Where Are They Now, 2009; Part 27
February 3rd, 2009
– Chris Jefferies is a weird story. A first-round draft pick back in 2002, Jefferies got an opportunity to showcase himself back in his rookie season with an injury-depleted tanking Raptors team. He didn’t do much with it, though, and he was a throw-in in the trade the following season that saw Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams go to Chicago. It was there that Jefferies won my heart, demonstrating a decent set shot, interested defence, and a staggeringly bad handle in traffic. Jefferies was waived during the following offseason, out of the league after only two seasons. He then signed in the ABA with the Visalia Dawgs, a team that tried to reunite talent from the Fresno area. The team changed its head coach and renamed itself partway through its first season to the Central Dawgs, finished with a 3-20 record, and then folded. Jefferies has not played anywhere since, and this was nearly four years ago now. A Hoopsworld article from this time in 2007 talked about how Jefferies was rehabbing after multiple surgeries, but nothing came of that. C-Jeff turns 29 in less than a fortnight’s time, and his basketball career has been on hold for far too long now. Is he even trying to come back any more? If you know, let me know. Because I care about you, Chris Jefferies. We all care.
– Dontell Jefferson is in the D-League, and somewhat starring, as one of only three Utah Flashers that you will have ever heard of. (The other being James Lang and Ronald Dupree.) Jefferson averages 18.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.5 turnovers a game on a decent Flash team.
– Horace Jenkins is with Eldo Caserta in Italy, but his scoring numbers are less than usual, averaging only 10.1 points per game. Then again, Jenkins is 34 now, so a slowdown will happen. Fun game: name as many Division III players that you can think of who made the regular season roster of an NBA team. I’ll give you a clue; Horace Jenkins is one. DeeAndre Hulett is not.
– Brandon Jennings is in Italy with Lottomattica Roma, as well you know. He might not be having as much fun as he’d like, but the numbers are OK from a 19-year-old American at Europe’s highest level: Jennings averages 6.1 points and 2.1 assists in Italian league play, and 7.5 points and 1.1 assists in EuroLeague play. However, Jennings is a combined 23% from three-point range (15/65) and 37% overall (63/170), these numbers coming from the shorter European three-point range to boot. I’m not smart enough to know where his draft stock is at the moment, but fully ready he is not.
– Pooh Jeter averages 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists for Vive Menorca of the Spanish ACB. A decent European career awaits; an NBA career does not.
– Britton Johnsen left the Jazz before training camp began to join up with a team in Ukraine. It didn’t happen, however, and Johnsen went unsigned for a while before joining up with PAOK Marfin Thessaloniki in Greece to start this year. In four games with the team, Johnsen has averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.
– DerMarr Johnson is unsigned, as the NBA finally realises that he is not fulfilling the potential that they’ve been banking on for seven years.
– I don’t know what Ervin Johnson does now. At age 41, I don’t think a comeback is on the cards.
– Linton Johnson made the Bobcats very briefly at the start of this season, as a part of their constant big man turnover. This came after being waived from the Wizards’ training camp, bringing the number of teams that Linton has signed a contract with at some point (summer league excluded) to nine. Not bad. Johnson is currently unsigned, not even in the D-League, clearly waiting for the tenth to come a-calling. Might I suggest him to you, Cleveland?
– Remember Ken Johnson? So does Ken Johnson. The other KJ averages 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in German league play for Telekom Baskets Bonn, alongside 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in EuroChallenge play. Who was it who said the German league wasn’t worth anything? You, sir, were wrong. Your league houses Ken Johnson. Therefore, the level of quality of that league speaks for itself.
– Finally, Arthur Johnson is unsigned, after spending last season with Eldo Caserta (look up to the Horace Jenkins bit). Johnson averaged 13.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.7 spg for Caserta, but this was when they were a Lega Due team.
If you can’t get enough Johnson, then despair not, for the next update brings more news of Johnson goodness – Alexander Johnson news will be coming your way shortly. If you can’t want until then, here’s some bonus Johnson: Trey Johnson just signed a ten-day contract with the Cavaliers, meaning the league now has four Johnson’s in it. And that’s enough for anyone.
