Brooklyn Nets rookie Joshua Jefferson faced a tough start to his NBA journey, having to wait longer than most of his draft class to hit the court. It wasn’t just some minor paperwork, either; he was part of the big trade that also brought Julius Randle to Brooklyn, and that deal dragged on until July 11. Because of that delay, the former Iowa State Cyclone missed the entire California Classic before finally getting his shot in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Loudest In The Gym
Jefferson’s confidence is through the roof, though. When general manager Sean Marks asked him what makes him stand out, the No. 28 overall pick didn’t hold back. He said he was “the loudest person in the gym” defensively and actually thought he was “shooting the ball well.” He sees himself as a do-it-all guy, too. “I was playmaking, I was rebounding, I was defending,” Jefferson explained. “I don’t think there’s a lot of players in this draft that are capable of doing all of those things at a high level. That’s what I think I’m really good at doing.”
A Rough First Look
But let’s be real, while that confidence is awesome, the early numbers from Las Vegas Summer League tell a different story. In his three games, Jefferson put up 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.0 steals. Those aren’t bad for a rookie, right? Except his shooting splits were, well, a little rough: 33.3% from the field and a cold 12.5% from behind the arc. That’s a far cry from “shooting the ball well” that he mentioned.
At 22, Jefferson brings a “professional, mature approach to the game” according to him. He’s all about putting in work and being a good person. For one of the NBA’s youngest teams, that kind of maturity is gold, but he’ll need to show that versatility he boasts about on both ends when the regular season tips off. That’s where he really proves what he can do.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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