Can Al Jefferson Play Today?
Can traditional bigs be serviceable in today’s NBA?
Al Jefferson was one of the coldest bigs to play in the NBA.
He was one of the few centers in the late 2000s and early 2010s who had phenomenal footwork and post moves like the great Hakeem Olajuwon.
He was constantly deking out his defenders with his low-post shakes and got them hopping like whack-a-moles with his pump fakes.
There are archives of him embarrassing his defenders, but one play sticks out in my mind the most (mainly because I just watched one of his highlights and this play is the slickest one).
If you’re struggling to improve in basketball, you might be training incorrectly.
And if that’s the case, you should check out my Old Man Game Activity Guide.
It’s a digital training system that can help you master the fundamentals of basketball and help you improve your conditioning.
Click here to learn more about it.
Now, back to the story…
It was during the latter part of Big Al’s career when he was with the Charlotte Hornets (2013-16).
The Hornets hosted the Atlanta Hawks and late in the second quarter, Jefferson received a pass on the block.
The Hawks’ Al Horford got up close and into him, with his forearm and everything.
Jefferson took a moment to feel out the defence. He felt some slack on his right side and spun in for a soft layup.
And the wild thing is that he repeated the same move moments later against Horford again.
Al Jefferson’s post-moves are poetry in motion!
But with the evolution of basketball and, in turn, how bigs play, can a center like Jefferson thrive today? Can Jefferson play modern basketball?
Well, he believes he would’ve “adjusted.”
On an episode of “Out the Mud,” Jefferson told hosts Zach Randolph and Tony Allen that he could still be playing today had he correctly predicted the direction the game was heading in.
“Now, I think everybody on one end and learning the same thing. And I think, you know, I think we would have adjusted. We would adjust, you know what I’m saying? Like, we would have been -like, look at Brook Lopez. I’m hating on him right now. If I had started shooting threes… He’s still doing his thing, you know what I’m saying? Like, he adjusted early. I just thought this day would have never came.”
He continued, saying if he did adjust like Lopez, he would’ve been a proficient shooter. But he doesn’t think he would’ve become the respectable post-player that he is today.
Jefferson added he’s glad he played during his generation and wishes that modern bigs -and today’s offensive schemes- mixed things up more.
He said there should be more variety in the plays; bigs should get down into the low block and post up more, like how he and Randolph used to get their points instead of just settling for the 3-pointer.
And I agree.
Not only would this make basketball more fun to watch but it would make plays less predictable, which could lead to more points and wins.
What do you think?
Read These Articles
Jokic, Westbrook make history together in Nuggets' win over Nets
Clippers rout Nets for largest margin of victory in team history
Unrivaled Will Feature A Target Score And One-Shot Free Throws
Curry, Green, Kerr all say Warriors should not mortgage future for win-now trade
Ja Morant dunks on Victor Wembanyama: Why Grizzlies star's poster of the year candidate didn't count
Watch These Videos
Jimmy Butler Has Finally Met His Match In Pat Riley’s Heat
Quentin Grimes with an Anime-Esque Shot
Chris Paul’s Hilarious High I.Q. Play