The Great Midwest

[Tirion]

I'm sick and tired of excuses being pulled for Al. He's been 6 years in this league and his defense is as bad as it ever was. He doesn't rotate well, his weakside help in non-existent and he often doesn't even bother to lift his hands and contest shots. Big Al is a veteran now, entering his prime and what you see is what you get with him. A one-way player.

I have to give Big Al his props though. He really started passing more and tonight's effort on D was pleasant to see. And it didn't threw him off his offensive game too, like last season. More of that please.

Wow - Did I just see a 180 occur?

When he gives effort Big Al can be a force on defense. But he doesn't give that effor 90% of the time. Still his passing game has improved this year, which shows that he can improve and MAYBE his defense can follow the suite.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I'm sick and tired of excuses being pulled for Al. He's been 6 years in this league and his defense is as bad as it ever was. He doesn't rotate well, his weakside help in non-existent and he often doesn't even bother to lift his hands and contest shots. Big Al is a veteran now, entering his prime and what you see is what you get with him. A one-way player.

I have to give Big Al his props though. He really started passing more and tonight's effort on D was pleasant to see. And it didn't threw him off his offensive game too, like last season. More of that please.

Wow - Did I just see a 180 occur?

When he gives effort Big Al can be a force on defense. But he doesn't give that effor 90% of the time. Still his passing game has improved this year, which shows that he can improve and MAYBE his defense can follow the suite.

thats the frustrating part, everybody has seen him making quick decisive moves on offense and defense before and knows he can do it, but then all of a sudden one game he's holding the ball for 8 seconds then throws up a prayer hook or some small fry like Steve Blake is hitting an uncontested layup over him and you wonder where his game went.

but anyways, as my closing remarks and final stroke of the pen for this thread is hopefully big Al isn't worried about people liking Kevin Love and other distractions that have nothing to do with getting his own self together mentally and physically to have the kind of endurance to perform at the highest level consistently booya.

[john2jer]

So a knock on Al's help-side defense, and a claim that he "doesn't even bother to lift his hands and contest shots", yet Al Jefferson averaged 1.5, 1.5, and 1.7 blocks per game the last three years prior to this year? Which puts him around 15th in the league as a 6'9" power forward having to play center, while shouldering the load in scoring, and, up until Love, the rebounding.

You should watch some games. Tonight against Utah he really contested shots. With an effort like that he could average 2.0+ bpg easily, it's not like the Wolves have another shotblocker out there (Hollins doesn't count). I have to give Big Al his props though. He really started passing more and tonight's effort on D was pleasant to see. And it didn't threw him off his offensive game too, like last season. More of that please.

Do you even know what the hell you just said, clown? You make stupid ass comments about Big Al not contesting shots, I post stats showing he's near 2 blocks a game, even though he's had to shoulder nearly all of the offensive load up until this year, then you fire back saying I don't watch games because he contested shots against Utah? Damn, you're contradicting yourself. Maybe we can all chip in and buy you a mirror so you can continue this debate.

[Tirion]

So a knock on Al's help-side defense, and a claim that he "doesn't even bother to lift his hands and contest shots", yet Al Jefferson averaged 1.5, 1.5, and 1.7 blocks per game the last three years prior to this year? Which puts him around 15th in the league as a 6'9" power forward having to play center, while shouldering the load in scoring, and, up until Love, the rebounding.

You should watch some games. Tonight against Utah he really contested shots. With an effort like that he could average 2.0+ bpg easily, it's not like the Wolves have another shotblocker out there (Hollins doesn't count). I have to give Big Al his props though. He really started passing more and tonight's effort on D was pleasant to see. And it didn't threw him off his offensive game too, like last season. More of that please.

Do you even know what the hell you just said, clown? You make stupid ass comments about Big Al not contesting shots, I post stats showing he's near 2 blocks a game, even though he's had to shoulder nearly all of the offensive load up until this year, then you fire back saying I don't watch games because he contested shots against Utah? Damn, you're contradicting yourself. Maybe we can all chip in and buy you a mirror so you can continue this debate.

lol, u mad?
Big Al doesn't put up effort on D most of the time. That should be clear to anybody who watches games regulary. That's what I meant. I don't care about stats, cause: 1) any bigman could have averaged 1.5+ bpg on this team the last two years - there were zero guys over 6-10 on the roster! 2) bpg is a misleading stat anyway, cause it doesn't count shots that were contested, but not blocked or wasn't taken in the first place, cause weakside help forced offensive player to pass.

[Worm Guts]

1) any bigman could have averaged 1.5+ bpg on this team the last two years - there were zero guys over 6-10 on the roster!

What? That doesn't make sense.

[john2jer]

1) any bigman could have averaged 1.5+ bpg on this team the last two years - there were zero guys over 6-10 on the roster!

What? That doesn't make sense.

Jason Collins

But apparently blocks are just handed out Commie style based on the number of minutes you play and how tall you are.

[horaceworthy]

When he gives effort Big Al can be a force on defense. But he doesn't give that effor 90% of the time. Still his passing game has improved this year, which shows that he can improve and MAYBE his defense can follow the suite.

I wouldn't say force, but certainly above average. Utah's just about the only team with post players smaller than Al (since Okur likes to hang around the perimeter), so it's one of the few times when Al's the biggest guy on the floor. Al was more active than usual last night, but Utah's also a team where it's easier for him to be noticed against.

[Tirion]

When he gives effort Big Al can be a force on defense. But he doesn't give that effor 90% of the time. Still his passing game has improved this year, which shows that he can improve and MAYBE his defense can follow the suite.

I wouldn't say force, but certainly above average. Utah's just about the only team with post players smaller than Al (since Okur likes to hang around the perimeter), so it's one of the few times when Al's the biggest guy on the floor. Al was more active than usual last night, but Utah's also a team where it's easier for him to be noticed against.

Yeah, that too. But Big Al wasn't even trying in the previous game (vs WAS) so the contrast in effort was really noticable. His interior rotations were much better too.

[Klomp]

Kevin Love is the Timberwolf with the most marketing potential in Minnesota. Race will always be a factor in pro sports marketing, but Love's style of play and down-to-Earth demeanor are far more valuable to the Timberwolves than the color of his skin.

http://www.canishoopus.com/2009/12/31/1 ... -tweets-of