Defensive Specialist

By: Kyle Flanagan

What do most Jazz opponents driving through the lane for what appears to be an open basket have in common?
Answer: thoughts of Andrei Kirilenko cluttering the back of their minds.

Since his arrival to the NBA in the 2001-2002 season, Kirilenko has been causing problems for other players on almost a nightly basis. Kirilenko finished his rookie season averaging nearly two blocks per game in only 26 minutes per game and continued to increase his block average every season for the first four years of his career, making him a defensive presence to be reckoned with.

Kirilenko’s unconventional blocking method and pure athleticism is what makes him such a threat to those who think they have an open basket. Standing at a modest 6-9, Kirilenko relies mostly on his wing span and his quickness from the weak-side to swoop over and deny his opponents of seemingly open baskets.

Defensive preparation was a key for Kirilenko early in his career. In his first couple seasons with the Jazz he spent time reading scouting reports and learning what he could about the players. Now the one-time All-Star relies mainly upon his knowledge of opponent’s tendencies and his instincts on the court.

“Early in my career, I would study players and scouting reports to kind of know which side they preferred to go and what kind of moves they like to do,” Kirilenko said. “Now it is study them before the game and of course you know when you are playing you pick up some of the moves they do.”

While some defenders in the league use previous game film to pick up on tendencies that their opponents will have in the game, Kirilenko does not use film as much to help give him the edge on defense. Rather, the one-time NBA All-Defensive First Teamer benefits from the real time experiences that he has accumulated over the years, using the game itself to learn about players and respond to their habits.

“Not much watching film, with film you don’t really get the feeling,” Kirilenko added. “But in a game, you have the tendency to see what kind of moves he likes or prefers and how he likes to play in the post.

Perhaps Kirilenko’s best season on the defensive side of the court came in his All-Star season of 2003-2004. Kirilenko went on a defensive rampage that saw him average 2.8 blocks per game to go along with his 1.9 steals per game. The impressive defense stats were good enough for third in the league in blocks per game and fourth in the league in steals per game, joining only “The Admiral” David Robinson as the only two players in league history to finish in the top five in both defensive categories in a season.

With his defensive reputation built and maintained, Kirilenko continued his dominance over opposing players in the 2004-2005 season where he finished first in the league with 3.32 blocks per game.

This season Kirilenko finds himself once again in the top 25 in the league in blocks per game (1.55) and knows the best way to continue his success in blocking shots and frustrating offenses is to simply block their shots a couple times and get them thinking about him and where he is coming from.

“Every game is different; you need to catch that in the game,” Kirilenko said. “You need to find the position, probably block a couple times before you feel it and people are really intimidated.”

In 2006, Kirilenko’s versatility and ability showed through in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. After recording 14 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, six steals and seven blocked shots, Kirilenko became the closest player in NBA history to recording a quintuple-double. Kirilenko’s 5x5 against the Lakers became the first ever in the NBA to be recorded in a regulation game; Hakeem Olajuwon accomplished the task in 1987 for the Houston Rockets in a double-overtime victory over the Seattle Supersonics.

“A.K. is a special part of our team,” Jazz teammate Deron Williams said. “He does what no other player on this team can do and that’s fill up a stat sheet. He does it offensively and defensively, he brings a lot of energy to our team.”

As one of only three players to record eight or more steals in a single game (eight at Houston in 2003) and one of only five players to record 10 or more blocks in a single game (10 against Sacramento in 2006) Kirilenko has proved his value to the Jazz and has made his impression felt throughout the league in his seven-year NBA career.

“It is so frustrating when he guards you, you don’t look at him as being a very physical player, but he’s as long as they come,” Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said. “He’s athletic and quick. Just when you think you’ve got him, and you think you’ve beaten him, with that reach, he’s still right there at the rim waiting for you.”