ESPN NBA Rumors: Jefferson hasn't shown intensity this season/Not Playing Enough D

[BillMc]

Any ESPN Insider can give us the gist of this Jefferson rumor?

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors?&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba %2ffeatures%2frumors#12934


Many thanks,

Bill

[YoMamaIsCallin]

When the Spurs inked Richard Jefferson this offseason in an effort to retool a bit and make another run at a title, they hope he'd be a defensive stopper for them.

But as ESPN affiliate site 48 Minutes of Hell points out, Jefferson isn't doing enough on D, and the Gregg Popovich has turned to other members of the squad to man-up on the opposising sqaud's best player.

"The Spurs pessimist, certain to demur, will point to Richard Jefferson's uneven play, wondering what the offseason fuss was all about," writes Timothy Varner. "Jefferson has looked decidedly mediocre on most nights, despite a couple convincing early season performances. What's the deal?

"Unfortunately for the Spurs, the main concern with Jefferson is that he's not impacting the game enough on the defensive end. His man defense is good, but not great. The Spurs consistently look to George Hill and Keith Bogans to guard the opposing team's best perimeter players. Hill and Bogans relish the role of defensive stopper, and they also bring the goods. This is something the Spurs wanted from Richard Jefferson, and could still use, but have yet to see.

"The worry here can't be explained away by a lack of understanding. This is not a matter of Jefferson learning the system. This is a lack of defensive intensity."


John Hollinger
Scouting report on Jefferson's D
"Jefferson focused more on defense in Milwaukee after taking the year off with the Nets a year earlier, though he'll bail on his rebounding responsibilities to leak out on the break. He does a good job one-on-one and opponents rarely try to post him up or isolate against him, but he's not as enthusiastic about chasing opponents through screens or helping on the weak side."

[BillMc]

When the Spurs inked Richard Jefferson this offseason in an effort to retool a bit and make another run at a title, they hope he'd be a defensive stopper for them.

But as ESPN affiliate site 48 Minutes of Hell points out, Jefferson isn't doing enough on D, and the Gregg Popovich has turned to other members of the squad to man-up on the opposising sqaud's best player.

"The Spurs pessimist, certain to demur, will point to Richard Jefferson's uneven play, wondering what the offseason fuss was all about," writes Timothy Varner. "Jefferson has looked decidedly mediocre on most nights, despite a couple convincing early season performances. What's the deal?

"Unfortunately for the Spurs, the main concern with Jefferson is that he's not impacting the game enough on the defensive end. His man defense is good, but not great. The Spurs consistently look to George Hill and Keith Bogans to guard the opposing team's best perimeter players. Hill and Bogans relish the role of defensive stopper, and they also bring the goods. This is something the Spurs wanted from Richard Jefferson, and could still use, but have yet to see.

"The worry here can't be explained away by a lack of understanding. This is not a matter of Jefferson learning the system. This is a lack of defensive intensity."


John Hollinger
Scouting report on Jefferson's D
"Jefferson focused more on defense in Milwaukee after taking the year off with the Nets a year earlier, though he'll bail on his rebounding responsibilities to leak out on the break. He does a good job one-on-one and opponents rarely try to post him up or isolate against him, but he's not as enthusiastic about chasing opponents through screens or helping on the weak side."

Many thanks!!! :toast:toast:toast:toast

[HarlemHeat37]

His man defense has gotten better since the team's been making huge defensive strides for a few weeks now, but he's absolutely horrible at fighting through screens..

[BillMc]

How long until the first trade Jefferson thread???

[HarlemHeat37]

There have already been posts talking about RJ trades, we'll probably see a lot more in the next few weeks if he doesn't improve..shit, if he struggles vs. Boston and Denver, you'll probably see a bunch at that time..usually trolls that don't realize we won't be able to move his contract..

[rjv]

His man defense has gotten better since the team's been making huge defensive strides for a few weeks now, but he's absolutely horrible at fighting through screens..


sounds like parker

[elbamba]

I think Jefferson has played about as well as one could expect to this point in the season. Dice, Blair and Bogans have all had their share of poor games. If he doesn't improve by March I will be more concerned.

[NZ Spurs]

So 48MOH is a legit source now?

[Leetonidas]

Meh, sounds like ESPN is just trying to stir up the pot. Jefferson's D has been acceptable thus far, it's not like anyone was expecting him to be Bruce. His offense will come but really he is the 4th option and doesn't need to score that much anyway. As long as his PPG is hovering around 15 then I see no problem.

[xtremesteven33]

Jefferson has always been a mediocre defender.

He has all the tools to be a great defender but it seems to me he lacks the defensive instincts/intensity that you need to be a great defender night in/night out.
Im hoping he improves in this area because the Spurs wont be getting far without some damn good wing defenders....

[BillMc]

Jefferson has always been a mediocre defender.

He has all the tools to be a great defender but it seems to me he lacks the defensive instincts/intensity that you need to be a great defender night in/night out.
Im hoping he improves in this area because the Spurs wont be getting far without some damn good wing defenders....

It's a matter, I suppose, of really WANTING to play D. Not just when you're guarding a man with the ball, but the complete package. Bogans is a vet who knows he'll be out of the league if he can't be a d-specialist, Hill is a young guy who will do anything to prosper in the league. Jefferson is a successful, well-paid guy. One wonders if he has the fire for D that Bogans and Hill have. That said, I do like Jefferson, and I think he'll come around as far as overall contributions. But when Pop wanted him to be a "lock down" defender, that may not be in his nature.

[Spursmania]

Hope RJ reads this article gets pissed and follows up with an awesome defensive performance against Boston tomorrow night.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

how long until the first trade jefferson thread???

5-4-3-2-1

[Doe]

Wow that's lame on ESPNs part, you PAY to be an Insider and you get snippets from a FREE (although fantastic) blog? Glad I never ponied up for that service.

As far as the article, Jefferson's D is a bit disappointing considering he was going to be responsible for checking the top perimeter players. Besides effort, he also has some bad habits he needs to fix, such as closing out. On the other hand, Hill and Bogan's have done a damn fine job filling in.

[Whisky Dog]

It's jefferson's offense, scoring, and playmaking that need to take another step up. His defense won't get much better, but he can score better than he is now. He still looks out of place, no rhythm to his game.

[ginobilized]

Am I correctly remembering RC Buford saying right after the RJ signing to the effect
we're still looking for a lockdown perimeter defender. I never had the impression that the Spurs had an expectation for RJ to fill that role. That's Bogan's job. However, RJ is a nice upgrade from last year's starting small forward Michael Finley.

[Muser]

If Parker stopped treating him like Bowen and Pop ran some plays for him then we might see the Jefferson we had all hoped for.

[Kamnik]

Bullshit...

[EmptyMan]

Bullshit. Jefferson hasn't put up many stats but the dude IS intense.

[pjjrfan]

Jefferson looks like the guy that Manu totally undressed in game 6 of the 03 finals. I thought the guy had some game, he does, but come crunch time, he is going to be a big let down. Every game he has been in this year that has come down to the wire he has looked shaky even shakier than the rookies when they get a taste of real spurs crunchtime. As a Spurs fan I would love to be wrong, but so far he hasn't convinced me, and pretty soon I think his teammates will catch on a lot faster than us fans.

[kbrury]

I think Jefferson will be fine as he said in an article the other day he is still learning, and I think Pop is still learning as well its been a while since he has had a player with RJ's skills.

[crc21209]

People need to realize that RJ isnt going to be Bruce Bowen 2.0. And we dont need him to be...I think Hill and Bogans are more than up for the task of defending the teams best player on any given night. RJ was brought here to be another offensive weapon..ask ANY team and I think they'll tell u that Offensively a 4-some of Tony, Manu, Timmy, and RJ scare the hell out of teams more-so than a 4-some of Tony, Manu, Timmy, and Bowen. Although Bruce was an excellent defender, it was 4 on 5 many teams for the Spurs on the Offensive side of the ball last year. Some people are just born to play D and love it. RJ just isnt one of those guys...but we don't need him to be.....he can't be poor on D, all we need him to be is OK.

[Big P]

How long until the first trade Jefferson thread???

Honestly though, IMO I dont think that he will be with us for the full 2 years on his contract.

[EP Money Man]

However, RJ is a nice upgrade from last year's starting small forward Michael Finley.

The only upgrade over Finley is athleticism and quickness. Finley is a better shooter and so far a similar type defender. Finley has a pure J, whereas RJ dunks.

[SenorSpur]

Jefferson has always been a mediocre defender.
He has all the tools to be a great defender but it seems to me he lacks the defensive instincts/intensity that you need to be a great defender night in/night out.
Im hoping he improves in this area because the Spurs wont be getting far without some damn good wing defenders....

Exactly the point!

Personally, I think it was a bit overly-ambitious for Pop and the coaching staff to think that RJ would be anything more than an average defender.

The fact that there was never a true Bowen "heir apparent" identified and on the roster was made all the more apparent when the Bowen era ended suddenly this past offseason. The meant the Spurs were left exposed defensively on the perimeter. Thank goodness for Keith Bogans, as a stop-gap solution.

I hold out hope that the Spurs will continue to pursue another such defender in next year's draft.

[HarlemHeat37]

Finley isn't the same defender, that's a stretch..

RJ has also shown he can create his own offense when given the opportunity, he can finish at the rim, he has some versatility in his offense, and is a pretty good passer..

Finley is none of those things..he's a spot-up shooter that will occasionally make a shot curling off a screen..

[HarlemHeat37]

The hope was that RJ would regain his defensive identity with a reduced role, which is something he didn't have the luxury of doing in Milwaukee and in his last year in New Jersey..I had this hope as well, obviously it hasn't looked like it will happen..

Before his last year in Jersey, he was a very good perimeter defender..

[xtremesteven33]

Jefferson is the by far the better player than Finley/Bowen but when it comes to the final 5 minutes of a game and you gave me the choice of Finley/Bowen or Jefferson.

Id probably go with Bowen/Finley.....

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

is RJ going to defend Melo? :smokin

[MB20]

is RJ going to defend Melo? :smokin

I'd put Blair on him...just a minute or two...until Melo's arms fall down. Then I'd switch to RJ. :hat

[HarlemHeat37]

Bogans will probably cover Melo, RJ on Afflalo..

we're going to get torched either way against him, he's the best scorer in the NBA..I just don't wanna see Finley guarding him, I'm gonna pray that it doesn't happen..

[ulosturedge]

Expectations were placed a little high on RJ being some type of defensive stopper. Granted I think we all expected a bit more then what we have seen so far, but at least as of late he has shown some signs of improvement. The FO needs to get off this idea that they can turn athleticism into defensive prowess. It's not working...to be good at defense takes much more then sheer athleticism as we have seen.

I still think we got all that we could really expect from RJ. He gives us versatility. Him just being out there keeps the defense honest. He is at the least decent defensively and not a liability. Yeah he is over paid for what he brings to a team, but that was the case even before we traded for him.

[SenorSpur]

The only upgrade over Finley is athleticism and quickness. Finley is a better shooter and so far a similar type defender. Finley has a pure J, whereas RJ dunks.

Finley a similar defender? PLEASE!

Finley has NEVER even been an average defender - even in his prime. Playing for a guy like Don Nelson, he never had to be. Therefore he never learned defensive priniciples or concepts.

For the past few years under Pop, he's learned those things and has made the effort and has demostrated the desire. However, his skills and footspeed have declined to a point, where it's simply pointless and laughable for Pop insert him as the starting SF. And he still has very poor defensive fundamentals. When have you ever seen him take a charge?

At this stage of his career, Finley simply cannot keep up with opposing wing players. He's nothing more than a one-trick pony - a one-dimensional, jump-shooter.

[ducks]

If Parker stopped treating him like Bowen and Pop ran some plays for him then we might see the Jefferson we had all hoped for.

yep IT IS ALL TP FAULT
NO ONE BUT TP
NOT JEFFERSON NOT THE COACH NOT THE OTHER PLAYERS TP FAULT
IT IS TP FAULT LAST GAME THEY WENT TO RJ TO BEGIN WITH GOT HIM 5 points then sucked the rest of the night:lol:lol:lol

[Old School 44]

I think RJ will be ok. He just needs more games as a Spur under his belt.
I always think new Spurs always try too hard to fit in that it affects their games. It's a combination of deferring to the big 3 and trying to please Pop.

[murpjf88]

How long until the first trade Jefferson thread???

Nobody is going to take on his monster contract. The spurs are going to have to eat it.

[Spursmania]

If we're still discussing RJ's lack of defensive intensity and his lack of offensive numbers simultaneously in March, then I'll worry.

Right now, meh...

[duhoh]

So 48MOH is a legit source now?

hey they're posting WAY more legit stuff than some of the newbies here :lol

[024]

i am a little disappointed at jefferson right now. i didn't believe his offense would integrate quickly but i expected him to have started playing solid defense by now. i guess with the injuries, jefferson is still pressured to score and could be focusing more on replacing ginobili/parker's offense rather than defense. it's still early but jefferson needs to gain that defensive mentality soon because the spurs can't rely on a one dimensional player like bogans in the playoffs for 30 minutes a game nor can they ask ginobili to guard the best opposing perimeter player. jefferson will have to play good enough defense to trouble the other team when he's on the court.

[texbound]

When the Spurs inked Richard Jefferson this offseason in an effort to retool a bit and make another run at a title, they hope he'd be a defensive stopper for them.

Really, RJ was brought in to be a defensive stopper? I'm sorry, but I don't recall RJ being a lockdown defender. I thought he was brought in to add another scoring option for this team and anything on defense was a plus. I stopped reading the article after that line.

[Stringer_Bell]

ESPN is just stirring the pot. RJ's D, IMO, isn't a huge concern because part of what got us off to a rough start was everyone trying to do too many things at once. The Spurs machine will only get tighter as the season goes on, and I'm not worried about these "insiders" saying RJ is not intense. He's got a few nice posters this season from some intense dunks.

Thanks for the ESPN post!

[#2!]

Bogans will probably cover Melo, RJ on Afflalo..

we're going to get torched either way against him, he's the best scorer in the NBA..I just don't wanna see Finley guarding him, I'm gonna pray that it doesn't happen..

Bogans should not be covering Melo, in fact RJ is the only good option we've got. Bogans may be an exceptional defender but he is only 6'5'' and doesn't have the wingspan to compensate; Melo would stay down on the post all game long.

Although Richard doesn't need to be an all league defender every night, I believe he should be above average on most nights, and when the team needs it he should devote all necessary energy to that end of the floor. Maybe his motor isn't yet up for such high demands on both ends of the floor, but a balance must be struck.

[JustinJDW]

Andrei Kirilenko wants out of Utah. Trade Richard Jefferson for him!

Just kiddin. Or am I? :p:

[peskypesky]

Andrei Kirilenko wants out of Utah. Trade Richard Jefferson for him!

Just kiddin. Or am I? :p:

i'd do that trade. as excited as i was about the Jefferson signing, i just don't see many signs that he's going to gel with this team. i think he still has a helluva lot of game, but i don't think the Spurs are the team for him. I think Phoenix would be the perfect fit. Or maybe even the Hornets.

Kirilenko's length would be a welcome addition to this team.

[PublicOption]

SJAX was the public option trade RJ straight up for SJAX. now.

rj=drew gooden.

[NZ Spurs]

hey they're posting WAY more legit stuff than some of the newbies here :lol

:lol

On reflection that doesn't sound right. I like 48MOH; I read it everyday.

What I meant to say was, since when does 48MOH speak for the Spurs?

The BSPN "article" should have read: "Spurs fansite/blog not happy with initial defensive intensity of Jefferson"

[Findog]

How come Shawn Marion to Dallas for $7 million a year was such a terrible move, but Richard Jefferson and his $14 million average salary to San Antonio instantly put them on the same level as the Lakers?

[21_Blessings]

lmao at the prospect of Hill, Manu and Keith fucking Bogans trying to defend Kobe in a 7 game playoff series.

Seriously, :lol

Good luck with that SA.

[spursncowboys]

sounds like parker

Yeah this reminds me of when parker was said to not be good at d becuz of this.

[spursncowboys]

I didn't know he was brought here for D. I thought they loved his character and his ability to stay in a system, even when it looked bad (Olympics with Pop and Timmy). Then his shooting. The guy will learn the system more and the spurs d will get better. Since the Spurs rarely play M2M, this shouldn't be an issue.

[Spur|n|Austin]

If Parker stopped treating him like Bowen and Pop ran some plays for him then we might see the Jefferson we had all hoped for.

Maybe true, but I think we're talking about Defense here.

[urunobili]

lmao at the prospect of Hill, Manu and Keith fucking Bogans trying to defend Kobe in a 7 game playoff series.

Seriously, :lol

Good luck with that SA.

:depressed

[xtremesteven33]

I think George Hill could give Melo problems. Melo is a position scorer. He likes to get the ball on certain spots and George is great at deniying the ball from a player with his long reach and athletecism.

Against Kobe however, Kobe struggles against bigger opposing defenders (Bowen,Prince,Battier,Ariza). Jefferson LOOKS like he could defend Kobe well but I really dont think he has the defensive tenacity that it takes to throw Kobe off his game.

I think Trevor Ariza is currently the best Kobe defender in the game. He has the height,length,speed and the intelligence on how to defend him after playing with him for 2 years.

[SenorSpur]

I think George Hill could give Melo problems. Melo is a position scorer. He likes to get the ball on certain spots and George is great at deniying the ball from a player with his long reach and athletecism.

Against Kobe however, Kobe struggles against bigger opposing defenders (Bowen,Prince,Battier,Ariza). Jefferson LOOKS like he could defend Kobe well but I really dont think he has the defensive tenacity that it takes to throw Kobe off his game.

I think Trevor Ariza is currently the best Kobe defender in the game. He has the height,length,speed and the intelligence on how to defend him after playing with him for 2 years.

Hill is a fantastic perimeter defender. Yet let's not get overly ambitious about his abilities. Hill is probably 190 lbs - soaking wet. Melo, on the other hand, is at least 230 or 240 and can score on ANYONE. He can score inside or outside and gets to the line a lot. He can easily rise up over Hill and shoot a jumper. Or he could take that kid to the post, where he would punish Hill and there would be nothing Hill could do to stop him.

It's a bad idea and I hope Pop doesn't start trying to overutilize Hill in this manner. Rather, let's leave Hill hounding players like Ty Lawson, Chanucey Billiups and J.R. Smith.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Hill is a fantastic perimeter defender. Yet let's not get overly ambitious about his abilities. Hill is probably 190 lbs - soaking wet. Melo, on the other hand, is at least 230 or 240 and can score on ANYONE. He can score inside or outside and gets to the line a lot. He can easily rise up over Hill and shoot a jumper. Or he could take that kid to the post, where he would punish Hill and there would be nothing Hill could do to stop him.

It's a bad idea and I hope Pop doesn't start trying to overutilize Hill in this manner. Rather, let's leave Hill hounding players like Ty Lawson, Chanucey Billiups and J.R. Smith.

:tu


Exactly, Hill would get torched in the post. I'd rather see Hill on JR Smith and Bogans on Chauncey if we're going up against the Nuggets

[xtremesteven33]

Hill is a fantastic perimeter defender. Yet let's not get overly ambitious about his abilities. Hill is probably 190 lbs - soaking wet. Melo, on the other hand, is at least 230 or 240 and can score on ANYONE. He can score inside or outside and gets to the line a lot. He can easily rise up over Hill and shoot a jumper. Or he could take that kid to the post, where he would punish Hill and there would be nothing Hill could do to stop him.

It's a bad idea and I hope Pop doesn't start trying to overutilize Hill in this manner. Rather, let's leave Hill hounding players like Ty Lawson, Chanucey Billiups and J.R. Smith.


Its looks crazy on paper but Hill has shown signs that he could be a multi position defender. When he guarded Durant in a game earlier this season he looked like he really knew how to throw Durant off his game by denying him the ball. And yes Carmelo is a much bigger player but I dont think its a "Bad idea".

I think Hill has earned that respect from me so far. Enough that I would want to see how he does against Carmelo for spot minutes to deny him the ball during stretches in the game. George has that defensive tenacity that Bowen has. He just needs the experience now to get really polished.

[SenorSpur]

Its looks crazy on paper but Hill has shown signs that he could be a multi position defender. When he guarded Durant in a game earlier this season he looked like he really knew how to throw Durant off his game by denying him the ball. And yes Carmelo is a much bigger player but I dont think its a "Bad idea".

I think Hill has earned that respect from me so far. Enough that I would want to see how he does against Carmelo for spot minutes to deny him the ball during stretches in the game. George has that defensive tenacity that Bowen has. He just needs the experience now to get really polished.

It's not that I don't respect Hill's defensive capabilities. Quite the contrary. It more a matter of what makes sense. Melo averages 30ppg and is the NBA's leading scorer. There are few, if any, in the NBA who can stop this guy. As with most prolific scorers, the only thing you can do is try and slow them down. Putting Hill on Melo would be a lost cause and a waste of time, simply because Melo is too powerful. Therefore Hill would be severely overmatched. It's not like Hill is 6'5" or 6'8".

The Spurs would be better off using RJ to try and slow him down and thereby allowing Hill to shutdown one of the other Nugget perimeter players.

Again, I'm hopeful the Spurs will be able to satisfy the need for another long, defender with enough size and wingspan via the draft.

[xtremesteven33]

It's not that I don't respect Hill's defensive capabilities. Quite the contrary. It more a matter of what makes sense. Melo averages 30ppg and is the NBA's leading scorer. There are few, if any, in the NBA who can stop this guy. As with most prolific scorers, the only thing you can do is try and slow them down. Putting Hill on Melo would be a lost cause and a waste of time, simply because Melo is too powerful. Therefore Hill would be severely overmatched. It's not like Hill is 6'5" or 6'8".

The Spurs would be better off using RJ to try and slow him down and thereby allowing Hill to shutdown one of the other Nugget perimeter players.

Again, I'm hopeful the Spurs will be able to satisfy the need for another long, defender with enough size and wingspan via the draft.


I agree that Hill would get 30+ dropped on him if he defended him the whole game. But if he were to only deny him the ball and get in great defensive position for around 10 minutes then I can see him fustrating Carmelo for a bit. But once Melo goes to the post Hill doesnt stand a chance...

[5in10]

I say we just throw a rotation of bogans, hill, and Jefferson at him. You know change the looks were showing him, keep him out of his comfort zone(as much as possible anyway.) I like how hills quickness threw Durant off, its possible it could do the same to carmelo.