Lockout gives him time to rehabilitate torn ACL There’s one member of the Wizards who actually will be better suited by the late arrival of the upcoming season.
Othyus Jeffers, a NBA Development League all-star forward who impressed in 16 games with Washington after a call-up last spring, needs every minute he can get for rehabilitation after tearing the ACL in his right knee during a workout in July.
Asked whether the current stalemate between NBA owners and players had a silver lining, Jeffers said, “For me, yes. At this moment, I really don’t know [when I will be ready to return]. I’ve just got to keep going to therapy and let it work out.”
The injury derailed the plans of the 26-year-old Chicago native, who set the tone for his second 10-day contract in March when he tried to take a charge on a dunking LeBron James. It didn’t work, but it still landed Jeffers on “SportsCenter” in a game in which he finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
“No one actually knew much about me, so it was playing my heart out,” Jeffers said. “I played, and people saw what I brought to the table.”
With the Wizards, he averaged 5.7 points a game, including four double-figure scoring outings, and 4.1 rebounds, including a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) in an April win at Atlanta. The versatile forward in a running back’s body — who’s generously listed at 6-foot-5 — convinced the Wizards to extend him a qualifying offer, which sent him into the offseason with a playbook and a plan.
“It was just like school,” Jeffers said. “I wanted to get down the plays and the coaches’ lingo for the new season. I wanted to make sure I was running on all cylinders. I had to study, to learn where it’ll be able for me to be effective for the team, and I was just working on those things. For the most part, it was all panning out.”
But that would be his last contact. Unable to call upon on the Wizards when he got injured, Jeffers instead had to turn to agent Mark Bartelstein for help finding doctors and trainers.
Instead of participating in the summer league circuit and charity games all over the country like teammate John Wall, Jeffers has remained in Chicago throughout the offseason rehabbing. At the same time, he has been trying to get out in the community more through speaking engagements at schools.
“I’m building my brand,” said Jeffers, who recently joined Twitter (@OthyustheGreat). “I’m just trying to get Othyus out there a little bit more. When the season comes back, everything should take full shape.”
Determination and optimism, both staples of Jeffers’ personality, also shape his approach to the lockout.
“My whole life, basketball has been around, so you don’t want to see that go away,” he said. “At the same time, you want things to work out for both sides.”
