"Al Jefferson traded his favorite fishing holes for the mountains and swapped perpetually losing teams for a new franchise that comparatively does nothing but win after he relocated from Minnesota to Utah last summer.

That profound exchange of addresses and climates one morning recently made him do the math in his head.

"I won as many games in the month of November as I won all last season," he said. "When I think of it like that ... man, that's just crazy for me."

Actually, the guy known simply as Big Al -- says so emblazoned right on his size 18 sneakers -- exaggerates slightly.

The Jazz won only 13 games in November when, so unlike the games he played with Boston and the Timberwolves the past five seasons, it found every possible way to snatch victory from defeat.

When Jefferson returns to Target Center Wednesday night for the first time since the Wolves dealt him for two future first-round draft picks, he will do so with a 20-9 team -- five more victories than Jefferson won all last season -- that plays now as a prelude for the playoffs.

"I hope they don't boo me like they did LeBron in Cleveland," he said slyly, referring to his return to an arena where he played three seasons. "But I don't think so."

In Minnesota, Jefferson was the player Wolves boss Kevin McHale built everything around when he traded away superstar Kevin Garnett for a record collection of players that included Jefferson as its centerpiece.

In Utah, he is a complementary piece to U.S. Olympic gold medalist Deron Williams and Paul Millsap, even though, with his $13 million salary, he still is being paid like a featured player.

"This is a good place for me," he said last week outside the Jazz locker room at EnergySolutions Arena. "Not much to do at night. Stay focused. Stay out of trouble. It's perfect. There are a lot of good places to go fishing here, the mountains are beautiful. When the season's over, I'm looking forward to trying a lot of stuff, except skiing.

"I'm not skiing.""