POLL: Scale of 1 to 10, How Awesome was Big Al Today?

[RAcker]

I have to personally give a 9.  Big Al just continues to be a great player and will eventually be an All Star so long as the universe allows.  He was efficient and deadly with the quick moves and head fakes on offense.  I loved the McHale comparison shown late in the broadcast.  On the defensive end he was blocking shots and rebounding in a way we always expect from him. 

My only point deduction was his fouling too much, but this had a lot to do with the overall breakdowns of his teammates putting him in situations where he had to act as the last line of defense against quicker guys.

Keep it up Big Al.  A lot of us will continue to cheer you on from afar. 

[ACF]

I think his D could be better but he only
needs that and maybe 5 or 6 points more to
make me go for 10. I went with 9 this time.

[Fafnir]

His offense was a 10. He efficiently and systematically destroyed each and every Celtic that defended him one on one. When you're the first option of offense if you're not double teamed you should dominate. He did just that.

His defense was only a 6 though. He had a few good blocks but too often he gave up offensive boards and post position to Perk who had a couple of nice scores on him. Also he's still too reluctant to ever leave the paint when rotating.

[Evantime34]

I was very impressed with him and the T-Wolves in general. I think they have good front court players in Al, Love and Gomes and a pretty good combo gaurd in Foye. If McCants and Brewer develop in a few years they'll be scary. Not to mention that they could have up to 4 first round picks next year (if my math is correct). They get some good wing players and they will be on their way to a turn around.

[liam]

They still need guys that can defend, as a team and one on one. Gomes, Jefferson and Love can't really defend so a team defense is the only way. Not being able to defend will always lose you games in the 4th quarter. I love Al Jeff but unless he becomes a two way player or they get a defending big, the T-Wolves will be lottery bound year after year.

[moiso]

Offensively he's almost a genius.  It would have been interesting to see how Al's defense would be now if Perk was the one who was traded and Al got to stay with KG, Thibideau, etc.  Al has far more physical gifts than Perk and it would have been interesting to see if he would have picked up defense like Perk has.  I'm sure d would have been a far bigger priorety for him, as it has become for all the Celtics starting last year.

[Redz]

I gave him a 7.  He did a great job leading the charge for a comeback on offense, and pretty much being unstoppable without KG out there.  However, his team didn't make any stops late in the game, and they lost.

Same old, same old...

[Ian]

I was very impressed with him and the T-Wolves in general. I think they have good front court players in Al, Love and Gomes and a pretty good combo gaurd in Foye. If McCants and Brewer develop in a few years they'll be scary. Not to mention that they could have up to 4 first round picks next year (if my math is correct). They get some good wing players and they will be on their way to a turn around.

oj mayo really would have helped... that was such a bad trade

[nickagneta]

I gave him an 8 but his second half was a lot closer to 10.

By the way, that catch the ball and already be jumping in the air for a little half hook shot just as the ball is hitting his hands move he had going from inside 15 feet could prove to be the most unstoppable shot in all of basketball for the next decade. That thing is deadly. In a few years when Al is of the ripe old age of 26 or so and he has shot that shot another 10000 times in games and practice, that one move could elevate Al to close to 30 points per game.

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

He hangs his head way too much out there and is caught not hustling or looking as lost as POB on defense (despite his 4 blocks, most of which were on pierce trying to lay it up right at the hoop off his own miss)

6

[RAcker]

I was very impressed with him and the T-Wolves in general. I think they have good front court players in Al, Love and Gomes and a pretty good combo gaurd in Foye. If McCants and Brewer develop in a few years they'll be scary. Not to mention that they could have up to 4 first round picks next year (if my math is correct). They get some good wing players and they will be on their way to a turn around.

oj mayo really would have helped... that was such a bad trade

Amen.

[RAcker]

We're all pretty much on the same page with Big Al.  He is no doubt the franchise in Minnesota now.  Does anyone else see the NICE pool of young players that McHale has started to collect (Jefferson, Foye, Gomes, Love)?  And no doubt he will get another high draft pick this year.  Come 2010, when people are looking to trade good vets and get young talent in return rather than lose them to FA and get zero, is he going to have the pieces to have a Danny Ainge type turn around? 

Mind you, he's still a good ways away and needs a "real" coach in there, but watching them since the first of the new year I'm not so sure he's all that far from putting a contending team on the floor.  Thoughts?

[cordobes]

He needs to defend. Scoring is nice, but the best player of a good team has to be able to play on both sides.

[MBz]

I was very impressed with him and the T-Wolves in general. I think they have good front court players in Al, Love and Gomes and a pretty good combo gaurd in Foye. If McCants and Brewer develop in a few years they'll be scary. Not to mention that they could have up to 4 first round picks next year (if my math is correct). They get some good wing players and they will be on their way to a turn around.

oj mayo really would have helped... that was such a bad trade

Love leads all rookies in rebounds right now at 8.5 a game and is scoring 9 a game.  He is a solid player, remember they got Mike Miller in the deal too.  Also, even with Mayo scoring about 20 a game, he's turning into Allen Iverson 2.0.  He seems to already have a reputation of not playing within the system.