duncan228
10-30-2009, 01:03 PM
It's got quotes.
Jefferson Struggling and Loving It (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14184)
By: Joel Brigham
It's been a rough start to the season for new San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson, scoring only a total of 14 points on 4-for-16 shooting over the course of his first two games, but despite what can only be classified as early-season jitters, Jefferson should grow into a huge part of what looks to be a pretty successful Spurs team this year.
According to Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, the trade for Jefferson was the season's most important offseason move. "We were getting older, and they (the rest of the league) were getting younger," he said. "We just didn't have enough talent to keep up. We really needed to make a trade, so Richard Jefferson was the real key to the summer."
Don't let that lack of points be deceiving, however, because now that Jefferson is on a team where his scoring isn't as necessary to his team's success as it was in New Jersey or Milwaukee, he's looking to do some other things to help his team win.
"I'm going to get into the lane, I'm going to take open shots, make the extra pass, and play the best possible defense I can," Jefferson said. "That's the best way I can set the tone for this team."
"He missed shots," Popovich admitted about Jefferson's early time in a Spurs uniform, "but he made great passes, didn't turn it over, and played great D."
For Jefferson, this will be his first season playing in the Western Conference, and could very well be the best chance he's ever had at winning a ring. But he's not thinking that far ahead. At least not yet.
"Our goal right now, especially this early in the season, is just to keep getting better," Jefferson explained. "There's so much that can happen down the stretch. Guys have to stay healthy, you have to hit big shots… You just don't think about it yet."
Last season in Milwaukee was a bumpy ride for Jefferson, especially playing without two of the team's best players in Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut for most of the season. Still, he calls the experience an overwhelmingly positive one despite the struggles.
"I really enjoyed Scott Skiles, and I really enjoyed the situation that we had there," he said. "If you take any team and take away their top two scorers from the season before, you're going to struggle, but we worked hard, fought hard, and tried to do what we could last year."
Jefferson admitted that he really would have liked to retire a New Jersey Net, but he's come along way in nine seasons of basketball and has learned to appreciate every situation he may be in, no matter how positive or how negative.
"It's been good for me," he admitted. "We're just trying to pick it all up and gel as quickly as we can."
With all the new players and youth added to the roster this summer, just getting used to playing with new guys is a good early season goal to have. But in the long-term the goals are quite a bit loftier, and if the NBA Finals is indeed where the Spurs are headed, Jefferson will without question have played a tremendous role in helping them get back there.
Jefferson Struggling and Loving It (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14184)
By: Joel Brigham
It's been a rough start to the season for new San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson, scoring only a total of 14 points on 4-for-16 shooting over the course of his first two games, but despite what can only be classified as early-season jitters, Jefferson should grow into a huge part of what looks to be a pretty successful Spurs team this year.
According to Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, the trade for Jefferson was the season's most important offseason move. "We were getting older, and they (the rest of the league) were getting younger," he said. "We just didn't have enough talent to keep up. We really needed to make a trade, so Richard Jefferson was the real key to the summer."
Don't let that lack of points be deceiving, however, because now that Jefferson is on a team where his scoring isn't as necessary to his team's success as it was in New Jersey or Milwaukee, he's looking to do some other things to help his team win.
"I'm going to get into the lane, I'm going to take open shots, make the extra pass, and play the best possible defense I can," Jefferson said. "That's the best way I can set the tone for this team."
"He missed shots," Popovich admitted about Jefferson's early time in a Spurs uniform, "but he made great passes, didn't turn it over, and played great D."
For Jefferson, this will be his first season playing in the Western Conference, and could very well be the best chance he's ever had at winning a ring. But he's not thinking that far ahead. At least not yet.
"Our goal right now, especially this early in the season, is just to keep getting better," Jefferson explained. "There's so much that can happen down the stretch. Guys have to stay healthy, you have to hit big shots… You just don't think about it yet."
Last season in Milwaukee was a bumpy ride for Jefferson, especially playing without two of the team's best players in Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut for most of the season. Still, he calls the experience an overwhelmingly positive one despite the struggles.
"I really enjoyed Scott Skiles, and I really enjoyed the situation that we had there," he said. "If you take any team and take away their top two scorers from the season before, you're going to struggle, but we worked hard, fought hard, and tried to do what we could last year."
Jefferson admitted that he really would have liked to retire a New Jersey Net, but he's come along way in nine seasons of basketball and has learned to appreciate every situation he may be in, no matter how positive or how negative.
"It's been good for me," he admitted. "We're just trying to pick it all up and gel as quickly as we can."
With all the new players and youth added to the roster this summer, just getting used to playing with new guys is a good early season goal to have. But in the long-term the goals are quite a bit loftier, and if the NBA Finals is indeed where the Spurs are headed, Jefferson will without question have played a tremendous role in helping them get back there.