Injuries took toll again on Hornets’ Al Jefferson
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) lays the ball in for two points against the Miami Heat on Jan. 21, 2015 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.")
Al Jefferson
Position: Center
Contract status: Jefferson has a $13.5 million player option for next season. If he does not exercise that option, he would be an unrestricted free agent.
Seasons in the NBA: Eleven
Telling statistic: Jefferson’s games (65) and minutes (1,992) played this season were the fewest in his last six NBA seasons.
Season review: Clifford has said Jefferson might need off-season surgery to clean up his right knee, which kept him out of the team’s final seven games. Jefferson’s efforts to keep playing were admirable, but at the end he couldn’t pivot or jump well enough to be effective.
Jefferson continues to be one of the best low-post scorers in the NBA. He was crucial to the then-Bobcats reaching the playoffs in the 2013-14 season, Jefferson’s first with the team.
The question with Jefferson is about mileage and health. He turned pro out of high school and has logged about 23,000 minutes of playing time in the NBA. Jefferson’s style of play doesn’t require great athleticism -- his game is built around a array of post moves and shot fakes – but for the second consecutive season his season ended with a leg injury.
Jefferson said several times during the season his desire would be to finish his career in Charlotte.
This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Injuries took toll again on Hornets’ Al Jefferson."