Is it just me, or is Al Jefferson the second best center in the NBA?

This one is closer than most people might think but Dwight is still the better and more dominant player. One important point I will make in Al's favor is that he would still be a very good player even if he wasn't a monster athlete. You can't say the same for Dwight.

 

Honestly I dont think AL Jefferson is better player than Yao. I just can't stand people like to use head to head to prove that Yao is better than Dwight Howard. If you can dominate Dwight why can't he dominant the 29 other centers in the league will be forever myth.

Yao average 30+shots per game? It won't happen. You put Yao in the Memphis team, Gay and Mayo will have more shots than Yao. You put Yao in the Kings, Beno and Martin will have more shots than Yao. You put Yao in the T-Wolves, Foye and Miller wil average more shots than Yao. Why? Because Yao himself never demand the ball.
People always think is easy to jack up shots but in fact you need courage, responsibility, stamina and skills to jack up shots! Stats prove that is Yao scored more than 20pts the rockets are 34-4 this season. Why is it Yao don't shoot more? Is is Yao's problem because he can't shoot more or you blame his teammates?

 

This.

 

defense. jefferson though is a better player on the offesive side of the court. howard basically owns him on every other aspect of the position.

 

Al is a PF who is playing out of position. He is a very good low post scorer and rebounder but he needs to put in a lot of work on the defensive end. He is athletic but Howard has an advantage there and also has more length/much better defense. Al is obviously more polished as a scorer but Howard is the better overall player.
Hope Al can get healthy and get back to his best. I like him.

 

Dwight puts up better numbers, he's a much more impactful defensive player, and his team is a winner.

I'll take him over Jefferson until the Wolves become a good team.

 

Has Yao ever took 30+ shots???

 

Well Al did have 9 more rebounds to Yao's pathetic 4. While the next game 22 rebounds to a pathetic 6. I think that made up for his lower percentage shooting.

 

He did it twice, and it happened in back to back games against the Warriors and Lakers when we didn't have McGrady.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200612140GSW.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200612150LAL.html

Both losses. That Lakers game went to double overtime, I think.

 

I'm usually the first to point out Howard's lack of offensive skills but it seems like that criticism has been a little overblown. He gets 21 pts a game while dunking at 57% and he gets 4.3 offensive boards a game. Sure, when he faces someone bigger or more athletic than him he has problems, but how often will that happen?

Al Jefferson is the same way. He struggles against certain types of players. He just doesn't have the size and athleticism to dominate on a consistent basis without his repertoire of skills in the post.

Also, Dwight has really improved his jump hook and if the Magic would go to him more then people would realize he has some offensive skill.

 

If Ws and Ls are the most valid stats, then wouldn't that defeat your argument that Jefferson is the second best since D12 is 7-4 against him?

 

It's the fact that Howard struggles against the true centers in the league like Przybilla, Yao, Perkins, Big Z, etc....

He chews up the power forwards forced to play centers, but he plays below his average stats when he is up against the elite defensive centers in the league.

That being said, I would still take Howard due to his dominance defensively. However, Yao Ming is better than both of them.

 

A.J. is a stud. Love his ability to be a go to man late in games.

Dwight is just a Sportscenter Superstar.

 

Honestly it's hard to take Al Jefferson seriously when

1. He hasn't been that good for that long
2. His team sucks balls

That doesn't mean he isn't the mythical 2nd best or even THE best center. It's just hard to make any sort of valid argument at this point.

 

I honestly don't think Yao has the gas-tank to put up 30 shots. Ideally he shoots around 14-18 times. Make the right pass if the defense is overplaying to take away something; Get your teammates into riddum!

 

Thanks for the tidbit of info, Encyclopedia Brown. Wasn't aware of that.

Seeing the starting-5 makes me cringe a little bit. Chuck, Luther, and Rafer. Yikes. That's more than a little ugly.

 

This thread makes no sense cuz howard, whether rockets fans want to believe it or not is the best center in the game. Also its r****ded to say he only gets rebs cause he doesn't have rebounders around him. That doesn't matter because ewing had oakley and rebounds. Dream had thorpe and got rebs also. Then all the "howard isn't good in the playoffs " junk is thrown out when he drops 24-15-3 and shot 68% against philly. The same team that cacelled yao out.

 

I really don't see how anyone thinks dwight howard is better than yao ming. if you single guard yao he's probably the most efficient, dominant player in the entire league, which is why teams can hardly play that way. Teams strategize to guard yao arguably more than kobe bryant and in dedicating that much effort towards him, every other player on the team is measurably better.

dwight howard is a great player, but he's nowhere near yao ming on the offensive end and as a defensive player is superior but marginally so. pick n roll defense is the only area where yao is significantly disadvantaged.

I don't find the comparison close at all, but to each his own.

jefferson has the potential to be even better than either but he's not there and may never be.