Spring Break
Jefferson snubbed
Terry Horstman
Issue date: 2/3/09 Section: Sports
This past week the complete rosters for both the Western and Eastern Conference All-Star teams were announced, determining which basketball stars around the league get to participate in the most boring athletic event on the pro sports calendar. However, even though the score of the game will end up in the two hundreds, it's still an honor for the lucky few on both teams being named as one of the league's best.
Except this year, it is a travesty to call the game a meeting of the best in the league, when one of the best players in the league isn't there. That player is Minnesota big man Al Jefferson, who fulfills more criteria of an "all-star" than any of the post players added as reserves for the Western Conference.
Thus far this season, Jefferson is averaging 23.2 points per game along with 10.6 rebounds per game, while silently becoming one of the best big men in the league today, and I am not alone with this opinion.
"Jefferson is one of the best low-post players in the game," Milwaukee Bucks starting guard and former University of Oregon star Luke Ridnour told The Associated Press following a loss to Jefferson's Timberwolves earlier this month. "He gets the ball where he wants and he's tough to defend."
Tough to defend is the understatement of the century. Last season, Jefferson was the only offensive threat for the hapless T-Wolves and was triple teamed on nearly every possession. How did he respond? He responded with 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.
This year, Jefferson's taken it even further. He's taken what was one of the worst teams in the league last year to within striking distance of a playoff appearance this season. Jefferson has been particularly hot as of late, a huge reason why Minnesota had the 2nd best record in the entire NBA for the month of January.
In order to be fair, let's take a look at the players that filled those All-Star spots that should have had Jefferson's name on it. Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Yao Ming were voted in by the fans as the starting post players for the Western Conference - all of them have worse numbers than Al Jefferson. Yet those three guys have been icons for a long time, so I'll give them a pass this one time.
Except this year, it is a travesty to call the game a meeting of the best in the league, when one of the best players in the league isn't there. That player is Minnesota big man Al Jefferson, who fulfills more criteria of an "all-star" than any of the post players added as reserves for the Western Conference.
Thus far this season, Jefferson is averaging 23.2 points per game along with 10.6 rebounds per game, while silently becoming one of the best big men in the league today, and I am not alone with this opinion.
"Jefferson is one of the best low-post players in the game," Milwaukee Bucks starting guard and former University of Oregon star Luke Ridnour told The Associated Press following a loss to Jefferson's Timberwolves earlier this month. "He gets the ball where he wants and he's tough to defend."
Tough to defend is the understatement of the century. Last season, Jefferson was the only offensive threat for the hapless T-Wolves and was triple teamed on nearly every possession. How did he respond? He responded with 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.
This year, Jefferson's taken it even further. He's taken what was one of the worst teams in the league last year to within striking distance of a playoff appearance this season. Jefferson has been particularly hot as of late, a huge reason why Minnesota had the 2nd best record in the entire NBA for the month of January.
In order to be fair, let's take a look at the players that filled those All-Star spots that should have had Jefferson's name on it. Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Yao Ming were voted in by the fans as the starting post players for the Western Conference - all of them have worse numbers than Al Jefferson. Yet those three guys have been icons for a long time, so I'll give them a pass this one time.
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Carson Bee
posted 2/03/09 @ 7:59 PM PST
Wow, "understatement of the century" + "biggest all star snub in history" ?? Have you been watching a lot of Bill Walton lately or what? You might as well have used "in the history of Western Civilization. (Continued…)
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