The Pistons fornt-court is getting up in years, and I have been checking out NBA.COM and going thru the numbers, seeing if there is a big man doing some special things, and if he is available within the next couple of years.

Interestingly enough, the last team I checked, is the very team we play tonight, Boston.

Al Jefferson is averaging a double double in only his third year, and its his first year that he is getting real burn. He plays on a horrific team, and it's run by the same guy that landed us Rasheed for pennies.

I have a couple questions for those who might know;

1.)Becuase he plays on a horrible team, is there a likelyhood that he could be moved with the proper motivation(Couple of draft picks+one of our young guys)

2.)If he could be moved, just how good is this cat? He's averaging 14-10, with a block per. I havnt really seen him play this year, so I dont know how "dominant" those numbers really are. Pulling off a double double is tough, and for a third year guy to do it is special.

3.)Would it be worth it to give up our two first+Johnson or Max or Delfino for him? Johnson is still a wildcard, this guy seems legit.


I just want to look twords next year, and his numbers really stand out to me. Like I said though, I dont know if these are Amare type breakout numbers, or Blount type bullshit numbers. Has anyone really had a chance to see him play on a regular basis?

al jefferson is ok, but not enough range imo. great post game though. a poor man's zach randolph in zack's earlier years. i'd prefer keeping johnson and max over him. To me Max has more upside as a PF. Johnson deserves a shot imo. the guy has some talent and i'd cringe to see him high flying on sportscenter for another team.

It's a bit of a "Bob Sura gets 17 triple doubles with the Hawks" situation. Someone has to get a rebound. Kids good, but he won't be a superstar. He has a bit of Zach Randolph in him, less points, better D.

That said, Ainge needs to start turning talent into players into wins, not the other way around. Boston has been super patient with him and I sense next year is going to be his last gimmie.

jefferson is a hell of a young player, but does have his limitations.

personally as much as i like him, i think we'd be crazy to trade j-max, delfino, or amir johnson.

i wouldn't give up any ONE of them, much less any combination of them for jefferson.

j-max is a hell of a player in his own right and will emerge even more once we free up more minutes in the front court. he does not have the same skill set as jefferson but can be at least as effective IMO. i love how he plays so agressively and immediately ATTACKS the rim, intimidating opponents and putting their players in foul trouble. those are rare qualities nowadays....

delfino may not have great numbers but he is a very solid young prospect and a player i like a lot. he's still relatively young and will keep improving.

and johnson is a real wild card. he has freakish athleticism and is still just a baby in nba terms. as one of the piston beat writers said, joe considers him the only untouchable player in the league who is not even on an active roster.

a lot of teams have called about him because of his skill set and athleticism. once he puts it all together he could be a hell of a player. at the least he will be a nice bench player who brings instant athleticism and a great change of pace in an up tempo offense.

i don't think we can afford to move him when he's still got so much potential and youth.

so in summary, i blabbed on and on just to say 'no thanks' to any deal for jefferson.

that's not to say i don't like him. i love him in fact. i think he's going to be a really good player. but first off i don't see ainge moving him, and second i don't think it would be wise for us to make any deals like that to get him.

I agree with you Gutz on the "poor man's Zach Randolph" comparison.

See, it's fun to agree.

Make no mistake, however, Big Al has a ton of value around the league right now. If someone should want to acquire him, it's going to take quite an offer (which is why he is being mentioned as the centerpiece in all of these Gasol rumors).

As far as roster philosophy, mine would be "draft bigs and sign/trade for smalls".

Our older bigs have 2, in some cases 4, years left in them, which is the perfect timeframe to get a younger big or two in here to learn the ropes. With Max and Amir here, we really only need one young big IMO. Especially if Nazr isn't traded.

My inclination is to draft a big, preferably a low post scorer that can defend/rebound (isn't that what everyone wants in a big?) and use the other pick to either grab a can't miss PG or use it in a trade to get a current young PG from someone else's roster.

Of course, I'd still love a true SF to backup Tay, leaving Delfino to backup Rip, but that is another topic altogether.

Jefferson's numbers are inflated because he's putting them up on the worst team in the NBA. He wouldn't average a double-double on a team that was even .500.

Your best chance is to draft a big man. Yes, many of them will be busts, but if they were a sure thing than teams wouldn't trade them. When's the last time a team got rid of a solid center? Elton Brand? He's not even a center. The closest thing I can think of is Sheed (because of age and additute). Memo was a solid prospect, but we would have kept him if we had his bird rights. What center has been traded? Chandler? Curry? They aren't good centers at all, just decent ones. Kwame? Darko? looks like busts so far.

Kwame and Darko are decent players. Just nowhere near top-3 pick status. I'd throw Tyson Chandler in that same mix.

Olowakandi, now there was a bust.

i disagree. the celts are not as bad as their record. sure they're lacking an identity but they have a bunch of young talent and jefferson is one of their best players.

i think he's a double-double guy regardless. i wouldn't compare him to randolph at all but that's just me.

IMO he is closer to stoudemire in his style than randolph. he's got much more athleticism than randolph and i don't quite get that comparison.

When's the last time a team got rid of a solid center?

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/galleries/301667/00730538150.jpg

i disagree. the celts are not as bad as their record

When you lose 14 straight games, you are as bad as your record. That's no longer a reflection of injuries and talent, it's a reflection of chemistry and leaderhip.

The Celtics are a terrible team. People just don't want to see it because they have a bunch of teenagers who will be really good someday on NBA live 2017.

Jefferson gets a lot of stat-padding in games where the other team doesn't care because theyre going to win regardless. He's their best player by far outside of Pierce, but he isnt a legit double-double guy.

I recall Nick Van Exel was leading the entire league in scoring when he was in Denver, who won like 16 games all year. Raef Lafrentz led the NBA in blocks on that same team.

Overrated.

True, but who is comparable to Shaq and when are they going to give up someone like that? I doubt we see another situation where a team has to pick between Shaq and Kobe type players.

Don't forget Jefferson's only 2 years removed from High School. I think he's only going to get better. He was on the bench to start the year, if you look at his numbers as a starter, he's putting up 15.6/11.5/1.6.

That being said, I don't think we have what it takes to deal for him. They've called him all but untouchable.

Jefferson is an ideal 6th man on a very good team. He isnt very good passing or playing defense, which makes him a liability when he actually has good players around him someday.

Wow, gutz and I named the same player in our comparisons. Weird since he's not a perfect fit. Maybe its the baby fat?

While we're here in fantasy land, why don't we just trade Nazr for Jefferson, Gerald Green, and their first round pick?

Nothing against Zeeb, he was making a legitimate inquery.

i would not give up 2 first for aj, and im not sure boston would take them either (how many young players do you need?).

aj at best is a second tier big man who also leaves alot to be desired. i like the zach comparison. at worst, he's a never-gonna-be. bill simmons actually said it well in an article a while back, one of those players who's potential is discussed for years and years until he's finally out of any rotation. either way, i think boston gives him one more try before they trade him (sans for a superstar).

as for drafting, i have a whole new view on the draft. all i want is college juniors and seniors. me and dicky v, baby! highschool basketball (for elite talent) has become a joke. further, aau camps teach kids all the wrong lessons, including lessoning the difference between wins and losses. pretty much the only time winning gets ingrained into a player is in college. hate to say it, but dwayne wade is the perfect example of what i am talking about. jarrett jack beat out more talented players (bassy) in portland, too.

right now, im thinking alondo tucker (lock) and maybe someone like aaran gray from pittsburgh.

incidentally, everyone says the nba is going towards small ball. i completely disagree. anyone notice how much young talent, particularly at center, there is among the big men? soon, teams are going to remember the true way to dominate games.

it's funny, because a friend and i were talking about the Pistons and he kept saying, "we need a young, talented big-man". unfortunately, every team in the NBA would love to have a young, talented, bigman prospect......hence Joe D's reluctance to consider trades for Amir Johnson (according to a report i remember reading).

how anybody can compare jefferson to randolph is beyond me. seriously. what in their games is similar? they are polar opposites athletically and in their style.

randolph is more fundamentals then athleticism. and i don't see how anyone can say jefferson is just benefiting from being on a bad team. he is a very solid young player and i don't see how that can be disputed just because he's on a bad team right now.