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Slam Magazine believes in Al Jeff

Purch

Purch

Well-Known Member
So much potential. So close to finally realizing it. For all intents and purposes, that should just about sum up Al Jefferson’s relatively brief stint in the League thus far.

Things, however, figure to be different moving forward.

The six-year veteran appears poised to tap into his seemingly untapped inner NBA All-Star this season and transform himself from a player who’s been labeled as someone with tremendoAl Jeffersonus upside into one of those cats that needs be reckoned with on a nightly basis.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.

The future, however, has never looked so promising. Think about it, Jefferson won’t be wasting away in basketball exile with the Timberwolves in Minnesota. An offseason move to Utah assured that much, and could be the fresh start he so desperately needed.

All that’s left is for him to prove his true worth.

It’s not as if Jefferson hasn’t showed glimpses of a well-rounded game in the past, on both ends of the court, mind you. He spent his first three years in Boston, the final of which was an eye-opener for everyone. He took advantage of extended minutes with Celtics, and as a result, finished with averages of 16 points and 11 rebounds a game.

Not surprisingly, he landed himself a lucrative deal with Minnesota for his efforts. Back-to-back seasons with averages of more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a night followed, although an injury curtailed what was shaping up as a breakout ‘08-09 campaign. Last year, he played well, but falling out of favor with the ‘Wolves brass didn’t help matters.

Enough about Jefferson’s journey to this point though. Let’s take a look ahead at how he fits into the grand scheme of things with the Jazz. After all, that’s most important.

All signs point to him being fully recovered ACL surgery, meaning he’s a double-double waiting to happen once again. Can’t forget to mention that he’s just 25 years old, perhaps that‘s why many believe there‘s room for growth. Who knows how good he can be…

With Carlos Boozer long gone in Chicago these days, Jefferson will play a major role for the Jazz. All signs point to him being the main man in the middle. And make no mistake, Deron Williams will make sure to get him the ball early and often in games. Once Big Al acclimates himself to the pick and roll way of things are done in Salt Lake City, watch out.

There’s no reason to think that he’s not fully capable of putting up some quality numbers once again. Averages of 25 points and 10 rebounds per game are lofty totals but not out of the question for Jefferson. Months from now, when the All-Star Weekend makes a pit stop at Staples Center, we could be talking about an individual who’s finally figured things out.
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https://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/slamonline-top-50/2010/09/top-50-al-jefferson-no-25/
 
This guy has some lofty expectations. I personally am right there with everyone else tho. AND, as an added bonus, when he talks, I don't find myself hiding under a pillow. He seems pretty sincere...which, wow. That's a nice change.
 
Two quotes he said over the past three days make me completely confident in him.
It's kind of like it's going to have to improve. ... I know defense is one of the biggest keys here for winning a championship. So, when you've got guys like my teammates who know how to win and know what it takes to win, I'm not going to be the sore toe sticking out on the defensive end. I'm going to do what it takes. Defense has always been something I have to improve in. And one thing I know about Coach Sloan: He motivates you. He'll make you run through a wall for [him]. And I just think all that's going to bring up my game, my defensive game, all together. Coach Sloan, he's the type of guy that if I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, he's going to let me know. And that's what I need, and that's what's going to make me that great defensive player. Because one thing about defense: It's a mind thing. It's all mental. So, you've just got to do it, man. If your guy get beat, you've got to be there to help him. And I've got to trust that my guy is going to help me. It's a system. And that's just what it's going to take; there's just no excuses.
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One thing that I've got to do this year that I didn't do last year is pass the ball a lot more. Because last year I didn't have to do it.
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Purch said:
Two quotes he said over the past three days make me completely confident in him.
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Probably the best 2 lines to ever hear him say. He hasn't even played a game for us and he has admitted these things. How often did we hear Boozer say he needs to improve his defense or even get better at anything?

I am impressed with Al Jefferson's attitude and work ethic so far. I think it says a lot about him. Even if things are not working when the season starts he seems to have the right attitude to change a part of his game. I don't think we should worry about how he scores. I think he will fit in just right. His passing is the only thing I am worried about. I think he might get a few more turnovers than we like in the beginning. Eventually he will get used to it though.

Defense I am not worried about either. He is not great but I see the combination of Jefferson and Millsap on defense being a huge upgrade over Okur and Boozer. Help defense was our biggest problem with Okur and Boozer. Both of those players seem to be better at help defense than man to man. Hopefully Jefferson is a decent man to man defender.
 
colton said:
It's an old jazzfanz joke, guys.
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And a funny one at that. As soon as I read the first sentence, I was already chuckling, thinking "intensive purposes." "Mute point" is another good one that always makes me laugh.

I gotta give you +1 even though you don't need any more rep.
 
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