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It's been more than seven months since Jefferson went down in a heap along one baseline at the New Orleans Arena, grabbing his right knee and fearing the worst late in a Wolves loss on Feb. 8. Everyone else in Wolves Nation (is there a Wolves Nation?) feared the worst, too, and that's what they got: A shredded anterior cruciate ligament that immediately ended Jefferson's season, a 7-25 slide that spoiled what had been the modest promise of 17-33 (including a 10-2 start to calendar 2009) and all the attendant harsh realities -- firings, trades, changes of every sort -- that typically follow when a team misses the Playoffs for a fifth straight spring.

Since then, it's been largely a bummer summer for Jefferson. Six weeks in a knee brace and on crutches gave way to countless hours in rehab from his Feb. 18 surgery, a repetitive and lonely pursuit despite serious bonding time with fellow Wolf Corey Brewer. Brewer tore the same ligament in his same knee back in November, putting him more than two months ahead of Jefferson in terms of recovery, physical grind, occasional setbacks and recurring doubts.

Now, Brewer is one of just four teammates returning to a roster torn down and rebuilt, McMansion-style, by new Wolves president David Kahn -- McMansion without the Big Mac, since Kevin McHale was bounced in favor of Rambis. And as valued as Jefferson is -- his 23.1 ppg and 11.0 rpg would have ranked him with Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh as last season's only 20-10 players, had Jefferson played enough to officially qualify -- he has heard Kahn tell fans and media more than once that Minnesota won't be a serious contender until he is the team's second-best player. As opposed to the default franchise guy, a surrogate thrust into what used to be Kevin Garnett's suffering role.

That has stoked the fire of Jefferson's comeback, too, a comeback now in its final stages.

john2jer wrote:That doesn't really tell us anything new.

klomp44 wrote:

john2jer wrote:That doesn't really tell us anything new.

Did you read the whole thing? At least we're being covered...

klomp44 wrote:Arenas, Brewer, Amare, and others Al's situation all depend on their pure athleticism to be successful. Al doesn't.

tvwolves7 wrote:Anyone else concerned that Al is rushing himself? If anyone has read anything lately with G. Arenas he stated he felt fine but the team/medicall staff should have held him back. Should the Timberwolves be holding Jefferson back?

Also, I recall Kahn stating in the Sessions Press Conference when asked about Brewer that he sometimes has sat out of scrimmages because of soreness and he is 2 months ahead of Al on the recovery.

klomp44 wrote:Arenas, Brewer, Amare, and others Al's situation all depend on their pure athleticism to be successful. Al doesn't.