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Brooklyn Nets first-round pick Joshua Jefferson could make his NBA debut soon. After missing the preseason due to a back ailment, Jefferson practiced fully on Monday, per head coach Jordi Fernandez. The No. 28 pick will be available for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. the Charlotte Hornets.
“[Joshua] will be available, yeah. He just practiced, contact practice, and did a great job. I’m happy to see him back. He’s had a buildup and today he played with the rest of the group,” Fernandez said.
Following a standout season at Iowa State, Jefferson joined the Nets alongside No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. in June’s draft.
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The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals on .474/.345/.700 shooting splits across 35 appearances with the Cyclones. His performance earned him first-team All-Big 12 and consensus second-team All-American honors. However, Jefferson missed the NCAA tournament due to an ankle injury.
The Nets took a chance on the 23-year-old late in the first round, continuing their theme of targeting sizable ball-handlers. Jefferson returned from his ankle injury during Summer League, averaging 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game across three appearances in Las Vegas. However, back soreness sidelined him for training camp and the preseason.
What can Joshua Jefferson bring to Nets during rookie campaign?
With the first-round pick cleared to return, the Nets will add another skilled forward to a position group that already features Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Danny Wolf.
“I think [creating with the ball in my hands] is a big part of who I am as a player,” Jefferson said at Media Day. “Creating for others, making the job easier and getting open shots for my teammates. It’s going to change a little bit with the amount of weapons that we have. So just getting it off the glass and then pushing in transition and playing out of closeouts and stuff like that is how I’m going to continue to integrate my game. Just making quick decisions with the ball, given I probably won’t have the ball as much as I did in college. So just understand that I’ve got to be effective in the opportunities that I get.”
Jefferson’s three-point shooting and defense will be critical if he hopes to carve out a role as a supporting piece with Brooklyn. He shot 29.3 percent from three on 1.5 attempts per game across his first three college seasons before shooting 34.5 percent on 3.1 attempts per game last season. At 250 pounds, he’ll add rebounding but will need to improve as a perimeter defender.
“Continuing to play my game and then continue to take steps on the defensive end,” Jefferson said of his focus this summer. “Picking up full is something that’s new to me, but I’ve been making it a point. I missed this in practice, so I’m trying to excel at whatever they need me to do and accept any role they throw at me. So just continue to do that, keep shooting the ball well. So those two things that they’re focusing on with me.”
After making seven first-round picks in the last two drafts, the Nets will have no shortage of competition for NBA minutes this season. First-round picks Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Wolf all spent extended stretches in the G League last season.
Jefferson will likely spend time in Long Island early in the year after missing training camp and the preseason. However, the Nets should try to get the rookie NBA minutes at some point this season, given his advanced age.
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