head coaching duties for a few years.
 
Every Jazz game I went to when AK was with the team I never saw him once during the early shoot arounds.
Deron Williams stated that he was the first to leave practice.

Clearly AK didn't put enough the time into improving.
 
GlassEater said:
Even with just the one signature move...drive into the lane and throw his arms up in the air like one of those silly inflatables, hoping for a foul call...
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Yeah, and more often than not, he'd end up at the stripe following that aggressive move...at least in previous years. Dunno why more plays weren't run for him in that capacity, those were automatic points. He was our Kobe in that regard. Drive to the hole, flail arms, and yelp like a dog...end up at the stripe.
 
The Jazz didn't ruin AK, the NBA game ruined him. I understand that the 4's in international ball are lighter than they are in the NBA, so AK would do better there with his slight frame. As it is, in the NBA he was too light to be a 4 and not quick enough to be a 3.
 
AKMVP said:
Well, I would have asked him what Sloan and Phil did to help him to reach potential? If they think reaching potential has anything to do with clearing space for Boozer and Williams pick and roll and pushing him from the paint to perimeter then I agree - AK did not reach his potential as perimeter player. But he did win MVP and gold in Eurobasket in 2007 causing havoc in the paint... just few month after his worst NBA season.
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Eurobasket moran. Troutbum could start for some Eurobasket teams. Who gives a ****. AK's a turd who lost his balls when he got married and played like a bitch night in and night out. Keep him in Euro if he's so ****ing good. Here, in the NBA, the cream rises to the top and AK did nothing but coagulate and burn on the bottom.
 
vslice02 said:
Loved seeing Phil Johnson in the studio next to Thurl.

I've written this before, but I feel like it was a combination of injuries and AK's role in both the offense and the franchise that played a factor. He signed the $86 million extension in the summer of 2004, and he was a defensive terror the first month of the season before severely spraining his knee. He returned in Feb/Mar, again was putting up good numbers as really our #1 offensive option, then got fouled going up for a layup and broke his wrist on the landing against the Wizards.

Each time he got hurt, someone like Memo, Boozer, Deron or Harpring gradually increased their role a little bit more - to the point in 2006-07 where AK was the 4th and 5th option. IMO the mental reaction of going from franchise player and the #1-offensive option had a large impact on AK's psyche, to the point where he stopped trying to get better and resigned himself to being the player he was in the role he had. Not making excuses for AK (because the team and offense definitely had much more success w/Deron and Boozer as the focal points, and it's hard to depend on someone constantly injured to play a large role) but I don't think this was the case of a player getting a big contract and then mailing it in. I think AK really wanted to live up to his contract - he just didn't have the durability, mental toughness, and right situation to do so.

AK certainly never lived up to the franchise player status his contract represented, but IMO he still was one of the top-10 players in Utah Jazz history and certainly one of the most unique talents the franchise ever had. We never really had a player like him before, and his performance against Golden State in the '07 Conf Semis was a wonderful showcase of his talents.

Definitely time for AK to move on, but when I think of AK I'll think of his versatility, his length, and his spetacular weakside shotblocking more than his max-contract extension.
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Fair points and I'll + rep you but at the end of the day, AK make his bed and it was full of tears, not sweat. Every man decides his fate. Unless he lets another man decide it for him.
 
Why do I get the feeling AK never had a post-up game and that asking him to play it is just based on his length advantage at the position?
 
I think AK was just too fragile. Damn back was always going out on him.

Was one of my favorite Jazz players of all time. I liked him better than I ever liked Deron or Boozer. AK is 3rd behind Stockton and Malone for me. I just wish he'd have been healthier.

I wish him well where ever he lands and I don't like this back stabbing on the way out much.
 
AK was like a man without a home on the basketball court. He was clearly at his best playing in the paint as a PF. He never really mastered perimeter play, which he needed to do to be effective at SF. He was simply not big and muscular enough to take the 82-game grind of an NBA season...
 
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