Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- A lack of playing time in Game 1 of the NBA's Jazz-Rockets series left Utah's highest-paid player in tears.
"I want to play 48 minutes," Andrei Kirilenko said Sunday after practice in Houston. "I want to play and I want to be on the court."
Kirilenko, who was paid $12.3 million this season, played 16 minutes and scored two points in Utah's 84-75 loss to Houston on Saturday. Game 2 is Monday night in Houston.
Coach Jerry Sloan yanked the Russian from the lineup after he missed a jump shot from nine feet.
"I know it's very uncomfortable for him. It's very uncomfortable for me," Sloan said. "I'm not happy with it, but I don't know how to handle it. I'm not equipped."
Sloan said Kirilenko was playing poorly and the team needed to keep backup forward Matt Harpring, who scored 14 points, in the game.
"I'm not trying to hurt anybody's feelings or anything," Sloan said. "My job is to win. The way you do that is to have everybody play hard and play well. We can't do it any other way. We need Andrei's play. We need him to come and play."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
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They touched on this a little bit after the Warriors/Mavs game last night.
Not a good look for AK47. If you're that upset about something, cry it out in the hotel room or somewhere private, not in public view of reporters and your teammates. The Rockets would be smart to go at him even harder next game and get even further into his head because he's a mental wreck right now.
"I know it's very uncomfortable for him. It's very uncomfortable for me," Sloan said. "I'm not happy with it, but I don't know how to handle it. I'm not equipped."
Which is why he'll never be a championship coach. You don't yank out your best defensive player b/c he's having a bad game.....or even a bad season. Jerry Sloan has killed AK's confidence this entire season.
*wonders if the Lakers can somehow pry AK 47 away for little or nothing from the Jazz*
I didn't notice him playing that bad last night. He wasn't puttin up point,s but he had some nice help defense, especailly on Yao when he blcoked Yao's shot. This is a horrible job of player management by Sloan. you don't treat your franchise player like. The owner ahs to be frious.
I didn't notice him playing that bad last night. He wasn't puttin up point,s but he had some nice help defense, especailly on Yao when he blcoked Yao's shot. This is a horrible job of player management by Sloan. you don't treat your franchise player like. The owner ahs to be frious.
The owner is a dumb asshole. This is an article from earlier in the season.
Quote:
Jazz owner wants fewer complaints, better play from Kirilenko
Updated 1/19/2007
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller said Andrei Kirilenko, his highest-paid player, is "putting himself on thin ice" with inconsistent play and complaints about his role on the team.
Miller said he cringes during some of Kirilenko's jump shots.
"I'd almost like to call his bluff, say 'OK, automatically we're going to leave you out there. You're going to take 20 shots a night five games in a row. And then we'll see,' " Miller told radio station 1280 AM.
"That would resolve the issue," Miller said Thursday. "He's either going to make them or he's not."
After a meeting with coaches Tuesday, Kirilenko said he sometimes doesn't feel like he's on the floor.
"I just go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth and I go to sleep," he said.
Miller didn't like it.
"I would have to say he's putting himself on thin ice," the owner told the radio station. "The combination of not playing very well and shooting his mouth off — that's not a good combination."
AK 47 needs to demand a trade next season. His coach and his owner doesn't respect him or treat him like a franchise player.
I didn't notice him playing that bad last night. He wasn't puttin up point,s but he had some nice help defense, especailly on Yao when he blcoked Yao's shot. This is a horrible job of player management by Sloan. you don't treat your franchise player like. The owner ahs to be frious.
At this point, AK is only the franchise player in terms of salary. Booz, Deron and even Okur have surpassed him.
Larry Miller already told them that they suck anyway ...
Utah is fukkin up with Kirilenko, dude is just as important to that squad as Boozer is. It's not all about Offense man...morons.
He gets traded to the lakers and they immediately become a problem because of him.
just as important as boozer ? i strongly disagree with that. AK hasnt really done anything all season and they won 50+ games, i dont think that would have happened if boozer wasnt putting up the big numbers
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Utah's Kirilenko upset after Game 1 benching
