It’s no secret that Richard Jefferson was one of last season’s biggest disappointments. After being traded to the Spurs in the 2009 offseason, Jefferson had one of the worst seasons of his career, averaging only 12.3 points and 2.0 assists per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc.
However, the Spurs showed faith in Jefferson this summer, giving him a four-year, $38.8 million deal after Jefferson opted out of the final year of his contract. And after an offseason filled with hard work, Jefferson is ready to prove to the Spurs that they didn’t make a mistake.
Ken Rodriguez of Spurs.com has the story:
After nine seasons in the NBA, Richard Jefferson decided it was time for a makeover. His shot needed an adjustment, his footwork needed improvement, his low post game needed work. So he disappeared into the gym and emerged after the summer with a new look.
Jefferson spent weeks on his game in San Antonio, New York and Las Vegas. He went to the gym for two-hour morning sessions, followed by two-hour afternoon sessions, and that doesn’t include personal conditioning. “Richard committed himself to improving his game this summer. In addition to logging many, many hours on the court, he devoted a significant amount of time working on his body,” assistant coach Chad Forcier said...
..."It’s very uncommon for a player to look at himself so introspectively and understand what is needed to get back to a championship level performance like he was at when he was in New Jersey,” Pop said. “He had lost some of that focus, some of that discipline. For him to decide to get that back shows respect for his teammates, respect for the game, the respect that he wants for himself.”
