AK-47 rocks my world.

Just for the heck of it, I’ve decide to spend the next few weeks writing about things I love about the Jazz (and the NBA) and things I don’t like all that much.  I’m starting with Andrei Kirilenko. Next will be Laker Fans (guess which category they are).

Anyway, on to Andrei Kirilenko:

Once upon a time, back in 2004 and 2005, AK-47 was the difference between a 42-win team and a 27-win team. It’s notable that the 27-win team was much more talented. But once AK got hurt, the talent didn’t matter; the season became a disaster.

But AK wasn’t everything we wanted, even then. We wanted a jump shot that didn’t make us cower in fear. We wanted a dependable 20-22 PPG. We wanted a couple more rebounds. We wanted better decisions. We wanted him to know what a good shot is and what a bad shot is. We wanted less recklessness.

And over time, the Jazz coaches, the Jazz front office, the players, and the fans all started thinking more about what AK wasn’t than what he was. So his minutes got cut. So he didn’t get the ball. He got pushed to either the bench or the far weak side, where he was expected to just wait around, block a shot here and there, get a steal—but mostly stay out of the way of the real players.

And we forgot what a difference AK, quirks and flaws and all, could make.

Thankfully, we’ve all seen the light recently.

But here’s the thing: AK hasn’t changed. His jump shot is still terrifyingly ugly. He still won’t score 20 every game. He still puts up bad shots. He still doesn’t rebound as much as he could. His decisions are still … um, unique. He still plays with the recklessness of an 8-year-old.

And that AK … that flabbergasting, flawed, quirky, reckless Russian beanpole has almost single-handedly made the Jazz a good-to-great team again. He’s still a 15-win difference-maker.

via www.nba.com

What’s so wonderful about AK is he doesn’t have to play out-of-his-mind-wonderful to make the difference. All he needs is to play—for 36 minutes and as an involved member of the offense. That’s it. That makes him happy, which makes him energetic, which saves the day again and again and again and again.

Last night’s win in Houston was a perfect example:

36 minutes, 2-6 shooting (and those missed shots were UGLY), 8-8 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 4 TO, 12 points.

And AK’s play won the game. He got the big steals. His shot-blocking led to a lot of altered/missed post and fast-break shots. His guy (Battier) shot 1-10. AK did everything to make a win happen—including a ton of things that don’t show up in the box score.

And that was a MEDIOCRE game for him. He didn’t play out-of-his-mind awesome, but what he did do still led to the win—far, far, far, far more than Boozer’s dozen points and 8 rebounds.

As long as he’s happy (playing an involved 36 minutes per game), and as long as you don’t get too caught up in AK’s flaws—and they are there—he is the greatest player in the world to cheer for.

He doesn’t care about how many shots he gets. He cares about how involved he is with the team’s play.

He doesn’t get too obsessed with winning. He just wants to have a blast playing a rollicking game of hoops.

He doesn’t get down by bad calls. He just smiles and plays on.

He doesn’t get depressed about a loss. He’s just glad he got to play, and he’s excited there’s another one coming up.

His smile is just as big for a big block as it is for a dunk or a wicked pass or even a teammate’s pass and dunk. He just loves to be part of great team basketball.

He goes after loose balls, he guards whoever he’s assigned to, he sets screens, he likes initiating the offense with passes, he likes making backdoor cuts, he likes posting up guys, he likes dribbling into traffic and on the fast break, he likes making fancy passes.

I don’t know what else to say. He just loves playing basketball—and not in the classic, businesslike John Stockton way. AK likes to play in the classic 10-year-old in a candy store kind of way.

Now add all this to his more traditional-box-score-type contributions (16.5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 52% shooting– those are his per 36 minute stats as a starter this year). How is AK-47 not one of the most wonderful players in the league?

And that’s why Andrei Kirilenko rocks my world.