AK47 Learning From the Matrix's Mistakes?

Apparently, Andrei Kirilenko isn''t so high on being shipped out of Utah anymore.

As reported by Tim Buckley of the Deseret Morning News:

"It's not that I want to be traded, but I'm ready to be," Kirilenko said. "And I think anybody in this league, they understand that position. Nobody wants to be traded.

"Obviously," Kirilenko added before Utah beat Denver in overtime Wednesday for its 10th straight win, "we're playing good. And I want to be part of it.

"Everybody gets used to being on the same team, in the same organization, in the same sets," he said. "When you get used to everything, you know how to play. You know your partners."

How about that?

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A dude's team wins ten in a row and 16 of 18, he sees another flaky player on a similarly good team get moved, and he finally begins to act like he gets it!  Hey, look at that!

The Jazz may well be the hottest team in basketball right now, and they are firing on all cylinders.  Part of that came about because of a key acquisition (Kyle Korver), and, as Kirilenko notes, part of that occurred because these guys simply started doing the right things playing together.

Yep, Andrei, that's how teams become good: Their guys play together, as a team, and they get a better feel for playing with each other.

Kirilenko's versatile array of skills makes him a very valuable part of his basketball team.  It's a good feeling to see that he is starting to appreciate that.