With LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann injured, the Hornets had trouble at the guard position.
Enter DaQuan Jeffries.
Daquan Jeffries
On October 2nd, the Hornets acquired Jeffries from the New York Knicks in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The deal was headlined by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo being sent to Minnesota and Karl-Anthony Towns heading to the Knicks. Jeffries was entering his sixth season in the league and joining his fifth team. He had previously played for the Kings, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Knicks.
During his tenure with each team, Jeffries never played more than 18 games in a single season. During the 2020-21 season, however, Jeffries played 31 total games, split between the Kings and Rockets, as he was waived by the Kings midway through the season.
Jeffries received the most playing time during his tenure with the Rockets, where he played around 20 minutes a night. He averaged a little under five points a game, but it was his best statistical (half) season.
Enter The Hornets
On October 10, Jeffries suffered a fractured right hand and was given no timetable to return.
He was to miss the entire preseason and the start of the season. Jeffries was already facing a difficult battle at the guard position, and missing the start of the season would greatly hurt his ability to prove he could receive minutes.
After missing the first 20 games of the season, Jeffries was finally cleared to play on December 3rd against the 76ers. Jeffries was a DNP-CD during the matchup as the team was still trying to figure out where he fit into the rotation.
However, the path to minutes was much clearer than it may have seemed.
The Hornets have been plagued by injuries to start the season, but injuries to guards LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann opened the door for Jeffries.
In his second game back from injury, the Hornets faced Jeffries’s former team, the New York Knicks. Jeffries played his most minutes in three and a half years, playing 16 minutes and scoring eight points on three-for-five shooting and one-for-two from three. He added a steal and a block.
Vs. Cleveland
It got better from there. Two days later, the Hornets had a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The issue? There was one fully healthy center on the roster, 39-year-old Taj Gibson. The Cavs are well known for their size, boasting at least one of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the court at all times. The Hornets’ solution was DaQuan Jeffries.
Jeffries played 25 minutes, scoring 17 points on seven-for-eleven shooting and three for five from three while grabbing six rebounds.
With 5:46 left in the third quarter, Jeffries was subbed in for Gibson, who matched up with Jarrett Allen. Allen went 0/1 before subbing out for Evan Mobley. Mobley fared worse than Allen, not getting a shot off and gathering two turnovers during his stint.
Postgame
After the game, I asked Hornets head coach Charles Lee about what he had seen from Jeffries and if he would still see minutes when Ball and Mann returned.
“I’ve seen a guy that’s just been hungry. I think that throughout his rehab stint, he did a really good job of coming in and working every day and asking questions during practice. Usually, guys that prepare well are ready for their opportunity, and he has been, so he has given us some really good things on both ends of the court,” said Lee.
Lee also noted that Jeffries had “good size,” which allowed him to guard nearly anybody on the court. His offensive decision-making was also strong.
I then asked DaQuan how it felt to contribute more consistently on the court, especially since it was his third game back and he had logged his most minutes in three and a half years. Jeffries kept it simple.
“It feels pretty good.”
Jeffries’ minutes stayed up, as he received 20 minutes against the Pacers during a back-to-back. He logged eight points on three for four from the field and one for two from three.
Jeffries has averaged eleven points on 65/60/50 splits to start his Hornets tenure. It’s tough to determine if Jeffries’ minutes will stay around there, though he has earned himself a rotation spot when Ball and Mann return.
Leave a comment