JAZZ: AK judges Jazz play as weaker than before
By Michael C. Lewis
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 05/25/2007 02:49:41 AM MDT
Have the Jazz simply hit their ceiling?
Forward Andrei Kirilenko wondered whether that's the case - which might explain why they are playing "weaker" against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA's Western Conference finals than they did earlier in the playoffs.
"I don't think we're playing the game we played in the first or second round," Kirilenko said after practice Thursday. "I think we're playing weaker. I don't know why. Probably, we kind of not really believe in ourselves. Probably, we think probably that's our ceiling, for this moment. Maybe."
Pressed on why he thinks the Jazz might have maxed out for the moment or begun to lack confidence heading into Game 3 against the Spurs at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday, Kirilenko clarified his comments.
"I just said, 'Maybe,' '' he said. "It's not a fact. Just maybe. I hope it's not. All we can do right now is just compete every game."
Several of Kirilenko's teammates still discounted the idea that they have reached their potential for this season and simply need more time to grow into the kind of team that can seriously contend for a championship.
"I don't believe that," forward Carlos Boozer said. "I don't need no more time. I want to win right now. I hope the guys are on the same page. We didn't get here by having that at ude, that 'Oh, we can't get good enough, fast enough.' We have to have
the mentality that we can compete with this team. We can run up and down with them, we can defend them, we can score against them. And if we don't have that mentality, then we shouldn't be here in the first place.
"That's terrible," he added. "That's a terrible at ude, if you ask me. I hope all the guys are on the same page as I am, that we can get better in the next two days and have a great Game 3 and change the outlook of the series. But we have to have that mentality first."
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If I had a $5 for every duplicate thread in this forum...
Well crap. Thought this one hadn't made it yet.
Inbeforetehlock.
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