New York Knicks forward Jared Jeffries fractured his left calf bone yesterday during practice and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. The injury occured when he blocked Stepon Marburys layup from behind on a fast break and landed awkwardly. He could miss the first 15 regular season games and come back around Thanksgiving. For the third straight preseason, Jeffries has suffered an injury that will force him to miss the start of the regular season. The Knicks signed Jeffries in 2006 when the Wizards declined to match the Knicks offer. He had a disappointing season last year shooting 40% from the field and averaging 3.7 points in 18 minutes. He sprained his ACL and missed the first five games of the regular season. His first season with the franchise he appeared in only 55 games due to a fractured wrist and missed the first 23 games of the season.
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However, Jeffries was emerging as a possible candidate to start at center in coach Mike D’Antonis up-tempo offense. D’Antoni praised the former Hoosier and hinted that he could take over center Eddy Curry’s spot in the starting rotation. At 6’11” Jeffries is known for his athleticism, ability to handle the ball and on the ball defense. The Knicks struggled defensively last year allowing 103 points per game and were last in blocked shots averaging 2.6. They were also towards the bottom of the league in steals.
Eddy Curry and David Lee will be battling for the starting center position in training camp. A bacterial infection has kept Curry out from the beginning of training camp. Being unable to play, he will fall behind learning the new system and have worse conditioning, giving Lee the early lead in the position battle. The Knicks open pre-season play next Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.
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