After a bit of a rocky start, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to have found their groove. They’ve won nine of their last eleven games and are 13-6 after a 1-3 start. Despite this improvement, there are many things for the franchise to be concerned about. The bench has been a disappointment, the defense has regressed after showing signs of life during the team’s eight game winning streak, and the big three of LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving are playing heavier minutes than the team would prefer. While it may be impossible to fix all of these issues, there is a chance that help could be on the way in the form of the “AK-47” himself, Andrei Kirilenko.
Soon to be a free agent after he is waived by the Philadelphia 76ers. Kirilenko could help the Cavaliers in many ways. With his length, athleticism, and basketball I.Q. Kirilenko has always been an excellent defender throughout his career, Kirilenko has been effective guarding both power forwards and wings, and his teams have always been better on the defensive end when he is on the floor. Kirilenko has had a solid steal percentage throughout his career, and during his younger days with the Jazz he was one of the best shot blockers in the league, an amazing feat for someone who is only 6’9”. While his shot blocking has diminished with age, Kirilenko’s defense would allow him to both backup LeBron James and function as the Cavaliers’ fourth big man, basically playing the role that was intended for Shawn Marion while Marion could continue to start at shooting guard, an unconventional way to solve some of the problems listed above.
While not a good outside shooter (31% from three for his career), Kirilenko does have some plus offensive skills that could help the Cavaliers. Kirilenko is skilled at cutting to the basket and is also a terrific passer, having averaged 4.8 assists per 100 possessions for his career. Kirilenko’s history with Cavalier’s coach David Blatt is also well documented, as Blatt coached the Kirilenko-led Russian National Basketball Team to the Bronze Medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Kirilenko’s familiarity with Blatt and his system would help him blend in quickly the rest of the Cavalier’s roster.
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For all of the positive Kirilenko could bring, we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the negatives. There are several reasons why Kirilenko will likely be waived soon. Injury-prone throughout his career (he has averaged just over 66 games a season), Kirilenko sustained a back injury early last season that limited him to just 45 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season and sapped his athleticism on both ends of the floor. His three-point shooting, always a weakness, has been below 30% each of the last two seasons. This causes him to cramp the offensive spacing for his team when he plays. Finally, Kirilenko has a family matter to attend to in New York (apparently having something to do with his wife), and may not be available to play for several weeks. At 33 years old and with his injury history, this could be the end for the “AK-47”.
Andrei Kirilenko likely isn’t the Cavaliers’ first choice to solve their problems on the wing, but teams don’t usually get what they want in the NBA and he could be the choice they go with. If that happens only time will tell if he is still the kind of player who could help a team contend for an NBA championship.
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