Posted January 30, 2008
Wolves’ Jefferson in Good Company
It’s a little premature to reserve space in the basketball Hall of Fame for 23-year-old Al Jefferson but his name is already being mentioned more frequently with one guy who is in the Springfield, Massachusetts shrine and another who is a cinch to one day be inducted. The Timberwolves’ young star, one of the few players in the NBA to be averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, is being compared with Hall of Famer Moses Malone and Kevin Garnett, who at 31 has enough on his resume to qualify for Springfield.
Jefferson turned 23 on January 4. He’s been making this a memorable month with career highs of 39 points against Phoenix on January 23 and then 40 versus New Jersey earlier this week. The 6-foot-10 forward-center is averaging 21.1 points per game and 12.4 rebounds this season.
In and around the lane Jefferson dazzles with footwork, fakes, power, quickness and scoring. He draws comparisons to Malone who made a reputation as one of pro basketball’s most effective inside scorers and relentless rebounders including on the offensive end where he commanded rebound after rebound until the ball went through the basket.
Similar in size, style and talent, Jefferson and Malone also have this in common: both went directly from high school to pro basketball. At 23 Malone was averaging 15 rebounds per game and 19.4 points in the NBA.
Jefferson was the prize possession in the trade last summer that sent Garnett to Boston for five players. Last fall it would have been considered blasphemy to suggest Big Al is as valuable to the Wolves as Garnett. Now it seems like common sense.
Jefferson is a much more accomplished low post player, plus more reliable scorer and clutch basket producer than Garnett. The latter led the NBA in rebounding the last four seasons, but now Jefferson’s 12.1 is better than the 31-year-old Garnett’s 9.9 rebounds per game. Jefferson will never match Garnett’s shot blocking and defensive effectiveness, but he’s a capable defender.
At 23 Garnett’s stats included the following: 20.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds. It’s an argument as to which player you would rather have this season, but given the difference in their ages there’s no doubt Jefferson is your man for the long run. That makes Wolves executive Kevin McHale, who plotted the Celtics deal, look good because Jefferson is a potential superstar for the Wolves to build around.
Jefferson looks good, too, when comparisons are made to McHale, another Hall of Famer whose deft moves and footwork made him so difficult to guard that Charles Barkley said for years that McHale was the best player he ever played against. Jefferson’s teammate, Ryan Gomes, played with him for three seasons in Boston before coming in the trade here. Gomes said Jefferson has been improving his offensive skills “each and every year since I’ve been with him.”
“He’s playing so well,” Gomes said. “He’s one of the top five low post players with his back to the basket in this league.”
Asked specifically about Jefferson’s well publicized footwork, Gomes brought up Tim Duncan’s name. He said the San Antonio center’s footwork is the best in the league right now. Oh, yes, that’s another future Hall of Famer mentioned in the same breath with Jefferson who, by the way, is still young enough to be playing college ball. The Wolves, 8-36 with the worst record in the NBA, are thrilled he’s not.
Al Jefferson
Kevin McHale
Brewster Expects Weber to Start at QB
Adam Weber might catch a pass or two next fall, and he won’t take every snap in Gopher games, but make no mistake the sophomore-to-be quarterback from Mounds View figures to remain Minnesota’s starter.
Coach Tim Brewster said last week that “I truly expect him to be our starting quarterback” and the Gophers won’t have multiple starters. Almost in the same breath, Brewster made it clear he expects “dynamic” play out of the quarterback position and he doesn’t want to ask a player to do things he isn’t comfortable with.
That will mean some opportunity for transfer David Pittman who had 556 completions for 6,346 yards and 61 touchdowns in junior college. He is so athletically versatile he will probably play at wide receiver, running back and perhaps in the defensive secondary. Brewster said Pittman may even throw a pass or two to Weber when the Gophers alter their personnel in the team’s varied spread offense. The coach describes Pittman as a leader, a player with charisma and someone who is “going to help us immediately.”
Weber was the Sporting News all-Big Ten freshmen team quarterback last season. Playing as a red shirt in the mentally and physically demanding spread offense, the first year quarterback set school single-season records for passing yards (2,895), completions (258), touchdown passes (24) and total offense (3,512) during the 2007 season.
Brewster was pleased with Weber’s development during the 12 game season (he started every game) but wants more progress. That will include not only mastering the complex offense even more and throwing with better accuracy (19 interceptions), but Brewster expects Weber to be a team leader, to be vocal and show charisma.
The Gophers begin spring practice on Wednesday, March 26. The annual spring game open to the public is Saturday, April 19.
The development of Weber and Pittman will be storylines to watch in the spring, but also of interest will be the defense. Minnesota ranked last among Big Ten teams during conference play giving up almost 500 yards per game.
Brewster said the Gophers will approach spring drills with an “emphasis to be physical” on defense and there will be a lot of time devoted to tackling.
Tim Brewster
Adam Weber
Worth Noting
The Twins announced last week that former closer and all-time saves leader Rick Aguilera has been elected to the team’s Hall of Fame. Aguilera will become the 19th member when inducted during an on-field pre-game ceremony, Saturday, June 21.
The Hall of Fame honors players, managers, coaches and off-field personnel who have contributed to the organization’s growth and success. The late Halsey Hall deserves enshrinement, joining the others inducted since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 2000. In the 1960s and 1970s Hall provided color commentary on Twins broadcasts for WCCO Radio and WTCN TV (now KARE). He was affable, knowledgeable and absolutely hilarious. This town has never had a better story teller than Hall who could have listeners laughing so hard from a good yarn or a fast quip that your belly was shaking. Hall was as entertaining as a Harmon Killebrew home run or a Tony Oliva line drive. Both, by the way, are in the Twins Hall of Fame.
Inflation makes a huge impact on building costs. A Twins executive wrote via e-mail that the projected expense in 1997 to build a retractable roof baseball stadium in downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River was about $350 million. The downtown open air stadium being built now will cost beyond $520 million.
The Timberwolves much anticipated game with Kevin Garnett and the Celtics in Boston last Friday produced a larger TV audience than other Wolves games of late but the telecast's 2.6 rating is very modest. (A rating point is a percentage of households watching a particular program).
The Wolves' Al Jefferson was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday for games played January 21-27, the league announced. Jefferson averaged 28.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals as the Wolves went 3-1 on the week.
Timberwolves' first-year center Chris Richard, who had played in only 24 of the team’s 43 games while averaging 9.2 minutes, was assigned to the Sioux Falls SkyForce of the NBA Development League on Monday. Listed at 6-9, Richard told Sports Headliners on Sunday that his height is 6-7 or 6-8. The second round draft choice from Florida has a one year contract with the Wolves. He’s impressed with his likeable attitude and on-court hustle.
Third-year guard Rashad McCants said the right knee that caused him to miss 44 games last season because of microfracture surgery is 100 percent healthy. What does bother him, he said, is the Wolves not winning more games. McCants played on a national championship team at North Carolina, a state championship in high school and said “he’s not used to losing.”
The Gopher women’s basketball program was hoping for its 23rd Williams Arena crowd of over 10,000 on Sunday when Minnesota defeated Michigan State to move within one-half game of first place in the Big Ten Conference behind Ohio State. The advance promotion was billed “Pack the House,” bench seats were available for $5 and a large group of basketball alumni were welcomed back. Announced attendance was 9,849, but capacity is 14,625.
Minnesota’s Emily Fox was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week on Monday after the junior guard led the Gophers to a pair of important victories over nationally ranked Ohio State and Michigan State. Fox averaged 22.5 points and 5.0 assists in the wins.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College men’s basketball coach Jay Pivec earned his 500th career coaching win with a victory last week and was the subject of a feature on January 25 in the online Downtown Journal.
Tonight’s Willd-Anaheim game at the Xcel Energy Center starts at 6 p.m. and will be seen on the VERSUS network. The teams play for the fourth and final time this season tonight. The road team has won the first three games including the Ducks 4-2 win at Xcel Energy Center on January 18. Brian Rolston leads the Wild in scoring against the Ducks in 2007-08 with four points. A 1,000-pound Brahma bull from the World's Toughest Rodeo will greet fans from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the lobby of Xcel Energy Center. The rodeo is at the Xcel Friday and Saturday nights.
Halsey Hall (center) with WCCO
broadcast partners Ray Scott (left)
and Herb Carneal (right).
Rashad McCants
Brian Rolston
