Im sick of it

[Hotttnickkk]

We can all point to at least a dozen instances this year where Al Jefferson performed like an All-Star. But after watching this guy day in and day out for 2 and a half years the sum of his parts have more than convinced he's not a winner. He just doesn't have the fire in his gut. I like the guy, I want him to succeed. I'm just a realist.

Like it or not you can see we look lost out there when our lead was dwindling. You can clearly see that Al was our only option out there. The best chance in getting a bucket.

Don't forget - what kids these days don't understand is that this league has always been and always will be - about BUCKETS.

[Hotttnickkk]

You can't speak for everyone and each player's situation is different.

Why wouldn't a pair of all stars team up on a team like Utah? I mean players are looking to build championship teams "themselves" why wouldn't they go to a place that could offer each of them the most money, best opportunity to win?

if you don't have the allure of a warm weather city (which I find subject, did Orlando become a destination after Howard was there? no. Why hasn't Golden State, Phoenix, or Houston really able to capitalize on "warm weather" status?).. .it does matter what market you are in and yeah, the biggest players in the game want the most endorsement deals will go play for NYC or LA. You can't get around that. No other NBA city can compare to that.

But if the market is shifting towards "I want to find a place that will help me contend and build championships" (the OKC model...) then I can't see why you wouldn't have SAS, Utah, OKC at the top of your list for destinations that you want to go to to win a championship.

OKC got Durant through the draft.

SAS got all their stars through the draft.

Houston got Harden through a trade.

We're talking about free agency. So the examples you gave do not support your contention.

[GVC]

Don't forget - what kids these days don't understand is that this league has always been and always will be - about BUCKETS.

Uh...that's all kids think the game is about, and they're wrong. The issue with Jefferson isn't that he isn't capable of doing impressive things on the court (he is), it's that he lacks focus about 80% of the time and doesn't seem to grasp the idea of 5 players playing as one. Unless you have other-worldly talent (OKC, Miami), you aren't going to win anything without high level team execution. Look at the list of NBA champions in recent years.

[Hotttnickkk]

Uh...that's all kids think the game is about, and they're wrong. The issue with Jefferson isn't that he isn't capable of doing impressive things on the court (he is), it's that he lacks focus about 80% of the time and doesn't seem to grasp the idea of 5 players playing as one. Unless you have other-worldly talent (OKC, Miami), you aren't going to win anything without high level team execution. Look at the list of NBA champions in recent years.

Well Detroit had Rasheed and they managed to win a championship with him playing with Ben Wallace. I'm using this example because Koc referenced this team many times when talking about building a winning team.

When millsap is gone we'll have Favors next to Al. He's nowhere near perfect but as you said a team has four other players.

[MoreFeasts]

Well Detroit had Rasheed and they managed to win a championship with him playing with Ben Wallace. I'm using this example because Koc referenced this team many times when talking about building a winning team.

When millsap is gone we'll have Favors next to Al. He's nowhere near perfect but as you said a team has four other players.

Are you saying that Detroit didn't have a talent team, or that Ben Wallace and/or Rasheed were not team players, or what?

[Hotttnickkk]

Are you saying that Detroit didn't have a talent team, or that Ben Wallace and/or Rasheed were not team players, or what?

Rasheed was just as bad as Al on defense. But he was paired with Defensive specialist in Wallace and were able to win.

[NUMBERICA]

Rasheed was just as bad as Al on defense. But he was paired with Defensive specialist in Wallace and were able to win.

Completely untrue. Completely and utterly. Rasheed Wallace might only have grazed his potential as a player, but he was extremely good on both ends of the floor. Or at least since we're talking about Chauncey/Pistons-era Sheed. But I guess being the lynchpin to a very good defensive team for several years after Ben Wallace left doesn't count.

If you want to dog on his rebounding, have at it, but he was a very skilled and apt defender (could guard both big positions well from inside to the perimeter).

[NUMBERICA]

I also enjoy how everybody here thinks all an NBA star can think about is city life. It's about a career, and making the most money possible. If Utah offers a max deal to Monta Ellis, the fools going to bite!

Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Shaquille O'Neal all say hi.

P.S. Monta Ellis sucks, and if the Jazz offered him a max contract, the entire FO should be thrown off of a cliff.

[NUMBERICA]

Trading for Mo, trading for Marvin. How were any of those moves forced or reactionary?

The Jazz knew they needed some shooting and they went out and made some great moves to get it.

You could say that the Jazz were forced to react to the fact that Devin Harris blew *******. Both trades stemmed from that one fact.

[Hotttnickkk]

Completely untrue. Completely and utterly. Rasheed Wallace might only have grazed his potential as a player, but he was extremely good on both ends of the floor. Or at least since we're talking about Chauncey/Pistons-era Sheed. But I guess being the lynchpin to a very good defensive team for several years after Ben Wallace left doesn't count.

If you want to dog on his rebounding, have at it, but he was a very skilled and apt defender (could guard both big positions well from inside to the perimeter).

Oh sorry I have completely forgotten how good the Pistons were without Ben Wallace. Yeah Sheed was the lynchpin defensively....

[Hotttnickkk]

The point is simply, we can't attract All Stars two-way players. So let's assemble a team as best we can where the team as a whole can compete with skills that complement each other's. Where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I think Jefferson and Favors is such a pairing.

[GVC]

Rasheed was just as bad as Al on defense.

What the ****?

[MoreFeasts]

I watched a bit of the 2004 championship series to evaluate Rasheed's D. The Lakers never passed the ball to the guy Rasheed was covering, some bald guy who was limping up and down the court, so I can't confirm whether Rasheed had no D. The bald guy did okay playing D against Rasheed though.

[MoTappin]

Consider me on the "sick of it" bandwagon.

[The Fresh Prince]

Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Shaquille O'Neal all say hi.

P.S. Monta Ellis sucks, and if the Jazz offered him a max contract, the entire FO should be thrown off of a cliff.

This guy right here.... gives me 3 names.
Not all NBA players are robots. They don't think the same thoughts. Yah?