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Al Jefferson has unfinished business in Charlotte

By Troy Foster

Mar 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) and guard Mo Williams (7) high five against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) and guard Mo Williams (7) high five against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Al Jefferson wants to come back to Charlotte, but what needs to change?

The Charlotte Hornets 2014 – 2015 season was the equivalent to the invention of lead paint, in terms of good idea gone awful. We have what looked like a good roster on paper, but absolutely atrocious in practice.

One person has not given up though. Al Jefferson has openly come out and said that he will not be opting out of his contract.

Al Jefferson signed a 3-year contract in 2013 with a possibility to opt out in the 3rd year.

What exactly is his business though? Well, last year Jefferson was the cornerstone to a budding Charlotte team with their 2nd playoff appearance in 15 years. During that season he had a career year, which lead to his first appearance on an All-NBA Team.

What needs to change than to get this team back on track and for Al Jefferson to take care of that unfinished business?

A lot of people place blame on Lance Stephenson for under performing, and I’m one of those people. That isn’t the end of the story though. Not only did they acquire a ghost player but they lost an important one as well. Josh McRoberts had an under appreciated role for Charlotte last year.

Cody Zeller was asked to do what McRoberts did last year and replace his production. First of all we have to ask ourselves, what did McRoberts do? McRoberts was an undervalued play-maker and commonly caught the ball in the high post only to create and space the floor for Al Jefferson. He was also a reliable scorer in the mid-range. His game was built upon his finesse and decision making.

Now I will be first to say that when I saw Cody Zeller during the preseason of the 2013-2014 season, I touted his athletic ability. He seemed like he had all the tools to be a great defender and the mass and muscle to bang around in the post. Though these skills are valuable, I’m not sure it is exactly the partner Al Jefferson needs to thrive.

It would be unfair to not mention that Cody Zeller has worked on his jumper and has developed a mid range game. The utility of this shot though can increase in potency if you have all three options of pull up, pass, and back down defender. McRoberts showed the value, Zeller shows the potential, and Al Jefferson is along for the ride. We will see if they can turn things around in the 2015-2016 season, but one thing is for certain. They will not have the expectations of success that came with start of this season.

H/T SI.com

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