Al Jefferson: Minnesota's Newest Attraction

Minnesota fans had plenty to rave about in 2007 when Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson emerged as one of the NFL's top running backs.

But now that the Vikes' season has come to an end, the attention can turn to another young buck—Al Jefferson of the Timberwolves.

This season has been the beginning of a new era for the T-Wolves. After 12 years of Kevin Garnett, Jefferson looks primed to assert himself as the face of the franchise.

Don't mistake him for KG—Jefferson is making his own name for himself, and giving fans in Minnesota something to get excited about.

The Wolves received Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Garnett. Apart from Ratliff, all of those guys have great upsides.

It's been Jefferson who's stood out as the bright spot on a 4-26 team, though, averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds on the season.

Is it a Garnett stat line?

Sort of—except for the meager one assist Jefferson averages per game.

Jefferson's passing, defense, and midrange shooting need work, but will no doubt develop as he matures. And though he's a terrific low post player, it wouldn't hurt if he got his body into better shape.

On the plus side, the youngster does seem very coachable.

In his final year in Boston, Jefferson showed promise by averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds. Now he looks like a franchise player.

Of course, he needs decent role players to complement him—and the young Timberwolves may already have some on the roster.

Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair have been solid this year, averaging double figures in scoring. Gerald Green is only averaging 4.8 PPG, but has shown flashes of what he's capable of doing.

Rashad McCants has been the next best thing to Jefferson in Minnesota this season, and F-C Craig Smith is playing exceptionally well.

Smith has made some fans forget about Mark Blount, who was set to be the staring center before the season began.

Rookie Corey Brewer could also be very good down the road. Randy Foye has yet to play a game this season due to injury—but having watched him last season I can tell you he and Jefferson will be the centerpieces of the franchise once he returns.

As one of just five players in the NBA averaging at least 20 and 10, Jefferson is quietly having an All-Star season despite his team's record. His most memorable performance came against the Phoenix Suns, when he tied a career-high with 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a Minnesota victory.

History shows that teams who trade their franchise players usually don't get anything near as good in return.

So far, that hasn't been the case for the Timberwolves.

Although Jefferson's no KG, he's already more than proven his worth.

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