Al Jefferson News: Pro Sports Daily

Al Jefferson's 24 not enough for Timberwolves as Clippers get first win

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November 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Kurt Rambis was an assistant coach, assistant general manager and head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers for 10 years, all at Staples Center. But when he showed up here Monday, he couldn't find his locker room. "I did have to ask somebody where the visiting locker room was," he said. "I didn't know where it was." Yes, it's a new world for the Timberwolves' new coach, who helped lead finely tuned, star-studded Lakers teams to four NBA Finals and two championships. Now he's trying to rebuild a franchise that was never all that built to begin with. The Timberwolves showed considerable life Monday, and often looked good, but in the end they became the Los Angeles Clippers' first victim of the ..."

Al Jefferson ready to go for Timberwolves' opener

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October 28

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Two days of pain-free practices convinced Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson that he's ready to play significant minutes in tonight's regular-season opener against New Jersey at Target Center. Jefferson has been slowed by Achilles' tendinitis but performed well enough in practice Monday and Tuesday to persuade Wolves coach Kurt Rambis to reconsider his plan to monitor Jefferson's minutes tonight. "I'm feeling good right now," Jefferson said after Tuesday's practice. "They're going to let me go. Kurt is trusting me to let him know if I'm in any pain or not." Jefferson, battling back from major knee surgery in February, sat out the Wolves' final three preseason games and did not practice last ..."

Big Al says 'no doubt' he'll play in opener

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October 27

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"When Al Jefferson takes the court Wednesday -- and he is determined to -- he will wear a black sleeve over his left lower leg to help loosen up a sore Achilles' tendon. The aching tendon kept him from practicing for about a week, but he scrimmaged Monday at Target Center with no problems. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said the team will have to monitor Jefferson's injury into the season, which was relayed to Jefferson. "I guess so," he said. "I'm still playing on Wednesday, regardless." No doubt? "No doubt," he said. Wolves fans and NBA opponents haven't seen Jefferson's post prowess since Feb. 8, when he crumbled to the floor during the final minute of a loss to New Orleans because of a torn ..."

Ailing Jefferson to get some recuperative rest

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October 22

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Timberwolves on Wednesday sent Al Jefferson home to Minnesota, where he will recuperate for Wednesday's regular-season opener while his team plays its final two preseason games without him. Jefferson flew home from Detroit the morning after he wore a medical mask on the chartered flight from Denver after Tuesday's 129-100 loss there so he wouldn't further risk infecting his teammates. Jefferson stayed back at the team's hotel Tuesday night when the Wolves played the Nuggets without him or Kevin Love, who is in New York City awaiting an important checkup Friday following Tuesday's surgery to repair his fractured left hand. Jefferson came to the arena later in the evening and spread ..."

Wolves' injury situation worsens

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October 20

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Eight days before the Timberwolves kick off their 21st season at home against New Jersey, Minnesota tonight will play a preseason game in Denver with its two biggest pieces facing uncertain futures -- short and long term -- because of injuries. As expected, forward Kevin Love will undergo surgery today to repair the fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury last weekend in Chicago and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. But in a surprising development Monday, Al Jefferson did not practice because of a sore Achilles' tendon that caused him to play less than six minutes in the second half Saturday at Milwaukee. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, growing tired of ..."

Jefferson has plan: Out with the bad

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October 17

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Timberwolves lost a preseason game and their starting power forward and best rebounder in Friday's preseason loss at Chicago. Star forward Al Jefferson also nearly lost his patience with himself on a night when teammate and pal Kevin Love broke his hand. The Wolves recovered from a 13-point, second-quarter deficit and tied the score in the final 50 seconds. But Jefferson missed the second of two free throws that would have tied it again with 12.2 seconds remaining, and the Bulls scored the game's final three points on free throws for a 94-90 victory. Jefferson had 16 rebounds and four blocked shots in a preseason-high 34 minutes. He also made three of 10 shots, scored 10 points, had ..."

For Timberwolves' Al Jefferson, less is more this season

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October 13

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Timberwolves forward Ryan Gomes had a wide-eyed look on his face when he saw Al Jefferson do something he never had seen his teammate do. Jefferson was trailing a fast break in a scrimmage during Monday's practice at Target Center. He was beyond the free-throw circle when the ball was passed back to him. Jefferson did a pump fake, took one dribble and drove the rest of the way to the basket for a layup. "You can expect quicker moves off the block from Al with the weight loss," Gomes said. "We've seen it a number of times already." Jefferson's Subway diet in the offseason — which helped him lose 31 pounds — has given him a quicker first step at the power forward position and turned him ..."

Jefferson is still learning team's new names, faces

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October 10

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The remade Timberwolves made their Target Center debut this season with Friday night's preseason game against Toronto. If you were one of the few there and couldn't tell the players without a scorecard, you're not alone. Until fairly recently, Al Jefferson couldn't, either. Jefferson, who became the Wolves foundation two summers ago, watched all summer as the team reinvented itself once again, this time by drafting Jonny Flynn and some guy named Ricky Rubio and adding six other players including Ramon Sessions and Sasha Pavlovic. "I just stopped keeping track," Jefferson said. "When I walked in [at the start of training camp], I saw so many guys. I was like, 'Who's this? Who's that?' ..."

'Big Al' Jefferson drops 31 pounds

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September 30

ESPN.com

""Big Al" isn't quite as big these days, and that's no accident for the Minnesota Timberwolves star as he returns from a major knee injury. A slimmer, trimmer Al Jefferson returned to full practice Tuesday for the first time in nearly eight months following surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He has lost 31 pounds in an effort to reduce the stress on his knees and get him ready to run in the new up-tempo offense that coach Kurt Rambis plans to install. "It felt real good," Jefferson said after the Timberwolves opened training camp in owner Glen Taylor's hometown. "It's more about my lungs than anything. My knee felt great. Felt good to be back out here with the team." ..."

Timberwolves' Al Jefferson has lightened up for comeback season

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September 29

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Timberwolves forward/center Al Jefferson hopes losing 31 pounds will help him recover from a knee injury that cost him the final 32 games of last season. Jefferson said during Monday's media day at Target Center that he weighs 262 pounds, down from 293 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Feb. 8 at New Orleans. "Everybody made it clear this year that we want to run, so I have to be able to keep up," Jefferson said. "Plus, it will be good for my knee." Jefferson, who led the Wolves last season in scoring (23.1) and rebounding (11.0), will be monitored closely by the coaching staff during training camp, which starts today in Mankato. Jefferson said he wants to ..."

The skinny on Al Jefferson

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September 29

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Al Jefferson entered the NBA in 2004, which incidentally is the only season he has ever reached the playoffs. "Thanks for reminding me of that," he said dryly Monday afternoon at the start of his sixth pro season. Jefferson this time reported to the Timberwolves 31 pounds lighter than a year ago, when his season ended two months prematurely after he came up clutching a torn knee ligament on a February night in New Orleans. He did so Monday to a team -- his team -- he barely recognizes after new boss David Kahn jackhammered predecessor Kevin McHale's rebuilding project with another makeover that has made the Wolves younger, faster, more athletic and quite possibly less dependent on ..."

Wolves with repaired knees bond over rehab, recovery

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June 22

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Timberwolves teammates Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer welcome the steaming, if belated, return of summer to Minnesota, not because of their shared Southern sensibilities but rather their healing right knees. Brewer tore the anterior cruciate ligament in that knee during a game against Denver last November. Jefferson did exactly the same at New Orleans in February. Together, they have become rehabilitation buddies and confidants daily this summer, with Brewer -- a year younger and three NBA seasons less experienced -- becoming Jefferson's mentor, if only because he is more than two months further along in the recovery process. When Jefferson awoke alarmed because his knee throbbed one ..."

Jefferson staying put with Wolves

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June 18

Boston Globe

"An NBA source said today that Minnesota forward-center Al Jefferson is not being traded to the Suns with the sixth overall pick for Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire. An NBA executive told The Globe on Wednesday that both teams were discussing the trade. But another source said today that the Suns made the trade offer to the Wolves recently and were turned down. The source added that the Wolves new general manager David Kahn has even called Jefferson, an ex-Celtic, to tell him the trade would not happen. As for Stoudemire, the cost-cutting Suns definitely seem interesting in moving him and his hefty salary."

Jefferson on move again?

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June 18

Boston Globe

"An NBA executive told the Boston Globe today that the Minnesota Timberwolves is working a deal with the Phoenix Suns that would send former Celtics forward Al Jefferson and their sixth pick in next week's NBA Draft for All-Star Amare Stoudemire. The Suns, which have dangled Stoudemire for some time, fiound a suitor in Minnesota that is in transition. The team announced today that coach Kevin McHale has ended his 15-year association with the team. New basketball of operations David Kahn is looking to take the franchise into another direction."

Injured Timberwolves star Al Jefferson vows to be back -- and better than ever -- next season

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March 12

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Three weeks after undergoing season-ending knee surgery, Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson vowed Wednesday that he would be back better than ever for the start of next season. He also said watching the team play without him has been nearly as painful as his injury. "As a matter of fact, I'm replacing the TV now in my house right as we speak," he said. "Because I threw things at the TV because I'd be so upset sometimes (with) a bad call by the refs or something. I've got to control my emotions on that part." The Wolves are 2-12 since their star suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the final moments of a Feb. 8 loss at New Orleans. Jefferson said he ..."

Al Jefferson likely out for season with knee injury

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February 10

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Big Al became the Big Question Mark for the Timberwolves on Monday after the team learned it had likely lost its star center for the rest of the season to a knee injury. A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed Jefferson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Sunday night's loss at New Orleans, robbing the Wolves of their leading scorer and rebounder. He is expected to have surgery in a week to 10 days, coach Kevin McHale said. Neither the procedure nor his recovery timetable has been determined, although McHale told his players to expect Jefferson to be sidelined six to eight months. Jefferson learned the diagnosis Monday morning and was "devastated," said McHale, ..."

Jefferson tears knee ligament

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February 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Al Jefferson, the Timberwolves' best player, will likely miss the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament. He suffered the injury Sunday night in New Orleans near the end of the Wolves' 101-97 loss to the Hornets. Jefferson leaped, landed awkwardly on one foot and tumbled to the floor. He got back up, hopped toward the Wolves' bench but collapsed, writhing in pain and clutching his right knee. The torn ACL is the same injury suffered by 2007 first-round pick Corey Brewer earlier this year. "He's our main thing, the focus of what we do," Foye said after Sunday night's game. "Coming down on one leg, all his weight, heard a pop. That's scary to even think about. You've got to hope for ..."

Timberwolves' Al Jefferson out with torn ACL

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February 9

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Minnesota Timberwolves standout center Al Jefferson is out indefinitely with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will be out indefinitely, the team said today. Jefferson will have surgery in six to 10 days. "This is an unfortunate situation for Al and we wish him a quick recovery," Timberwolves head coach Kevin McHale said in a statement. "Al has been playing at an all-star level all season and has been our go-to-guy on the court. Knowing Al, he will work hard in his rehab efforts to get back on the court as soon as possible. In the interim, I'm confident that the other players on our roster will step up and meet this challenge The 6-foot-10 Jefferson was hurt in the ..."

Timberwolves' Jefferson, Gomes, McHale get warm greeting from Boston Celtics fans

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February 2

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Timberwolves center Al Jefferson was greeted with cheers Sunday in his return to the city in which he played his first three NBA seasons, but the man he was traded for was a late scratch. A flu bug kept all-star forward Kevin Garnett out of the Boston Celtics' 109-101 victory over his former team, and it could keep him out of Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia as well. "He's at home in bed. That's where he should be," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said before the game. "He's pretty bad. I know his fever's really high. For Kevin not to play any game is unusual. To not play this game means he's really sick." Glen "Big Baby" Davis started in Garnett's place at power forward and had 12 ..."

Post no ills: Jefferson a star in their eyes

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February 2

Boston Globe

"Earlier in the day, before the Celtics made Minnesota their 11th straight victim with a 109-101 win, Doc Rivers was sitting around with his coaching staff. They were probably supposed to be game-planning, but instead they had slipped into one of those hoop head debates, the kind where you could hear a million different answers and all of them could be right. The question they were debating was if there was a better low-post scorer in the league than Al Jefferson. The answer was unanimous. "We had zero names," Rivers said. These types of arguments always have stipulations attached, and in this case they were specific. "As far as low-post, back-to-the-basket big men," Rivers said. "You can't ..."

Timberwolves' Al Jefferson left off NBA all-star roster

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January 31

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Another day, another snub. A little more than 24 hours after Timberwolves forward Kevin Love was left off the roster for next month's NBA rookie-sophomore game, center Al Jefferson was passed over Thursday for a reserve spot in the Feb. 15 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Western Conference coaches chose Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal over Jefferson, even though he leads the veteran big man in scoring (22.7 to 18.2), rebounding (10.5 to 9.1) and minutes played (36.5 to 30.9). This will be the 15th All-Star Game for O'Neal, 36. It would have been the first for Jefferson, 24, who would have become the Wolves' first all-star since Kevin Garnett in 2006-07 and said after the team's midday practice that ..."

Al Jefferson has the stuff to be NBA all-star, Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale says

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January 27

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Kevin McHale doesn't spend much time networking with his fellow coaches so he has no real feel for Al Jefferson's chances of being voted in as a reserve for this year's NBA All-Star Game. But the Timberwolves' coach said it's only a matter of time. "He'll make a lot of them," McHale said before Monday night's 90-83 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. "You miss a couple early in your career when you probably should have been in, and you make some later in your career when you have no business being in, but your reputation gets you there." Jefferson's main competition for a spot on the Western Conference squad could be the Phoenix Suns' Shaquille O'Neal, who played 456 fewer minutes this ..."

Minnesota Timberwolves' Al Jefferson putting up all-star numbers

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January 17

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Final all-star auditions are at hand for Timberwolves center Al Jefferson, whose profile figures to have risen with his team's fortunes in 2009. Houston big man Yao Ming is 700,000 votes ahead of the Phoenix Suns' Shaquille O'Neal in fan balloting to start for the Western Conference at the Feb. 15 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Yet the field is wide open for reserve centers. Head coaches choose two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position from their respective conference. Jefferson entered Friday night's game leading all NBA centers in scoring (22.2 points a game) and ranked 11th overall in rebounding (10.4). Wolves coach Kevin McHale, who votes in the process for ..."

Heat's mission: contain Timberwolves' Al Jefferson

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January 13

Miami Herald

"After starting its season-long, seven-game trip 1-2, the Heat faces a must-win of sorts against Minnesota on Tuesday night. A few weeks ago, the Timberwolves probably looked like an appealing foe. But Minnesota (11-25) has won five in a row, its longest winning streak since December 2005. On this trip, the Heat (19-17) lost to Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Wednesday plays in Milwaukee before ending with back-to-back games against Houston and Oklahoma City. ''We went to the Clippers, who weren't playing that well and we lost that game, we lost in Memphis,'' Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. ``We know we can get beat by anybody.'' Tuesday's challenge: Contain Minnesota center Al ..."

Jefferson says late losses not acceptable

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November 16

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A man of few words -- three, actually ("I'm outta here") -- following the Timberwolves' overtime loss at Golden State on Tuesday, center Al Jefferson had plenty to say the next time he met with the media. After being excused from practice Thursday to tend to a family matter in Mississippi, Jefferson was back in Minnesota on Friday. Jefferson, who entered Saturday's home game against Portland averaging 22.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, joined the masses in wondering why the Wolves continue to let double-digit leads shrivel and cannot win games in the final minutes. It was something they did again in the 88-83 loss to the Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Wolves also have squandered ..."

His team, his town

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October 29

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Timberwolves star Al Jefferson worked morning and night the past three summers to transform himself from prep prodigy into a professional worthy of NBA All-Star consideration and a new five-year, $65 million contract. This past one, he drilled in the gym for three hours before lunch and ran three miles around Lake Calhoun after dinner so both his lefthanded hook and his conditioning, in particular, are improved this season, which begins tonight against Sacramento at Target Center. The team's future, though, might depend almost as much on the changes he makes on the inside. A season ago, Jefferson, at age 22, stepped forth from the comfort of Paul Pierce's shadow in Boston and into the ..."

Jefferson's night is brief, but game shows little rust

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October 7

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Ryan Gomes spoke and Timberwolves teammate Al Jefferson presumably listened before a 117-79 victory in the preseason opener Monday night at Milwaukee. "I told him to throw some WD-40 on his game," Gomes said. "Either he did, or he didn't need it." Jefferson returned from a knee injury for the team's final four practices and he played in Saturday night's scrimmage after sitting for more than two weeks because of a sprained medial collateral ligament suffered in a preseason workout. On Monday, against a Bucks team missing half of its regular rotation, Jefferson scored the Wolves' first 10 points and left late in the third quarter of a runaway victory with 18 points, eight rebounds and two ..."

Jefferson goes down, but it's only a sprain

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September 19

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Timberwolves star Al Jefferson is expected to miss at least the first week of training camp because of a mildly sprained knee ligament. Jefferson sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee when he collided with a teammate during a workout at the team's Target Center training facility on Tuesday. A medical imaging test on Wednesday confirmed the mild sprain, which is expected to sideline him two to three weeks. Training camp begins Sept. 30 in Mankato, Minn. "It's always a concern when your best player goes down clutching his knee like he did," Wolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg said in a moment of understatement. "It was a relief when we found out it was a mild ..."

Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson suffers mild sprain of knee ligament

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September 18

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Minnesota Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson suffered a mild sprain of his medial collateral ligament in his right knee, the Timberwolves announced today. A magnetic resonance imaging exam on Wednesday confirmed the injury. Jefferson is expected to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks and is expected to be ready by the start of the regular season. In 2007-08, his first season with the Timberwolves, Jefferson averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, all career highs. Jefferson was one of only four players in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds."

Wolves' Jefferson has knee injury

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September 18

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson has suffered a mild sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, the team said today. An MRI exam taken yesterday confirmed the injury. Jefferson is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks, but should be ready by the start of the season."

Al Jefferson perks up

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June 9

Boston Herald

"One of the most interested people in the arena regarding Kendrick Perkins’ health last night was his best friend, Al Jefferson. The Timberwolves forward - the key piece in the trade that brought Kevin Garnett to the Celtics last summer - showed up for Game 2 to support his former sparring partner. “Perk was a good guy,” Jefferson said prior to the Celtics’ 108-102 win. “He would be real with you. He’d talk to you straight up. He’s a good friend to have off the court.” That considered, Jefferson didn’t harbor even a shred of jealousy over the exalted state of his former team."