The Minnesota Timberwolves added to their depth by signing Amile Jefferson off of their Summer League team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have added another camp body to their roster in the form of former Duke Blue Devil Amile Jefferson.
The 5th year senior is one of the more unnoticed players to come out of Duke lately. The main reason might be his lack of big numbers in Durham. He only averaged 7 points, 6 rebounds, and a block during his college career.
Jefferson’s presence is felt more in the locker room than on the court. He was one of the leaders of the team and a vocal leader. That is what made the former Blue Devil a three-time captain.
Former Duke standout Amile Jefferson and the Timberwolves have agreed to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal, sources told @BBallInsiders.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 31, 2017
His role for Minnesota would be decidedly different.
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While he might come in as a leader of his college team, this current Wolves squad is not lacking in leadership with all the veterans added this offseason. He comes in as an unproven rookie who is trying to crack the toughest part of the lineup to crack: big men. With Cole Aldrich, Nemanja Bjelica, Taj Gibson, Justin Patton, Gorgui Dieng, and Karl Anthony Towns already on the roster, getting a spot on the roster will be extremely tough.
What makes things even tougher is Jefferson’s lack of versatility. He didn’t shoot a three-pointer in his college career or during the Summer League this season. Being an undrafted free agent is hard enough, let alone not having the ability to be a stretch 4. Three-point shooting is a must in today’s NBA. Unless you are a proven veteran, it will be hard for teams to take a chance on a non three-point shooter.
This seems like a perfect setup to get the Philadelphia native some experience with proven veterans and then let him spend the season in Iowa. Along with recent signings Melo Trimble and Marcus Georges-Hunt, Jefferson seems to be destined to play for the Iowa Wolves and their newly announced coach.
We have announced Scott Roth as Head Coach of the Iowa Wolves.
— Iowa Wolves (@iawolves) August 30, 2017
Full Press Release: https://t.co/qsUuUPSAx1 pic.twitter.com/90yRPmlGoU
While I am not a Duke fan, I have always been a big Amile Jefferson fan. It seems unlikely he finds a spot on the team, but he will put everything he has into his time with coach Thibs and Towns.
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If he does get sent down to Iowa, it seems like a perfect situation for him. He would get to play lots of minutes and take up that leader role that he has at Duke.