Andrei

Kirilenko

The 23-year-old Kirilenko might be one of the few players still worthy of a max deal.

It’s either gonna be a max deal for Kirilenko, or him becoming a restricted free agent in July. With AK and new teammate Carlos Boozer, the Jazz have two of the game’s better all-around players. They finished 12th and 11th in Efficiency rating respectively last seaon.

If no deal is done by Oct. 31, Kirilenko will become a restricted free agent after the season. The two sides are believed to be about $10 million apart, but Kirilenko has no intention of being paid any less than Memphis’ Pau Gasol. The Jazz need to realize what they have here, which is a 23-year-old who is already among the top dozen players in the game, isn’t an attitude problem, and has one of the best all-around games since Larry Bird.

The 23-year-old do-everything Russian is now signed through 2011. The Jazz have a strong, exciting young team, and will be an underrated fun group to watch this season. Kirilenko is worthy of a first-round pick in many leagues.

Kris Humphries or center Aleksandar Radojevic will be activated today, although it will be Matt Harpring and Mehmet Okur who should see the most minutes. Kirilenko could be gone anywhere from between five games to a month, but “won’t miss half the season” or anything, trainer Gary Briggs said.

You’ll have to reserve him for Week 5. “I don’t think it’s so [bad], but might take some time,” said Kirilenko, who was hobbling around with a crutch after the game. “Feels like unstable walking side-to-side, but straight is not bad. I don’t feel anything like hurting.” He’ll undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury. This is a tough blow for the Jazz, who face the NBA’s three best records this week: Phoenix, Seattle, and Dallas. The bright side is that Matt Harpring could start in AK-47’s place, and the extra minutes might be what Harpring needs to get going.

The results of an MRI will be released today. Reserve Kirilenko this week.

“The pain is all gone right now. Even when I’m working, it’s not really tired, so it’s a good sign,” said Kirilenko, out since Nov. 27. On Wednesday, both Kirilenko and Jarron Collins will undergo a strength test on their injuries to determine how far along their rehabilitation is. Once cleared, Kirilenko will participate in about three practices before suiting up.

Kirkilenko says his ankle feels fine. He spent the break visiting family in Russia and should be fine to get back in your lineup.

Sloan said he hasn’t decided who will be in the team’s 15th different starting lineup, but he did deliver a speech about hard work to his players. Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, and Raul Lopez should be safe, with the switch coming at center or shooting guard.