The NBA’s 30 best go-to players (#25: Al Jefferson)
Al Jefferson
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not always about taking a last-second shot. It’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth; the guy expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; the guy called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a rally of his own; the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line? From #30 to #1, these are the League’s best go-to guys…
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#25: AL JEFFERSON, Minnesota Timberwolves
Big Al is a rarity on this list and part of an endangered species in the NBA — a true low-post scorer who can receive the ball on the block and come up with a bucket when his team needs one, even when the defense knows what is coming. And at 24 years old, he could be one of the few of his kind left holding the torch after guys like Duncan, Shaq and Garnett are done.
The League has become tailored for go-to guys who can attack from the perimeter, hitting long jumpers if the lane is clogged and taking advantage of the no-touching policy to get into the paint or get to the line. Even the Spurs have leaned more and more away from Duncan and toward Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili to be the centerpiece of the offense on a given night. The Wolves don’t have such luxury of two (or any) All-Stars on the perimeter. Jefferson is all they have.
Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At 6-10, 265, Al’s post game is so good it’s almost overrated. He was in the middle of a career year before a torn ACL took him out in February; before that, Jefferson was averaging 23.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and was the biggest ‘09 All-Star snub. Last season he routinely got the better of Yao Ming (35 ppg, 17.5 rpg), Shaq and Amar’e, as well as stepping his game up and dominating in games against the Spurs, Celtics and Lakers.
As a go-to player, Jefferson more like a relentless bodypuncher wearing you down into the late rounds than a spectacular knockout artist. The same hooks, spins, turnaround J’s and tip-ins he was getting in the first quarter, he’s getting in the fourth. Minnesota’s offense runs through him early and late, and he’s proven to come through late when his team is close. According to 82games.com, Jefferson scored 31.6 points per 48 minutes of “clutch time” (4th qtr/OT, 5 mins or less to go, 5 pts margin or less), right behind Chauncey Billups and Deron Williams, right ahead of Kevin Durant and Pau Gasol.
In a January game against Chicago, Jefferson dropped 11 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a hook and game-tying tip-in the final minute to force OT.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Joakim Noah told reporters afterwards. “I was playing as hard as I could and he just kept scoring the ball. He’s just a great offensive player and we just couldn’t slow him down tonight.”
Earlier that month, when Jefferson pounded the Warriors for 32 points and 10 boards, Don Nelson said, “We couldn’t handle Iron Man. I just watched the movie with my grandkids. That’s who he reminds me of. He had his way with us.”
No one doubts Jefferson’s scoring prowess, but a few things hold him back from being a truly elite go-to big man at this point in his career. Obviously, youth and inexperience are the main two. And while Jefferson is a willing passer, he’s not a great one yet (1.6 apg). He also needs to get better from the free-throw line (73.8 percent).
Most importantly, Al just needs to stay healthy. In his five NBA seasons, he’s cracked 75 games just once. With experience and reps will ideally come better passing and an improved free throw stroke. But if he’s not on the court, how reliable can he be?
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26. O.J. Mayo
27. Stephen Jackson
28. Nate Robinson
29. Boris Diaw
30. Rip Hamilton
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September 22nd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Dangertronix says:
Alright, I got beef with this one… Big Al? 25th? Really?
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
The REAL Tyrone says:
Ain;t no doubt y’all that Al jeff be a glass eatin low post scorin monst yall. Cat’s be eatin them rebounds and be scorin dem points. Cat be dishin dopey dimes too yo.
True thugs NEVER lie.
The Real Tyrone
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Ian says:
he should be higher
btw duncan , shaq and who?? garnett shouldnt even be near td and shaq.
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
nowwhatyo says:
25 is too low
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Taj says:
Definatley should be ranked higher!!
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:20 pm
the cynic says:
austin, do you have a broner for K-Mart? The only logical reason to place Jefferson so low is because of his recent injury, which I’m sure will be ignored for a far more crippled player (T-Mac), albiet with a more decorated track record. Hell K-Mart has even been more injury-prone then Jefferson
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
doc says:
I wanna see 24 go to scorers better than him.He this generation Kevin Mchale as far as post moves.If Dwight had his moves he’d average Wilt numbers.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
IZ says:
Who is the next Al Jefferson? 8 points per game to 16 points per game and then to 20+. Danny Granger made a similar leap. I can’t think of anyone for this upcoming year….
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
youdontknow says:
so far, hamilton is still better than all these guys
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Name (required) says:
Right now Big Al scores at will in the low post and is a beast on the boards but has no defense and his teams have never done anything. He’s still young, but if he wants to be compared to TD and Shaq then he gotta improve his D, otherwise hell just be the next Zach Randolph.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
LakeShow84 says:
be patient ya’all..
we have to examine the whole body of work..
Not # 25..
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
flipisatrip says:
anyway to get that background image as my desktop wallpaper?
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
sh!tfaced says:
No. 25 for possibly the league’s best young lowpost threat? Big Al is the most complete young big man in the NBA – on offense.
Maybe this is list just isn’t all about what a certain player has done in his career, but also what this coming season(s) holds for him too? Hence Rip being ranked so low…
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:34 pm
flipisatrip says:
i mean yall are in love with rip, never convert me to that belief
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
flavur says:
Don’t knock big al for only averaging 2 assists cus no one else on the team can score so when he does pass they either miss or pass back to him and his free throw percentage is near players like lebron and dwyane wade and it’s good for a big man I mean look at dwights free throw now that’s bad.
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Dagomar says:
I keep not really feeling this list, and finally isolated the problem: there are only a number of teams with legitimate go-to guys in the league. Only about a third of the teams in the league will run their offenses around one guy in the closing minutes of a game. The other teams just go with whoever is hot at the time. That’s why this list of thirty go-to guys on thirty teams doesn’t feel right, and why it’s probably silly.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 am
Josh Tha roc says:
Can not agree with thisn at all. i see Big Al as an elite player. 25th…..no way.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 am
Bobby Money says:
25th? Wow. Definitely #1 worsed post defender in the league. T-Wolves need to trade his ass. He can score and everything but I’m straight like Nate on dude.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 am
karizmatic says:
LBJ is Iron Man….Al Jefferson can be Man O War.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:14 am
karizmatic says:
Hmm I see people talking about the legitiamcy of this list but I’m feeling it…Really I guess what you do is rank the teams from best to worse and rank look at their go to guys and see where they fit in….obvioulsy the Pistons won’t be the worse team in the league, but as far as alpha player or go to guy I could see why Hamilton is where he is.