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After practice on Wednesday and right before getting on the plane to go to Charlotte, Jefferson responded to some fan e-mail.
Is Bryon Scott's coaching different now from the regular season?
Brandy
San Luis Obispo
Jefferson: No, actually I think he's a little more backed up. He doesn't really get on us as much. He doesn't try to teach as much or talk as much. He kind of just let us do all the things that he taught us throughout the year.
You ill boy, first year in the league and rippin' it up -- much
respect! My question is how much do you attribute your success this
first year in the league to playing basketball at the University of
Arizona?
Joe
Fort Collins, Colo.
Jefferson: I'd have to say everything. When you look at how many players from Arizona in this league, I think it really shows the coaching that you get, the discipline and the knowledge that you learn while you're at that school under Lute Olson. I think that's why I've been so successful.
Do you feel any pressure being a rookie in the playoffs?
Abbas
West New York, NJ
Jefferson: No, not at all. I think this year we've all done everything together as a team. It hasn't been just Jason Kidd or just Kenyon Martin – it's all been done as a team. We've won and lost as a team throughout the year so I really don't feel any pressure.
Hey Richard! I just wanted to ask what has your first playoff
experience been like and how is this atmosphere different from the NCAA
finals?
Tabatha
Peoria, Ill.
Jefferson: I think the Game 5 situation was very similar to going to the NCAA tournament, but for the most part, you get a chance to really prove and hopefully the best team wins every single series. That's not necessarily the case in most tournament games. I think that going deep in the tournament last year and experiencing that and then being in the playoffs my first year, there are some similarities and it has helped.
First off, you should have been Rookie of the Year. Pau Gasol is nice but I think
you are a key factor in the Nets' winning season. What's it like in the
Nets locker room? What do you guys do before each game?
Keren
Mount Vernon, NY
Jefferson: Before a game, mainly just joke around. We joke around a lot. Mainly just laugh a little bit, listen to a little music, nothing really big. Halftime, it's normally silent in our locker room, totally silent until the coaches come in. After the game, most of the time it's laughs and jokes again. We're really just a lighthearted team. We have fun, we have a very young team and we have a good time.
Hello. What do you see as your biggest strength on the court?
Ville
Kotka, Finland
Jefferson: I'd say versatility. I can score; I can shoot; I can pass; I can dribble. I don't do anything great, but I do a lot of things well. I do a lot of things well. To be modest. (laughs)
Can you share the difference between college and the NBA?
Josh
Columbia City, Ind.
Jefferson: Just the level of the talent. When you play in college, a college team might have one or two or maybe three good players. Whereas, in the NBA, every team has dominant players and people who were dominant at one point in their careers so they can always get it going. That's probably the biggest difference between the two.
You got a lot bigger and stronger since your last year at
Arizona. Did the strength coach give you a workout plan or what?
Kaon
Baltimore
Jefferson: I was real big. I've lost a little bit of weight as long as the season's gone through. I think now that this is just your job, this is your occupation that you're really only priorities, you're only responsibilities are to work out and stay in shape. And you have a lot more time to do that so your body is naturally going to get a little bit stronger. I don't think I'm doing any things different than I was doing at Arizona but I'm doing a lot more of it.
