TheAuthority
11-30-2007, 08:10 AM
This is a good read. From day 1, I could see Jefferson had it on the court. The only question was, did he have the mental capacity to become a dominant NBA player? I could see he had that god given ability to score from the low post. Great instincts with a soft touch. That just isn't something that can be taught. All this kid needed was someone to mentor him, and someone to model his game after. Now he has decided to learn from the best. I've got no question this guy is 20-10 for the rest of his career. The only question I have at this point, is he going to be the defensive presence and passer that Duncan is? Only time will tell. Anyway, here is the article...
In film study, Wolves' Jefferson favors the classics
He marvels at the footwork of Tim Duncan, and will get to learn up close while guarding him today.
By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune
Al Jefferson is a young player with an old-school game. In a league filled with power forwards who patrol the three-point line, Jefferson prefers the post. And in that way he sees San Antonio star Tim Duncan as a kindred spirit, a fellow player who lets his feet do the talking.
It's Duncan's post moves that have kept Jefferson glued to TV sets as far back as high school, watching and studying Duncan's game, patterning his own after it.
And now that Jefferson is in Minnesota, he will get a few more opportunities each year to study the current master of NBA low-post play.
"I watch his footwork," Jefferson said after practice Thursday, a day after scoring a season-best 31 points to go with 14 rebounds in a loss in Dallas. Jefferson is a 6-10 bull on the post, the big reason the Timberwolves are scoring 42 points per game in the paint, eighth-best in the league.
Jefferson admires how Duncan catches the ball, ready to make his move. He marvels at Duncan's footwork, so precise it seems as if he is following dance steps painted on the hardwood floor.
"Duncan, he's a 7-footer, but he's not a guy who likes to go over the top of guys, dunk on them," Jefferson said. "Not that he can't, but he uses footwork to get his shot off. I like watching how he uses that footwork to get his shot, how he uses it to handle the double-team. And it's amazing to me. This is my fourth year, and I'm going to be seeing a lot of double-teams the rest of my career. That's why I watch him, all the time."
Jefferson is in his first season in the Western Conference, which is filled with big forwards who play with a smaller man's skill. Night after night Jefferson sees it. Wednesday it was Dirk Nowitzki. Saturday in Memphis, it will be Pau Gasol. There is Elton Brand (when healthy) in L.A. and Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix, who would rather finish a fast break than post up on the block.
It's happening all around the league, of course, both East and West. Kevin Garnett is now in Boston, Rashard Lewis is in Orlando, Andres Nocioni in Chicago or Josh Smith in Atlanta.
Still, Jefferson sees a difference between the East and West, where he says teams play a little faster and do a little less grinding.
"It is a little different for him, because we do play a little faster out here," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "Out here at the power forward position, with Dirk and Duncan and Gasol and Brand -- when he's healthy -- and [Carlos] Boozer, those are some terrific players. It's a lot of terrific power forwards that he's going to have to adjust to and play against night in and night out."
Jefferson sees himself in a small club of throwbacks, a clique that also includes Duncan and Boozer. Indeed, growing up and learning the game, Jefferson said he has had two role models. The first is former Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon. Duncan is the other.
"I watch the way he scores, the way he knows where he is on the floor," Jefferson said. "He has a feel for the game, he knows where everything is at. Amazing."
The biggest similarity between the two is that they use their footwork to create shots. But they do it differently.
"I think Duncan is more, if you want to label it, more fundamental, to the book," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said.
Jefferson is more instinctual, something that already has impressed Denver coach George Karl.
"He has a lot of his own natural instinct," Karl said. "And I think you don't want to mess with that, because it's effective. You have the quick release, the natural way of protecting the ball from the defender. And as he goes on, he'll learn more about the fundamentals."
Jefferson will also, as time goes on, learn more about what makes Duncan's game tick.
"The only thing I know is that it's going to take a few more years of study before I can figure out how to get that bank shot of his down," Jefferson said.
In film study, Wolves' Jefferson favors the classics
He marvels at the footwork of Tim Duncan, and will get to learn up close while guarding him today.
By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune
Al Jefferson is a young player with an old-school game. In a league filled with power forwards who patrol the three-point line, Jefferson prefers the post. And in that way he sees San Antonio star Tim Duncan as a kindred spirit, a fellow player who lets his feet do the talking.
It's Duncan's post moves that have kept Jefferson glued to TV sets as far back as high school, watching and studying Duncan's game, patterning his own after it.
And now that Jefferson is in Minnesota, he will get a few more opportunities each year to study the current master of NBA low-post play.
"I watch his footwork," Jefferson said after practice Thursday, a day after scoring a season-best 31 points to go with 14 rebounds in a loss in Dallas. Jefferson is a 6-10 bull on the post, the big reason the Timberwolves are scoring 42 points per game in the paint, eighth-best in the league.
Jefferson admires how Duncan catches the ball, ready to make his move. He marvels at Duncan's footwork, so precise it seems as if he is following dance steps painted on the hardwood floor.
"Duncan, he's a 7-footer, but he's not a guy who likes to go over the top of guys, dunk on them," Jefferson said. "Not that he can't, but he uses footwork to get his shot off. I like watching how he uses that footwork to get his shot, how he uses it to handle the double-team. And it's amazing to me. This is my fourth year, and I'm going to be seeing a lot of double-teams the rest of my career. That's why I watch him, all the time."
Jefferson is in his first season in the Western Conference, which is filled with big forwards who play with a smaller man's skill. Night after night Jefferson sees it. Wednesday it was Dirk Nowitzki. Saturday in Memphis, it will be Pau Gasol. There is Elton Brand (when healthy) in L.A. and Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix, who would rather finish a fast break than post up on the block.
It's happening all around the league, of course, both East and West. Kevin Garnett is now in Boston, Rashard Lewis is in Orlando, Andres Nocioni in Chicago or Josh Smith in Atlanta.
Still, Jefferson sees a difference between the East and West, where he says teams play a little faster and do a little less grinding.
"It is a little different for him, because we do play a little faster out here," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "Out here at the power forward position, with Dirk and Duncan and Gasol and Brand -- when he's healthy -- and [Carlos] Boozer, those are some terrific players. It's a lot of terrific power forwards that he's going to have to adjust to and play against night in and night out."
Jefferson sees himself in a small club of throwbacks, a clique that also includes Duncan and Boozer. Indeed, growing up and learning the game, Jefferson said he has had two role models. The first is former Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon. Duncan is the other.
"I watch the way he scores, the way he knows where he is on the floor," Jefferson said. "He has a feel for the game, he knows where everything is at. Amazing."
The biggest similarity between the two is that they use their footwork to create shots. But they do it differently.
"I think Duncan is more, if you want to label it, more fundamental, to the book," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said.
Jefferson is more instinctual, something that already has impressed Denver coach George Karl.
"He has a lot of his own natural instinct," Karl said. "And I think you don't want to mess with that, because it's effective. You have the quick release, the natural way of protecting the ball from the defender. And as he goes on, he'll learn more about the fundamentals."
Jefferson will also, as time goes on, learn more about what makes Duncan's game tick.
"The only thing I know is that it's going to take a few more years of study before I can figure out how to get that bank shot of his down," Jefferson said.