So, all you guys that are defending Al, both players lost. Who would you rather have? The guy who at least acts like he is still trying to the bitter end, or the guy who openly quits before it's over. We killed AK on this board a couple of years ago for planning vacations before the playoffs were over, yet Al gets a pass? Al Jefferson is a cancer. Not the terrible kind of cancer that eats your face off, or takes an apendage. Al Jefferson is colon cancer, that nobody has looked for, and you don't think anything is wrong until you wake up one day and realize that all your body parts have been ravaged and none of them work correctly (or as hard) as they should, and the only way to fix the body is have every organ removed and transplants put in.
Basically, if the Jazz keep Al along too much longer, they will have wasted the talent found in Favors and Kanter and Burks and Hayward. His bad habits do nothing but inhibit this team. Get rid of him.
His comments are a separate issue/argument than keeping the younger players from developing.
I'm not an Al lover and wouldn't mind seeing him leave for the right trade situation but the bashing that goes on here for him (and a lot of it is deserved) probably keeps me wanting to defend him more than I should.
For the record I would take Griffin every day of the week over Al, however after each of their statements how did they play, I ask this because actions speak louder than words. For "quitting" on the team as you put it Al came out in game 4 and put up 26pts (shooting 13-19) 11reb (8def 3off) 2asst 2stl 1blk and 1TO. That is a solid line. Meanwhile the next game Griffin put up a respectable 20pt (shooting 7-16) 1reb (0 off) 1asst 1stl 1blk 1TO.
Here is there 2012 playoff stats, first is Al's second is Griffin's.
[TABLE="class: playerInfoGridPlayerInfoBorders, width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
PPG
[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]18.3 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
RPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]8.5 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
APG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]2.5 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
SPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]1.2 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
BPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]0.8 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
FG%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]0.529 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
FT%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]0.250 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
3P%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]0.000 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
MPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]35.3 [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: playerInfoGridPlayerInfoBorders, width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
PPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]19.1 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
RPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]6.9 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
APG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]2.5 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
SPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]1.8 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
BPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]0.9 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
FG%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]0.500 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
FT%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]0.636 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]
3P%[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowOdd"]0.000 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]
MPG[/TD]
[TD="class: gSGRowEven"]35.7 [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]