Check out all the various Warriors blogs and chat rooms, and alot of the criticism for a disappointing year falls at the feet of Bobby Rowell and Don Nelson. Third up seems to be Stephen Jackson, for his questionable shot selection.
Well, you won't have Jackson to yell at for a while. He is getting his painful toe checked out and all indications are that Wednesday's blowout loss in Dallas was his last game of the season. Has he taken some bad shots? Sure. But you gotta remember that he played most of the season without Monta Ellis.
Jackson put a lot of the weight of the team on his shoulders, and is second in the league in minutes played at 39.8 a game. Besides giving the Warriors toughness and being their best defensive player, Jackson posted career-highs in points (20.8 per game), rebounds (5.2) and assists (6.5). Turnovers (3.9) too, but that comes with those other stats as a package.
He had four 30-points, 10-assists games, the fifth-most in the league behind Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, LeBron James and Deron Williams.
And he did it all playing hurt.
Jackson is in it to win it, that's why he is so popular among players in the league. He knows he is not supposed to be option 1, but it wasn't his call to not re-sign Baron Davis or to have Ellis go joy-riding in the offseason. Another reason he has taken some flak among fans is the contract extension he signed early in the season, robbing the team of some roster and salary-cap flexibility. What, was he supposed to say no?
Jackson and Ellis were 9-10 in the games they played together this season, otherwise Golden State is16-37. Jackson has said he thinks the trio of him, Ellis and Jamal Crawford could actually work, and in the 14 games they started together the Warriors went 8-6.
As for Wednesday's game itself, the Mavericks shot 59 percent and Golden State showed again they need to get better defensively as individuals, forget about as a unit.
Anthony Morrow was the bright spot, shooting 10-for-11 and scoring 29 points. Marco Belinelli may be a better all-around player right now, but Morrow is a world-class shooter and is working hard to improve other areas of his game, like passing, moving without the ball and dribbling. He is already a pretty decent rebounder and looks like he is a piece for next year.
Comments
Stack Jack may have some (many) moments that are maddening, but bottom line is he is a very very good player and, until he got to the Warriors, has won everywhere he has been. It's proven you can win a championship with Jackson starting at the 3 and playing significant minutes. Warrior fans should look elsewhere to find someone to blame...
VT, I agree! Every team that expects to win and make the playoffs needs a baller like Jax. He gives the team its toughness "We will not back down or be intimated" attitude and persona. He is Robin not Batman and Batman went to LA. Plus he is not a PG and the Dubs had him handle the ball a lot.
Bottom line he was the Dubs best Player this season. Anyway way you look at it, for the Dubs to go anywhere next season they will need a stud PG
It's a love/hate relationship with Jackson. He certainly embodies the new persona/identity of the Warriors these past few seasons.
BUT....
1) I'd be interested to know who leads the league in 4th quarter turnovers this season. I'd bet a lot of money that Jackson is right near the top...and that's speaks so loudly on a team like the W's, who find themselves in a lot of tight, close games.
2) I'll also bet that he has ha more costly late game turnovers than he has late-game heroic 3-pointers.
3) Feed em while they're hot. Im sick of Jackson failing to recognize when Monta or Morrow go on a little hot streak, and doesn't continue to feed them the ball. It's almost like he thinks, "hey, I havent shot the ball in 3 possession....I need to get mine."
I love him, but next season, Jackson will have to take a back seat to Monta, and not feel like he is the #1 option. He's a damn good player, but he's not a superstar.
Hey VT,
I was wondering if you can ask a question for me.
Frame it like this for maximum effect. Get a FO person or Robert Rowell if you can.
"After you re-sign Mullin, will there be a significant trade to rearrange the guard and small forward positions."
Pretty much any question as long as you preface it with the Mullin statement. Just to see what they say.
Jackson sucks, and Dubs need to seek a trade!
Boycott the Warriors until Chris Cohan sells the team, DO NOT RE-UP YOU SEASON TICKETS!!!
If the Warrior had a real point guard, I'd say trade Jackson while his value is high. But with the current team make-up, it becomes near impossible unless a playmaker is brought in to balance things. My problem with Jackson isn't just the bad shot selection, but it's a host of questionable decisions.
He's made a ton of questionable passes ever since he's semi-acquired the point-forward role. He also is like clockwork when it comes to a situation where he feels he isn't getting calls -- a silly foul or a angry isolation and drive to the hoop is always immediately afterwards.
He's always, always riding the rough edge of decision-making, and his poor shot selection is just one of the elements. He definitely is a very good player, but I think without a Baron Davis or go-to-guy to have Jack being option 2 or 3, he puts too much on himself.
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