What happened to Al Jefferson?

[cbarrier90]

I appreciate what Al did last season, but he was a stopgap until our young core matured into competent NBA players. They are at that point, so his work here is done.

The focus should be on building around these young players. Build around Al, and we are right back on that treadmill and limiting the ceilings of our young players.

[Omega Atrocity]

Name the better offensive centers.

Cousins is better. Other than that I can't think of anyone. I guess you could make the argument for Duncan and Noah (last year's Noah).

[Dexterity]

Name the better offensive centers.

Cousins, Duncan, Howard, Gasol, Gasol...

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Cousins, Duncan, Howard, Gasol, Gasol...

Duncan isn't a center, Pau is definitely not a better scorer, and you have to be on crack if you think Howard is better offensively.

Cousins, Marc Gasol, and maybe Vucevic are the only centers with a better offensive game than Al.

[rmoneyg35]

Injuries to him and injuries to key players mean teams can focus more on Al.

[Proudiddy]

Yeah, I've had enough of Al. What he gives up isn't worth what he puts up offensively and he's not what he was offensively, which makes it even worse.

[cbarrier90]

Yeah, I've had enough of Al. What he gives up isn't worth what he puts up offensively and he's not what he was offensively, which makes it even worse.

He's DeAngelo Williams!

[Omega Atrocity]

- Pau was very mediocre last year, and he missed a lot of time.

 

- Duncan is debatable I guess, but he has so much more talent around him it's hard to say for sure. 

 

- Marc Gasol wasn't better offensively last year, this is the first season he's really started looking to score or do anything other than set up people or swing from the high post. 

 

-Howard wasn't good offensively and is a more hyped version of DeAndre Jordan

 

-Cousins, yeah he was probably better last year, but it's pretty close honestly. Both had a pretty severe lack of talent around them.

 

Jefferson has been a disgrace and a big part of the reason we're losing this year. But I'm not going to take away what he did last year. Sure the East was week, and whatever else you want to say. But Al and Steve Clifford took a team that had won 21 games the year before and turned into a mediocre team that fought hard and left everything they had on the court.

[cbarrier90]

- Pau was very mediocre last year, and he missed a lot of time.

- Duncan is debatable I guess, but he has so much more talent around him it's hard to say for sure.

- Marc Gasol wasn't better offensively last year, this is the first season he's really started looking to score or do anything other than set up people or swing from the high post.

-Howard wasn't good offensively and is a more hyped version of DeAndre Jordan

-Cousins, yeah he was probably better last year, but it's pretty close honestly. Both had a pretty severe lack of talent around them.

Jefferson has been a disgrace and a big part of the reason we're losing this year. But I'm not going to take away what he did last year. Sure the East was week, and whatever else you want to say. But Al and Steve Clifford took a team that had won 21 games the year before and turned into a mediocre team that fought hard and left everything they had on the court.

But the entire debate isn't about what he did last year. It's about what he does now and will do in the future. And right now all indications are if we sign him to the cap figure he's probably going to get, we might as well plan to tear it all down in the few years.

He's great for making teams respectable, but he's never going to get you beyond that.

This is MKG's team. It's time the roster reflected that.

[Omega Atrocity]

But the entire debate isn't about what he did last year. It's about what he does now and will do in the future. And right now all indications are if we sign him to the cap figure he's probably going to get, we might as well plan to tear it all down in the few years.

He's great for making teams respectable, but he's never going to get you beyond that.

This is MKG's team. It's time the roster reflected that.

Agreed completely. I'm over Jefferson 100%, it's already time to move on.

[Dexterity]

Duncan isn't a center, Pau is definitely not a better scorer, and you have to be on crack if you think Howard is better offensively.

Cousins, Marc Gasol, and maybe Vucevic are the only centers with a better offensive game than Al.

Stop reading here, you don't understand basketball.

[cbarrier90]

Based on contract, age, potential, health and skillset, these are the centers I would take over Al Jefferson right now (in no particular order)

 

Better overall:

J. Noah

Drummond

Horford

Vucevic

Cousins

Duncan (plays PF but is natural C)

Howard

 

Better contract/potential/fit/youth, etc:

Noel (plays PF but is natural C)

Whiteside

Nurkic

Adams

Gobert

Biyombo

D. Jordan

Chandler

 

That's half the league's starting centers. Again, nothing against Al, but it's time for us to move on, and in the long run I think both Charlotte and Al will benefit.

 

[Dexterity]

Al has some of the best post moves I've ever seen. I love watching him ISO his guy in the paint. He has an incredible offensive skillset.

The problem is he has literally no athleticism and is arguably the worst defensive big man in the league. He is undersized. He's an average rebounder. He's a black hole on offense. While he has incredible post moves, he's not efficient at all. He shoots a low FG % and struggles at the line. 20 PPG is not good for a post player when you need 15-17 shots to get it. He's also on the wrong side of 30 with a ton of wear on his body, which has a history of injuries.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Stop reading here, you don't understand basketball.

Clearly you don't.

Splitter is a center. Duncan is a power forward.

His bread and butter is his mid-range game and depending on the matchup he'll take his man inside.

If Ducan is a center then so is LaMarcus Aldridge (spoiler alert: he isn't).