Is Al Jefferson a good enough player to be a 2nd option?

[Blame Rasho]

Hehehe... 100%...

I should lock this thread due to stupidity. The answer is clear. Anyone who thinks he isn't is clearly brain damaged.

[CellarDoor]

So if you take off Big Z and Ben Wallace on Cleveland and put Al Jefferson would they be title contenders?

Or if you take off Marion and Beasley from Miami would they be title contenders?

In my opinion LBJ is one of those rare players who would do well with shooters and defenders around him. Some finishers too. Having a guy with real low post skills is sort of diminishing returns for him.

That being said, if you removed Ben Wallace and gave them Al Jeff? Of course. Especially with MoWill now.

In answer to the Miami question, now you're changing the rules. Why do Marion AND Beasley get removed? Keep Marion and roll him at the 3 and yes, the are title contenders.

[britblazerdude]

Yes he is of course. I don't know if he could really lead a team though. In the same way that Zach Randolph cannot.

[dockingsched]

with the quality of teams as they are now, i think he'd need to be a 3rd option right now, or at least the 2nd option but the 3rd best player.

i'd like to know why this stud 20/10/50% big man has teams that just suck. the celtics were one of the worst teams in the league and turned into an all-time good type team. the wolves won ten less games with him than the yr before. is kevin garnett THAT much better than him? and if he is, how could a team with al jefferson as the 2nd option compete with a celtics team that has kevin garnett as their 2nd option?

[CellarDoor]

with the quality of teams as they are now, i think he'd need to be a 3rd option right now, or at least the 2nd option but the 3rd best player.

i'd like to know why this stud 20/10/50% big man has teams that just suck. the celtics were one of the worst teams in the league and turned into an all-time good type team. the wolves won ten less games with him than the yr before. is kevin garnett THAT much better than him? and if he is, how could a team with al jefferson as the 2nd option compete with a celtics team that has kevin garnett as their 2nd option?

KG brings defense in addition to his offense. That's where the semantics of 2nd best player and 2nd option come into play. And comparing 07 Celts to 08 Celts isn't fair. Wally and a draft pick for Ray Allen and Al Jeff and co. for KG, but then PP actually plays the season too. In addition you add a guy like Posey, later you add PJ Brown. Powe and Davis come into their own. That's apples to oranges.

[deeney0]

is kevin garnett THAT much better than him?

Right now, yes.

and if he is, how could a team with al jefferson as the 2nd option compete with a celtics team that has kevin garnett as their 2nd option?

Jefferson is 23, Garnet is 32. Wait a few years.

And I don't understand talking about "all" of Al's teams being bad. He's basically been at his current level for a season and a half. The Wolves last year were basically an expansion team, and they finished the year 16-21. It takes teams time to gel. Now, Wolves have lost nothing of consequence and added Mike Miller and Kevin Love. This is Al's first real *chance* to lead a team to anything more than 20something wins.

[Rocky5000]

Well, Pierce missed a lot of games in 06/07 as did Szcerbiak, Tony Allen, Theo Ratliff, and Perkins. Injury troubles were a big story in why they only won 24 games, as were Durant and Greg Oden.

I think that Minnesota will improve at least back to their 06/07 win total with Mike Miller, Kevin Love, and a healthy Foye on the team. It wasn't as if Jefferson just plugged in for Garnett in Minnesota, and played with the same guys, KG played with guys like Ricky Davis, Blount, Mike James, Hassell, Hudson, and a healthy Foye. Not great players, but guys with veteran experience. The same thing goes the other way, Jefferson didn't play with Ray Allen, Eddie House, James Posey, or PJ Brown in Boston. I think KG loses at least 5-6 more games than 06-07 if he has to play on this past years Minnesota team out of position as the starting center.

[AgEnT50]

Of course. . .

[steven abooten]

yea hes a monster in the low post

he can even be a 1st option if his team really sucks... (that was present tense)

[CBS7]

He can be a first option on a title contender as long as he has a solid supporting cast.

Put him on a team like the Bulls and they are easily a contender.

[NUNBETTA]

He's good enough to be a first option (soon) on a defensive-minded team.

Offensively, he's on track to be at the level of Elton Brand, and surely that is good enough.

[SoSick]

Yes. Specially if he is paired with an elite level wing like Bron, Wade, Kobe etc.