Unfortunately I don’t personally own a lot of $60 some-odd million dollar, income-producing assets. But if I did I can imagine that if the asset breaks down or begins to under-perform I’d scramble to get it back online, doing whatever it takes within economical reason to restore its revenue-producing capability. I think it’s sound and responsible management of assets and I think it’s something the Jazz has effectively demonstrated as of late.

If I had to buy or sell Jazz stock based on how the organization handled Andrei Kirilenko after an eventful offseason it would be an easy decision. From neutralizing potentially negative press to taking a proactive approach in appeasing the distraught superstar, the Jazz has effectively done what it takes, within reason, to restore AK’s ability to produce. Three cases in point:

(1) Jerry Sloan. When has Sloan ever been so contrite? “I have to blame myself for Andrei’s failure to be able to play at times because maybe I haven’t handled him the way he’d like to be and done the right things. We have to learn how to try to be a more effective coach with him,” Sloan said in a Deseret Morning News article. This apparent change in attitude reflects recognition that the same things that motivate a great majority of professional athletes may not motivate Kirilenko. It will be interesting to see if and how such a change in coaching style for one individual takes place, and see how the other players react.

(2) The Consultant. The Jazz lose nothing by bringing in Jeff Hornacek to personally mentor AK. It shows AK a little love. It shows the rest of the players on the team and elsewhere in the League that the Jazz are willing to provide for their people. And it gives the Jazz an opportunity to audition Jeff Hornacek as a potential coach, something in which he has expressed an interest.

(3) Transparency. In a media environment where spin and cliché are the norms the Jazz players and management have been surprisingly candid about Kirilenko. Williams discussed AK’s work ethic, Harpring too. Collins rightly put the burden of success on AK, but all of them, including Larry Miller, duly recognized that AK is one of the most unique and special players in the League.

While it’s difficult not to ask how the breakdown of a $60 million dollar asset declined this far in the first place, Larry Miller and the Jazz organization have nonetheless handled the Andrei Kirilenko offseason drama with as much business savvy as could be expected from such business savvy people. Whether AK buys into it will be the bigger question. But at the very least and in whatever slight ways, the Jazz has shown its own players, the rest of the League, and we the fans that it is an organization committed as any to successfully managing its assets and ultimately winning basketball games.