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Seeing AL Objectively - SLCdunk article

Would you chumps trade Jefferson for Hump, Marshon Brooks, Tyshawn Taylor & a future 1st?

Will, Johnson, Wallace, Jeff, Lopez could theoretically make a push if they could gel.

I would never want to see Humphries in Jazz uniform EVER again.
Although I do still own one of his old Jazz jerseys from his rookie year.
 
have you heard of two guys named derrick favors and paul millsap? both better all-around big men than al jefferson. i might be crazy, but i think we could maybe get our hands on one or both of them.
Didn't make it to the end of my post, huh?
 
I don't think it's really possible to completely separate the objective from the subjective in the analysis of any player. But the purely objective analysis of Al is that he ranges anywhere from good to very good -- at the cusp of all star caliber, not in that elite class of player. I doubt any scout or NBA exec would disagree with that assessment.

Subjectively, however, I don't think there are many players who are so divisive (at least here). But what's confounding is the hyperbole about what a 'bad' player he is. Al's weaknesses are blown so out of proportion that you'd think he should only get 10 minutes a night.

I don't care if Al gets dealt so long as it's a good deal, or any player for that matter, but I do take issue with the absurdity of Al hate. Part of me wishes he will get dealt just so the "play Favors/Sap/Kanter" crowd can see what that would look like. It wouldn't be pretty.
Some of us would be willing to suffer through 4 - 1 basketball like we did when he was out last year.
 
Part of me wishes he will get dealt just so the "play Favors/Sap/Kanter" crowd can see what that would look like.

Me too!

It wouldn't be pretty.

At first, maybe. And then we would realize that watching good interior defense, good help defense, rebounding, and developing players is actually quite beautiful. I know what Jefferson can (and can't do). Let's see what Favors and Kanter can (and can't do) when given a real opportunity to play minutes.
 
Me too!



At first, maybe. And then we would realize that watching good interior defense, good help defense, rebounding, and developing players is actually quite beautiful. I know what Jefferson can (and can't do). Let's see what Favors and Kanter can (and can't do) when given a real opportunity to play minutes.

This. Having two lottery picks this summer would have been awesome. Not to mention getting the Kwame Kanter drag behind us all, emotionally speaking.
 
Me too!



At first, maybe. And then we would realize that watching good interior defense, good help defense, rebounding, and developing players is actually quite beautiful. I know what Jefferson can (and can't do). Let's see what Favors and Kanter can (and can't do) when given a real opportunity to play minutes.

Al's pick and roll defense is Boozerisk.

His offense is just black holish.

Now, pay attention folks to the few images I shall show you. They present one of the MAIN reasons why Big Al fails and why teams who employ him will never be very good. It also shows why the Spurs are so damn good against our fundamentals lacking team:

The Big Fundamental:

Duncan_Rebounding.png


Big Al:

Al_Jefferson_Clip.png


Understand?

You cannot have a center who rebounds like that. You just can't.
 
And yet he still gets almost 10 per game. Jordan (featured) had his best season ever with 8.3 so when you are going to try to assassinate AJ's boards maybe use a guy who is better.

Let's look at screen 2 again. "Ball watching" In this still the great Thriller points out that Al is watching the ball. Hm. So is everybody else. Why isn't Jordan wrestling for position? Why is Griffin happy to just stand on the 3 point line and completely fail to crash? Isn't he athletic? Millsap doesn't even have an immediate box-out responsibility. Should he be looking for one? Like Griff who should be crashing?

Dont even get me started with the wings. CJ is obviously a complete douchebag on this play. Millsap is a waste for not beating Jordan to that board. Foye is an A-hole for missing the shot since he's on the Jazz now.

Al has position. It's a long shot. Jordan is not trying in any way to engage to get better position. Al's job is to keep himself between the rim and DJ. Ball bounces in a way that a guy with bad position is able to secure the ball. LONG SHOT this happens often. In this play Jordan gets lucky with the bounce. Really the poor thing about this play is that Foye misses a wide open 3.

Nice try guy.

Edit to add: Honestly I would normally applaud the amount of effort that went into this but the fact is you're using the wrong play. Try finding one where there are multiple rebounders on a shot that isn't from the perimeter.

It shouldn't be hard, Al is definitely guilty of failing in his box responsibilities sometimes but players don't just average almost 10 with no effort. Boards are a pure hustle stat.
 
Favors and Kanter are better rebounders than Big Al.

Images from thriller post shows who BigAl really is - a 1st round playoff exit player at his best.
 
Favors and Kanter are better rebounders than Big Al.

Images from thriller post shows who BigAl really is - a 1st round playoff exit player at his best.

Disagree with the second part of your post.

Yes, Favors and Kanter are both better rebounders than Jeffy.
But I believe Jefferson will prove to be a legit playoff center this next coming season.

Not that his defense will suddenly get a bunch more spectacular, but the fact that Favors and Kanter will be playing along side him a lot more will just bolster Big Al's efficiency.
Thus raising his value in the league.
 
Every off season a new hope about jefferson, whether this year he will have a breakout season blablabla
the guy is not a rookie, its more or less clear who he is, and he is not worth giving 14 million per year, not even 10 in my opinion.
I dont understand, is it too hard to give enes and favors the responsibility and let him go? Millsap will have a fitting role in rotation and we will just be fine this year, and better upcoming years.
Keeping jefferson will just slow our growth period. Anyway I will enjoy the offseason reading the optimist minds about jefferson and will enjoy seeing the same people in silence once the season starts.
 
Disagree with the second part of your post.

Yes, Favors and Kanter are both better rebounders than Jeffy.
But I believe Jefferson will prove to be a legit playoff center this next coming season.

Not that his defense will suddenly get a bunch more spectacular, but the fact that Favors and Kanter will be playing along side him a lot more will just bolster Big Al's efficiency.
Thus raising his value in the league.

Legit playoff center...? Are you kidding...? Please tell me you are. The only reason we made the playoffs this year was because of Houston's collapse. Big Al freaking blows, and its terribly easy to see if you watch a full season of games. The guyss so lazy with his fundamentals its disgusting.
lazy
Piece
Of
****
 
Legit playoff center...? Are you kidding...? Please tell me you are. The only reason we made the playoffs this year was because of Houston's collapse. Big Al freaking blows, and its terribly easy to see if you watch a full season of games. The guyss so lazy with his fundamentals its disgusting.
lazy
Piece
Of
****

I guess you didn't read my entire most.

I sited the reason for Al being even better next year as the fact that (hopefully) Favors and Kanter will be getting more minutes next to him.

Al is a top 3 center in the league offensively, but obviously close to the bottom defensively.
Favors and Kanter will continue to boost Jefferson's efficiency numbers with more minutes on the floor defensively.

At least at this point and time we have the Al and Favors combo >> the Boozer and Millsap combo of yesteryear.
I'll take that any day.
 
Jefferson will be 27/28 this season which is part of an NBAer's peak years. He's plenty experienced as it will be his ninth season in the league. It will be his third year here so there are no acclimation excuses. He's in a contract year and he just got his *** handed to him in the playoffs so all the motivation should be there. There are no excuses left. Unless Al improves by leaps and bounds on the defensive end, with boxing out, and with getting to the free throw line, he needs to ****ing go.
 
WHile I am now on the side of trading Al or Sap, either one, to better help the team going forward, Big Al was easily the number 1 reason we made the playoffs last year. Easliy the most consistent and productive player. Not even close really. To say other wise is silly and just points out blind hate. You dont need to want him on the team to admit that.
Yes, it is better for the Jazz to move him for the betterment of the young guys moving forward and the team as a whole, but when you say stupid **** like that, everything else you say means less, if anything.
 
Here is the #1 question you have to ask yourself about Al:

"You are going to pay him 14 million a year. IF you let him walk, would you miss him?"

The answer is.....NOPE. Shouldn't a 14 million dollar a year man be missed when he leaves? You ask, how can you not miss Al's 19 and 9? Here is how:

By swapping Al out for Favors, you immediately get much, much better defensively. Let's say Favors manning the paint causes Utah's points scored against to drop 4 points, which isn't a stretch when you consider how poorly Al boxes out, defends the P&R, how slow he rotates, etc. That means you only need 15 of Al's points.

When Al went down last year, Favors averaged 17 pts and 13 rebs. Let's say Favors only averages 15 points and 10 rebs over a season. Al's rebounding is taken care of and since Favors averages 5 more points without Al, you only need 10 points from Al Jefferson's production.

To think that Kanter, Burks, Hayward, Foye, Marvin Williams, Mo Williams couldn't each average less than 2 more points per game is silly.

So, if we let Al never come back and play for the Jazz, he would not be missed at all, BUT some of you are saying we should PAY HIM 14 MILLION PER YEAR?????

That is insane. That is what you pay your best player on the team. Not a player that sits out and isn't missed at all.
 
One more question:

How many times last year, when the Jazz were up/down 2-5 pts in the fourth quarter or overtime, did Al put the Jazz on his back, get a defensive stop, then a bucket and one, then another stop to carry the Jazz to victory? I can't think of one. I do remember Paul and Burks doing that multiple times last year. I do remember Favors brining the Jazz back from down 10 to within 1-2 points or even the lead, just to be benched and watch us lose with Al on the floor.

PLAYERS LIKE THAT ARE NOT 14 MILLION A YEAR GUYS. SIGNING PLAYERS LIKE THAT TO 14 MILLION A YEAR DEALS IS WHAT CAUSES TEAMS TO FAIL.
 
One more question:

How many times last year, when the Jazz were up/down 2-5 pts in the fourth quarter or overtime, did Al put the Jazz on his back, get a defensive stop, then a bucket and one, then another stop to carry the Jazz to victory? I can't think of one. I do remember Paul and Burks doing that multiple times last year. I do remember Favors brining the Jazz back from down 10 to within 1-2 points or even the lead, just to be benched and watch us lose with Al on the floor.

PLAYERS LIKE THAT ARE NOT 14 MILLION A YEAR GUYS. SIGNING PLAYERS LIKE THAT TO 14 MILLION A YEAR DEALS IS WHAT CAUSES TEAMS TO FAIL.

last year, my least favorite feeling during the game was that sense that invaded my body when Al was automatically subbed in with 6 minutes left. ****.
 
I would never want to see Humphries in Jazz uniform EVER again.
Although I do still own one of his old Jazz jerseys from his rookie year.

I had a humphries jersey from his rookie year too.... then i gave it to one of my friends as a gag gift for his birthday.
We went out drinkin at the club that night and he wore it, and got some pretty strange comments because of it.
 
One more question:

How many times last year, when the Jazz were up/down 2-5 pts in the fourth quarter or overtime, did Al put the Jazz on his back, get a defensive stop, then a bucket and one, then another stop to carry the Jazz to victory? I can't think of one. I do remember Paul and Burks doing that multiple times last year. I do remember Favors brining the Jazz back from down 10 to within 1-2 points or even the lead, just to be benched and watch us lose with Al on the floor.

PLAYERS LIKE THAT ARE NOT 14 MILLION A YEAR GUYS. SIGNING PLAYERS LIKE THAT TO 14 MILLION A YEAR DEALS IS WHAT CAUSES TEAMS TO FAIL.

THIS is exactly why i'm ready to be done with al. he doesn't win games for us. if we want a guy who will put up nice stats but never win us games, there are much cheaper guys than al's 15M.

i went back and looked at every game we lost this past season despite being in the contest in the 4th quarter. winnable losses, in other words, that we coughed up late. you know how al performed in those fourth quarters? 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in each of those 4th quarters (&OTs) on 25/73 shooting (34%). the sad part is, those numbers were IMPROVED from when i did the same study in mid february.

in the same exact fourth quarters & OTs, paul took virtually the same number of attempts but produced 5.8 points on nearly 50% shooting (37/80). anybody who knows what happens to the average NBA player's shot percentage during crunch time knows how impressive it is that even in these clutch battles, paul is 3 makes off of 50%. so why on earth didn't more of those possessions go to paul? seven of the games i am referring to were decided by 4 points or less, so go to a more effective stretch scorer for just a couple extra buckets and the jazz could have been 43-23 last season. but instead, we kept going to a guy who was 34% when it mattered most.

as ineffective as the give-ball-to-al-and-watch strategy is over the course of the game, it's even WORSE as a mechanism for stretch basket-making.
 
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