The Fesenko question
A week from today, the Jazz will arrive at the June 15 deadline to exercise an $870,000 option to bring back Kyrylo Fesenko for next season. As of Friday, they had made no decision, and Fesenko's agent, Stu Lash, said he's in no hurry to hear one way or another.
For a player who has appeared in only 30 games in two seasons with the Jazz - - for a total of 226 minutes, the equivalent of 4.7 full games - - the decision on Fesenko is surprisingly complicated.
With the Jazz pushing the NBA's luxury-tax threshold, Fesenko's salary undoubtedly is a consideration. But $870,000 is minimal in NBA dollars, only $133,580 more than the Jazz would pay as a minimum salary ($736,420) for any player with NBA experience.
The Jazz also committed themselves to a three-year development project in Fesenko when they acquired the Ukrainian center in a swap of second-round picks in the 2007 draft.
So far they've invested $2.06 million in Fesenko, between the $500,000 buyout they paid his Ukrainian club team and the $750,000 they paid him as a rookie and $810,000 last season. Obviously, the Jazz would like to see some return on that investment.
Should they not bring back Fesenko, the Jazz run the risk of watching him blossom elsewhere. He is highly likely to sign with Sacramento, where his former agent, Jason Levien, is now the Kings assistant general manager, if he is cut loose in Utah.
Oklahoma City, where former Jazz director of player personnel Troy Weaver now is assistant general manager, also is a possibility. As bad as the economy is, there is expected to be a market for Fesenko making $1 million or so a season.
If the Jazz do bring back Fesenko, they have to find minutes for him next season, since he is ineligible to be sent to the NBA Development League as a third-year player. The Jazz, however, have another young center competing for minutes in Kosta Koufos.
The decision for the Jazz might come down to a simple question: Do they think Fesenko eventually is going to get it?
He's only 22, but Fesenko's time in Utah has been characterized by ups and downs. He showed up with blond hair to the Rocky Mountain Revue last July and struggled on the court in the summer league.
He found structure off the court with the help of Russ and Terri Ridge, who started out as Fesenko's drivers but stepped in almost as surrogate parents. Fesenko had a handful of impressive games, including a 12-point, 11-rebound effort against Houston on Dec. 27.
According to a league source, though, Fesenko's exit interview with the Jazz did not go well. He apparently was asked by general manager Kevin O'Connor and Jerry Sloan to explain some of the updates on his Facebook page.
There are those more Facebook savvy than myself, but one of the posts in question concerned being happy to be in Los Angeles during the playoffs because it was such a good city in which to go out.
At the same time, there's no disputing that Fesenko is a better player now than when he first arrived in Utah. We'll see in the coming week whether that progress has been enough for the Jazz to be encouraged to bring back Fesenko.
--Ross Siler
For a player who has appeared in only 30 games in two seasons with the Jazz - - for a total of 226 minutes, the equivalent of 4.7 full games - - the decision on Fesenko is surprisingly complicated.
With the Jazz pushing the NBA's luxury-tax threshold, Fesenko's salary undoubtedly is a consideration. But $870,000 is minimal in NBA dollars, only $133,580 more than the Jazz would pay as a minimum salary ($736,420) for any player with NBA experience.
The Jazz also committed themselves to a three-year development project in Fesenko when they acquired the Ukrainian center in a swap of second-round picks in the 2007 draft.
So far they've invested $2.06 million in Fesenko, between the $500,000 buyout they paid his Ukrainian club team and the $750,000 they paid him as a rookie and $810,000 last season. Obviously, the Jazz would like to see some return on that investment.
Should they not bring back Fesenko, the Jazz run the risk of watching him blossom elsewhere. He is highly likely to sign with Sacramento, where his former agent, Jason Levien, is now the Kings assistant general manager, if he is cut loose in Utah.
Oklahoma City, where former Jazz director of player personnel Troy Weaver now is assistant general manager, also is a possibility. As bad as the economy is, there is expected to be a market for Fesenko making $1 million or so a season.
If the Jazz do bring back Fesenko, they have to find minutes for him next season, since he is ineligible to be sent to the NBA Development League as a third-year player. The Jazz, however, have another young center competing for minutes in Kosta Koufos.
The decision for the Jazz might come down to a simple question: Do they think Fesenko eventually is going to get it?
He's only 22, but Fesenko's time in Utah has been characterized by ups and downs. He showed up with blond hair to the Rocky Mountain Revue last July and struggled on the court in the summer league.
He found structure off the court with the help of Russ and Terri Ridge, who started out as Fesenko's drivers but stepped in almost as surrogate parents. Fesenko had a handful of impressive games, including a 12-point, 11-rebound effort against Houston on Dec. 27.
According to a league source, though, Fesenko's exit interview with the Jazz did not go well. He apparently was asked by general manager Kevin O'Connor and Jerry Sloan to explain some of the updates on his Facebook page.
There are those more Facebook savvy than myself, but one of the posts in question concerned being happy to be in Los Angeles during the playoffs because it was such a good city in which to go out.
At the same time, there's no disputing that Fesenko is a better player now than when he first arrived in Utah. We'll see in the coming week whether that progress has been enough for the Jazz to be encouraged to bring back Fesenko.
--Ross Siler
1:09 PM
| 
5 Comments:
This post has been removed by the author.
Some slimeball in Fes' "friends" on Facebook printed out months worth of Facebook postings. From there, Jerry and Kevin who know Facebook from squat immediately became professionals on how to interpret the status updates. One of my favorites that he got in trouble for "I like pancakes", written after a trip to IHOP which in management's opinions showed he wasn't serious about getting into shape. Total crap. Is this what players are really being judged by? The fact he commented about a curfew in LA to his "friends" but didn't actually break the curfew like many other NBA bad boys have done in the past...Jerry and Kevin - get a Facebook page, use it and then get back to the rest of us.
Fesenko or Collins. Tough choice. That was sarcasm. The Jazz know exactly what they'll get from Collins and it's crap. They can get the same amount of crap from Fesenko, plus some upside.
This is just another instance of a good young player being denied the opportunity to play or develop in Utah because he has the wrong attitude.
Here's an idea. I think the Jazz should consider that maybe, just maybe, it's them that have the wrong attitude. Because is it really possible that every other team in the NBA has the wrong attitude?
That would certainly explain why the Jazz have won the last 20 or so NBA titles while Sloan's been in charge. What? They haven't won 20? They haven't even won 1? So by harping about attitude and refusing to play or develop players who lack the requisite attitude the Jazz are limiting the pool of available players down to 5 0r 10% of players in the league? Genius.
And the best part is that apparently Carlos "I don't play defense" Boozer has the right attitude? I think I'm starting to understand the lack of trophies.
I don't see what the question is? It's not like the jazz had a chance of winning a game in LA...jk. For real, is fesenko improving or not? Is he getting in better shape? I like his skill set and with out question, want to see him play more, from what i've seen, he's had an impact on games, from his size and speed, and he's always running the floor, which is more than can be said of memo, give fes a hard time, sure, but kiss memo's behind, I don't get it, let memo go, give fes and koufus the minutes, see what happens, good things. It is crap to not play him if he's going to produce, and the fact is, he hasn't really played enough to come to the decision, but he has played enough to decide that it isn't the case that he won't produce. Also, I don't think sloan wants a center like him, which ticks me off, he wants his comfy little powerfoward, what a bunch of bull, the jazz have no inside presence on d, fez is the only player on the squad who represents that potential.
I just wish Jerry would retire to the old folks home where he belongs.
Post a Comment
<< Home