MIN/SA - Al Jeff for Splitter

Post #1 » by **gswhoops** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 5:28 am

Minnesota Timberwolves

Incoming: Richard Jefferson (1 year, $14M), rights to Tiago Splitter
Outgoing: Al Jefferson (3 years, $42M)

T'Wolves move Jefferson for a younger, less expensive and more compatable big man. Splitter is an athletic big who can score, block shots and play strong D at both PF and C. RJ also gives them a stopgap at SF who can produce for a year and then expire, giving them more flexibility in the future.

Draft: Cousins or Johnson (#4), Hayward or Whiteside (#16), Kevin Seraphin (#23), Lance Stephenson (#45), Nemanja Bjelica (#54)

Darko/Pekovic/Whiteside
Love/Splitter
WJohnson/Jefferson
Brewer/Ellington/Stephenson
Flynn/Sessions

or

Cousins/Darko/Pekovic
Love/Splitter
Jefferson/Hayward
Brewer/Ellington/Stephenson
Flynn/Sessions

Overseas: Rubio, Seraphin, Bjelica

San Antonio Spurs

Incoming: Al Jefferson (3 years, $42M)
Outgoing: Richard Jefferson (1 year, $14M), rights to Tiago Splitter

San Antonio adds a post presence to take some of the pressure off Duncan down low. TD and Al Jeff would be a beastly combo down low, probably the second best interior combo in the league after Gasol and Bynum. Jeff could also eventually take over the reigns from Duncan, easing the transition into a new era.

Draft: Damion James (#19), Lazar Hayward (#49)

Duncan/McDyess
Jefferson/Blair/Bonner
MLE/James/Hayward
Mason/Ginobili
Parker/Hill

NCHeels2008 · Post #2 » by **NCHeels2008** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:35 am

only thing that concerns me is how terrible their interior defense would be, unless Pop can get more out of jefferson

DanBlazer · Post #3 » by **DanBlazer** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:46 am

Looks to be a better fit for Minny up front, improving their defense and if Splitter wants over the MLE this deal could have some serious merit for the Spurs too. Interesting idea, something I havent seen before, I like it, nice job.

NCHeels2008 · Post #4 » by **NCHeels2008** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:48 am

btw i'm not knocking your idea, I love it, I just wonder how the Spurs could win while being so defensively weak inside.

co_laper · Post #5 » by **co_laper** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:32 am

Well, our interior defense won't be worse than this year. Al Jefferson is basically replacing Bonner and atleast Jefferson is the better shotblocker and rebounder. If he learns the defensive system, that'll atleast make him average.

In any way, I think the idea of pairing Duncan with an offensive big man is to have Duncan pass the torch just like David Robinson did. That means, Duncan will now focus on the defensive side on the floor while allowing guys like Al Jefferson in this scenario to take on more of the scoring load.

I'm all for trading Jefferson for a stud big. As Duncan ages and play more Center position, he has become more of a face up player. Jefferson's low post scoring ability can help us really really well.

longfellow44 · Post #6 » by **longfellow44** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:38 am

I feel like the spurs are getting way too much value here. I think we need to get some realistic perspective on what splitter's value is.

nba_addict · Post #7 » by **nba_addict** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:52 am

Big Al and Timmy wont work ideally. Big Al has limited range which will kill spacing if you pair him with Duncan. That takes out the floor space for TP and Manu to maneuver towards the basket and making what they do best.

Playing them (TD and Big Al) as separate as much as possible could work though. Duncan for 24 minutes operating inside and Al for another 24 minutes might be the best case. But that might give Spurs another problem. When to play Blair? As I observed seldom does Pop combine Timmy and Blair in the floor. If that combination dont work then how do you expect a Blair and Big Al at the sametime will work smoothly?

co_laper · Post #8 » by **co_laper** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:41 am

Al and Timmy don't really work if you use him the opposite way of what I'm saying.

If you put Timmy in the low block, then you need a PF who can shoot the jumper. Obviously, Al doesn't have that in his arsenal. And if you have Timmy as the one carrying the offensive load, then he can't be the one who focus on stopping guys on the defensive end. Giving that assignment to Al Jefferson is a disaster. This scenario is more like making Duncan be Duncan, Jefferson as Robinson.

What I'm suggesting is that Duncan be Robinson, and Jefferson be Duncan. That means offensively, Jefferson is in the low block where he's at his best and Duncan can hit the jumper and go down the block occasionally much like Robinson did. Defensively, like Robinson, Duncan will have to assume that role as our defensive enforcer. The good thing is that Duncan isn't asked to carry the offensive load anymore so he can focus on rebounding and shotblocking instead.

In that situation, i don't see how that doesn't work.

As for Timmy and Blair on the floor together, it's because of the perimeter guys we have. Not because Timmy and Blair can't play together. This year, Timmy needs a shooting big mainly because our perimeter guys are all slashers. If we play Timmy with Blair and then have Jefferson, Manu, Parker on the floor, there's not enough spacing on the floor.

For further prove, Duncan didn't really need a shooting big full time in the past years with guys like Elson, Oberto, Nazr, and Rasho because there was enough shooting on the floor from guys like Bowen and Finley. This year, we just didn't have enough shooting from the perimeter and had to count on guys from the Center position to give us that. It's the reason you only see Duncan on the floor with Dice or Bonner. No one else.

shangrila · Post #9 » by **shangrila** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:40 am

I'd consider it from Minnesota's perspective, although there's questions like whether he's willing to come off the bench or how it'd work with all the other bigs that'd have to be answered.

turk3d · Post #10 » by **turk3d** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:57 am

I think it's a great idea. Jefferson's gives them an expiring and the Wolves are always looking to say money and might fill a need @ the SF spot if he regains his mojo. I think that the Duncan/Jefferson pairing could work pretty well with Duncan's game changing a bit as he gets older. He could focus more on his jump shooting (he can shoot it) and not have to forcing his way inside (might actually help extend his career a bit) with Jefferson being somewhat of a bruiser inside.

Makes sense and with Pop one of the best at figuring these kind of things out, if it works, could put SA righ back into contention. They could even hold onto Parker for another year or two and they'd be back in business again. They kind of disappointed me a bit this season when it looked like they were primed for another playoff run but fizzled in the end. I think that Jefferson might just be the jolt they need to get back in it while TD is still around. Maybe Minny thinks that the Spurs should give up their pick this year. Not sure but this might have some legs.

longfellow44 · Post #11 » by **longfellow44** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:13 am

The value seems off to me I think Minny should be getting additional assets. Such as the 20th pick and maybe even blair as well.

Casperkid23 · Post #12 » by **Casperkid23** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:18 pm

longfellow44 wrote:The value seems off to me I think Minny should be getting additional assets. Such as the 20th pick and maybe even blair as well.

I'd settle for a 20th for 23rd and 45th swap, but asking for Blair would probably be too much. Splitter is a very good player. Jefferson is not the best fit with Duncan, but he could be flipped in a S&T afterwards for someone who is.

Great trade idea GSW - getting Splitter in a Timberwolves uniform would be awesome... especially if Kahn could then work out a trade to land Favors. I'm really hoping that he pursues this type of a deal (or one which involves Pekovic).

Think if SA requested that Detroit be added. Then it could look like this:

SA out: R. Jefferson, Splitter's rights, #20
SA in: Prince, #7, #45

MIN out: A. Jefferson, #23, #45
MIN in: R. Jefferson, Splitter's rights, #20

DET out: Prince, #7
DET in: A. Jefferson, #23

SA would cut even more cap with a better player than R. Jefferson and at #7 could pick up an NBA-ready player.

longfellow44 · Post #13 » by **longfellow44** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:10 pm

This is ridiculous, splitter doesn't have that kind of value. Al Jefferson is a legit starting pf and probably a top 5 pf in the league splitter hasn't played a single game in the NBA and we have no idea what level he will actually play at. Several have compared him to scola and I would have to think that Jefferson is worth a lot more than scola.

Esohny · Post #14 » by **Esohny** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:15 pm

longfellow44 wrote:This is ridiculous, splitter doesn't have that kind of value. Al Jefferson is a legit starting pf and probably a top 5 pf in the league splitter hasn't played a single game in the NBA and we have no idea what level he will actually play at. Several have compared him to scola and I would have to think that Jefferson is worth a lot more than scola.

I have to agree with this.

Casperkid23 · Post #15 » by **Casperkid23** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:25 pm

longfellow44 wrote:This is ridiculous, splitter doesn't have that kind of value. Al Jefferson is a legit starting pf and probably a top 5 pf in the league splitter hasn't played a single game in the NBA and we have no idea what level he will actually play at. Several have compared him to scola and I would have to think that Jefferson is worth a lot more than scola.

Al is a top-10 PF in the NBA, but there's no way I'd consider him a top-5. Pau, Bosh and Dirk are all locks to be considered better than Al. Amare, Boozer and Smith are also guys I'd consider to be better than him; though there would be contention on them by some (not most). A broken down KG, and Al's teammate Mr. Love are two guys who have just as much (or more) impact on a game. I'd rather have each of those players for one season than Al, so I'd put him currently at 9th.

If we're talking value, and not place in the PF hierarchy, then some of this changes; but Al still isn't 5th.

I didn't see much of Scola before the NBA. But from what I know of each now, Splitter is the better guy - especially for the Timberwolves. Same goes for Al - Splitter is the better fit in Minnesota though certainly not as skilled in the post offensively, but possibly more efficient.

longfellow44 · Post #16 » by **longfellow44** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:28 pm

^^your independent valuation here doesn't change the fact that this is a terrible deal for the wolves.

Casperkid23 · Post #17 » by **Casperkid23** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:37 pm

longfellow44 wrote:^^your independent valuation here doesn't change the fact that this is a terrible deal for the wolves.

Uh huh. Terrible because..... ?

Explain why Al is so valuable besides throwing out top-5 PF (who is he better than out of the first 6 I listed?).

longfellow44 · Post #18 » by **longfellow44** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:39 pm

Because splitter doesn't have that kind of value.

Post #19 » by **sonictecture** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:06 pm

I agree the value is off, but if Kahn was looking for ways in which to make Minnesota more attractive to Ricky Rubio, then the acquisition of Splitter could force Kahn into thinking about such a trade.

A couple of questions:
Would Kahn be able to sign Splitter? He can't very well trade Al Jefferson only to have his projected starting point guard and center play in Europe next season.

Would any other team get a rebound if Minnesota also received Blair and had Blair and Love on the same team.

TrentTuckerForever · Post #20 » by **TrentTuckerForever** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 5:06 pm

longfellow44 wrote:The value seems off to me I think Minny should be getting additional assets. Such as the 20th pick and maybe even blair as well.

Agree as a MN fan. One more piece - either Blair, the 20th or a future 1st. Wolves need shooters too.. what about Hill, Splitter and Richard Jefferson for Al Jefferson and 16? I like the trade overall.