I'm sorry, but Al Jefferson needs minutes

HurricaneDij25 · Post #1 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Wed Jan 3, 2018 7:41 pm

I get that he's not in our long-term plans, but when your star player is out, now's the time to lengthen your rotations and not shorten them.

Al is one of the few guys, and perhaps the only guy on this team, that can create his own shot in the post and make things happen down there. He didn't get in the Timberwolves game until it was already out of hand as it was. One may say he's a huge minus on defense but this roster as currently constructed is simply not going to win with defense, at least in the short term. The guy is making $10 million this year and we might as well make him useful, for he is going to be here until late February at the earliest.

And with Milwaukee due up next with their scarcity of big men, now's the time to take advantage of Jefferson and his talents.

Post #2 » by **boomershadow** » Wed Jan 3, 2018 8:57 pm

I am not sure Oladipo has much to do with it.

I do agree that the ten million that Jefferson is getting to sit on the bench is a huge waste of money. The real problem isn't how he is being used now though, it is that it was a legitimately bad signing on day 1 and hasn't looked any better since. It's not just that he's a poor defender, he doesn't play the style of offense the team is trying to play either. The slowed down, post-oriented game just isn't where the league is at nowadays. Add his age into the mix, and you get a player that just isn't gonna see the court much whether our starting shooting guard is out or not.

The only benefit he brings to the team is to mentor our young bigs, and it does seem like he has been doing that.

basketballwacko2 · Post #3 » by **basketballwacko2** » Wed Jan 3, 2018 11:42 pm

I thought the signing of Jefferson was strange, most likely no one would have signed him and the team could have made him an assistant coach. He can still play about 4 min at a time and is kind of effective against 2nd units, but even with his 40lb weight lose he just doesn't have the cardio for long runs.

Pacersike · Post #4 » by **Pacersike** » Thu Jan 4, 2018 7:38 pm

Now that many players have played 1000 minutes and more, he should be less of a liability.

I'm not against it at this point, especially not because some advanced stats actually like him in the minutes he has played so far.

And it also means Sabonis will see more time at the 4 position. Which we have to figure out first if it can work to make trades and sign players for our future. If both Turner and Sabonis need most of their minutes at the 5, we need to anticipate on that and not try to solve it after it becomes a problem. It lowers the trade value, but I guess I shouldn't have much hope for that (PG, Granger, Hibbert, we never anticipated on them becoming problems but there were plenty of signs for all three of them)

8305 · Post #5 » by **8305** » Fri Jan 5, 2018 11:35 am

Giving this guy minutes is a waste of everyone’s time. Whatever he might be able to provide on offense will certainly be given away at the defensive end. I’d rather see the team go small and give Poythress the minutes.

Pacers_Freak · Post #6 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Fri Jan 5, 2018 5:09 pm

Can I ask a silly question? What does Dipo being out have to do with playing Al now? One is a SG and one is a C. I'm confused.

HurricaneDij25 · Post #7 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Sat Jan 6, 2018 7:27 am

Pacers_Freak wrote:Can I ask a silly question? What does Dipo being out have to do with playing Al now? One is a SG and one is a C. I'm confused.

No prob.

With 'Dipo out, our short rotations instantly start to become exposed. In the Dallas game for instance, Lance Stephenson stepped into the starting lineup and was instantly treated like 'Dipo, and getting all the crunch time shots, a role that of course is above his capabilities.

If you would hypothecially inserted Jefferson into the rotation, he'd provide a different dimension to the offense and make things happen.

glasket · Post #8 » by **glasket** » Sun Jan 7, 2018 12:10 pm

I like big Al, but from day 1 he just doesn’t fit what the pacers are trying to do. Same last year. Strange signing

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Pacers_Freak · Post #9 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Mon Jan 8, 2018 4:34 pm

HurricaneDij25 wrote:
Pacers_Freak wrote:Can I ask a silly question? What does Dipo being out have to do with playing Al now? One is a SG and one is a C. I'm confused.

No prob.

With 'Dipo out, our short rotations instantly start to become exposed. In the Dallas game for instance, Lance Stephenson stepped into the starting lineup and was instantly treated like 'Dipo, and getting all the crunch time shots, a role that of course is above his capabilities.

If you would hypothecially inserted Jefferson into the rotation, he'd provide a different dimension to the offense and make things happen.

Right but when a guard is hurt.... a guard needs to step into the rotation. When a guard is hurt.... no big man minutes become available.

Wizop · Post #10 » by **Wizop** » Mon Jan 8, 2018 5:34 pm

Al's role is to teach post moves to Turner and Sabonis.

HurricaneDij25 · Post #11 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Tue Jan 9, 2018 10:13 pm

Pacers_Freak wrote:
HurricaneDij25 wrote:
Pacers_Freak wrote:Can I ask a silly question? What does Dipo being out have to do with playing Al now? One is a SG and one is a C. I'm confused.

No prob.

With 'Dipo out, our short rotations instantly start to become exposed. In the Dallas game for instance, Lance Stephenson stepped into the starting lineup and was instantly treated like 'Dipo, and getting all the crunch time shots, a role that of course is above his capabilities.

If you would hypothecially inserted Jefferson into the rotation, he'd provide a different dimension to the offense and make things happen.

Right but when a guard is hurt.... a guard needs to step into the rotation. When a guard is hurt.... no big man minutes become available.

There are always ways to make minutes. Thaddeus Young of all people, for instance, is averaging 32.8 minutes per game. That's too many.

Turning an 8-man rotation into a 7-man rotation just because one player is out is nothing short of admitting defeat, though. Even cut down on Turner's minutes if he's not producing. Give the young player a hook once in awhile. No excuse for his one-point, two-rebound performance against the Timberwolves...

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #12 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Tue Jan 9, 2018 10:52 pm

Of all the threads I expected to see on a fan forum, "Al Jefferson needs more minutes." was not one of them.

Well done!

Vorda · Post #13 » by **Vorda** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:50 am

Why does he need minutes? He has to develop something in his play? I' more satisfied with playing minutes for Myles, Sabonis and Leaf...

Post #14 » by **Miller4ever** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 9:30 am

At this point Domas is more effective than Al on both ends of the floor. He can actually run with the team, play defense, and score in the post. Al does only one of those things. He may have some value during foul trouble situations but I'd rather Leaf get these hypothetical minutes.

Pacers_Freak · Post #15 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:11 pm

HurricaneDij25 wrote:
Pacers_Freak wrote:
HurricaneDij25 wrote:
No prob.

With 'Dipo out, our short rotations instantly start to become exposed. In the Dallas game for instance, Lance Stephenson stepped into the starting lineup and was instantly treated like 'Dipo, and getting all the crunch time shots, a role that of course is above his capabilities.

If you would hypothecially inserted Jefferson into the rotation, he'd provide a different dimension to the offense and make things happen.

Right but when a guard is hurt.... a guard needs to step into the rotation. When a guard is hurt.... no big man minutes become available.

There are always ways to make minutes. Thaddeus Young of all people, for instance, is averaging 32.8 minutes per game. That's too many.

Turning an 8-man rotation into a 7-man rotation just because one player is out is nothing short of admitting defeat, though. Even cut down on Turner's minutes if he's not producing. Give the young player a hook once in awhile. No excuse for his one-point, two-rebound performance against the Timberwolves...

It didn't cut to 7. Joe Young was added to the rotation.

HurricaneDij25 · Post #16 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:42 pm

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:Of all the threads I expected to see on a fan forum, "Al Jefferson needs more minutes." was not one of them.

Well done!

Don't know what you were expecting to see considering that Al is making close to $10 million to be a towel boy.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #17 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:45 pm

HurricaneDij25 wrote:
xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:Of all the threads I expected to see on a fan forum, "Al Jefferson needs more minutes." was not one of them.

Well done!

Don't know what you were expecting to see considering that Al is making close to $10 million to be a towel boy.

I'd much prefer that to him making 10 million a year and actually playing.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #18 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:45 pm

By your logic, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah should be playing more simply because they get paid a lot.

HurricaneDij25 · Post #19 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:57 pm

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:By your logic, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah should be playing more simply because they get paid a lot.

Deng probably should...Noah not so much considering the Knicks surplus of centers.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #20 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:01 pm

HurricaneDij25 wrote:
xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:By your logic, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah should be playing more simply because they get paid a lot.

Deng probably should...Noah not so much considering the Knicks surplus of centers.

And we don't?

The Knicks would trade their Centers for ours any day of the week.

Deng should not play, stop.

Signing Al Jefferson to that contract was a mistake. When you make a mistake, the worst thing you can do, is add to that mistake. Trying to force him to play minutes that he shouldn't get, simply because he is getting paid a lot, is absolutely ****ing ridiculous.