Favors teaching Al how to play D?

I pulled this out of an article I just read. If Favors is teaching, Al ain't listening.

Big Al has been pleasantly surprised with the 21-year-old's professor skills.

"It's amazing for a third-year guy. I've learned defensive stuff from him," Jefferson said. "I've been in the league for nine years and D-Fav's only in his third year, but you're never too old to learn things from younger players."

The teaching, not surprisingly, is a back-and-forth exchange.

Even so, the humble Favors laughed out loud when told that Jefferson's impressed by his teaching.

Favors said he'll give Big Al pointers on pick-and-roll defense, such as "When you go back, have your hands up. Just little things like that."

Jefferson credited both Favors and Paul Millsap for helping him on the defensive end.

"Paul is a great defensive player on pick-and-roll coverage. D-Favs is a guy who's a shot blocker at the rim," Jefferson said. "Them guys really help me out a lot to make me better."


I don't think I'd quit my day job if I were Favors & become a teacher, cause so far ..... no good. Then again, even the best teachers can't get through to everyone.

Al is what he is on the court, a very good post player with just as many flaws as strengths.

I like you Al, but no way you're fooling me into thinking you've learned anything about defense.

zero24gravity wrote:

I pulled this out of an article I just read. If Favors is teaching, Al ain't listening.

Big Al has been pleasantly surprised with the 21-year-old's professor skills.

"It's amazing for a third-year guy. I've learned defensive stuff from him," Jefferson said. "I've been in the league for nine years and D-Fav's only in his third year, but you're never too old to learn things from younger players."

The teaching, not surprisingly, is a back-and-forth exchange.

Even so, the humble Favors laughed out loud when told that Jefferson's impressed by his teaching.

Favors said he'll give Big Al pointers on pick-and-roll defense, such as "When you go back, have your hands up. Just little things like that."

Jefferson credited both Favors and Paul Millsap for helping him on the defensive end.

"Paul is a great defensive player on pick-and-roll coverage. D-Favs is a guy who's a shot blocker at the rim," Jefferson said. "Them guys really help me out a lot to make me better."


I don't think I'd quit my day job if I were Favors & become a teacher, cause so far ..... no good. Then again, even the best teachers can't get through to everyone.

Al is what he is on the court, a very good post player with just as many flaws as strengths.

I like you Al, but no way you're fooling me into thinking you've learned anything about defense.

At this point in his career Al just is who he is. He isn't going to get any better at defense. It's too bad too, because if he had a coach like Sloan in the first few years of his career, he would be a much much better player. He could at least have played D at a Ostertag level, which would have been miles better than he is now!

Al presents the same problem a lot of Jazz players do: I like him.

He seems like a genuinely decent guy, especially considering all the crap he's taken and all the losing he's had to endure. I always like to like the Jazz players, and I like to think they've done a good job of putting together teams of mostly decent human beings on the roster over the years (and don't point out the exceptions. I know there are a LOT of them*), moreso than some other teams any way.

Hell, I like Foye. I like Marvin, when I can see him. It's a problem, because it would be easier if these guys were knuckleheads, thugs, or idiots. And they aren't.


*-ran into John Drew at 7AM one morning after what I'm guessing, from appearances, was a two day coke bender**. Not good.

**-HIS coke bender, not mine. Like I ever had money for a two-day coke bender. Tchyuh!