By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

 

 

Nets forward Richard Jefferson has been having problems with his right ankle all season. Earlier in the year, he had two cortisone shots, but apparently they did not work. Jefferson elected to have arthroscopic surgery Monday to remove loose fragments from the ankle, but his timing was questionable -- the Nets are about to start an important West Coast road trip, and he could be out until March -- jeopardizing the team's playoff hopes. Here's your chance to see my take on the consequences of Jefferson's absence, and respond with some thoughts of your own.

Carter is still putting up about 25 points per game, but he just hasn't been as clutch or as dominant as he has been in the past. A positive sign -- Carter has been showing signs of improvement in the past few weeks, and has become more aggressive. When Jason Kidd plays well, he makes everyone else on the team better, taking pressure off Carter to perform. If that doesn't happen, neither will a postseason trip.

Every professional sports team has its share of injuries, but for the Nets the situation is getting ridiculous. Jefferson will be the fifth player from the Nets to have surgery this season, the most serious of which was starting center Nenad Krstic, who will miss the rest of this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in late December. Clifford Robinson also underwent knee surgery and is listed as being out indefinitely.

Jefferson's problems date back to the 2006 playoffs, when he sprained his right ankle when the Nets faced off against the Miami Heat before injuring the ankle again in the offseason. The problem reared its head again during a game against the Bucks in December.

Projections show that Jefferson will be out six weeks. That puts his return around the end of February, or possibly the All-Star break if he's lucky. The Nets will need to make due without him for at least 15 games, maybe 18. The Nets will have 24 games left in March and April combined before the season is over -- that still leaves plenty of time to stage a late season rally.

They just have to stay there, or at least hang on tight. Right now, they are at .500 (20-20) after winning four straight and nine of the last 11. The Raptors are a game and a half back, and the Knicks three. The Nets' West Coast trip will be a test this week, as they face the Clippers, who have covered the Nets well, and the Nuggets, who will be getting back Carmelo Anthony after his suspension. The Kings and Warriors aren't as big a deal since Sacramento has lost four straight and the Warriors aren't great at guarding the opposition.

Second-year forward Antoine Wright filled in for Jefferson earlier in the year for five games, but has dropped out of the rotation as of late. Jefferson was second behind Kidd in points per game, and he won't be easy to replace. Head Coach Lawrence Frank doesn't know at this point who will be filling in for the injured forward, but regardless, the rest of the team needs to step up in Jefferson's absence if they want to keep pace and hold on before making a final playoff run at the end of the season.

Wanna argue with the Ref? Don't like the call? Go ahead and make your own!