<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When the league's coaches selected Utah's Andrei Kirilenko as a reserve for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, Jazz fans figured it was just the first of many such honors for the versatile Russian. He was so young, just 22, and certainly he would keep improving. He was, after all, chosen an All-Star over Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Phoenix's Shawn Marion, among others. And a Jazz team that wasn't supposed to win in double figures that season was already 24-24. With Kirilenko as its centerpiece, that Jazz wound up 42-40 and just missed making the playoffs. Surely, Kirilenko and the Jazz would continue to rise. Well, that was the thinking going into the 2004-05 campaign that began with a 6-1 record but was trashed beyond recognition by injuries to many of its principle players and an irreparable rift between the coach and projected starting point guard. The Jazz won just 20 more games in a season that saw Kirilenko miss half its games with knee and ankle sprains and a broken wrist. No All-Star moments from the Jazz last season. Now, his extremities are feeling strong, and Kirilendko is finally rid of the hated mask he wore in the preseason to protect the broken nose he suffered while playing for his Russian team in the European championships in September. And a return by Kirilenko to the All-Star form of 2004-05 would go a long way toward healing his entire team that opens the Season-After tonight at 7 in the Delta Center with Dallas. Kirilenko sees no reason he can't play that well again. "Definitely," he said. "All players want to play in the best level. "Why not?" "That's what we expect," coach Jerry Sloan said about Kirilenko getting back to All-Star form.</div> <div align="center">Source</div>
