Indiana Pacers: Al Jefferson stepping in and stepping up

When Myles Turner went down, the Indiana Pacers turned to long-time veteran Al Jefferson to help shore up the center position, and he’s shown that he is up to the task.

After a somewhat disappointing 2016-17 campaign, Indiana Pacers center Al Jefferson decided to rededicate himself to his craft this past summer.

Jefferson is already one of the most skilled low-post big men in the league, so the work he did was primarily geared toward improving his physical condition — he was able to lose 40 pounds during the offseason due to hard work and healthier eating habits.

Early in the 2017-18 season, Jefferson found himself out of the rotation despite his newly svelte physique. His effort to get into great shape seemed all for naught, but in the NBA, opportunities lurk around every corner if one is patient.

Starting center Myles Turner injured his elbow in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 8 and it’s kept him out of the lineup ever since, which meant the Pacers then needed some help up front. Enter Al Jefferson.

His production has been very good in limited minutes (Jefferson is averaging 17.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per 36 minutes over the last four contests), and he has given the club a further boost with his presence in the paint and veteran leadership.

Additionally, Al Jefferson’s contributions go well beyond what he does during games. He has been a mentor to several of Indiana’s big men, working with them before, during and after practice to help them hone their post-up skills.

No one knows just how long Myles Turner will be sidelined, but he will be out for at least a few more games and will then be considered “week to week” by the team’s medical staff.

It is possible that the center tandem of Domantas Sabonis and Al Jefferson could be featured for a while, so Jefferson’s contributions on the floor could end up being significant in Indiana’s quest to earn a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Jefferson has been terrific thus far as the club’s second unit go-to guy in the post. There aren’t many old school low-post players left in the NBA, but Al Jefferson is certainly one of them.

Sabonis is also savvy on the block, so the combination of he and Jefferson allows the Pacers to play inside-out regardless of which of them is in the game at any particular time, and that in turn has given Indiana’s offense the versatility it needs to thrive.

Any time a veteran player is not in a team’s rotation, it’s typically only a matter of time before something happens (an injury, a trade or a rotation player struggling) that opens the door for that player to log some minutes and help his team win games.

This is the situation Al Jefferson currently finds himself in, and at least to this point, he’s really stepped up for the Pacers. He greatly improved his conditioning over the summer, but he didn’t get discouraged when that didn’t translate into increased playing time right away.

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Now, Jefferson is getting about as much run as his body can handle after 13-plus years in the league, and he’s making the most of it while the opportunity is there.