With the Nets season officially in the books, it’s time to look back at the year that was. We’ll look back at a different player each weekday, before wrapping up with the coaching staff and front office. Next up: Andrei Kirilenko
Regular season stats: Averaged 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks per game. Shot 51.3 percent from the field, 20.0 percent from 3-point range, 51.3 percent from the foul line in 19.0 minutes per game over 45 games (four starts).
Playoff stats: Averaged 2.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.3 blocks per game. Shot 46.7 percent from the field, 0 percent from 3-point range and 64.7 percent from foul line in 14.4 minutes per game over 12 games (no starts).
Contractual status: Has player option worth $3,326,235 for 2014-15 season.
Season recap
When talks between the Nets and 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic broke down last July, it looked as if they might be in some trouble. Then, within the next 48 hours, the Nets came to an agreement with Andrei Kirilenko, leaving the basketball world fuming at their good fortune and the Nets gleeful over adding one of the league’s most versatile players and best wing defenders to their roster.
But the Nets spent most of the first two months of the season wondering what Kirilenko’s impact would be. He started suffering back spasms midway through training camp that continued to bother him through December, causing him to miss 25 of the first 29 games of the season.
Once he returned to action, the Nets took off. Brooklyn went 30-15 in the 45 games Kirilenko participated in, including going 29-11 in the first 40 before they began resting players over the final week of the regular season. Kirilenko’s versatility was on display as he made all kinds of heady plays on both ends of the floor – finding exactly the right place to put a pass on offense or figuring out how to get his hands on the ball defensively.
But that didn’t stop Nets coach Jason Kidd from sitting Kirilenko completely in two playoff games – including the postseason opener against Toronto – and playing him less than five minutes in two others. Though Kidd never came out and said it, it seemed the biggest reason he didn’t give Kirilenko the playing time was his inability to stretch the floor with outside shooting, something Kidd prioritized against the Raptors and Heat.
Kidd found a way around that against Miami by playing Kirilenko at center – a move that yielded some interesting and positive results for the Nets before the series ended in five games.
Outlook for next season
When Kirilenko signed last summer, it was expected that he would opt out after this season and head back into free agency. But after spending a significant chunk of the season sidelined due to injuries, the possibility of Kirilenko opting in for next season has gone up significantly.
The Nets undoubtedly would be happy to get him back, giving them another year of his all-court versatility off the bench while hoping for better health. Though Kirilenko said after the season ended he likes everything about being in New York and playing for the Nets, he referenced the fact that “you want to be a contributor” at this point in his career – perhaps an indication he wasn’t thrilled with posting career lows in practically every statistical category, including minutes and points per game.
Tomorrow: Shaun Livingston