It's clear now that AK......

[trueblue8to5]

Plays with as much, if not more, heart than anyone on this team, his hustle on the floor only motivates other players to hustle as well. While he may not be a vocal leader, he leads by example on the floor. It's a good thing we have until Tuesday to get him healthy. We need him so the Pacers don't come in overconfident, thinking they can score on everybody.

[The Sheik]

Plays with as much, if not more, heart than anyone on this team, his hustle on the floor only motivates other players to hustle as well. While he may not be a vocal leader, he leads by example on the floor. It's a good thing we have until Tuesday to get him healthy. We need him so the Pacers don't come in overconfident, thinking they can score on everybody.

Yet when he is happy we are a worse team...that is quite the conundrum.

[trueblue8to5]

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Yet when he is happy we are a worse team...that is quite the conundrum.

Adding the fact Okur has decided to take the year off has definitely added to our poor play.

[Duiz]

I think these games without AK serve as a good proof as how the jazz would look if they were to get rid of AK.

[CAE15]

I think these games without AK serve as a good proof as how the jazz would look if they were to get rid of AK.

Yes and no, we would get another player in a trade but yeah, it shows if ak isn't traded for a defender how bad it could be.

[SaltyDawg]

I think these games without AK serve as a good proof as how the jazz would look if they were to get rid of AK.

The Jazz have been bad on the road all season- AK or not.

[idajazz]

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The Jazz have been bad on the road all season- AK or not.

I thought the defense looked ok against the blazers up to the point where Martel went insane.

I don't think life without AK would be all that bad.

[Duiz]

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Yes and no, we would get another player in a trade but yeah, it shows if ak isn't traded for a defender how bad it could be.

I think you are right. But he isn't a one and one defender specialist like bowen. He is a weak side team defender, and he helps everyone, from the PG to the C on defense. I guess this would have to be taken in consideration if a trade for another defensive player comes through.

[trueblue8to5]

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I think you are right. But he isn't a one and one defender specialist like bowen. He is a weak side team defender, and he helps everyone, from the PG to the C on defense. I guess this would have to be taken in consideration if a trade for another defensive player comes through.

We have never relied on great individual defense, as long as the team plays great help defense, like the first half in Portland, we will be fine. Deron plays decently, Brewer is still a little slow on his rotations, and CJ is still learning. Boozer is slow on his rotations, but he simply cannot guard a one-trick pony jumpshooter, like Travis Outlaw on the perimeter. Memo is a down right liability inside. We can blame him for not collecting enough blocks (Deron has more blocks currently), but the real problem is he's clueless on where to help the defense.

These things should improve with time, at the beginning of the season, our overpowering offense was masking the defensive mistakes, now it really shows when we can't rotate correctly inside, or we leave shooters wide open on the perimeter.

[Duiz]

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We have never relied on great individual defense, as long as the team plays great help defense, like the first half in Portland, we will be fine. Deron plays decently, Brewer is still a little slow on his rotations, and CJ is still learning. Boozer is slow on his rotations, but he simply cannot guard a one-trick pony jumpshooter, like Travis Outlaw on the perimeter. Memo is a down right liability inside. We can blame him for not collecting enough blocks (Deron has more blocks currently), but the real problem is he's clueless on where to help the defense.

These things should improve with time, at the beginning of the season, our overpowering offense was masking the defensive mistakes, now it really shows when we can't rotate correctly inside, or we leave shooters wide open on the perimeter.

I agree, I won't say you are wrong, cause you are.

However I do believe you need to add the other dimension, that Kirilenko is a great Team Defender whose sole impact can make a Team's inside confidence shambles. Okur might be 6'11 and Boozer might have had a sick rejection to TD on the playoffs, but no one is as effective as the All-Defensive Teams and someone who got to the all-star team by defensive. Having him changed for someone like Bowen does make a difference.

[Malone Strong]

Plays with as much, if not more, heart than anyone on this team, his hustle on the floor only motivates other players to hustle as well. While he may not be a vocal leader, he leads by example on the floor. It's a good thing we have until Tuesday to get him healthy. We need him so the Pacers don't come in overconfident, thinking they can score on everybody.

I agree...you cannot give up on talent like AK. He is capable of totally dominating any game in a variety of different ways. Fault Jerry Sloan for not being a good enough coach to help Andrei be more useful last year when we had a true shot at an NBA championship...

[@ndrew]

He didn't play very good on defense couple of games. Andrei problem looks like Yao problem - they need to grow up in mental way and not to be a kids on the court. Since he would do that, he can make some noise...