Big Al's Paint: The Al Jefferson Thread

amcoolio · Post #661 » by **amcoolio** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:34 pm

Memphis wasn't good when Z-Bo first went there... 24-58...they just had a bunch of high draft picks and no direction.

That is what I was paralleling Al Jeff to.

Post #662 » by **fatlever** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:36 pm

al jefferson is really making the rounds today, earning some of that cash. twitter interview, 3 part interview on nba.com, interview on 610AM, interview on 730AM.

freakon0mics · Post #663 » by **freakon0mics** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:56 pm

amcoolio wrote:Memphis wasn't good when Z-Bo first went there... 24-58...they just had a bunch of high draft picks and no direction.

That is what I was paralleling Al Jeff to.

Hope your right. A small-mid market team like us really need to look at teams like Memphis or Indiana to build a team unless we get real lucky and draft a potential superstar. Big Al can provide the same impact that Z-Bo did for Memphis.

mrknowitall215 · Post #664 » by **mrknowitall215** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 9:46 pm

freakon0mics wrote:
amcoolio wrote:Memphis wasn't good when Z-Bo first went there... 24-58...they just had a bunch of high draft picks and no direction.

That is what I was paralleling Al Jeff to.

Hope your right. A small-mid market team like us really need to look at teams like Memphis or Indiana to build a team unless we get real lucky and draft a potential superstar. Big Al can provide the same impact that Z-Bo did for Memphis.

The question is whether Cody Zeller could make a Marc Gasol like impact, certainly not defensively, but overall. Kemba Walker is every bit as good as Mike Conley was at this point, MKG is as talented as a prospect as Rudy Gay was at that point, and Steve Clifford was hired with more credentials than Lionel Hollins

MrFortune3 · Post #665 » by **MrFortune3** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 5:13 am

Jefferson was a really good signing, especially for the price,
I truly wonder how Zeller will play alongside him. that would be a very nice front court duo if Zeller turns into a really good player. which i think he will.

Elden Payton · Post #666 » by **Elden Payton** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:36 am

I really love those answers to the Twitter questions from Bobcats fans.

I love hearing that he's doing the rounds, I love the fact we've signed a free agent that garners this much interest.

People forget that in Minnesota, Jefferson was a 23/11 player, I think he can put up similar production this season if he plays 36 minutes (which he he probably won't)

Liver_Pooty · Post #667 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:59 am

Sik Infant wrote:I really love those answers to the Twitter questions from Bobcats fans.

I love hearing that he's doing the rounds, I love the fact we've signed a free agent that garners this much interest.

People forget that in Minnesota, Jefferson was a 23/11 player, I think he can put up similar production this season if he plays 36 minutes (which he he probably won't)

I believe that was pre torn ACL. Either way he's a stud on the offensive end.

Elden Payton · Post #668 » by **Elden Payton** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:02 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:
Sik Infant wrote:I really love those answers to the Twitter questions from Bobcats fans.

I love hearing that he's doing the rounds, I love the fact we've signed a free agent that garners this much interest.

People forget that in Minnesota, Jefferson was a 23/11 player, I think he can put up similar production this season if he plays 36 minutes (which he he probably won't)

I believe that was pre torn ACL. Either way he's a stud on the offensive end.

Despite the injury he is still the same offensive player, I think the injury hindered his defense.

Agreed, he is a stud offensively.

Snidely FC · Post #669 » by **Snidely FC** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:45 pm

From today's Asheville Citizen Times:

It doesn’t matter to Al Jefferson that the Charlotte Bobcats are a small-market team that has struggled to find success in recent years.

What matters to Jefferson is the Bobcats made him feel wanted.

The 6-foot-10 center said he was blown away after meeting with team officials last week during a free agent visit, saying he “couldn’t sleep a wink” in anticipation of signing with Charlotte.

“I can’t express how happy I am to be here,” said Jefferson, who was introduced at a press conference on Wednesday. “The Charlotte Bobcats did a great job coming at me (in free agency) and made me feel like they were a team that really respected my game and made me feel like a part of the family.”

The 28-year-old Jefferson is a back-to-the-basket type of scorer who led all NBA centers last season in field goals, ranked second in scoring average and ranked fourth in defensive rebounds. Jefferson and Dwight Howard are the only centers in the league to average at least 17 points and nine rebounds in each of the last six seasons.

Jefferson said he is comfortable in a small market like Charlotte after growing up in the tiny Mississippi town of Prentiss.

“My whole town is not bigger than this room,” Jefferson said with a laugh.” And if they had an NBA town in Prentiss I would go there. I don’t think about the city. All of that other stuff doesn’t matter to me. I figure when a team wants you to come play in the NBA, do it.”

Jefferson said the Bobcats, who are 28-120 over the past two seasons, have more talent than most people realize.

He said he can’t wait to “pick the brain” of Bobcats associate head coach Patrick Ewing, a Hall of Fame center who played for the New York Knicks.

Jefferson said he began thinking about playing for Charlotte after he bumped into Bobcats point guard Kemba Walker two months ago in New York.

Walker joked with him at the time that they’d be teammates soon.

It turns out Walker wasn’t kidding.

“About two weeks after that my agent asked me if I wanted to go down to Charlotte for visit and I was like, ‘Sure,’” Jefferson said. “When I got here they won me over.”

dre4bobcats · Post #670 » by **dre4bobcats** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:36 pm

Al Jefferson says he's going to vegas to watch the bobcats young guys...lol thats hilarious, just signed for $41 mil... THATS NOT THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE GOING TO VEGAS...lol

I'm not mad at him though...blow some of that dough.. just ball out for us during the season

HornetJail · Post #671 » by **HornetJail** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:45 pm

So Kemba recruited Al Jefferson... nice.

Nanogeek · Post #672 » by **Nanogeek** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:15 pm

Among other things about this signing, I struggle with why we didn't spend the money on Pekovic. We could probably have had him for 3/36. I would have complained about that signing too but I would have liked it better than Jefferson.

Post #673 » by **fatlever** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:20 pm

no sign that pekovic wanted to come here or that wolves wouldnt have matched.

James Gatz · Post #674 » by **James Gatz** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:11 pm

Also he's getting at least 4 years at 50 from the Wolves. No way he comes here for 3 for 36.

Liver_Pooty · Post #675 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:53 pm

People are still complaining about this? Walker wanted Jefferson, and got him. Don't keep your players content and they will leave you when their time us up.

HornetJail · Post #676 » by **HornetJail** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 10:11 pm

Nanogeek wrote:Among other things about this signing, I struggle with why we didn't spend the money on Pekovic. We could probably have had him for 3/36. I would have complained about that signing too but I would have liked it better than Jefferson.

I'd rather have Jefferson than Pekovic and 1.6M extra cap space. It isn't really all that close either.

Nanogeek · Post #677 » by **Nanogeek** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:50 pm

Biz Gilwalker wrote:I'd rather have Jefferson than Pekovic and 1.6M extra cap space. It isn't really all that close either.

I think it is. Pekovic is 27. Jefferson is 28. That's a push. Pekovic's per 36m numbers are 19 and 10. AJ's are 19 and 10. Pekovic has improved dramatically each season whereas AJ has been on decline. Pekovic had the highest +/- on the MIN quad at PLUS 3.2. Jefferson had a +/- of MINUS 8.2. Why? Jefferson is horrific on defense. Not bad... really bad. He's achingly show making him a really bad 4 and he's short and plodding making him a bad 5 also. Screen and roll defense? Good luck with AJ. Pekovic is a monster who wrecks people down low. He's as productive as AJ on the offensive end but actually plays defense.

Post #678 » by **fatlever** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 4:59 am

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... esses.html

Nanogeek · Post #679 » by **Nanogeek** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 4:19 pm

fatlever wrote:http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/13/4163458/charlotte-bobcats-jefferson-possesses.html

Doesn't take a basketball genius to realize AJ is very good offensively. The problem is his defense. You don't pay $14m for half a player. He's worse on defense than he is good on offense. The Jazz were at their worst last season when he was in the game.

finnegan · Post #680 » by **finnegan** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 2:18 pm

Nanogeek wrote:
fatlever wrote:http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/13/4163458/charlotte-bobcats-jefferson-possesses.html

Doesn't take a basketball genius to realize AJ is very good offensively. The problem is his defense. You don't pay $14m for half a player. He's worse on defense than he is good on offense. The Jazz were at their worst last season when he was in the game.

Jazz fan here. Nanogeek has no clue what he is talking about!

Jefferson is a decent defender and he is not on the decline.

Best skill Jefferson improved on in Utah is being able to kick it out to a shooter when he is double teamed. He used to fight the double team and try to get the basket (not necessarily a bad thing to have a fighting attitude), but he has improved quite a bit by playing team ball and not having to work quite so hard to get a basket.