Big Al's new name should be Selfish Al

[Deleted member 848]

FWIW, Big Al scored off of two pick and roll plays last night, and missed a pick-and-pop. The only reason his team kept feeding him was because he kept making the shots! In basketball, you wanna get the easiest possible buckets. The only problem with Al's "black-hole tendencies" is that if he is ever cold, then if someone passes it to him, everyone will fear that he won't pass it out, and attempt to score it himself. There is zero problems with Al taking over the game like he did yesterday, when he's hot. Hell, its actually the reason we stayed in it by the 4th quarter. Some of you are ridiculous.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Did anyone hear Al Jefferson in the post game interview?

Oddly enough he sounded like he gets it. He talked about how he doesn't think the offense should be ran through him so much. And he knows the offense gets stagnant when it is going through him a lot.

So I don't get it. He even knows what the problem is with the offense is. So why is it still happening that way?

If Al Jefferson took less shots and learned the pick and roll scheme on offense and defense. Then he would be a welcomed commodity on this team. Maybe it will happen. He sounds like he is willing to move in that direction. But I don't understand why he is still throwing up a ton of shots. He is 2nd in the league in shot per game, per 48 min. That's not a good thing. Especially when we are trying to develop a young team.

I still say we should trade him because we have two young guys who are the future. Not sure I'm ready to believe he can play a team game.

Al and Harris ran the pick n roll decently last night, problem is that Al usually pulls up for a floater instead of all the way to the basket for a layup or dunk.

 

[Scorpjazz]

Big Al was in a zone in the third period. He single-handedly kept Utah in the game.

I have no problem with his performance.

This. I do see your points however, but this game Al was what we needed.

 

[7StraightIsGreat]

The logic that the Jazz losing the lead during Jefferson's scoring outburst is somehow Al's fault, is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on this site (btw, that's really saying something). The Hornets happened to go on a tear during that time. It was Al's offense that kept Utah in the damn game. I can just imagine this thread had Big Al not scored 12 points in the 3rd qtr. It would go something like this:

-"Where was our highest paid player when New Orleans went on their run?"
-"Why don't we have a go-to guy on offense that we can counter with when the other team gets hot?"
-"Is anybody going to step up and take command of this team?"

and so on.....

Al isn't perfect. He was traded to a team that basically plays to the opposite of his skill set right now, but I agree with the others who think that it looks like things may be evolving in the right direction. For all of Big Al's troubles last year, he managed to set career highs in assists and blocks. That shows me that he wants to do whats being asked of him, and that he is trying to do those things to the best of his ability. Problem is, you don't totally reprogram a player like Al in 12 months.

 

[Brown Notes]

Good to see JazzHaterz actually dishing out some love for a guy that played his heart out, hurt. Grats to those members.

I would add that Howard played his best game so far too. I'll be surprised if he is not starting over Bell tonight. That charge he drew was as clutch a play as the team had all night. Jefferson had a nice one too, unfortunately it was called, incorrectly, the other way.