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I know that Jack was the subject of many trade rumors last season but I don't get the impression ( through mere observation from an outsiders POV ) that he was a bad PG or anything.....from my understanding....he's just not the PG that Pritchard wanted.

From what I have read about him, Jack was acquired because he was supposed to be a somewhat decent PG defender that could adequately run the point while being able to hit a few 3pt shots. In all honesty....anyone that can guard a paper bag is likely better then Ford, Tinsley and Diener....so even if Jack was somewhat decent...he would be better then anybody the Pacers have.

I'm concerned about how well he will fit with TJ Ford and whether he would be the type of player that can accept the role that he will likely have on the team. Although I really hope that the Pacers split the PG minutes somewhat evenly with Ford and Jack ( hopefully 26/22 between the two ), I am guessing that Jack will likely be backing up Ford in some way.

Could you guys tell me more about Jarrett Jack?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

CableKC wrote:I know that Jack was the subject of many trade rumors last season but I don't get the impression ( through mere observation from an outsiders POV ) that he was a bad PG or anything.....from my understanding....he's just not the PG that Pritchard wanted.

From what I have read about him, Jack was acquired because he was supposed to be a somewhat decent PG defender that could adequately run the point while being able to hit a few 3pt shots. In all honesty....anyone that can guard a paper bag is likely better then Ford, Tinsley and Diener....so even if Jack was somewhat decent...he would be better then anybody the Pacers have.

I'm concerned about how well he will fit with TJ Ford and whether he would be the type of player that can accept the role that he will likely have on the team. Although I really hope that the Pacers split the PG minutes somewhat evenly with Ford and Jack ( hopefully 26/22 between the two ), I am guessing that Jack will likely be backing up Ford in some way.

Could you guys tell me more about Jarrett Jack?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Honestly, Jarrett Jack isn't a bad player at all. He is a good addition to the Pacers and I think the majority of Blazer fans would agree. He's a hustle guy, pretty athletic and can also play some minutes at the two guard. The Trailblazers had an award last year called the "Tom Brady Award". It was awarded to the player who they felt worked the hardest and JJ won this award. Sure, he only got a parking spot right in front of the practice facility as an award but something like that speaks volumes about the type of player he is. I think he is going to have an extremely solid year for the Pacers next season putting up somewhere in the 10-14 PPG rang along with about 4 or 5 APG. He will be a spark for you guys off the bench and I truly feel the Pacers fan base will warm up to him quite quickly.

All in all the reason most Portland fans weren't his biggest fan was due to his lack of PG abilities. He would cause TO's late in games at pivotal moments in the game and showed struggles completing routine fast breaks. This might all be in part of his inexperience and with a little more PT under his belt he just may be a solid starting PG in this league. One thing is for sure tho, he didn't develop soon enough for Blazer fans and personnel. Just know that you won't be disappointed in him. It's hard to believe teams will expect much from him and I have no doubt in my mind that he will surpass these expectations.

He's good at recklessly driving to the basket and drawing fouls that way sometimes. He loses his confidence real easily. He can hit the three at times. He is horrible at running the fast break. He will step on the baseline at least thirty times a year with the ball (this is not an exaggeration).

He is an adequate backup who will get you some points and sometimes have really good games, but he is not consistent in that manner. He gets blown by on defense a lot. Do not expect much more than he gave Portland, in my opinion. He got minutes here because for some reason McMillan was enamored with him (personally I think it was the 1 on 3 fast break against Denver in which he tried to do the behind the back fake pass to fool the three Denver defenders only to throw the ball out of bounds and cost us the game that did it) and also liked the idea of a three guard line-up.

Jack has pretty good all-around skills, although they are definitely backup-level. He's okay with the ball, can shoot adequately, can sometimes drive. You'll be disappointed if you expect him to be a defender, as he's well below average in that department. He's a nice guy who tries really hard and cares a lot. He's inconsistent, and this may be mental.

He doesn't deserve most of the crap he gets from Blazer fans. He made a bunch of bad plays at bad times that have colored our impression of him. Most of the time, he's just pretty quiet on the floor.

I'll agree he's a really nice guy, and I don't think a lot of hate directed towards Jack is because of him personally or really even him as a player. It's mostly because Nate played him so much and it made us more aggravated with him because of his short-comings and getting so many minutes.

He's a hard worker and a great character guy to have in the locker room. I think he was asked to do too much in Portland. Jack usually played in the 4th quarter and that's where some of his mistakes were made because he was trying to make plays. An absolutely solid guard off the bench. He's only one of the few point guards in the league who can take the contact and finish AND1, good in the half court creating shots for himself or others off the pick and roll. He'll be a good change of pace from TJ Ford.

The Low Down On Jack

I can sum it up really with this: Jacks game is of a SG but he thinks hes a PG.

Pros
*Great lockerroom guy!! Fans will love him!! Good person.
*Tough as nails, physical & plays hard.
*Good ballhanlder.
*Can drive down the lane. (see Cons)
*Can hit the outside shot.

Cons
*Poor decision making. Turnovers!! (dont let him run a fast break)
*Gets down on himself easy.
*Inconsistent!!
*Likes to drive down the lane into 4 defenders then fails horribly.

Most of my Pacer buddies like what they have seen from him and think that he will complement Ford. Although the inconsistency part does give me cause for concern.....I'm guessing that he will be a better as a backup PG option playing behind Ford.

Thanks for the responses.

CableKC wrote:Most of my Pacer buddies like what they have seen from him and think that he will complement Ford. Although the inconsistency part does give me cause for concern.....I'm guessing that he will be a better as a backup PG option playing behind Ford.

Thanks for the responses.

Yeah, he's the type of player a lot of teams would like. Honestly I felt that he was awesome off the bench. He could provide instant offense and be the guy to dive on the floor for loose balls. I truly feel he is going to have a big year next season too.

CableKC wrote:Most of my Pacer buddies like what they have seen from him and think that he will complement Ford. Although the inconsistency part does give me cause for concern.....I'm guessing that he will be a better as a backup PG option playing behind Ford.

Thanks for the responses.

The guy can play, dont worry about that at all.
Its just the consistency part & the turnovers.

Jack should do okay in IND. He has the size to mach up with bigger PGs that Ford cannot handle. His driving and scoring is a change of pace from Ford's driving and dishing. With shooters like Granger(20), Dunleavy(19ppg) and Murphy(12), he should be able to attack the basket more against a spread defense. I could see him getting 24mpg-11ppg-4apg-3rpg similar to his number this year.

He has good size, average shooter, is pretty poised, doesn't back down.

He won a number of games for portland by being aggressive and drawing fouls. He's a warrior.
He gets a lot of grief on this forum but his aggressiveness was sorely needed and helped a ton. The problem is consistency and the mental aspect- he'd have a brilliant game and then an awful game. The fact he would have a rough game isn't that big of an issue, but the worrisome part is that he can get down on himself. IMO that's an issue for a point guard who should be leading. If you could give him more mental toughness I think he can be a great asset and someone who could be a legit starting PG.

Jack has 3 downsides.

1. He can't be the go to guy, especially with an important shot. He gets down on himself easily and loses confidence, but if you have 1 or 2 players out there who are stepping up their game Jack is great.

2. He isn't the best decision maker on fast breaks. When he's the only option and he finishes himself he's a terrific breaker, but when he has the option to pass he sometimes doesn't know what to do and either turns it over or misses his layup. This is different than problem 1. because it really only applies to his fast breaks.

3. He has great court vision, but sometimes lacks the vision for himself. He steps out of bounds more than he should and sometimes runs right into a defender.

Other than those things Jack is a really solid player. You won't get a defensive monster out of him but he's actually pretty decent on faster guards. His toughness can be compared to Baron Davis, Jack is awesome and driving to the lane against bigger opponents (which can sometimes backfire). Pretty much all of his negatives can be worked on with the right coach. He is a solid backup and will be missed by more Blazer fans than they think. I honestly believe Jack could be a starter if he works on his downsides, as the problem isn't his game as much as his decision making.

I think Jack could fit well on a team that fits his style of play. He's more of a halfcourt PG and even calling him a PG is debatable. The main problem he had this season was McMillan trying to play him at SG when he felt he was better at PG. He really struggled when Nate put him on the floor as the 2 guard.

The best aspect of Jack is his leadership. He's a hard worker and a good example to other players, but vocally and non-vocally. He's suspended for the first game of the season, but it was a result of a cheap shot by Brian Skinner and he was mainly standing up for himself (regardless of what PHX fans may say about it).

I liked JJ's mentality, but he just didn't fit the Blazers simply put. I truly hope things work out for him better in Indiana (and hopefully they can find a way to rid themselves of Tinsley as well).

He's a really good FT shooter. Not sure if that's been mentioned yet.

Anyway, just make sure your coach plays him < 20 mins a game. He's excellent value for that many minutes, but any more than that, and you'll be pulling your hair out.

Yup, he was our best FT shooter.

In Portland we were looking for a longterm answer at starting PG. Blake is a nice backup, but we knew he wasn't the answer, so Jack got a shot at the job and failed. He simply is not a starter in the NBA and we didn't need two nice backups. Having said that, he will be an awesome backup for Ford. He's sorta a poor man's version of Ford only bigger and I'll wager that there will be several games next year in which he outplays Ford. Just remember, Jack's place is at backup.

Watching Jack run the fast break is like watching your Mom kiss your Uncle. Not cool.

Worth noting: even as his confidence running the point went through the floor as the season progressed, Jack was looking better on defense toward the end of the season. Whether it was coaching or renewed effort or both, both Jack and Sergio seemed to figure out that neither one can keep up with opposing point guards and, since they're likely to get beat anyway, they might as well get up in their man and be a nuisance.

If Jack keeps playing that way he'll be less of a defensive liability than he was for most of his stay in Portland.

Everyone is being way too easy on Jack. Jack is an offensive blackhole. He'll log jam and disorient your offense. I think he needs to be on a team that has bad offense and where he is the main option as that's where he'll shine. If he has to make actual PG decisions, it will end in failure. He needs to be played as an SG exclusively. I don't know how someone who has a 1.7ast to 1 TO ratio can be considered a PG. True he is competitve, hardworking & passionate about the game, but this is also a negative, easily causing him to spiral into insecurities & self-doubt. There are stories of long talks with Nate McMillan going into the early morning hours about his self-confidence and his ability to perform. After doing great in the offseason and preseason to win the starting PG position he comes out and tanks it. Jack has such a desire to be such a great player(like CP3 who I think he looks up too & tries to emulate) that he ultimately fails at it. It's kind of like the kid at school who desperately wants to be cool, but because of his desperation you can just tell he's not cool and probably never will be.

For me Jack became the new Z-Bo, a person who you could gurantee would stall the offensive flow of the game. So many times I saw him barrel down the lane into 4 defenders with people on the wing or failing to see the trailer. So many boneheaded moves like losing the ball off his foot in crunch time or stepping out of bounds. Why did he get so much play time? I think he was Nate's little project and Nate probably invested so much time & energy into him that Nate wanted to prove to everyone that Jack would excel. Nate is bullheaded just like Jack and I think they both have similar attitudes. Nate saw a person who wanted to work hard & excell, so Nate rewarded it. However Nate didn't ease up or see that maybe the effort was in vain, just as Jack never sees those 4 defenders.