RJ watch is over. He'll re-sign tomorrow

[ohmwrecker]

RJ: From overrated to underrated in one year flat
By Jeff McDonald
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...-saved-th.html

Should have proofread that sucker before going to press, but not a bad perspective.

[HarlemHeat37]

I was excited when the Spurs got Jefferson, but he's not underrated at all now..there's a very little chance that he's going to fit in well with the starting unit, he's no longer a player that can do that at a high level IMO..

I also hate the argument about how much Jefferson was paid..

The only reason the Spurs were able to acquire him is because he was paid so much..Jefferson's paycheck had literally nothing to do with his poor fit with the Spurs though, so I don't know why people keep talking about how a cheaper contract will make anything better from an on-court perspective..

He's still going to have the same problems fitting in..

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm reading a lot of comments that suggest the most positive aspect of this new contract is that we can trade him for expiring contracts...what's the point of even signing him then if that's the biggest advantage in signing him in the first place. Yeah, I know we're "screwed" if RJ doesn't come back to save us with another underwhelming season.

Reading comprehension bra...

That is not what was said.

[ElNono]

I was excited when the Spurs got Jefferson, but he's not underrated at all now

Completely agree.

[ohmwrecker]

I was excited when the Spurs got Jefferson, but he's not underrated at all now..there's a very little chance that he's going to fit in well with the starting unit, he's no longer a player that can do that at a high level IMO..

He is absolutely underrated now. He had the worst season of his career, not including his rookie year, last season. He struggled mightly, he was used improperly and he, mostly, did not play to his full potential. He is only 30 and has the skills to be a much better and more consistent player. He has plenty of time on his clock.

I also hate the argument about how much Jefferson was paid..

The only reason the Spurs were able to acquire him is because he was paid so much..Jefferson's paycheck had literally nothing to do with his poor fit with the Spurs though, so I don't know why people keep talking about how a cheaper contract will make anything better from an on-court perspective..He's still going to have the same problems fitting in..

Jefferson's contract was, easily, one of the top 3 subjects complained about on this board last season. There is no more evidence to support the claim that Jefferson cannot improve than there is to say that he can. You can just as easily argue that Jefferson's struggles were attributed to having a slump year that he can recover from than you can believe that he is just "a bad fit and always will be". It's all speculation and postulation and it doesn't have any bearing on reality.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

. I think this is a bad move unless he signed for 6mil per or less. It keeps us in a damned holding pattern at SF with a guy who didn't help us much. Sure, we can hope he "grows in the system" in his second year, but now we're essentially saddled with the guy for at least 2 years (that will be a tough contract to move if it's 8-10mil per).

Very unhappy this guy is back. I'd have rathered a scrub like Simmons and play the youth - at least then we could easily upgrade the SF position through draft/exception next year.

This is a very un-Spurs move for mine - overpaying an average, aging player who doesn't fit the team at all. Ugh.

[ElNono]

The only way I see RJ actually progressing leaps and bounds in the current system is reinventing himself as a spot up shooter. Could happen.
Defensively he's limited due to his mobility, but if he at least can provide some help defense, he can leap enough to be a decent shot blocker on occasion.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Some people on RealGM say it's been rumored to be 30M for 5 years

[cd98]

Jefferson will be better next season. While he is not a top 20 talent, he's not a bottom 20. He's better than Korver and a number of players that got paid this summer. He'll be motivated and both he and the Spurs will make the necessary adjustments to maximize his game.

He had many bright moments that were overshadowed by his contract.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Some people on RealGM say it's been rumored to be 30M for 5 years

That's not too bad if the 5th year is a team option. RJ can be moved for 6mil per.

[liltex2010]

Jefferson will be better next season. While he is not a top 20 talent, he's not a bottom 20. He's better than Korver and a number of players that got paid this summer. He'll be motivated and both he and the Spurs will make the necessary adjustments to maximize his game.

He had many bright moments that were overshadowed by his contract.

Yes he did, too many people expected way too much from him on his first year.

[cd98]

Spurs didn't use his talents right. I bet they made adjustments. Why make an athletic slasher a spot up shooter? I want him driving to the hoop and energizing the crowd with his monstrous dunks.

Also put him in the low post. He was very good there in limited opportunities.

[TD 21]

Knock McDonald all you want, I think he summed this one up perfectly: both sides needed each other.

I am of the opinion that Jefferson can rebound next season. He's clearly not a perfect fit, but that doesn't mean he can't be a better fit than he was last season. So long as he has a better grasp of the system, what his role is and progresses to the mean in terms of his career three-point shooting, he will be a better fit. Not only is that not asking too much, I think that's more likely to happen than not.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Jefferson will be better next season. While he is not a top 20 talent, he's not a bottom 20. He's better than Korver and a number of players that got paid this summer. He'll be motivated and both he and the Spurs will make the necessary adjustments to maximize his game.

He had many bright moments that were overshadowed by his contract.

That's the optimistic take... I hope you are right, although I am sceptical.

Spurs didn't use his talents right. I bet they made adjustments. Why make an athletic slasher a spot up shooter? I want him driving to the hoop and energizing the crowd with his monstrous dunks.

Also put him in the low post. He was very good there in limited opportunities.

You're missing the point - we play a certain system and RJ doesn't fit it. Are we going to adopt a whole new system to suit him? Unlikely. Thus, we actually should have gone in a different direction and signed a player who would fit what we need.

Also, there is little room in the post for RJ now that we have Tim and Splitter. And we need RJ to knock down corner 3s for the system to work. And what we need most of all is a lockdown perimeter defender, and RJ is simply not capable of that.

Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole never works out well, and that is what we have here.

[MaNu4Tres]

Knock McDonald all you want, I think he summed this one up perfectly: both sides needed each other.

I am of the opinion that Jefferson can rebound next season. He's clearly not a perfect fit, but that doesn't mean he can't be a better fit than he was last season. So long as he has a better grasp of the system, what his role is and progresses to the mean in terms of his career three-point shooting, he will be a better fit. Not only is that not asking too much, I think that's more likely to happen than not.

[DesignatedT]

Knock McDonald all you want, I think he summed this one up perfectly: both sides needed each other.

I am of the opinion that Jefferson can rebound next season. He's clearly not a perfect fit, but that doesn't mean he can't be a better fit than he was last season. So long as he has a better grasp of the system, what his role is and progresses to the mean in terms of his career three-point shooting, he will be a better fit. Not only is that not asking too much, I think that's more likely to happen than not.

I agree

[ElNono]

Spurs didn't use his talents right. I bet they made adjustments. Why make an athletic slasher a spot up shooter? I want him driving to the hoop and energizing the crowd with his monstrous dunks.

Because he plays with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. So you give the ball to your best players and the rest play off what they can get you. In our system, that's 3 point shots or long 2 pointers. If you think we're going to put the ball in RJ's hands and ask Tim and Tony to get out of the way, then you're delusional.

His best shot at a run and gun game is with the second unit. But we don't really have a starting SF other than RJ right now, and it looks pretty bleak we will find one at this point.

[cd98]

Because he plays with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. So you give the ball to your best players and the rest play off what they can get you. In our system, that's 3 point shots or long 2 pointers. If you think we're going to put the ball in RJ's hands and ask Tim and Tony to get out of the way, then you're delusional.

His best shot at a run and gun game is with the second unit. But we don't really have a starting SF other than RJ right now, and it looks pretty bleak we will find one at this point.

Not what I'm saying. He doesn't need the ball every possession, but give him a few touches a game. Tim will play reduced minutes and people here complain Parker shoots too much as is.

Only a fool would say that the system is so inflexible it can't handle a few new wrinkles to take advantage of a good players unique skill set.

Again not every play down, but keep him involved in the offense and the Spurs will be much improved.

[texaskid]

a good news，we have one SF，who is next？

[Chieflion]

RJ can knock down corner 3s at a respectable level. I know he didn't take a lot last season, only attempted 75 corner 3s. He made 27. That is 36%. It must be noted that he shot 39.5% from the right corner and the right corner 2, he shot 57.6%. He adds that extra dimension of pump-faking, and being able to step in two or three feet for his high percentage shot at least from the right side. That was last season.

Going backwards, in Milwaukee (his career scoring year), Jefferson shot 45.8% from the corner 3. In a coincidence, he took and made the same amount of shots from both corners in 2009. From the right 45 degree angle, he shot 43.2% from 3 as opposed to 29.5% from the left 45 degree angle.

My conclusion, though not perfect, is that Jefferson has the ability to shoot both corner 3s but is somewhat weaker on the left side, as opposed to the right. His inability to get shots in due to the fact that he is opposite the floor where Tim Duncan sets up from, the left block. Jefferson has always been placed on the right side of the court to maximize his efficiency and not his touches.

[SpursTillTheEnd]

man yall fools still on this bull this man if r ing j signs for more dan 3/24 smh he better not start

[MaNu4Tres]

RJ can knock down corner 3s at a respectable level. I know he didn't take a lot last season, only attempted 75 corner 3s. He made 27. That is 36%. It must be noted that he shot 39.5% from the right corner and the right corner 2, he shot 57.6%. He adds that extra dimension of pump-faking, and being able to step in two or three feet for his high percentage shot at least from the right side. That was last season.

Going backwards, in Milwaukee (his career scoring year), Jefferson shot 45.8% from the corner 3. In a coincidence, he took and made the same amount of shots from both corners in 2009. From the right 45 degree angle, he shot 43.2% from 3 as opposed to 29.5% from the left 45 degree angle.

My conclusion, though not perfect, is that Jefferson has the ability to shoot both corner 3s but is somewhat weaker on the left side, as opposed to the right. His inability to get shots in due to the fact that he is opposite the floor where Tim Duncan sets up from, the left block. Jefferson has always been placed on the right side of the court to maximize his efficiency and not his touches.

Just to add to Chieflon's find.. Here's some back up ammo for his argument.

*This was written just a year ago, proving what R.J is capable of*

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...rstrade-090623

"However, one thing that may have caught San Antonio's attention was his 39.7 percent mark on 3-pointers in 2008-09, a career high that he set by taking far more attempts than he'd taken in the past. The Spurs ask their small forwards to spot up in the corners as much as any team in the league, and Jefferson made 54-of-118 (45.9 percent) from those spots a season ago. If that wasn't a fluke and he nails it consistently, he can really make opponents pay for doubling Duncan, Parker or Ginobili."

[ElNono]

RJ can knock down corner 3s at a respectable level. I know he didn't take a lot last season, only attempted 75 corner 3s. He made 27. That is 36%. It must be noted that he shot 39.5% from the right corner and the right corner 2, he shot 57.6%. He adds that extra dimension of pump-faking, and being able to step in two or three feet for his high percentage shot at least from the right side. That was last season.

Going backwards, in Milwaukee (his career scoring year), Jefferson shot 45.8% from the corner 3. In a coincidence, he took and made the same amount of shots from both corners in 2009. From the right 45 degree angle, he shot 43.2% from 3 as opposed to 29.5% from the left 45 degree angle.

My conclusion, though not perfect, is that Jefferson has the ability to shoot both corner 3s but is somewhat weaker on the left side, as opposed to the right. His inability to get shots in due to the fact that he is opposite the floor where Tim Duncan sets up from, the left block. Jefferson has always been placed on the right side of the court to maximize his efficiency and not his touches.

There's a difference between catch and shoot and shooting in rhythm. In the bucks he simply was much more involved with the ball.

To be honest, if he can't really shoot the corner 3 as well, a jumper a few steps inside the 3 point line would be just as effective if he can manage to knock those down consistently. Somewhat what Dice did for us against Dallas.

[Chieflion]

Check www.nba.com/hotspots for more valuable shooting information.

[Chieflion]

There's a difference between catch and shoot and shooting in rhythm. In the bucks he simply was much more involved with the ball.

To be honest, if he can't really shoot the corner 3 as well, a jumper a few steps inside the 3 point line would be just as effective if he can manage to knock those down consistently. Somewhat what Dice did for us against Dallas.

Like I said, I didn't say the analysis is perfect, it doesn't state anything about off-the dribble, spot up shooting and what not. However, since he managed to prove he can shoot at such an effective rate, (seriously, who takes corner 3s while on the move), I am optimistic he would be able to prove he would be able to do come close to that mark again.