Interesting Statement About Al Jefferson

[billysan]

Watching a Knicks and T Wolves game today while messing around the house and heard this: "Kevin Love says that he is for the first time on a team with the best locker room and team mates ever, including Michael Beasly and (the rookie) Wesley Johnson" The context was how the team is getting along better as a group and more cohesive this year than last year since the Jefferson trade to Utah.

This was a supposed 'Kevin Love quote' by commentators that certainly implied that Al Jefferson was a poor team mate and a problem in the locker room according to Kevin Love.

I am sure about what I heard, did anyone else hear this?

I have never heard the 'poor team mate' label applied to Big Al.

[indeedproceed]

I have never heard the 'poor team mate' label applied to Big Al.

I've never heard Al Jefferson to be said to be a fantastic teammate either though, or much of a leader, except by those lavish platitudes GM's and lame coaches give to players they know they're stuck with.

That doesn't mean he's a bad teammate or even an ineffectual leader. Just that I've never heard anything that convinced me he was a real leader or a great teammate (I doubt he's a 'bad' teammate, but you can be a teammate who is neither a 'great lockerroom guy' or a 'lockerroom cancer').

Also, consider that very few last place teams have great or even good chemistry. Losing takes the heart out of a team, and even the best leaders' encouragement or censure might come across as little more than screaming into the wind.

Also consider that Kevin Love was leader in highschool, a leader in college, and went to a team that had an established starter at his position, yet continued to lose. I doubt 'resented' is the right word, but I doubt Kevin Love liked that he was behind a guy who he outplayed for a long time (because I believe Al Jefferson was still recovering from injury), but did so for a last place team. When you're losing and in last place, everybody begins to think they could do better if given the chance.

I don't think it is really as much of a knock on Big Al so much as a statement of how Kevin Love feels like this T-Wolves team is finally his team, and that he likes the direction they're pointed in. 

[amenhotep04]

There's a lot of new faces on the T-Wolves this year. You might just be reading into the statement as a 'diss' to Big Al.

[pearljammer10]

I love how the media twists anything and everything... Nowhere in Love's statement does he mention anything about Jefferson. I hate todays media.

[Greenbean]

Watching a Knicks and T Wolves game today while messing around the house and heard this: "Kevin Love says that he is for the first time on a team with the best locker room and team mates ever, including Michael Beasly and (the rookie) Wesley Johnson" The context was how the team is getting along better as a group and more cohesive this year than last year since the Jefferson trade to Utah.

This was a supposed 'Kevin Love quote' by commentators that certainly implied that Al Jefferson was a poor team mate and a problem in the locker room according to Kevin Love.

I am sure about what I heard, did anyone else hear this?

I have never heard the 'poor team mate' label applied to Big Al.

Wait did the announcers imply that the quote was about Bg Al or are you making the implication?

What Love says is that he is happy with the locker room right now. What is the exact quote? From what you have above it is more praise for this years chemistry than bashing last years.

[Brendan]

Surprising how when the guy who is playing ahead of you is traded out of town and you start getting a ton of minutes, the locker room is finally a positive.

I don't read the quote as a dis on AlJefe tho.

[xmuscularghandix]

Al Jefferson was the future star of the team, and Kevin Love was also a future star for the team... but both played the same position. I don't think I'd be crazy to assume that they didn't get along too well, especially since every time Big Al came back from injury Love just got his minutes ripped away.

[Edgar]

Al Jefferson was the future star of the team, and Kevin Love was also a future star for the team... but both played the same position. I don't I'd be crazy to assume that they didn't get along too well, especially since every time Big Al came back from injury Love just his minutes ripped away.

yup

[bMunch]

When Love learned that Beasley had been traded to Minnesota this past offseason, he was excited, since the two have remained good friends. Still, Al Jefferson's departure brought on mixed emotions. "I was really close with Al, so it was a little bittersweet because he was a mentor," Love says. "But it also opened up more playing time for me and more opportunities, so I can't say that I was mad."

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=5961118

[xmuscularghandix]

When Love learned that Beasley had been traded to Minnesota this past offseason, he was excited, since the two have remained good friends. Still, Al Jefferson's departure brought on mixed emotions. "I was really close with Al, so it was a little bittersweet because he was a mentor," Love says. "But it also opened up more playing time for me and more opportunities, so I can't say that I was mad."

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=5961118

Beasley and Love's friendship formed at the first Elite 24. You can see a bond form in this documentary. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204298/ Pretty good watch BTW

[Snakehead]

I don't think it is really as much of a knock on Big Al so much as a statement of how Kevin Love feels like this T-Wolves team is finally his team, and that he likes the direction they're pointed in. 

This.  Love wanted that PT and he is getting it now, Al is playing on a better team that has a chance to contend.  Both are in better places and I don't think you can judge much from these bad teams as far as players and their competitiveness, leadership, character etc.  It'd be a strange thing to be playing on a bad NBA team, I can't imagine.  Especially with a lot of other young players who are all trying to figure it out and have a team identity.

[Bankshot]

When Love learned that Beasley had been traded to Minnesota this past offseason, he was excited, since the two have remained good friends. Still, Al Jefferson's departure brought on mixed emotions. "I was really close with Al, so it was a little bittersweet because he was a mentor," Love says. "But it also opened up more playing time for me and more opportunities, so I can't say that I was mad."

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=5961118

Al's a nice kid.  I knew it couldn't be about him being a bad teammate.

[anthony83]

Big Al for me is an all star, although he has not been the best thing that has made Big Al is joining Utah with Jerry Sloan.
 Jefferson is an underrated player in the league, the other day against the Wolves, he got 8 blocks,don´t say anything about it.
 But Big Al for me is a star in the league, I'm a fan of Big Al,I think there are few players in the league with their movements to the post, he plays like an old, only Duncan can be compared to him.
Jefferson show much in the league.

[TrueGreen]

I wouldn't compare Al to Tim Duncan. To me he is the best post player since Keven McHale, who would be the guy I would compare him to. As to the comments about Love and Jefferson, compare that to Jefferson and Perk. When they played on the floor together they complemented each other. The same could have been with Love. Love is a power forward, and to me Al Jeff is a Center. I don't see why they couldn't have complimented each other the same way. Personality-wise I don't see that as a problem. Maybe the coach didn't see that possibility.

[Fafnir]

I wouldn't compare Al to Tim Duncan. To me he is the best post player since Keven McHale, who would be the guy I would compare him to. As to the comments about Love and Jefferson, compare that to Jefferson and Perk. When they played on the floor together they complemented each other. The same could have been with Love. Love is a power forward, and to me Al Jeff is a Center. I don't see why they couldn't have complimented each other the same way. Personality-wise I don't see that as a problem. Maybe the coach didn't see that possibility.

They didn't compliment each other because they both are very bad defensive players. You can't have both your PF and your C be atrocious defensively and win games.