When Stephen Jackson emerged from the mint after counting the millions of dollars he was prematurely handed by the Golden State Warriors and immediately declared he wanted to be traded to a playoff team, we scowled and booed at the treasonous Captain Jack.
When the Warriors finally gave in and shipped him off to perennial loser Charlotte, we laughed.
Well, with the Bobcats coming to town on Friday, it looks like Jackson is getting the last laugh after all.
Jackson hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation on Tuesday and the Bobcats went on to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-109 in overtime to get back to .500, which is good for seventh place and a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (note: .500 would be 12th in the West).
At the time of the trade, the Bobcats were 3-6 and headed nowhere. They lost their first three games with Jackson and it seemed like only a matter of time before he started demanding to be traded to a contender again.
Since then, however, the Bobcats have gone 19-13 with wins over the Cavaliers (twice), Suns (twice), Nuggets and Spurs, among others. Jackson has led the team in scoring 17 times, including a career-high 43 points in a win over Houston.
The intensity, focus and passion that he showed early in his tenure with the Warriors is back and everyone associated with the Bobcats says Jackson has made them a dramatically better team. He's hitting big shots, playing great defense and lifting the level of play of his teammates. All the things he did while helping lead the Warriors on their 2007 "We Believe" odyssey.
Golden State, meanwhile, has gone 10-24 without him heading into Wednesday's game against New Orleans.
As a way to get ready for Friday's home game, we asked Bobcats examiner David Sentendrey for some insight about Jackson's time with Charlotte. Here's what he had to say.
Question: What did you think of the trade at the time it was made?
Answer: Well, the Bobcats desperately needed a go-to scorer besides Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton, who are both slashers, not shooters like Jackson. So the deal was great. When you essentially switch a declining Raja Bell with an offensive threat like Jackson you have to be excited, especially when the Bobcats have not had much success since their birth in the NBA.
Q: What do you think of it now?
A: It's worked out fantastic, wouldn't you agree? The Bobcats are officially in the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference and have had big wins over teams like Cleveland. Since bringing over Jackson, the Bobcats have put up their longest home-game win streak in history at nine games. Arguably one of the best things that Jackson has done is take pressure off Gerald Wallace, who appears to be heading the the all-star game as a reserve.
Q: What has Stephen Jackson meant to the Bobcats and their recent success?
A: Scoring, experience and pressure off Gerald Wallace.
Q: Have there been any attitude problems or outlandish behavior?
A: No attitude problems that I have seen. When you have a legendary coach like Larry Brown things tend to stay in order more, usually.
Q: Do you think the Bobcats would be in playoff contention without him?
A: Hate to say it, but not at all.
Q: Has anyone in Charlotte ever mentioned Jackson's contract, which was a huge story here in Oakland?
A: I don't think too many fans are worried about his contract because he has brought winning and experience to a team that was so hungry for something. If the Bobcats can make the playoffs, I think most of Charlotte will agree that it is a good move.
| Stat | Bobcats | Warriors |
| Scoring | 21.1 | 16.6 |
| Rebounding | 5.0 | 3.9 |
| Assists | 3.5 | 4.7 |
| Minutes | 40.1 | 33.3 |
| FG pct | 42.4 | 42.1 |
| 3FG pct | 31.1 | 27.5 |
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