Ready To Get Better
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Al Jefferson looks to build on his excellent 2007-08 season and take his game up another notch.
Last season was Al Jefferson's first as the Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise player. Although thrust almost immediately into his new role, Jefferson started all 82 games — only the seventh Minnesota player to do so — and registered career bests in scoring (21 points a game), rebounding (11 boards a contest), while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Jefferson and Utah's Carlos Boozer were the only Western Conference players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds for the season. Jefferson led the Wolves in scoring 47 times and posted 79 double-figure scoring games and 68 double-digit rebounding efforts. He also notched his 100th career double-double in mid April, and finished the season with a career-best 55 in this department, good for third in the league.
Furthermore, Jefferson placed in the top ten in offensive rebounds (2nd) and total rebounds (5th), and in the top 20 in both scoring (20th) and blocks (20th).
“For Al to excel the way he did was huge,” notes Wolves assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Nonetheless, becoming a franchise player last season oftentimes was a demanding job, even for the 6-10, 265-pound forward known to Wolves fans as “Big Al.”
“I've always been a franchise player, but that was before I got to the NBA,” admits Jefferson. He soon realized that that was then and this is now. As a result, it was on-the-job training for the fifth-year inside man..
“It was a lot that I had to learn this past year on how to be a leader,” continues Jefferson. “Being a leader on the court, that was really big for me. That was something I had to learn and pick up on.”
During his days with the Boston Celtics, franchise responsibilities fell on others. “You play with guys like Paul (Pierce) and Antoine (Walker), who take all of the pressure of you, there is an opportunity for a young guy to learn from them,” Bickerstaff explained. “But it is completely different when that pressure is put on you. You learn how to be a better leader and how to make your teammates better. Those are all things you can sit and watch, but it takes some practice to figure out. It's a learning experience for everybody.”
“I think I handled it pretty well,” Jefferson said.
The biggest thing he learned last season was how to be an effective leader. “I have to pick up my teammates, even when things are going bad for the team, for them or for me,” Jefferson said. “I have to be the one to let them know to keep working and keep getting better.”
“We need to find a leader,” admits Randy Wittman, the Wolves' head coach. “You just don't appoint leaders — they are born and not made.”
Wittman believes the Wolves have one in Jefferson, but the coach would like to see him clearly step forward as a leader. “No. 1, he has got to be a leader by how he plays on the floor,” Wittman said. “And he has to show he can do that from a vocal standpoint of keeping the team together and not letting things fall apart.”
“I think he is more than enough ready for the position (of team leader) because of his personality and the way that he works,” adds Wolves guard Randy Foye on Jefferson.
Jefferson dies not feel that working on leadership and other areas of his game will detract from his offensive prowess. “I think my offensive game will take care of itself,” Jefferson predicts. “[I’ll] just continue to work on the things that I do.”
In fact, many expect the power forward to be even better on the offensive end in his second season wearing a Wolves uniform.
“He's a gifted offensive player because he has great hands, quick feet and a great heart,” Wittman said.
“When you can go out and get 20 points every night, teams are going to send two or three guys at you,” Bickerstaff pointed out. “What we saw at the end of the year is that he became a much better player out of a double team. I think Al did a great job at the end of the year of locating the defense and finding the open man to get his teammates open shots.”
More importantly, for the Timberwolves to be successful this season Jefferson must shine on defense as well.
“No question,” Wittman says emphatically when asked about wanting Jefferson to step up his defensive game. Wittman said he wants to see improvement from Jefferson in several key defensive areas including transition, running the floor and becoming a better one-on-one defender.
“[I want him] taking the same pride and determination that he shows on the offensive end because he is a gifted offensive player,” Wittman added. “If Al can take that step, then he is going to position himself into a pretty darn good player in this league.”
If Jefferson successfully takes that step, this will undoubtedly make him a complete franchise player. Bickerstaff says he saw signs that the power forward has the kind of defensive moxie to do it.
“Al knows he can score 20 points, but to be a great player, he has to be the guy to anchor our defense because he is that back line guy,” continued the assistant coach. “At the end of last year, he took steps in that direction.”
Jefferson knows he can do it as well. “I want to get better on defense,” the player vows. “I have to be the leader on defense now.”
To further prove that he has taken his role as the franchise player seriously , Big Al stayed in town all summer, watching film on him and others in the league, as well as regularly working out with his teammates at the team's practice facility.
Call it, if you will, summer school for franchise players.
“This was the first time I was able to spend a lot of time with my teammates and everybody was ready to get started,” Jefferson said.
This thoroughly impressed Bickerstaff. “I think those are the things that you look for from a guy who’s really interested in taking himself and this organization to the next level,” he surmised.
On Jefferson's franchise prowess: “He's got the want-to,” concluded Bickerstaff. “There are a lot of guys out there who are physically capable of doing a lot, but do they really want it? I think Al is one of those guys who really wants it.”
This is what separates the greats from the wannabees.
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Last season was Al Jefferson's first as the Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise player. Although thrust almost immediately into his new role, Jefferson started all 82 games — only the seventh Minnesota player to do so — and registered career bests in scoring (21 points a game), rebounding (11 boards a contest), while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Jefferson and Utah's Carlos Boozer were the only Western Conference players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds for the season. Jefferson led the Wolves in scoring 47 times and posted 79 double-figure scoring games and 68 double-digit rebounding efforts. He also notched his 100th career double-double in mid April, and finished the season with a career-best 55 in this department, good for third in the league.
Furthermore, Jefferson placed in the top ten in offensive rebounds (2nd) and total rebounds (5th), and in the top 20 in both scoring (20th) and blocks (20th).
“For Al to excel the way he did was huge,” notes Wolves assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Nonetheless, becoming a franchise player last season oftentimes was a demanding job, even for the 6-10, 265-pound forward known to Wolves fans as “Big Al.”
“I've always been a franchise player, but that was before I got to the NBA,” admits Jefferson. He soon realized that that was then and this is now. As a result, it was on-the-job training for the fifth-year inside man..
“It was a lot that I had to learn this past year on how to be a leader,” continues Jefferson. “Being a leader on the court, that was really big for me. That was something I had to learn and pick up on.”
During his days with the Boston Celtics, franchise responsibilities fell on others. “You play with guys like Paul (Pierce) and Antoine (Walker), who take all of the pressure of you, there is an opportunity for a young guy to learn from them,” Bickerstaff explained. “But it is completely different when that pressure is put on you. You learn how to be a better leader and how to make your teammates better. Those are all things you can sit and watch, but it takes some practice to figure out. It's a learning experience for everybody.”
“I think I handled it pretty well,” Jefferson said.
The biggest thing he learned last season was how to be an effective leader. “I have to pick up my teammates, even when things are going bad for the team, for them or for me,” Jefferson said. “I have to be the one to let them know to keep working and keep getting better.” “We need to find a leader,” admits Randy Wittman, the Wolves' head coach. “You just don't appoint leaders — they are born and not made.”
Wittman believes the Wolves have one in Jefferson, but the coach would like to see him clearly step forward as a leader. “No. 1, he has got to be a leader by how he plays on the floor,” Wittman said. “And he has to show he can do that from a vocal standpoint of keeping the team together and not letting things fall apart.”
“I think he is more than enough ready for the position (of team leader) because of his personality and the way that he works,” adds Wolves guard Randy Foye on Jefferson.
Jefferson dies not feel that working on leadership and other areas of his game will detract from his offensive prowess. “I think my offensive game will take care of itself,” Jefferson predicts. “[I’ll] just continue to work on the things that I do.”
In fact, many expect the power forward to be even better on the offensive end in his second season wearing a Wolves uniform.
“He's a gifted offensive player because he has great hands, quick feet and a great heart,” Wittman said.
“When you can go out and get 20 points every night, teams are going to send two or three guys at you,” Bickerstaff pointed out. “What we saw at the end of the year is that he became a much better player out of a double team. I think Al did a great job at the end of the year of locating the defense and finding the open man to get his teammates open shots.”
More importantly, for the Timberwolves to be successful this season Jefferson must shine on defense as well.
“No question,” Wittman says emphatically when asked about wanting Jefferson to step up his defensive game. Wittman said he wants to see improvement from Jefferson in several key defensive areas including transition, running the floor and becoming a better one-on-one defender.
“[I want him] taking the same pride and determination that he shows on the offensive end because he is a gifted offensive player,” Wittman added. “If Al can take that step, then he is going to position himself into a pretty darn good player in this league.” If Jefferson successfully takes that step, this will undoubtedly make him a complete franchise player. Bickerstaff says he saw signs that the power forward has the kind of defensive moxie to do it.
“Al knows he can score 20 points, but to be a great player, he has to be the guy to anchor our defense because he is that back line guy,” continued the assistant coach. “At the end of last year, he took steps in that direction.”
Jefferson knows he can do it as well. “I want to get better on defense,” the player vows. “I have to be the leader on defense now.”
To further prove that he has taken his role as the franchise player seriously , Big Al stayed in town all summer, watching film on him and others in the league, as well as regularly working out with his teammates at the team's practice facility.
Call it, if you will, summer school for franchise players.
“This was the first time I was able to spend a lot of time with my teammates and everybody was ready to get started,” Jefferson said.
This thoroughly impressed Bickerstaff. “I think those are the things that you look for from a guy who’s really interested in taking himself and this organization to the next level,” he surmised.
On Jefferson's franchise prowess: “He's got the want-to,” concluded Bickerstaff. “There are a lot of guys out there who are physically capable of doing a lot, but do they really want it? I think Al is one of those guys who really wants it.”
This is what separates the greats from the wannabees.
Want all the latest Wolves content sent to your email address? Just click here to sign up for Wolves Wire.
