The sarcasm pinged across state lines.
The Utah Jazz is 17-3 since acquiring Kyle Korver, so I texted this information to my snarky pal, Peter, who responded: “Guess he should get the MVP. The West is just obscene right now, Korver et al.”
OK, in a month when Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol joined Western Conference juggernauts, Utah’s addition of Korver wasn’t franchise-changing. Since joining the Jazz, the guy averages 11.1 points per game, never starting.
But basketball aficionados — even Peter — can appreciate the Korver effect on Denver’s Northwest Division rival. Utah didn’t need to put its roster in a blender. It just needed one more ingredient. So, the Jazz nabbed a confident sharpshooter who can spread out the offensive set to open gaps for the blossoming post presence of Carlos Boozer. And, at the time, Utah averaged 3.8 3-pointers per game, fewest in the NBA. It was a low-risk gamble. Korver shoots well, it enhances Utah’s offense; Korver’s off, and Utah is back to where it was last year — a contender nonetheless.
“I think Kyle Korver has influenced Utah’s freedom to shoot the 3,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “I think they’ve won a couple games in this stretch where they’ve made double-digit 3s. I don’t remember a Utah team shooting 3s. I think Korver, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, they’re more confident and more free to shoot it. Coach Sloan’s teams have had a little more discipline in taking the defended 3. Now, they shoot shots with guys’ hands up.”
And recently, Korver has been shooting like Jimmy Chitwood from “Hoosiers.” In the past five wins, he made 14 3-pointers on 28 attempts, including, one might recall, his three 3s during his 27-point performance at the Pepsi Center.
I’m not trying to imply that Denver needs a Kyle Korver. To get a player averaging double-digits, or an available “name” player such as Ron Artest or Mike Miller, they would likely have to give up 23-year-old Linas Kleiza, who is playing his best basketball at an affordable price. Denver should be able to compete with Utah today, but it wouldn’t hurt the Nuggets to shell out their 2008 draft pick for a reserve guard — one more ingredient.
Because, after all, the West’s gluttony is getting obscene, Korver et al.
