Spurs' Jefferson breaks out
Mike Monroe
Hours before tipoff of Wednesday's preseason game at the AT&T Center, Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy spent a few minutes marveling at the Spurs' summer makeover.
Adding Richard Jefferson Dunleavy asserted, had put the Spurs right back in the thick of the NBA le chase.
Jefferson's play in the first half against Dunleavy's team made the coach look like a soothsayer.
Looking fairly comfortable in the Spurs' offense after little more than three weeks of training camp, Jefferson scored 15 points in 16 first-half minutes, surpassing his point total in the first three preseason games.
Jefferson sat out the second half of what turned out to be a 93-90 Clippers victory. But his performance gave Spurs fans reassurance that the summer deal that brought him to San Antonio and cost the team three veterans was the infusion of offensive excitement the club needed.
Jefferson, a small forward, scored on drives to the basket, post-up plays, perimeter jumpers and a semi-dunk he tomahawked a few inches short of clearing the front rim. The ball caromed to the top of the backboard and fell softly into the net.
It was Jefferson's aggression going to the basket that most pleased coach Gregg Popovich.
“I thought Richard was much more aggressive tonight than he has been,” Popovich said. “He really looked a lot more comfortable in what we're doing.”
Jefferson admitted to having been a tad too deferential to longtime Spurs in his first three preseason games but needed no prodding to be more assertive Wednesday.
“He's a pro,” Popovich said. “He knows what he has to do. He's slowly drifting towards what his role will be on this team.”
Until Wednesday, Jefferson said his role had been akin to that of a 29-year-old rookie instead of a veteran going into his ninth season.
“I'm just like a rookie out here, trying to find my way, learn the plays, learn the system, learn the timing, get to know their games,” he said.
“The more you do that, and the more we play, the more aggressive I can be.”
Second-year point guard George Hill knows the discomfort Jefferson felt.
“I think Richard is just like I was when I first came, not knowing what to expect,” Hill said. “But he's done a great job so far, like tonight. He's being aggressive.”
Jefferson said his slow start in the first three preseason games was by design.
“My job the first couple of weeks was just to learn the system,” he said. “You don't necessarily want to come in here trying to prove you can score, or show them your game. It's to learn the system, figure out where you can fit in, and then be aggressive in those areas.”
Clippers rookie Blake Griffin played like a seasoned pro. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 draft was 10 of 14 for 23 points.
“He's a monster,” Popovich said. “He deserved to be picked where he was picked, that's for sure. He's a heck of a compe or.”
The Spurs' fourth preseason game gave Popovich another long look at players trying to force their way onto the roster. Guards Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams enhanced their standing.
As a starter alongside Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess and Hill, Hairston scored nine points and had five assists in 23 minutes and 28 seconds.
Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair finished with his second double-double of the preseason — 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Williams logged 18 minutes and 13 seconds and scored 11 points, with two assists.
RJ is such a fantastic addition to the Spurs. I know we're all excited about Blair, but RJ is going to give us a lot of highlights this season. A lot.
God cut Marcus Williams already...
Well this makes perfect sense to me.
Popovich removes Bonner from the starting lineup, and voila! Richard Jefferson's offensive game busts out.
Like puzzle pieces falling into place.
I would think it has more to do with his backcourt partners being named Hill and Hairston, with neither Parker nor Ginobili present.
Very mature words from Jefferson in that article. He is exactly the kind of pro in his prime that we need right now to contend for the next two years. He's no Bruce Bowen, but he'll try hard on D and be well above average, but more than that he adds another slasher, another corner shooter, a decent passer and rebounder, and a smart balla who wants to play to win, not for his ego.
Welcome, RJeff.
PS Memo to Monroe - you don't need to include how many seconds the player was on the court.
This RJ addition will give the Spurs a new look. Despite all Bowen's prowess on defense, on offense a lot of teams just left him alone out there in the corner and played our remaining four players with their five.
RJ is a smart dude. that is good, I prefer him over Vince Carter
We've got number of capable scorers who are also unselfish this year, probably the most since we had SJax and DRob. I just hope they gel together and not constantly defer to each other. A nice blend of aggressiveness and smart unselfish play is what the Spurs need.
Very mature words from Jefferson in that article. He is exactly the kind of pro in his prime that we need right now to contend for the next two years. He's no Bruce Bowen, but he'll try hard on D and be well above average, but more than that he adds another slasher, another corner shooter, a decent passer and rebounder, and a smart balla who wants to play to win, not for his ego.
Welcome, RJeff.
PS Memo to Monroe - you don't need to include how many seconds the player was on the court.
You are right he is not Bowen. He has a better all around game than Bowen. He is better than Bowen.
The spurs will be a much more exciting and entertaining team without Bowen.
Bowen had an all around ugly game.
I feel like the Celtics and Lakers compete for both the best front and backcourt depth. the spurs always have a shot against the big men w/ Duncan on the team(and he's now surrounded by better talent than the last few seasons), but its our backcourt that makes us so hard to compete against.
The combination of TP, Manu, and now Jefferson makes our 1, 2, 3 combo more potent than anyone's, although the other 2 are nothing to laugh at. It'll be great to watch these teams battle it out w/ such a ridiculous amount of talent on the floor at all times.
Ugly, but damn effective.
On one side of the court, definitely.
On the other side, Bowen was obviously a great shooter from the corner and wasn't afraid to step up and make big shots, which fit well into the Spurs system over the years. Unfortunately, he was pretty much offensively limited everywhere else on the court. All things considered, the give was probably worth the take, but I think Spurs fans had just become accustomed to not expecting production from that position. After a while, we all knew what we were getting.
I'll miss Bruce and don't discredit anything he brought to the franchise, but if Jefferson can step up and prove to be a competent defender, then it will be very interesting to see what a fully rounded Small Forward can bring to a lineup with the Big Three.
YA!! You tell him Ruff!!
PS Memo to Monroe - you don't need to include how many seconds the player was on the court.
You're such a sometimes.
Im telling you guys, it was a mistake. Pretty soon you will know how I feel with the Suns and Jason Richardson (who is equally one-dimensional).
lol wtf is going on in this picture: http://www.mysanantonio.com/slidesho...tml?c=y&page=4
LOL! thought the same thing when I saw it
Mcdyess looks pretty huge in that pic.....
lol McDyess penetrated the D and made a pass to RJ on the wing, but Deandre Jordan took a BS charge at the last second.
Dyess failed to "Superman that ho".
Told ya Ariza would have been a smarter and cheaper move.
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