Al Jefferson dominates inside as Utah nips Phoenix to stay perfect in preseason
I'm happy for Al to be finding some success in Utah. I definitely think this is one of those situations that will really turn out beneficial for both sides.
Interesting that they call him a Center. I realize he plays that position a lot, but he's always been listed as a forward on the rosters that I've seen.
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Before anyone gets too excited about this
please note that he was basically playing his dream matchup against Robin Lopez: Defensive-minded C who really isn’t that great of a defender yet. No liability for him on the defensive end so he’s not bleeding points… at least from his man. He still is if anyone drives.
You're not letting natural selection take its course! You're like the guy who invented the seatbelt...
Plus, put simply: Phoenix.
Al Jefferson is a wrecking ball for the Suns, at least on one end. They made their original Shaq deal partly because of players like him eating them up inside. Some things inexplicably seem to last despite changes in personnel.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
I think Al likes playing Houston too
he has destroyed them in the past as well.
"Humor is reason gone mad." Marx (Groucho, for the reason-gone-mad impaired)
I want to see what happens when he gets matched up against Gasol or Bynum
or Camby, Duncan, Splitter, Dirk, Haywood, hell any real center once the games count. It should be interesting to see how Al responds to being in a new location with a coach like Sloan.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 15, 2010 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions
it will be interesting
but Al Jefferson will always score the basketball even against Gasol and Bynum. The key is for Williams to get him the ball deep in the post. I anticipate that Williams will be much better at this than Flynn was.
As we saw last year when Al allows defenders to push him out of the post he becomes an ineffective jump shooter and his lack of passing skill is also exposed. In addition, when further away from the basket he allows defenders extra time to double him when he goes to the post. I noticed many times last year that when Al was further away from the basket teams would wait to double team him until he made his move. So he would make the move assuming single coverage then get double covered and he did not have the passing ability (mindset) to find the open shooter. And as good as he is in the post, he was not very effective when doubled late (I have no stats to back this up).
never follow a hippy to a second location
Agreed
I’ve always thought Al was better as a PF because he had the strength to get deeper post position against opposing PFs. Also, Utah’s screening offense should free him up more for some quick-hit flashes in the paint where he can catch the ball and quickly get off his push shot, which is unstoppable from < 10 feet.
The big problem here is he’s playing Center without a long, rangy PF. While Millsap is athletic and mobile, he just doesn’t have the range to protect the rim and make-up for Al’s deficiencies in the paint. I really think AK should be starting at SF and Raja Bell at SG. That at least gives their starting lineup a very strong defensive pairing on the wings and AK can help out in the paint too.
by Rascal Flatts on Oct 15, 2010 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions
box score all-star
He’s great as long as you don’t actually watch the games.
Happen to notice that Garret Siler put in 20min at the C for PHX?
I actually watched the game
at least the 3rd quarter when Jefferson did most of his damage. I’m far from a Jefferson fan, but he looked OK. Interestingly, his points came in a more Kevin Love fashion than as part of the Utah offensive set. An offensive putback, scoring a loose ball under the basket off a deflected pass. A couple of medium lenght jumpers where his defender was sagging off him. When they showed highlights from the first half they showed Jefferson scoring off two agonizingly slow multi-fake post possessions that we all love so much, but in that 3rd quarter he really never got the ball in the low post except for once when he made his most impressive move of the quarter, a wicked-quick spin move to the hoop. Overall, however, he really wasn’t involved in the offense much. Set no screens, didn’t really pass. Overall, when watching his game, he looks more mobile, but he just really looks like he plays lazy. Not that he is lazy, but nothing is urgent. Instead of boxing out a guy he’ll put a hand on the guy. Never hustles to help a teammate with a screen or to get in position for a pass when someone is doubled. Just a guy with a nice shooting touch and some good post moves.
The screens thing is going to make Jerry Sloan red in the face by December.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
I think Al Jefferson will be a borderline All-Star this year
It’s a near perfect spot for him. Great point guard to set him up. Good shooters. Good defenders to surround him and help him out. A solid coach to keep on him on those Big Al moments when he gives a little less energy than he should.
He’s better than Boozer and I agree with Bill Simmons that in a couple of months, GMs are going to be talking about this trade like they talked about the Pau Gasol trade to L.A.
Al Jefferson was a bad fit on our team. But he’s perfect in Utah. And Kahn definitely screwed the pooch on this trade. He couldn’t have pushed harder for Tayshaun Prince and #7? He couldn’t have gotten a pick that will actually be in the lottery? Two mid-round 1sts and a 15th man are terrible for perhaps the best low post scorer in the game. I don’t feel like enough has been made of this.
I don't think gm's will talk unless the jazz have the best record in the west
But I do agree with you on the point of getting more for all Jefferson. this is my only problem with kahn is that he does not get enough back in trades.The only good trade I can think of is when he got Webster
trade value is difficult to gauge accurately
we don’t know what other offers Kahn received for Big Al nor do we know which offers he could have received if he had “tried harder” to sell Al.
It’s possible Kahn got the most he could have received. In particular, if the team wanted cap space this season (rather than an expiring contract this season) the Wolves likely maximized Al’s trade value.
But we can’t know for sure. But it’s not obvious that this team could have acquired much more for Al Jefferson.
never follow a hippy to a second location
That's such a cop out response.
Not trying to attack you personally, littleboxes, I just hate that answer. Great GMs create opportunities to move players. They don’t just sit back and say, “oh well, no opportunities here, I’ll just take this below average deal because its the best I can get”. If the best that Kahn could get for Big Al was two late round picks and Koufos, then he’s not very good at the whole “salesmanship” thing, which is a large part of his job.
thanks for insulting the response rather than me
no offense taken.
well, a person’s evaluation of the return on the Big Al trade depends on how one values cap space.
I look at cap space as providing an opportunity to take advantage of particular opportunities that may or may not occur. I hold this opinion because I think most NBA teams trading a star would prefer to trade that star for cap space, young (inexpensive) players, and picks rather than for expiring contracts or (really) any combination of players that matches the salary of the star. These teams want to rebuild and save money and Twolves cap space provides them with an opportunity to not take back equal salary and still get draft picks and young players.
As long as the Twolves look for these opportunities (as opposed to flat out refusing to spend money even if offered Kobe Bryant for cap space), I place a high value on cap space. I think it’s the only feasible way the Wolves can outbid other teams for an available star and I think the only way a star comes to MN is via the draft or trade.
And I will NOT be disappointed if the wolves never use their cap space (as long as they “try”). why? well, I value having health insurance even if I don’t end up being sick. That is, I value health insurance even if I don’t use it. Why? Because I value knowing that if I did lose a limb in a horrible encounter with the office printer that I would (probably) not go bankrupt. It would really suck to lose my limb and not have insurance.
Just like it would really suck to be offered Kobe Bryant for cap space and not have the god damn cap space. (And I use Bryant as an absurd example here, much like the example of the printer taking my arm).
never follow a hippy to a second location
How valuable is a player
who doesn’t fit into what you’re doing?
Anyone here want us to trade for Shaq?
Keeping the faith in the face of disillusionment and economic dismemberment.
sure, but Al's value to other teams is also relevant here
If something is worth $10 to you and it’s worth $20 to me, you’d prefer to sell it to me for more than $10 (unless you’re some kind of communist who enjoys giving up his surplus value to others!)
never follow a hippy to a second location
Actually I am
some kind of communist. And I ran my business like one which explains a lot about my finances.
Above and beyond the money, it’s cool when sports involves at least a little bit of honor here and there. I think Taylor tries to do right by his players, making deals that are good for them even when it costs him a little (or a lot).
That might not make business sense, but when it comes time for us to get that last missing key player, the guys on that list are going to be looking to see how Glenn took care of his other stars.
Faking sanity in a world run by crazy people.
communism
alright, man. I’m down with you being kind of communist. We all are, some of us more than others.
And if Kahn admitted he took less for Al Jefferson so he could do him right, I would have no problem with that. Unless, Kahn was offered the number 1 pick by the Wizards.
never follow a hippy to a second location
I think you are right, cap space is more valuable than a player, typically.
First of all, cap space does not cost an owner a multimillion dollar salary every year, or have an implied obligation to use it, or demand minutes when you are trying to develop players.
Cap space is like cash, you can keep it in reserve and use it at your chosen moment — especially valuable in a bad economy, so to speak, because bargains appear.
I’m guessing there will be bargains to be had if there are new salary cap restrictions coming up. But who could ever predict what the new salary cap rules would be? Errr, maybe the guy who is head of the committee for the owners, a guy named Glen Taylor?
So there may be some method to this madness in trading Al for cap space.
Remember the factors that weighed into the trade?
Big Al’s value was never lower, coming off a knee injury and not a whole lot of interest from other teams in taking on his 14M a year contract. So to get what we did in a very tight market was probably the best we could have hoped for. It’s not like Al was an all star player. There were and still are questions about his all around game, and whether he makes a team better. His defense is questionable, too. So I for one can’t complain about the trade. Especially since trading Al has made our team better, younger, and more flexible salary cap wise.
Nice going Big Al!
Why be small minded? Can’t reinvent history. Al had a big night last night. Here’s hoping there are many more for him.
Breaking down cognitive dissonance and group think since gasoline was cheap.
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