Stephen Jackson

[jezmund]

I believe he would be a solid pickup for us as long as contracts don't get out of hand. 3-4 year deal for about 6-10M. He's a great athlete that's a good finisher and adequate defensive player. I'd be more comfortable having him if we had a good coach in place who knows how to give out roles.

[Guest]

I might risk it, but know that, in doing it, we'd be in for many nights of frustration as well. However, we'd suddenly be an athletic team that plays quite uptempo. it's enticing...

[CHORO44]

Any one else have thoughts on SJ? I'll admit I rarely watched Spurs games last year because of their style but the games I saw SJ looked like a streaky player.

Would he be a solid addition to our team?

[KB21]

It appears that Jackson is who the Hawks will target with their exception. Apparently, Jackson and Jason Terry are very good friends, and Jackson would love to play alongside Terry in Atlanta.

[jezmund]

I'd have to say that he's more versatile than Glover and obviously more experienced than both DJ and Glover. He's got a taste of winning and has worked hard to get where he is. If he is looking for a contract somewhere in the 1.5-2.5 range than I think he would be a solid addition. That's probably around what Newble would have gotten had we made this trade before he signed with the Cavs. I think Jackson is as good as Newble in most ways.

On another note, Darrell Armstrong is a player I'd really like to pickup who I think could be had for little. Washington seems to be the only team going after him and all they are offering is the veteran's minimum at 1M. I'd give him a 2yr/3M contract. Maybe even a 2yr/2M contract if Washington is only guaranteeing 1 year. I really believe we need 3 PG's if 3 of anything and 1 of them needs to be an experienced veteran. Armstrong fits the bill in my opinion. So here is a list of pickups I'd like....

PG: Darrell Armstrong

SG:(outside shooting/vets) Jon Barry, Eric Piatkowski

SG/SF:(athletic swingmen) Stephen Jackson, DJ, Glover

PF/C: Tyrone Hill (mainly if we found a trade for Nazr; I'd like him here regardless but we may need to focus somewhere else) Holman?sp? (athletic bigman; mainly to fill a roster spot cheaply) Holden (similar body to Nazr if I'm correct; could develop into similar type of player; see above)

I don't think we can afford Barry unless he won't mind a little bit of a paycut. I'd like to see us sign Armstrong/Jackson and one of either DJ or Glover if Barry/Piatkowski is out of our range.

[jezmund]

Do you think Jackson will cost the Exception? Maybe half, similar to Newble's deal? I'd rather sign Armstrong/DJ than give Jackson 4-5M.

[MoonKnight]

I watched a few Spurs games and I thought Jackson was a very tentative ball handler in the Dion mode. He has a decent 3 pt shot and is a decent defender but I don't really care for another 2 guard who is a weak dribbler though having Diaw in the starting lineup at the 3 spot may ease the need for a solid ballhandling 2 guard. Maybe someone knows more about Jackson who can calm my concerns about his dribbling ability. I would almost prefer a 2 guard by committee with Smitty starting for limited minutes with DJ or Piatkowski and Hansen rounding out the rotation.

[Blunt91]

How is Dion a tentative ballhandler? Dion played well toward the end of the season bringing the ball up the court to take pressure off JT. It would be nice to have 3 guys who can handle the ball on court at the same time in JT, Dion, and Boris Diaw.

[JaHawk10]

Jackson's a streaky talent, but worth a "risk" at the right price. We have to have a coach that will control him when his game gets outta hand. Someone like a Fratello or Carlisle will be good in developing SJ. They'll let him do his thing, but also will sit his ass down when he starts to think he's MJ out there...

J

[Guest]

agree completely. good call....

[MoonKnight]

for a 2 guard. He always has had a weak handle and actually prefers to play the 3 where he is an undersized 3 but is physically stronger than most 3s. If Diaw is truly a point forward, then we may be able to afford Glover as a 2 b/c he simply has few guard instincts on the court.

[HAWKSFAN]

Jackson gets beat off the dribble way too much, but still nowhere near as much as Glover. His shot is very streaky, but he seems to be on when it matters. From what I've seen from him in his NBA career and even a game at Oakhill, he's got a really nice crossover. He plays very erratic though, especially on fastbreaks or when theres an open lane. His eyes just light up and he decides he's going to finish regardless, it can be exciting and thats good for the team. It also ruins opportunities for easy baskets by getting dumb turnovers. He can pass the ball well and has pretty good vision, but his passes dont seem very natural. When he does pass, it seems like he had the intent to pass all along. Areas where he is weak, such as turnovers and dribble penetration that he allows, he is still stronger than Glover. I'd love to have him a s our starting SG.

[striker]

Thought I'd give you a perspective from a Spurs fan who watched Jackson all season. First I hate to see Jack go, which appears likely, but he's got an agent, Fegan, who looks out for his own interests more than his players long-term interests.

Jackson is a very emotional player who tends to be head strong. You're right, if you done have a strong coach who can handle Jackson's immaturity and lack of good decision making at times on the court, that can occur in bunches at times, he and the team are in trouble. Popovich resurrected him, he's an incomplete product, and from a development standpoint woul be better off staying or going to a stable enviroment. A lousy coach, Scott, put him in the trash heap and a bad coach or unstable team could return him there.

From a athleticism standpoint he's in the top of the league group. 6'9" but has footspeed, quickness, body control, etc. to easily play SG. Has bad handles, dribbles the ball too high, drives into traffic in the paint at ill-advised times and loses the ball. When he doesn't turn the ball over he gets to the basket well. Does have a very nice cross-over. Doesn't finish real well at the basket but penetrates and dishes well to big men. Streaky shooter from three point range who when on can get you back in a game or give you a lead in a hurry. From the perimeter throws too many high risk passes that end up as turnovers. Clutch player who tends to play poorly in the first quarter and better in the fourth. Not afraid to take the big shot. Brought Spurs back into WCF game 6 and NBA final game 6 with big shots. Good defender on average who when focused can be a very good defender. Streaky rebounder who has some good games, again when focused. Gets a lot of steals per minute.

Jackson has a lot of potential but if he's not in the right enviroment with a strong, patient coach it won't happen.

Problem is his agents is trying to cash in with a big payday with a hefty long-term contract and Jack hasn't gotten to the point where he's shown deserves it.

[Admin]

Thats a really great summary of Jackson. Thanks for that. I dont think that anyone here has any preconceived notions that Jackson is going to be the next great superstar, but I think that many of us have acknowledged the fact that he does have tremendous talent. I think that for a 2-3 mil per contract he would be a really wise investment, but I would be careful of spending too much on him.