Indiana Pacers: What Will Al Jefferson’s Role Be?
The Indiana Pacers remade themselves this summer. How will veteran center Al Jefferson fit into their plans?
One of the stories of the offseason has been the Indiana Pacers and the way they have remade their roster. Most notably they acquired Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young through trades to start at point guard and power forward respectively.
Those two figure to slot into the starting five alongside Paul George, Monta Ellis, and super sophomore Myles Turner.
But, Teague and Young were not the only intriguing acquisitions Larry Bird made this summer. He also elected to sign veteran center Al Jefferson to a three-year, $30 million deal.
Jefferson is an odd fit on a team that wants to play faster and fire up more three-pointers, but if used correctly he could be a huge plus for the second unit. Big Al spent the last three seasons in Charlotte, where he helped bring respectability back to the franchise.
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His first year in Charlotte, the 2013-14 season, saw him lead the then Bobcats to a playoff appearance in a year when many projected them to be one of the worst teams in the NBA.
He dominated in the post offensively, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game on 50.9 percent shooting.
For his efforts he was named to the 2013-14 All-NBA third team. His final two seasons in Charlotte were slightly tainted by injuries, an underachieving 2014-15 season and a suspension for a violation of the NBA’s drug policy.
Still, fans in Charlotte will always remember him fondly as one of the core players that brought the team back to relevancy.
Jefferson is a throwback type of player, one that makes you imagine how perfectly he would have fit into an era when post play was king. The modern NBA revolves around ball movement and shooting, but those aren’t his strengths.
Jefferson is a classic post-up big man. He’s at his best when he’s holding the ball down low and taking his defender one on one.
He’s past the point in his career of being a primary scoring option, but as long as Indiana plans to have him captain the second unit he could flourish during the twilight of his career.
It’s unclear whether the plan is to start Jefferson or bring him off the bench, but given Larry Bird’s mandate to play at a faster pace, one would assume that new head coach Nate McMillan will have Jefferson come off the bench and Turner start at center.
That leaves Jefferson to do what he does best. Playing in lineups alongside players like C.J. Miles, Rodney Stuckey and Lavoy Allen would give him free rein to dominate the ball as the primary bench scorer. Last season in Charlotte he proved he can be an effective player in that type of role.
In 29 games coming off the bench last season Jefferson averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 46.5 percent shooting. Those aren’t quite as good as his career numbers, but most teams will take that from their backup center.
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There is also the possibility that Jefferson will put up better numbers as he enters that role permanently. Without the jostling back and forth between starting and coming off the bench, he can settle in and become comfortable with his new role.
We often forget that these athletes aren’t just basketball-playing robots. They are human beings and sometimes such a drastic change to their routine can be difficult to adjust to initially.
Using Jefferson as a bench unit scoring mercenary just makes too much sense. He’s entering this season at the age of 31 and has made plenty of money throughout his 12-season career. He’s been an alpha dog in a starting five.
All that’s left for him to accomplish is to play on a team that wins a playoff series. He’s been regarded as a great teammate for his entire career, so it is tough to imagine him raising a fuss about having to come off the bench.
The final results of the NBA season may already be a foregone conclusion. With a super team in Golden State and the defending champs in Cleveland all signs point to Warriors vs. Cavaliers round three. Regardless, Indiana’s revitalizing offseason gives them a chance to enter the fray.
They don’t have enough firepower to go all the way to the NBA Finals, but they certainly have a chance to compete with Toronto and Boston for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Jefferson destroying backup centers deep into the playoffs would be a win for Indiana and a win for the NBA in general.
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Old guys getting buckets? What’s not to love? Big Al and the new look Pacers make their debut Oct. 26 against the Dallas Mavericks.