Star center Al Jefferson, the cornerstone of the franchise's rebuilding plan who has emerged as one of the best post players in the league, will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

It was the most devastating news possible for a team that finally seemed to be turning the corner after a horrendous first season and a half in the post-Kevin Garnett Era.

"Of course we're all a little upset and a little down," forward Ryan Gomes said. "Our guy, our captain, our superstar, is going to be missing for the remainder of our season. Of course our spirits are down."

Coach Kevin McHale said Jefferson will likely have surgery to repair the injury in the next week to 10 days.

The team's leading scorer and rebounder hurt his knee when he landed awkwardly late in Sunday's 101-97 loss to New Orleans. He was examined Monday, when the anterior cruciate ligament tear was discovered.

"We'll miss Al in every aspect, from his personality to his play to his presence to everything else," McHale said. "He's such a good kid. Your heart goes out to the kid."

When the Timberwolves decided to part ways with Garnett after his 12th season in Minnesota ended in 2007, McHale set his sights on a low-post beast to serve as the new building block for the next phase of this organization's existence.

He considered the Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum before pulling the trigger on a deal with Boston that landed him the 6-foot-10 Jefferson.