Reviewed: Gunning for That #1 Spot

Just FYI …

Not worried about his PG skills, he’ll only be asked to run the break and break full court presses and the like. Basicaly this year he will be Blake++, Roy initiates most of the offense anyways. To me he seems like a pretty smart guy, I think his PG skills will become pretty fleshed out within a year.

I take your point. That’s fair.

I think the big reason to trade Jack for Bayless is to take another chance at getting the perfect guard for alongside Roy. We rolled a 10 sided die on Jack, and got a 5. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t perfect. I think we looked at the rest of our team, and decided it was time to roll the dice again. Hopefully, with his good shooting and defense, Jerry Dee will have a chance to be a 10.

its difficult to judge bayless off of 10 minutes or so of footage. however, i left completely impressed.

i watched A LOT of jack up close this year.

i do not see the similarities that you are describing. bayless has much better vertical, much better pull up j, much better j on the move, quicker with the ball, more in control with the ball.

given that jarrett has a bunch of years on him, i really don’ t think there will be much comparison long term.

as for next year you are right to urge caution.

i left the film incredibly impressed with his skills, composure and attitude. the man is fully focussed and level-headed. just what i want in a PG.

Bayless is way more of an athlete than Jack ever was in college or post. And although Jack consistently drove to the hoop, I don’t think any of us would call him a good finisher. Bayless lacks a left right now, but I still think he’ll be able to consistently finish plays that Jack couldn’t.

This movie is not showing in albuquerque, but that Zohan movie is showing on a hundred screens. I hate the SW sometimes.

From what i’ve seen, JB is way quicker and more explosive than Jarret. His left hand may be weak, but his ability to throw it down will make up for some of that.

worth seeing for a basketball fan?

If you’re a huge fan of basketball documentaries, or are trying to get out of the heat and nothing else really strikes your fancy, it’s an ok way to kill a couple of hours. It wasn’t particularly insightful or entertaining – it’s certainly no Hoop Dreams. I’d recommend waiting to see it on ESPN2 in a few months.

To all those who say Bayless is much more athletic than Jack – I would agree. He has quicker hands and feet and better hops. So even if they share some traits, he’s an upgrade in those respects. Since he only played one year of high school ball, we’re talking about a player at a much earlier point on his development curve – Jack had played 3 years of college and three in the pros already. Jarrett may turn out to be a late bloomer, as he’s driven and part of his problem is letting his emotions get the better of him, but Bayless is calm and composed (even when Beasley pantsed him he didn’t freak out, he just threatened to freeze him out in the game) – he has a professional demeanor.

It will be instructive to see how Bayless adjusts to the NBA, and particular the Blazers style of play, with its ball movement and unselfishness. One thing I can tell you, it’s clear he will be able to get the ball down the court in a hurry and hand it off to Brandon, if he’s asked to.