Salt Lake City – Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur teased teammate Andrei Kirilenko about a black, long-sleeved, hooded shirt he wore – with roses and a skull silk-screened on it – after Friday’s practice.
“Is that your wife’s shirt?” Okur asked.
Okur, a Turk, and Kirilenko, a Russian, constantly rib each other. They also are two of the most underrated players in the NBA and a big reason Utah is surprisingly atop the Northwest Division.
“I knew him before I got here,” said Okur, in his second year with the Jazz. “We played against each other in Europe. He’s such a good player. He makes basketball easier. Off the court, he’s a good friend.
“We’re playing good. We have good chemistry. The team is playing good. We try to win every night.”
Since the opening tip of the season, Okur has been playing like an upper-echelon NBA player.
He was averaging career highs of 17.7 points and 9.4 rebounds entering Saturday’s game against Miami and has started every game. The big man nicknamed “Memo” has 15 double-doubles, and the Jazz is 11-4 in those games and 13-3 when he scores at least 20 points. No Western Conference center is playing better than the 6-foot-11, 249-pound Okur, and he deserves to make his first all-star appearance.
“It’s my dream,” Okur said. “All players in the NBA dream about making the all-star team. … But I’m not worried about it. If I play good on the court and we’re winning, it’s going to be much easier for me. But right now, I’m trying to do my job out there.”
Kirilenko said: “Memo is the most underrated (big man) in the league.”
The Jazz didn’t start playing sweet music until Kirilenko was back as a regular part of the lineup. Utah is 2-8 in games he has missed because of back spasms and a sprained right ankle and 4-12 when he doesn’t start. The Jazz entered Saturday’s game with a 15-5 record when he starts. Utah has also won eight of the past nine games in which the do-everything 6-9, 210-pounder has played. He averaged 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 3.3 blocks during that stretch. That’s why he’s the NBA’s most underrated player.
“When you don’t get enough credit, you can play easily on the floor,” said Kirilenko, who likes being underrated. “There is not lots of attention, (so) you get so much open position on the floor and lots of things you can do.”
Early last week, Utah forward Carlos Boozer tweaked his already injured hamstring, which has caused him to miss the entire season so far. After recently working out on the court, he is back to the rehab pool and exercise bike, but there is no timetable for his return.
Okur said the Jazz was once the NBA’s best rebounding team. Boozer could make it the best as he averaged 11.5 rebounds and 15.5 points in his last healthy season, 2003-04 with Cleveland. There is talk that he can be back by month’s end.
“I don’t know when he’ll play,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “I don’t worry about that. I worry about it for his sake. But for our sake, we can’t worry. We have to go on about our business.”
If Nene weren’t injured and the Nuggets were healthy, they would run away with the Northwest Division title. But since that isn’t the case, expect a dogfight among Denver, Utah and Minnesota for the crown.
When asked if Utah can win the Northwest, Kirilenko said: “Why not? There’s a lot of games to play…. It’s a long marathon. I can’t say we’re going to win. But I will say we will try to do our best and try to be a pain for every team. That’s our goal right now.
“We’re good enough when we’re playing as a team.”
But a relatively healthy Jazz team will bring the playoffs back to Salt Lake City for the first time in three years.
NBA checks out CU’s Copeland
Nearly a dozen NBA scouts, including Toronto general manager Rob Babcock, attended Colorado’s loss to Kansas last week with a keen eye on Colorado sophomore guard Richard Roby and Kansas freshman guard Brandon Rush. But another player they scribbled notes about was Buffs senior forward Chris Copeland, who had a season-best 22 points and hit four 3-pointers.
The versatile 6-8, 235-pounder entered Saturday’s game at Missouri averaging 13.3 points on 55.4 percent shooting, a 44.2 3-point percentage and 4.8 rebounds. One Eastern Conference scout viewed Copeland as a high-level European prospect now and a potential second-round draft pick.
“I was watching him pretty hard. Some of the things he did I said, ‘Man,”‘ the scout said. “I was looking at him more than Roby. He is intriguing. He definitely should be involved in (the NBA’s) Chicago predraft camp.
“If he does well in Chicago, he’s a second-round pick. He’s definitely intriguing.”
The scout also said Roby needs to “get hungry, he has to get mean,” and was currently a second-round prospect.
Footnotes
Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill has been trying to act as a mentor to guard Steve Francis this season. Francis was suspended indefinitely Thursday for refusing to go back into the game, and word is Hill kept Francis from pulling the same stunt Jan. 6 in a loss to New Jersey. … An NBA executive said the San Antonio Spurs are seeking an athletic big man to aid their inside game. … Kirilenko said he will have surgery in the offseason to repair his battered nose. “(My wife said) get plastic surgery and cut off half of your nose,” he said. “I said, ‘We’ll see.’ I’ll be the next Tom Cruise.” … Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony recently signed a multiyear contract for a new energy drink in Asia called C1.5 Energy, which will be created with his direction. Portions of the revenue will benefit his charitable foundation.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com. Spears also does a weekly NBA radio show on ESPN 560 AM on Thursdays in the morning on “The Press Box” and at 4 p.m. with John Fricke.
Fine Florida food
Memphis Grizzlies swingman Eddie Jones, who is from Miami, selects his top five restaurants in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.
1. Cafe Martorano, Fort Lauderdale (Italian)
2. Prime One Twelve, Miami (steakhouse)
3. Nobu, Miami Beach (Japanese)
4. Tusk Steakhouse, Fort Lauderdale
5. Cafeteria, Miami Beach (comfort food)
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
HERVELLE FOCUSES ON RAISING HIS GAME
Of the Nuggets’ four draft picks last year, the best might be the last, 6-foot-9, 230-pound Real Madrid forward Axel Hervelle. The 52nd pick has Ryan Bowen-like energy, a deep jumper and is a ferocious offensive rebounder and an above-average passer. Following is a recent interview with the Belgian:
Q: What do you know about the Nuggets and Denver?
A: The Nuggets have one of the most talented teams in the West. Recently, they’ve suffered from injuries. They play an up-and-down game with lots of transitions. Coach (George) Karl is one of the best and most experienced coaches in the league. I heard the people of Denver are very friendly. They like football and basketball, and it’s one of the sunniest cities in the entire U.S.
Q: Are you anxious to get your Nuggets career started?
A: I’m not anxious. I’m trying to plan and develop my career with realistic goals. I was very excited to be drafted by the Nuggets because I know it’s a great organization. I want to stay focused and bring my game to the level that will allow me to be successful in the NBA with the Nuggets.
Q: Will you be on the Nuggets’ summer league team?
A: Yes. I want to have the opportunity to work with Coach Karl and his staff and gain the experience of playing with NBA athletes. I didn’t play last summer because I was working on my skills, especially quickness and strength, in Los Angeles. It was a unique opportunity for me to focus on parts of my game that needed to be improved. I also had made a commitment to play for the Belgian national team (last) August.
Q: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
A: My strengths are a natural feel for rebounds, defense and energy. I’m a good player facing (the basket) and at 3-point shooting. I have to improve my ballhandling skills and my back-to-the-basket game.
Q: Talk about why you are signing a contract extension with Real Madrid.
A: I’m coached by one of the best coaches in Europe, coach (Bozidar) Maljkovic, and I’m learning on a daily basis from him. That is the reason I think I need an additional year or two to become an NBA player.
Eye on:
Fred Hoiberg
Background: The free-agent guard underwent heart surgery June 28 to correct an enlarged aortic root. The surgery, which took place at the renowned Mayo Clinic, corrected a bulge in the root where the artery meets the aortic valve. Hoiberg hasn’t returned to the NBA. On Aug. 15, Minnesota released the 3-point specialist as a designated player for the amnesty provision under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. The 10-year veteran led the NBA in 3-point accuracy last season, hitting a career-best and Timberwolves franchise-record 48.3 percent.
What’s up: After a checkup Friday with one of the world’s leading heart specialists, Dr. Barry Marin, Hoiberg could be cleared to play. If so, his agent, Arn Tellem, will begin talking to teams about his potential return. While he cannot re-sign with the Wolves, Hoiberg, who is wearing a pacemaker, has been working out and playing one-on-one and 3-on-3 basketball. He said he is in good shape.
“I don’t want to say I’ll play until I get the news that I can,” he said. “If and when I get cleared, we’ll start contacting teams and make a decision that makes sense.”
What’s next: If Hoiberg feels there is any risk, he will retire from basketball. He has a wife and four kids to consider.
“We trust the doctors that they will give me the right advice,” he said.
Spears’ take: Considering the world-renowned doctors treating Hoiberg, he will feel comfortable about playing again if cleared. If he can play, the sharpshooter will become a coveted free agent. The Nuggets, who are in dire need of a 3-point shooter, should make overtures to Hoiberg now.
