Waiting in the wings: Jazz small forwards

看板UTAH-JAZZ (猶他爵士)作者RonnieBrewer (Ronnie Brewer)時間19年前 (2006/09/29 21:34)推噓2(2推 0噓 7→)

留言9則, 4人參與討論串1/1

Waiting in the wings: Jazz small forwards Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:57 PM CDT Chuck Nunn/Jazz Session Our breakdown of the Utah Jazz roster continues as we look at the small forward position. Andrei Kirilenko, the 6-9 forward from Russia, remains at the top of Utah's depth chart at the position, and with good reason. Kirilenko excels in every aspect of the game. It all starts with his defense. AK's shotblocking prowess makes him one of the league's top defenders. The NBA leader in total blocks last season, Kirilenko can block an opponent's shot wither straight on or helping from the weak side. Jazz opponents also have to watch Kirilenko's quick hands and long arms when it comes to getting steals. Kirilenko led the Jazz in that area with 1.48 steals per game last season. He is also one of Utah's leading rebounders, averaging eight boards per game last season. Kirilenko is also an asset on offense. He was Utah's third leading scorer last year with 15.3 points per game and was second in assists with 4.3 per game. While AK struggled just a bit last season with some of his shot selections and turnovers, he also had two triple-doubles and remains a key component to Utah's formula for success. Utah's biggest offseason move this past summer was certainly the re-signing of 6-7 forward Matt Harpring. While Harpring missed 11 games last season due to his surgically repaired knee, he still played a big role in helping the rebuilding Jazz break even last season. While Harpring's scoring fell off a bit from past seasons, he still averaged 12.5 points per game and set a decent rebounding mark at 5.2 boards per game. He's not as quick or athletic as some other forwards in the league, but Harpring usually has an edge in strength and toughness over many of the wing players he faces, and his heads-up hustle has benefitted the Jazz for the past four seasons. One of Utah's camp invitees that has already signed a make-good contract is 6-6 forward Roger Powell. A former teammate at Illinois to Jazz guards Deron Williams and Dee Brown, Powell was at camp with the Seattle SuperSonics last October. While he didn't end up on the Sonics' opening night roster last season and may not end up with the Jazz this season, Powell still has talent and athleticism that he brings to the table. He is an able rebounder, having pulled down a college career-high 14 boards against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2005 NCAA Basketball Championship's final game. Utah's first-round selection in this past summer's draft, Ronnie Brewer is a player who could possibly see some minutes at the small forward spot. The 6-7 Brewer is an incredibly athletic and versatile player who is good on both ends of the floor. He could very well emerge this season as one of the Jazz's top perimeter defenders. Offensively, Brewer's slashing ability and ballhandling skills help him get into the lane where he can finish well at the rim. Brewer is also a deft passer, and his perimeter shooting proved to be pretty steady during the 2006 Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue. Utah's fall camp roster nears completion this week, and while there have been no announcements yet, there are a number of small forwards who could possibly receive an invitation. Among available free agents at the spot are Nik Caner-Medley, Dan Langhi, Awvee Storey and Brandon Bowman. Contact Chuck Nunn at cnunn@southidahopress.com or feel free to blog this column at www/southidahopress.com. http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2006/09/27/sports/local/jazzsess.txt -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 59.41.37.201