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Al Jefferson at center is a losing proposition

Jazz4ever

Jazz4ever

Well-Known Member
This thread was bound to happen so might as well get it started. After watching AJ carefully last night vs Nene it couldn't be clearer to me this guy has one position in the NBA - PF. He is taller than Boozer but not nearly as strong, he clearly does not work out much. Nene backed him down like nobody's business. On the offensive end, he couldn't budge Nene nor was he quick enough to get by him. He did look good against Gasol in preseason, but doubt he could score on him when it matters.

Is he better than Memo at center? Not sure. Okur is a better man defender while Big Al gives you a little more help D. Okur helps space the floor while Al gives you slightly redundant skills of Millsap.

So what to do? I would start Fesenko at center and move Jefferson to PF. Millsap would come off the bench and still get 30+ minutes. Nothing to be ashamed of, Ginobbli did if for years in SA.

I will be watching Big Al's +/- very carefully as Sloan continues to use him at center. Last year in Minnesota he was team worse in this department. Last night he was the worse on the Jazz at -17. I am not blaming the loss on Jefferson I just don't think he is a big enough body or good enough defender as a center.
 
More stupid judgments after watching one god damn game. Big Al had two fouls quick, one of which was questionable. He isn't soft; he just realized if he put any muscle into his game those ******** refs were going to keep blowing the whistle instead of letting them play basketball, taking him out of the game completely.

Boozer stronger than Big Al. Right. Good for you. I don't seem to remember him pounding his way through double teams to score; he didn't even like contact.
 
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Nene is in great shape and very quick for a C, with both his feet and hands. He uses that quickness well for a big man, to achieve better leverage and position closer to the basket. He wasn't just pushing Jefferson around ala Shaq. TBH, from what I've seen, Nene looks quicker than Gasol. He just doesn't have Kobe next to him...
Denver appears to be a lot smarter and more focuse team this year. After their playoff debacle, maybe they're listening to ol' Coach George Karl. They weren't just throwing up shots and hitting everything; they actually were passing and playing team basketball, leaving Carmelo Anthony out of the flow quite a lot. Maybe that's why he REALLY wants out of Denver!
I agree about Millsap and Jefferson making for a crowded paint area. Both have an outside J, but both prefer to be in the paint. Okur, OTOH....
 
Well, we know in the playoffs Boozer can thoroughly outplay Nene. In the regular season Nene outplayed Boozer.

Last night Nene and Shelden Williams definitely outplayed Jefferson - pushing him off the block and posting up on him at the other end. More concerning, was the Jefferson/Millsap combo had a difficult time rebounding defensively. Need to see more before I write off starting Jefferson and Millsap together, although personally I do prefer having Millsap come off the bench.
 
I do think he is suited as a PF. However, he is the best we have right now, and even when Okur comes back who I also think is better as a 4. We haven't had a real starting C in quite some time.
 
I'd like to see us start Deron-Bell-AK-Jefferson and Fes and switch Millsap in for Fes at the 6 minute mark in the 1st. But that's just me.
 
I've read some bad threads in my time, but jeezus, this one takes the cake. It's almost as though the OP was having a seizure as he was writing the post for the logic used in his argument is Archied beyond belief.
 
I think the losing prop is Sap as a starting PF. I thought that before Booz left and before Jefferson showed up so that is not a reaction to last night. For him to start on a real good NBA team means the rest of the starters and bench have to be way above Par. Much better 6th or 7th man.
 
VINYLONE said:
I've read some bad threads in my time, but jeezus, this one takes the cake. It's almost as though the OP was having a seizure as he was writing the post for the logic used in his argument is Archied beyond belief.
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We'll see who is right in the long run.
 
Kinda reminds me a little of Coach dissin Deron as a point guard, compared to McKleod, anyway, and suggestin he should be played only at the 2 spot, if at all.

19-13, Sukka!
 
Both Sap and Al Jeff are undersized at their positions. I mentioned this in the other thread. They'll be fine for the regular season though. The playoffs is a different matter altogether.
 
Sap should start when Memo comes back. He is a proven 20-10 guy in this offense as a starter. And unlike somebody I do think the OP makes valid points. It was pathetic watching Nene back Al down like that. People questioned Carlos' work ethic but he's way ripped compared to little Al.
 
KrazeeEyezKilla said:
I'd like to see us start Deron-Bell-AK-Jefferson and Fes and switch Millsap in for Fes at the 6 minute mark in the 1st. But that's just me.
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Are you OK, KEK? You're proposing to start Fesenko? What has come over you?

I agree with the lineup--wouldn't even mind Elson starting instead--because to my surprise, Jefferson is merely a slightly taller PF than Boozer--not a better fill-in at the C spot. Toward the end of Thursday's game, he started to post up and seemed more effective there. I had hoped that Millsap-AJ would be a significantly more effective combo than Millsap-Booze. But it ain't so, and it's not clear to me that it's just because of the getting accustomed to the system. Both Millsap and Jefferson benefit from playing alongside some size, just like CB did.

I hate to say it, but Sloan's decisions on matchups has been bad. Now it's been two games of Utah letting the opposing team score way too much inside. The Suns had 44 points in the paint and another 30 from the trey--in no small part because the wings sag in because they (or Sloan, or both) think that the interior needs help. You but a real 7-footer in there (Fesenko, or Elson is probably close enough), and that interior D gets a bit better.

Millsap's stat line has been very respectable, but watching the game reveals that he was not containing the paint particularly well either. But AJ's confusion on offense and less-than-stellar paint control on D has made Millsap look less mediocre.

Gotta get some height in there. Utah never led in this game, and 13 of PHX's first 15 points were either layups (paint shots) or treys. Sloan, let the wings defend the wing, and put some height in there so they don't have to sag into the key. The Suns were very beatable, and playing Fes or Elson along Millsap or Jefferson (especially Jefferson) was done very little tonight, which is the same type of mistake that was done last year (playing very little of either of the 7-footers alongside Boozer).
 
....I was watching Jefferson myself...and wasn't impressed at all. He's basically a board banger and little else. He has no real offensive moves for a post man other than trying to do a little head fake underneath move that fools virtually nobody. He's a turrible passer out of the post.....set's few picks and screens and is lost on defense. Other than that, he's a powerful piece of manpower!
 
The second half looked a lot more promising for Utah, sans CJ's disastrous minutes, so I'm not worried yet. Just deflated about the ugly losses.
 
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