The J-Notes
Fansided

Utah Jazz rank: The top 10 international players in team history

By Ryan Aston

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 5: the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Orlando Magicon March 5, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 5: the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Orlando Magicon March 5, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next
Utah Jazz Andrei Kirilenko AK47
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Andrei Kirilenko #47 of the Utah Jazz smiles from the sidelines during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at EnergySolutions Arena on March 16, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1) Andrei Kirilenko, F — Russia

When the Jazz picked up a Russian teenager called Andrei Kirilenko with the 24th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, it didn’t exactly set the world on fire. But when he finally debuted for the Jazz in 2001, it became apparent in short order that “AK-47” was as deadly as his nickname implied on the court.

Until Gobert takes the mantle from him, he’s officially (according to me, anyway) the Jazz’s greatest international player. Heck, he’s arguably one of the 10 best in the history of the league.

Kirilenko established himself as one of basketball’s elite defenders and a versatile frontcourt playmaker early in his career. Although his confidence took a hit when Williams and Boozer became Utah’s go-to combination offensively, he continued to be a defensive game-changer and one of the most underrated overall talents in the league.

That would be the case for a decade.

Like Okur, he played in an All-Star Game. Kirilenko was also a three-time All-Defensive team selection and the master of the 5×5. Google that last one, kiddos.

As great as he was in his day, AK was probably ahead of his time. In the modern NBA, he’d be mentioned in the same breath as Draymond Green and an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Jazz stats: 681 GP (478 starts), 12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.4 SPG .470 FG%, .312 3P%

Next: KBD injured during pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz