http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3314272Tom Canavan / Associated Press
Posted: 4 hours ago
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Nets leading scorer Richard Jefferson will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured ligament in his left wrist.
Jefferson is expected to have surgery soon and he will be sidelined until at least late May, Nets president Rod Thorn said Tuesday.
"It's basically a four-month rehab, so he will be out the rest of the season," Thorn said, crediting Jefferson for playing while injured. "Obviously, this is a blow for us."
The 24-year-old Jefferson hurt his wrist in a game against the Pistons in Detroit on Dec. 27. Jefferson, a member of the U.S. bronze-medal Olympic team in Athens, aggravated the injury last week in Milwaukee during a game against the Bucks.
An MRI on Monday revealed the tear, which is the latest woe to beset the three-time defending Atlantic Division champions since the end of last season.
After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinal in seven games by the eventual NBA champion Pistons, the Nets' new ownership dismantled the team because of economic concerns.
All-Star forward Kenyon Martin, who was a restricted free agent, was signed and dealt to Denver because the Nets could not afford to match the Nuggets' offer. Kerry Kittles was dealt to the Clippers and fellow guard Lucious Harris was waived. The situation was exacerbated when perennial All-Star point guard Jason Kidd had knee surgery and missed the first month of the season.
The Nets (12-21) seemed to rebound last month when Vince Carter was acquired from Toronto in a major deal that gave New Jersey an outstanding 1-2-3 combination of Kidd, Jefferson and Carter.
However, the wrist injury has now removed Jefferson, who signed a contract extension this summer worth $78 million over the next six years.
Until the injury, Jefferson had been one of the Nets' most durable and exciting players.
Acquired in a draft-day trade with Houston in 2001, the athletic swingman had missed only five games in his first three years.
Playing in all 33 games this year, Jefferson averaged 22.2 points and 41.1 minutes, both team highs.
The former University of Arizona product had a career-high, 42-point game against Cleveland on Dec. 22. Three nights earlier he had a 38-point game against Toronto.
The runner-up for the NBA rookie of the year in 2001-02, Jefferson also had career highs with 21 rebounds and 57 minutes played in a double overtime win over Chicago on Nov. 5.
Jefferson averaged team-highs with 18.5 points and 38.2 minutes last season, playing in a career-high 82 games.
