The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a very rough season as they are 5-15 and one of the worst teams in the NBA. On a team with very few bright spots one of their big ones has been rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who has forced his way into the starting lineup. On Monday afternoon general manager Billy King announced that Hollis-Jefferson will be out indefinitely with a non-displaced fracture of the posterior talus in his right ankle, according to NBA.com.
Hollis-Jefferson reportedly suffered the injury in practice on Saturday and underwent X-rays that initially came back negative. Hollis-Jefferson then woke up with some soreness still so he took a CT scan which revealed the fracture.
Hollis-Jefferson will undergo surgery later this week which is when a timetable for a potential return will be available. As of right now the Nets are just saying that he is out indefinitely but won't say whether it is season threatening or how long they expect him to be out.
Hollis-Jefferson was the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Arizona by the Portland Trail Blazers but he was acquired by the Nets in a draft day deal. The Nets coveted Hollis-Jefferson because of his athleticism and his defensive ability and he has proven why through his first 19 games as a pro. Hollis-Jefferson started the season coming off the bench behind Wayne Ellington and Markel Brown but his solid play had gotten him into the starting just six games into the season.
Through 19 games (14 starts) Hollis-Jefferson is averaging 5.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 48 percent shooting from the field while also providing lock down defense. Hollis-Jefferson's offensive game certainly needs work, particularly his jump shot, but the energy he brings to the game and his defensive ability is tremendous and he looks like he can be a foundational piece for a team that doesn't have much to look forward to. This injury is unfortunate because it will delay the 20 year olds growth but the Nets don't seem to be going anywhere this year anyway and at least they found out they might just have something in the 6 foot-7 wing.
