Al Jefferson is a Good Piece in the Wrong Puzzle for the Indiana Pacers
By Jacob Breece
It has been a bad fit for both parties since Al Jefferson joined the Indiana Pacers this offseason.
Al Jefferson can still play. He can still get a team buckets in bunches off the bench. Jefferson was SUPPOSED to be the anchor on a second unit that was SUPPOSED to be good. But, Big Al is an old school big man in every sense of the word. This is why it would never have worked for this Pacers team and it should have been obvious.
However, neither one of these scenarios has played out like Larry Bird had hoped.
This one is on Larry. Everyone knows what Al Jefferson is, he’s dominant in the low post and a positive locker presence that is on the wrong side of a good career. And one more thing I forgot to mention, he can’t guard anyone in the pick and roll or be any semblance of a rim-protector when he gets caught out of place.
So given these variables why would Bird choose to put players around him that have the same weaknesses.
Minutes Fading For Big Al
This is why it has not gone to plan for this Pacers squad. The individual parts look far better than the whole. There is absolutely no defensive presence on the perimeter in the second unit. When the defense on the perimeter breaks down time and time again it puts Al in a bad position.
Big Al can’t guard pick and rolls at this stage of his career. His lateral quickness is all but gone and there is not much of a vertical left. But, he gets left on an island because Jeff Teague and Monta Ellis can’t guard these pick and rolls either.
Because of the lack of defensive presence on the perimeter Jefferson is forced into open areas with the best players in the league.
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For these reasons you just cannot justify playing Al for more than a few minutes here and there per night. Rakeem Christmas is more the style of big man Indy needs in their second unit and he should get the minutes as such. Christmas is a scrappy player with much better athleticism and defensive ability.
Going forward Nate should only use Jefferson in spot minutes and Christmas as the primary backup to Myles. Using this rotation would allow Ellis and Stuckey to have the ball on the perimeter more often as well as cover their defensive limitations.
If Nate continues to give Jefferson minutes he should work to hide his defensive shortcomings. Playing Al with guys like Turner and George could help to limit his liability on that end of the court.
Impact Potential is Still There
The right team would make a huge difference for Big Al. A team like the Utah Jazz or even the 2013-14 Pacers would have been perfect. A slower pace with defenders left and right could allow Jefferson to flourish. Fit is such a huge part of signing a player like Al and Bird just whiffed on it.
Where Jefferson is really gonna show his worth is in April and May. Each and every possession in the playoffs is hard, especially in the fourth quarter. These games are where big Al would make his money as a bucket getter down the stretch when nothing comes easy.
Next: Pacers Remain Good, But Not Great in the Power Rankings
I still believe Al Jefferson is a good piece for a playoff team, but that team is starting to look as though it is not the Indiana Pacers.