The Charlotte Hornets came into this season expecting center Al Jefferson to be a big part of their team, as he has been the focal point of their offense over the last few years. So far it hasn't worked out that way, as Jefferson has dealt with injuries, a suspension and poor play. Now it looks like Jefferson will have to miss even more time, as he will undergo surgery on his right knee to address a torn meniscus, according to Charlotte Hornets PR.
Jefferson was dealing with a calf injury at the beginning of December which caused him to miss some time, but while he was out he was also suspended by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Jefferson was unable to serve that suspension until he received medical clearance from the doctors, though, so he ended up missing 11 games total, six for the calf and five for the suspension.
Jefferson came back from the suspension for two games in which he came off the bench, played less than 20 minutes in each game and didn't play very well. After his second game back, Jefferson felt some pain in his knee which caused him to miss Charlotte's last two games until he finally underwent an MRI which revealed the tear in his lateral meniscus.
Eric Bledsoe of the Phoenix Suns also recently tore his meniscus, and it was revealed that he will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair it. Jefferson is not expected to miss the rest of the season with this injury, as he will undergo arthroscopic surgery, which is different than Bledsoe's procedure. Jefferson is expected to need about six weeks to recover before he can get back on the floor.
Before the barrage of things that kept Jefferson off the floor, he was having a down year for the Hornets anyway. Jefferson is averaging just 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game (both his lowest since his second season in the league.) There are some people around the league and with the Hornets that feel they might be better without Jefferson, but we will now have an extended period of time to see if that is true.
With Jefferson out, Cody Zeller has taken over as the starting center while rookie Frank Kaminsky has played a bigger role. Kaminsky was out of the rotation at the beginning of the season, but his minutes have been rising and now they should continue to remain consistent.
