‘It’s definitely a strong point… ‘ Jeonju KCC foreign forward Ronde Hollis Jefferson (28‧198cm) is an ambiguous player from the team’s point of view. It is clear that he is not a bad player, as he has his own definite strengths and has a good record against trips, but if you look at whether he is a big help to the team’s performance, that is not the case. If he hadn’t been able to do it clearly (?), he would have taken the lead a long time ago, but even after hesitating, on some days, he is confusing the team by performing an activity that is not envied by a top-notch foreign player.
The Anyang KGC match at the Jeonju Indoor Gymnasium on the 31st was like that. On this day, Jefferson had a showdown of the soul with KGC Omari Spellman (25‧206cm). Spellman is a forward who can play an active role in and out of the big man’s physical condition, and is the first-class contributor leading KGC’s leading run. As if to prove this, he is playing an average of 30 minutes and 43 seconds in 36 games this season, averaging 18.64 points, 2.44 assists, 9.75 rebounds, and 1 block shot. He can be said to be one of the best foreign players this season along with SK Jamil Warney and Hyundai Mobis Gage Prim.
Jefferson, on the other hand, may have a better NBA career than Spell Man, but he lags far behind in his domestic performance. Regardless of his performance, he is being pushed back even among foreign players with quite a few 2-options for business trips, and as mentioned earlier, there are even rumors of a replacement. However, perhaps because of the compatibility between the players, Jefferson’s performance improves significantly when he meets a team with a unique swingman-style forward as an ace. Because of this, he has been consistently performing well against KGC, but on this day, his fingertips were even hotter.
Jefferson’s greatest strength, which he showed on the domestic stage, is his ability to break through. He is not very powerful, but he has the ability to dig into the opponent’s goal by striding forward with his characteristic long legs. No matter where he catches the ball, if he tries to break through, he has a high probability of succeeding. He has good speed and endurance, so even if several opponents are guarding the post, he tries to find an opening and throws the ball in.
Even when he wants to lose his balance in a physical fight, he offsets it with the feeling of his fingertips. He also excels at his stop jump shot, which he stops and shoots instantaneously. Although he lost unfortunately, Jefferson played a big role in overcoming the large score gap at the beginning of the KGC match and playing a close match to the end. KCC knew that Jefferson was in good condition and openly pushed the ball.
KGC also noticed this and worked hard on Jefferson’s defense, but seemed to be having a hard time putting on the brakes. Jefferson constantly tried to break through in a fast-breaking situation, while throwing a middle shot when Spellman blocked his way, and the success rate was very high. Of course, Spellman also gritted his teeth and engaged in a scoring competition with pride.
As a result, Spellman recorded 34 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocked shots, while Jefferson also performed equally well with 37 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. Considering that there was no player who scored more than 12 points in both teams except for the two players, you can see how great the dependence on the two was. If you look at the detailed records, Jefferson’s side was a little more dominant. Spellman, along with Bae Byeong-joon, played the longest run of both teams at 37 minutes and 40 seconds, but Jefferson ran only 26 minutes and 27 seconds.
Nevertheless, it is also true that he is skeptical about the question ‘Is it possible to have a long trip with Jefferson?’ It clearly boasts a high-level ability in scoring production with a unique breakthrough. The problem is the team contribution that fits the KBL style. In order for foreign players to survive on the domestic stage, they must basically show competitiveness in power.
Apart from simply scoring and kicking rebounds, it is necessary for the entire team to have a good balance in the offense and defense only when it is possible to push away quite a few domestic players without difficulty in physical fights and to endure to some extent even the same foreign players. In addition, considering the recent trend, if you are not an orthodox big man, you must have a certain level of 3-point shooting ability.
This is the difference between Spellman and Jefferson, who faced each other that day. In the confrontation between the two, Jefferson was not pushed, but the problem is the match with the other team. There are times when he is criticized for being reluctant to fight despite his size, but basically, Spellman is a player who can fight to some extent. In addition, with his unique elasticity, he is also good at block shots, and his 3-point shots are relatively good in terms of the number of successful shots (2nd overall) and success rate. It even has what domestic teams want in a foreign forward.
On the other hand, Jefferson’s weaknesses stand out except for his breakthrough ability. In particular, as can be seen from his skinny body, he is too weak to fight. He doesn’t even have an advantage over quite a few domestic players, not even going to foreign players like himself. Even if he covers only his offense with his quickness and ability to steal timing, the problem is the defense.
From the standpoint of KCC, who is already low in height and has a lot of regrets in terms of activity, there are often times when he cannot play because of the defense even when he wants to use Jefferson. In addition, the weak 3-point shooting ability is also left with regret. Against KGC, he made one 3-pointer, but Jefferson doesn’t even try to throw a 3-pointer.
It is not an exaggeration to say that outside shooting is excluded from the offensive options. In this situation, no matter how well Jefferson breaks through, it is inevitable that the space will be tight when attacking. For this reason, opinions are divided between fans saying that Jefferson should be replaced quickly and that they want to see Song Gyo-chang properly next season after making the most of this season. 스포츠토토
What KCC fans want is for Jefferson to become like Aaron Haynes, a long-lived foreign player representing KBL. Haynes also had weaknesses in terms of power and 3-point shooting, but as the season went on, he adapted to the league and later became the top outsider with only his strengths. Considering that it is the first season, there is no law against Jefferson becoming like Haines.
If he is to accompany him in the next season as well, it is necessary to follow up as a necessity for the position’s longevity. If Jefferson stands on the court, it is difficult to expect the part of the goal defense that a foreign big man wants. At least, there should be another tall man to run with Jefferson in addition to a domestic big man who has strength in physical combat.
Currently, it is difficult to form such a member, but if Song Gyo-chang returns, he can play that role together with Lee Seung-hyun. In addition, it is evaluated that if Kim Sang-kyu and Lee Jong-hyun provide strength on the court together as a backup or depending on the situation, Jefferson will be able to bring out his full potential. Let’s see how long Jefferson, who has a lot of talk and a lot of trouble, can survive in the Aegis.