and it is cool that he wears his sports socks any way he darn well pleases…I found a blog that said he started wearing them up tall for good luck, and that starting with the night he pulled them up, he played his best college game ever. Since then he has gone from playing from a small college in the midwest to being an NBA star with a multi-million dollar salary and bank account!…

oh my goodness, I need to start wearing tall socks with my shorts if this is how it affects your luck!!!!

I just found out that “korver” in dutch means “basket maker”….kinda appropriate…

also just found the K-squared myspace acct:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=45761847

P.S. I love the socks!

When Kyle was first aquired there was 1 guy on the team that had to feel a ton of pressure. His name it Memet Okur. Prior to Korver joining the team Okur was the only “real” 3pt threat. Teams were sitting back in zone defenses forcing the Jazz to shoot from the outside. They were missing and teams were winning. Upon Kyle’s arrival it lit a fire in Okur’s backside to get it going. He had to know that his ONLY asset to the team was his outside shot. He had the ability to spread the defense. He also had to realize that he’s probably among the lower eschelon centers defensively. That opened up a big problem for Okur.

I’m sure Okur thought at that time that the Jazz might be able to look elsewhere for more of a defensive presence inside (still probably the reason the Jazz won’t win this year). With their newly added shooter (Korver) they could get a defensive presence inside.

What happened in the following weeks and has lasted until today is Okur is suddenly a good shot from the outside again. He’s regained most of his form from last season.

It still doesn’t explain why he won’t pass the ball to Korver very often. I think it’s a matter of position though. We’ve seen Okur force shots in the past, you live with that. As a shooter you must have the confidence to shoot the ball at any time. To tell a player like him, or Kyle for that matter, to look to pass first all the time will only make that shooter hesitant and will likely affect his shot more than the defense.

To further the point that Kyle has brought something special to the Jazz is the improved play of the other players as well.

Since Kyle arrived guys like AK, Harpring, Okur, DWill, and Boozer have all improved. He’s had a lot to do with that.

On several plays they run they have Korver in the corner and they run that high pick and roll with DWill and Boozer. The guy defending Kyle can’t drop down in “help” defense because they’ll kick it to Kyle and he’d knock it down. This leaves DWill and Boozer 1 on 1 against their guys.

Kyle’s good shooting has motivated AK to seek help from Hornacek to improve his shot. It’s been working so far.

This is the main reason why Kyle doesn’t play a ton against the Hornets. The Hornets put in Paul and Pargo for most of the game. Pargo’s been a starting PG in the NBA and could still be one. On the Hornets though, he’s the starting SG. This is a tough matchup for Korver though, as Pargo is much quicker.

It’s just a tough matchup. It’s not like the Jazz can put AK on either of them. And with West and Chandler in there you can’t put AK there either.

Basically, against the Hornets I think you’ll see more Price and Brewer at SG with a smaller dose of Korver (more than likely when Pargo is out of the game).

Unfortunately, the last couple of games are looking a bit like dejavu to me….. back to that stretch where Sloan was yanking Korver, earlier and earlier, and the team wasn’t doing well. Looks the exact same in the last two games we’ve had. I don’t get it. I know I’m not a coach, or an ‘expert’, but ONCE AGAIN, it doesn’t look like Kyle is even being involved in the offense…. looks more like a game of ‘keep away’ than it does basketball. In the Chicago game, the entire team was playing horribly….. and who gets pulled? Kyle. I’m sorry, but he needs MORE SHOTS. He can’t be expected to contribute when he’s only getting one or two shots a night! I’m sick of reading comments (not here) about how the bench is ’sucking’ and how Kyle is inconsistent…… does no one even watch the games before coming to that conclusion? Korver is active without the ball, obviously running the plays he’s been told…… which are usually on the weak side, AWAY from the play, and even when he is open, no one seems to notice. Once again, fighting to get involved, and that is sad. What a waste. I know the Jazz offense is not built around the 3 point shot…. or perimeter shooting in general, for that matter. But, why waste the talent Korver brings….. why not run a few plays for him? I don’t buy the ‘opposing teams have been covering him too well’ theory either. Many teams have great 3 point shooters, and they manage to get them open. Set some screens, give him some opportunities!!! It’s irritating the crap right out of me. I know they pulled the win out the other night, but it was ugly, and a struggle, just like the Chicago game was….. and I will make a bold prediction, if Sloan continues to pull Korver, cut his minutes, and the team continues to NOT involve him, even though he’s working his butt off out there…….. I think they will continue to struggle. That’s what happened in that last little……. hiccup…. where Sloan was cutting Kyle’s minutes, and he wasn’t being involved, the team was LOSING. They have got to do more to create shots for the guy. He’s a different player than Brewer…. Brewer is more active around the basket…… Memo, in case some forget is SUPPOSED to be our CENTER, and SHOULD be more active around the basket……. he get’s wide open shots for 3 all the time, because of the fact that he’s a center, and so usually no one goes out there to guard him. It almost looks like the team is trying to prove they can win without Kyle (I know, I’m probably reaching here…… just what it looks like to me though), and why on earth would they do that?? It’s blatantly, obviously, even painfully clear that when they share the ball, and the bench (Kyle) contributes, good things happen. Why mess with that?? I think it’s time that the team and Sloan accept the fact that YES, the trade for Korver did in fact, help the team…. and has been helping the team to win. Who cares how much, who cares about what was the ‘biggest’ factor for the Jazz in turning things around after the horrid December? Some don’t like that Kyle got ‘too much’ of the credit…….WHO CARES?? It’s clear he was a part of the success the team started having……. why not just accept that….. and run with it??

Sorry for the whining….. hopefully this will be short-lived, this putting Korver in for half (or less) his usual time, and playing ‘keep away’ so he doesn’t get any shots. Last time, it was 4 or 5 games though….. and when things seemed to go back to the way they had been, all was well. Hopefully this doesn’t go on even that long though. I can’t imagine the way this would muck with a shooter’s head): Sheesh, it’s mucking with MY head. Hopefully Kyle won’t lose his confidence, and will just work through this. The last thing I want to hear from announcers though, is that Korver is in a ’slump’. I hate that….. slump? Oh, could it be that his playing time has been cut in half, then half again, AGAIN? Could it be that he’s not getting any shot opportunities? Hmmm…. maybe.

Okay, sorry again for the rant(:

Korver Rocks!!!

LETS GO JAZZ!!!

……”Closing time – you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here!”
“I know who I want to take me home “(KOR-VER!)”