I got an opportunity to meet Al Jefferson after the Boston Celtics
completed their practice on Tuesday. I began a rather wide ranging interview
by trying to get a feel for my subject personally. It didn't take very long
for me to judge this book by its cover. I would describe Al as a confident
yet very humble young man.
He is confident because after a summer of hard work and 52 games
into his first grueling NBA schedule, Al knows that he is not out of place.
He acknowledges that there may have been some skeptics early on regarding
whether or not he could make the leap to the pro ranks from high school but
it is obvious to him as well as any seasoned NBA observer that Al is
precisely where he should be.
His humility is in evidence by virtue of the fact the he fully
recognizes the he is still a work in progress and is readily willing to make
the commitment to reach his full potential. That commitment has been evident
during his recent stint on the injury list. After twisting his ankle January
26th against the Indiana Pacers, Al has turned the injury time to his
advantage by spending more time in the weight room. In addition to
increasing his capacity on the weight bench it is also obvious to the casual
observer that his physique is maturing and his upper body is gaining added
size and strength. Asked about the possibility of his added strength and
dimensions affecting the softness of his shot, Al dismissed the changes as
having none.
Coach Rivers and the Celtic media staff have been quick to
compliment Al on his work ethic and his attention to learning his craft.
Before the interview, I also had an opportunity to query a number of the
assembled veteran print writers who cover the Celtics and to a man they are
optimistic about Jefferson's progress to date and his future impact on the
club
Al grudgingly acknowledges the injury may have been a blessing in
disguise. At the time he was nursing a hip pointer and case of plantar
facsiaitis. (He is taping his ankles) Although he has missed several games
and will miss an appearance in the rookie all star game it also gave Al a
midseason break from his first exposure to the long NBA season and travel
schedule.
His status at this point according to Celtic Coach Doc Rivers is
"day to day" but from the look of him at practice today he is very close to
returning. The one question mark Rivers has is that with anybody, until you
return to game level speed your endurance and conditioning remains to be
seen.
Despite the fact that Jefferson has exhibited a strong presence in
the low post, Coach Rivers does not see any more of an effort to get
Jefferson any more touches. "We are trying to go in the low post and who we
go to will be determined by who wants the ball". According to Al he does
expect more opportunities as his team mates continue to gain confidence in
his low post abilities. Al is going to have to earn his additional time as
Raef Lafrentz has been playing very well and Kendrick Perkins has begun to
assert his inside presence with the club and will provide Al with some
strong intra team competition for playing time.
As his minutes continue to increase we can also expect to see more
of Al's repertoire. We have seen the accuracy of his baby hook in the lane
and his very short range jumper but Al says we have not seen his complete
bag of tricks as of yet. When asked if Celtic fans could expect to see more
of his face to the basket moves Al replied "yes but my bread and butter is
on the blocks". This of course is music to Celtics fans ears since the team
has been a soft perimeter shooting group over the last several years.
Jefferson's attack on the offensive and defensive boards has brought some
oohs and ahhs on occasion at the Fleet Center.
When asked about any surprises he has encountered in his transition
to the NBA Al replied "no surprises, because almost everything has been
one"! The easiest one to deal with in his transition was the weather.
Navigating through New England snow can be made easier by the Hummer!
Al has been going slow in acclimating himself to the Boston area
culture. He has been to a few museums and to the basketball hall of fame in
Springfield and he does expect to become more familiar with the area from a
historical perspective as time goes on. In the area of community involvement
he is also gradually getting to know the lay of the land. He mentions Walter
McCarty as someone he sought guidance from early on regarding community and
charity work. Walter has been recently traded to Phoenix but has been
legendary in his unselfish community involvement and was somebody who could
be relied on for good advice to the rookie.
In talking about his game experiences to date there was no one
particular player who he singled out but simply said that at this level
every one has their own unique set of skills. He did single out Zach
Randolph of Portland as someone who he might emulate in developing his own
skill set.
In the near term Al is itching to come back and will join a team
which sits atop the division. Al likes the Celtic's chances to win the
division and is quite optimistic about entering the playoffs in his first
NBA season.
In closing I asked him what it was like to line up and play against
Shaquille O'Neal. With a wry grin Al said, " now I know what it was like for
those guys who had to cover me in high school".
Phil Gallagher for the Prentiss (Miss.) Headlight
