The Charlotte Bobcats' Al Jefferson left Friday's preseason game against the Miami Heat due to a sprained right ankle. The team said Jefferson will be reevaluated on Saturday, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Al Jefferson injury: Bobcats C sprains ankle in preseason game
Al Jefferson’s Charlotte career isn’t off to a very good start as the center had to be helped to the locker room on Friday.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Jefferson left the game during the third quarter and had to be carried to the locker room, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. There was some initial fear that Jefferson may have suffered a serious knee injury prior to the team announcing he left due to the sprained ankle.
While the full extent of the injury is still unknown, the fact he apparently avoided a serious knee injury is good news for the Bobcats. Jefferson is entering his first season with Charlotte after signing a three-year, $41 million deal in the offseason. He's expected to play a major role and losing him for a long period of time would be a blow to Charlotte, as Ben Swanson of Rufus on Fire wrote:
Jefferson's role as the new centerpiece of the Bobcats' offense is key to their upcoming season, and a significant injury to him could devastate the team's scoring punch and depth in the frontcourt, further escalated because of a long-term injury to bench center Brendan Haywood.
The team will have a better understanding of the extent of the injury and a possible timeline for his return after Jefferson is reevaluated. Charlotte has more than two weeks until it begins the regular season, giving Jefferson some time to recover.
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