Jared

Jeffries

Jeffries, who will back up Jarvis Hayes at the start of the season, is due to make $2.03 million in 2005-06.

Jeffries has a broken nose but will only end up having missed one game. That’s still more than he missed all of last season.

Coach Eddie Jordan called the 6-foot-11 small forward “the unsung hero” for his defense on Jermaine O’Neal and LeBron James in recent games. Jeffries has also been more aggressive since Larry Hughes got hurt. He’s also helped by the fact that Jarvis Hayes is now starting at shooting guard rather than eating into his minutes.

Contact or fatigue in Jeffries’ surgically-repaired knee could cause re-injury. Jeffries hasn’t yet been cleared to play in the preseason. The Wizards are trying to determine which forward position he will play. For now, he is penciled in as the starting small forward.

''We love his skills on the floor, how he handles the ball, how he sees people, how he passes, how he attempts offensive rebounds,’' Coach Eddie Jordan said. ''It’s very important for us to have him out there more and more now.’' Jeffries is averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. Unless he ends up with a starting role he won’t be worth picking up.

Jeffries is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game.

Had Washington matched they would have exceeded the salary cap. The move should mean DeShawn Stevenson (who the Wizards got from the Magic for a bargain-basement price) should start at shooting guard if he can beat out perennially injured Jarvis Hayes for the job. Jeffries should replace Jalen Rose at small forward for the Knicks, but isn’t expected to greatly exceed his career averages of six points and five rebounds.

“His ball-handling skills are pretty unique for a player of his size, and his passing skills are pretty unique,” Thomas said. “He’s pretty complete as a player.” For those of you scoring at home, that’s three uses of the term “pretty” in two sentences. There’s no doubt that Isiah’s “pretty” excited about bringing Indiana-alum Jeffries to the Knicks, and Jeffries should displace Jalen Rose in the starting five this season.

If they let him go, look for the Knicks’ lineup to become more confusing, while the Wizards will likely shift Caron Butler to shooting guard, Antawn Jamison to small forward and start newly acquired Darius Songaila at power forward. Jeffries and Isiah Thomas are pushing for a move to New York, and early indications are that the Wizards won’t match the offer, which could put them back in the hunt for free agent SG DeShawn Stevenson.

Three different sources have said the Wizards will match New York’s offer, and they’re also not concerned about Jeffries becoming a malcontent in Washington. We’ll probably find out on Monday, which is the deadline for the Wizards to match the offer.