Al Jefferson is done for a month with a groin injury. This is just about the worst news the Hornets could have gotten at this time in the NBA season. The Hornets have already sent Noah Vonleh and Jeff Taylor to the NBDL to get some seasoning before they rejoin the team. Lance Stephenson was already hurt.
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Now the Hornets have to contend without their centerpiece in a month where they needed to make up ground, not lose more ground. It is coming to the point where the Hornets might consider cutting their losses on this season and just play for next year.
I do not care how bad the Eastern Conference may be, the Hornets are not going to climb out of the cellar without big Al to drive the train. At best this will be the opportunity for others to sort out their games and work on their defensive skills. At worst the team will shut down and quit for a month.
By the end of that time, we can all predict our lottery position.
Betsided
The last couple of losses only show how bad things could get. The Hornets have lost to the Bucks and the Magic since Christmas and neither of those losses is a good loss. The Bucks did not have Jabari Parker.
Strangely enough, I do not believe that this month of potentially lost basketball means that the Hornets are on the wrong track. I still think the model is right, but the execution has never happened and may never happen this season. It might if Steve Clifford is a great coach, but this is the NBA and we rarely see the effects of great coaching.
So rest up Al, and hope that the team made a New Year’s Resolution not to lose any ground in the upcoming playoff race.
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