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Jefferson Comments
Posted by: Shane on December 20th, 2012
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.I know many on this site can’t get Al Jefferson out of town quick enough. I have always tried to give Al the benefit of the doubt and I think he does some good stuff for this team. However, I have some serious concerns with recent postgame comments and his overall leadership and attitude.
After a recent loss to OKC, he said: ”I don’t feel bad at all about this loss. I think we did a great job against all odds.”
And after last night’s loss to Indiana: “Once I get 0-for-5, 0-for-6, my mind just kind of goes. ”
I have serious issues with both these comments and it makes it hard for me to continue to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is supposed to be the leader of the team, but in those two comments he tells me that he’s 1) ok with some losses and 2) he isn’t mentally in it if he starts bad.
These are not characteristics of someone that is a leader, is gritty, and determined. We need a leader on this team and Al is not it. I am not thrilled with these post game comments/attitudes and I’m sure the front office doesn’t care for it either. Might be time for Jazz FO to make the move.
Replies: 23
Views: 688
23 Responses
yep … hurry up Jazz FO … doomsday’s coming !
A closed room, one hour, Al with his comments on one side, The Mailman with a shovel to bury him on the other side………………
Here’s how I feel about Al. Any team he’s on he ‘becomes’ the offense. You HAVE to use him that way, because he does nothing else useful in the game. AND any team that he IS the offensive focal point is doomed to be a low playoff team at best, because Al just can’t score at an efficient enough rate. If you have talent, or not, around Al, it doesn’t matter. You could play four scrubs with him or four All-Stars and if he’s your go-to guy down the court, it matters not. The game is going to be slow, and the only shots off of what he does is hopefully kicking it out and around the perimeter for a shot at the end of the shot clock or put-backs from his misses.
Al is the perfect piece for a crappy offensive team who has four great defenders at positions 1-4. Al is also a terrible piece for good to great teams, because he can’t be anything less than the main offensive guy because you can’t get anything else from him. He doesn’t run the court, he doesn’t pass well, he doesn’t help create for others, he doesn’t defend well.
I feel like we’re at the peak of what we can be with Al Jefferson on our team, and that’s a team barely above .500. Send him to Charlotte or Toronto or some team that needs consistent offensive production. He’ll help some crappy East team make the playoffs and it will be totally worth it for them. And we’ll take picks and young players or players that can complement our other players back.
Does anyone out there really feel like we can get anywhere better than scraping into the playoffs with Al Jefferson on our team? I’d love to hear your take. Maybe Chase feels that way, but he seems to embrace the ‘be good enough to make the playoffs every year even if it means we’re perennially mediocre’ mindset of the Front Office, so he’s not on the same page as the rest of us Jazz fans who long for taking risks to have the possible reward of an actual championship contending team.
That said, I like Al’s personality, his honesty, his willingness to help the young bigs we have, etc. But at the end of the day, if we want to be more than mediocre, we have to trade him.
But to have something worth the pain (of letting a 15M$ guy go) in return, we certainly need :
- a package including Sap
- multiple teams, which means a blockbuster deal
Then the Jazz have to go after difference makers (Love, Gasol) or pass-first PG (calderon, Shved)
Some 10 days ago, one of us reported a G. Miller tweet that may be interpreted as a green light to do something in a specific post (I know someone else posted it in a comment) … this post dissapeared some hours after being posted … looks strange isn’t it ?
I proposed this trade in a previous post, and it works under the cap:
Portland gets: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Randy Roye
Utah gets: LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, and Joel Freeland
Blazers get some much needed depth that allows them to bring Hickson off the bench. They certainly aren’t going anywhere with Aldridge. They could have a very potent starting lineup of Lillard, Foye, Batum, Millsap, and Jefferson.
Utah improves their backcourt defensively with this deal, and clears up the logjam on the frontline. The Jazz would have a starting lineup of Mo, Matthews, Marvin, Aldridge, and either Favors or Kanter (with the other young big getting significant minutes off the bench). Freeland is basically included in the deal for salary cap reasons, but could be a decent fourth big who plays limited minutes (unless you feel comfortable with Evans in that role).
If that deal was made, Hayward becomes the offensive focal point of the second group, and a very valuable sixth man.
Still think we need to try and package a way to get Bell out of here. That portland deal if the money is right, force them to take Bell. I think they are improving their team enough to justify it.
Id take an unprotected 1st round pick for Al.
Watson for a Best Buy gift card.
Bell for a coupon at Whataburger.
Is Whataburger even a real place? We at least have to make it realistic….like Five Guys or In n Out.
Nah @Shane, I’d take a coupon to a nonexistent burger shop for Bell! @Jason Crannell, I like that trade a lot. Aldridge isn’t a iso-post player and he has great shooting range. He would be a GREAT compliment to Favors!!! Then Kanter off the bench and Freeland if there is any foul trouble. I still want to get a pick somehow… But this is a trade I would REALLY like!!
With the new CBA teams aren’t willing to sign a non All-Star caliber player to a max deal, and Jazz want too much in return for Big Al.
Big Al needs to go, but I don’t think those comments are that bad. Many coaches and players are proud of how the team played even when resulting in a loss.
@C-style……… and they are weak, you don’t always have pride in victory, but you definitely never have pride in a loss
That quote regarding last nights game does not surprise me in the least. I’ve seen it many times in person. Against the Lakers I’ve seen him struggle when a player bullies him, and thought the likes of Favors and Kanter would be a better option in that match up. San Antonio know how to play him into obscurity. I see his extra effort on defensive rebounds when a place in the playoffs is at stake, but the rest of the season his effort on the defensive end can go missing. Al was used to putting up his offensive numbers at Minnesota but he was also used to missing out in a place in the post season. He hasn’t got the mentality of a San Antonio type player where you make you make sure you win first and get your personal accolades later.
and like the King Cantona said one day, “I do not play to win, i play to fight against the idea of losing”………. think about that, Small Al
Guys…I have to believe that both Kevin and Dennis are working the phones, and listening very intently to each and every offer that is being put forth for Al and Paul. My guess is that most of the teams are offering garbage in return. Making a bad trade can set back a team for years, so often the best thing to do is stand pat. This whole situation might have to just play it’s self out in free agency this summer.
@Jason – agreed that I am sure the Jazz are getting crap offers for Jefferson/Milsap. The right offer needs to come along and like you said, nothing may be resolved until summer of 2013.
However, while teams probably think the Jazz are desperate to do something, the tide will soon be turning when other teams will become more desperate to make a move given their financial situation, the current CBA, and their own mediocre seasons.
I have to agree with Jason here . I think that sometimes ya all forget that maybe the FO hasnt been able to get that blockbuster trade offers yet . We dont want to hinder what we have goin for us with something that could hurt us getting what we need .
Lets all hope that we can get somethin that will put us in contention win it all .
Go Jazz !!!!
Whataburger is most definitely a real place.
Shane: That’s what I’m hoping. Maybe some team will get an itchy trigger finger right before the trade deadline and we can get a steal of a deal on a quality player. Remember when the Jazz traded Jeff Malone for Jeff Hornacek? Malone was a decent player in his own right, but Jeff proved to be the missing piece that took us to the next level. We will keep our fingers crossed.
I think the attitude that needs to be had is the one by Kanter in last night game. Someone tried to dunk on him and he met him full force and then was like now way baby shaking his head and acting like hell no your not dunking on me! Al would have let that be a dunk on his head.
Also with the trades how do we not know the reason a trade has not been made is cause KOC is valuing Al way way to high and other teams are like screw that. Other teams see these comments, these games, his lack of fire. They all see it!
Hahaha, Kevin knows what’s up! Whataburger is fire, it’s a handful of heart attack, open 24/7. You should drive down to Phoenix and try it!
We should have trade Al first thing off season; the more GMs see him the less value he has. Jazz need a liquidation sale, “has got to go!!” Bell, Watson, and Al, for anything, maybe Millsap and Tinsley
@jason, definitely agree there, they have to be listening to offers and making offers. I also feel because of this and the lack of quality offers in return, they are asking Corbin to keep plying him. Were in a pickle. You can’t trade a guy a coach benches, ask raja. And were stuck with !@#$% poor play and attitude.
@dallan, I think that is Kanter’s greatest trait. He’s fearless and plays the game old school. he’s a simple minded guy, “i score and you do not”
With Al, i just feel there is no market for what he brings to a team. No contending team wants him because, like he said himself, “Once I get 0-for-5, 0-for-6, my mind just kind of goes.” The only teams i see that would consider taking him are Washington, Orlando, Charlotte, and maybe Toronto.