I have to admit, I am intrigued by the idea/plan to bring AK off the bench. I think that bringing AK in with the second group could be the missing link for the Jazz. Realistically you could replace AK in the starting line-up with CB Jack and that unit would still be good so why not bring him off the bench and give him more control with the 2nd unit? Here are the possitives that I see with this move:
- AK gets to be more of a facilitator with the second unit. The offense should run through him and that is not a bad thing. AK is not a black hole shooter, he likes to make the great assist as much as scoring.
- AK gets to play against other teams second units. This should help all of his stats and make him happy. Happy AK = productive AK.
- No more Matt Harpring. I love the energy and toughness that Matt brings, but he is a shell of his former self and needs to become more of what CJ Miles was last year.
- Gives Almond and Miles some minutes to see what they can do with the starters as spot up shooters. Whoever is in this spot will get plenty of good looks.
- The starters would only have one player (Brewer) that the other team could leave open to double D-Will and Booze instead of two. Imagine Booze and D-will going one on one with the ability to kick it out to two shooters (Memo and Miles/Almond) or find Brewer cutting. The offense should be dy-no-mite.
This would be your second unit for the Jazz. This group could beat the Sonics (I refuse to call them the Thunder) or Grizzlies first team guys.
Backcourt - Price or Knight and Korver
Frontcourt - AK, Millsap and either Booze or Memo depending on the rotation.
I am curious to see how this all plays out when Matt comes back, but I have high hopes for the Jazz with AK coming off the bench. Chime on what you think will happen if AK stays as the 6th man for the season. I am curious to see what everyone else thinks about this.
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I love AK and have been very worried about his productivity and the weak defense of Boozer. You can't do much about the later, but I agree that AK off the bench will make the Jazz the strongest all around team in the league (assuming Boozer is playing tenacious D for his potential contract year).
AK, if taking on the bench role (which will do more for him and the younger Miles), would be 6th man of the year and his stats would be through the roof. Point-Forward is what this man was born to play.
One last note, having him in the post as the 4 gives him the potential to become a top 5 shot blocker. Preseason is making me gitty...
AK needs to feel like he has a little more freedom and is a little more important - coming in with the second unit may be just the situation where he feels that way. I.e., he doesn't have to get stressed over every play running through Carlos and DWill.
I'd be giddy about the season too, except I'm bugged by the shooting guard circus beginning already. I hate how Jerry tries to motivate guys by threatening that they'll lose their minutes if they don't get going. It seems to happen each year in the preseason at the SG spot.
I agree that the defense of the first unit will be woeful, but the increase in offense should make up for that. Additionally, the second units defense would get quite better. It should be a possitive net gain for the Jazz.
Welcome Tim & Christian. Great comments. I am honestly up for anything different. We are not winning a ring the way we are doing things so mixing it up can only help. That being said, my biggest concern is not having J. Shart coming in with .04 remaining in the half to chuck up his token half court short. Who is going to do that now.....Brevin?
Danger! Danger!
I have to devil's advocate. With AK out of the starting 5 what kind of calamity would we find the Jazz defensive sitation in? Deron can't guard all 5 players. As much as I think AK is a great bench player, I can think that it would only hurt the team...
That being said...
I think that something drastic needs to happen. If this is it...then so be it.
Here is my gripe. CJ Miles.
Little brother is shooting 29% and averaging 5.5 pts. Get out of the slump CJ. I bet he sticks his hand out and walks backwards to collect his new paycheck. This is absurd. CJ needs to grow up and start playing like all of the media and Jazz brass say he can.
Shit or get off the pot CJ. You're wasting our precious Jazz time.
CJ is certainly the big wild card here, but I don't think that the defense would suffer that much. Team were already shooting 80% in the first quarter against the Jazz with AK in the lineup. AK gets way too much credit for his on the ball defense, his real value is as a help defender.
Unfortunately we are putting all our hopes of this working on CJ Miles. May God have mercy on our souls.
Love AK coming off of the bench. Defense will be a problem, but that is Boozer and Memo's fault.
Help Defense is AK's best attribute... well, that and his ability to convince the wife that he can have one freeby a year. If he could train Booze-Hound and Memo how to help on "D" we would be in excellent shape.
I like the idea of AK off the bench as a 4 instead of the start as a 3. The only problem now is that AK was able to stretch the D in the first unit by his 3-point threat. CJ can't do that. Now instead of having a proficient outside shooter at the 3 and an athletic player to finish around the rim at the 2, we have two young athletic kids who aren't confident in their own shot enough to become a threat. What we need is Korver to start at the 3 with Brewer at the 2 and then Miles and Almond to bring in the second unit in those two positions.
I hope Boozer's minutes drop with AK behind him on the bench. Remember back when AK made the All-star team? What position was he playing? Power Forward. The 4. He is most comfortable there, and he can be very productive. We need him to get some of Boozer's softie unproductive minutes to use to become the old AK-47 that lived up to his name.
Didn't CJ surprise last night with his ability at the point? Cmon, it really wasn't that bad. It's nice to see that he does in deed have some court savvy, and could step up if we ever need him to.
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