Indiana's Best Pacer

by Phizbin on Jan 5, 2009 8:45 PM PST

Someone somewhere else was talking about Oden and his inability to get a pass on the pick-and-roll driving that person "bat poop crazy."

Want to know what used to drive me bat poop crazy? Jarrett Jack stepping out of bounds. I hated that. Made me want to barf all over my TV; and I like my TV... it's big and shiny.

But check out the production from Jack the last few games since TJ Ford went down

1/5, 41min, 17pts, 7 ast
1/3, 34min, 13pts, 7 reb
1/2, 41min, 29pts, 5 reb (and game winning shot!)
12/30, 31min, 22pts, 4 ast
12/28, 31min, 9pts, 6 ast
12/26, 35min, 6pts, 5 ast

Some of those games are pretty good... but check out the minutes! Those are Brandon Roy type minutes!! Some coach out there is giving some love to JJ.

Makes me kind of miss the guy. I miss Ime tons when I watch Outlaw wander around in his habitual fugue state but seeing these figures after watching Sergio/Bayless struggle and Rudy launching three-balls fromall over (you can do that as a sub... not a starter!!) it made me kind of miss JJ.

Do we have to wait for three more seasons for Bayless to be as good as JJ is NOW? Someone talk me down from the ledge.

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Jack was always good

But a couple great games don’t make me want him back (well actually not that Roy is out I would like him back).

"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5

by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 5, 2009 8:51 PM PST reply actions

I never thought I'd say it

But I miss Jack. His turnovers were maddening, but I LOVED his toughness and hustle … he may not have been the answer, but I sure don’t think he was ever the problem.

by nikolokolus on Jan 5, 2009 8:59 PM PST reply actions

Jack would have helped A TON in the last two games

If Bayless doesn’t turn out to be a player, that will have been a terrible trade. We won’t know for a couple more years.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 5, 2009 9:00 PM PST reply actions

You can't judge trades in hindsight, you have to judge its process.

If we trade Roy for a can of Sprite, and then the next day, Roy loses both legs in a wood chipper accident, while the Sprite was delicious and refreshing, it wasn’t any better of a trade then it was before. Judgments like that lead to faulty process in the future, and you end up only winning through dumb luck.

Jeff's guide to not looking stupid:
+/- is an absolutely terrible stat, so don't use it, and don't give up on young players before they turn 24.
54!

by joof on Jan 6, 2009 4:18 AM PST up reply actions

true

I liked the trade on draft night— so I can’t really criticize it now… but we won’t know for a while if it happened to turn out well for us.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 6, 2009 8:52 AM PST up reply actions

35 min, 6 and 5...just 2 games after scoring 22

thats Jack alright. I def don’t miss any of that. I’ll never forget how hard that guy worked while he was here, but I won’t ever forget how many times he could step on the baseline either. I’m pretty sure he set some kind of record for that. somebody shoulda kept track. When travis gets traded I’ll prob have a sentimental moment and flashback to that dunk on rodney carney in the sixers game…and then slap myself and remember all the bonehead plays he makes. Good for Jarrett though.

The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave

by chrischa on Jan 5, 2009 9:18 PM PST reply actions

I defended Jack nearly all season

last season on another board and finally had enough. I think he’s just as streaky as he’s ever been. He might be getting Roy-like minutes and he’s got some good numbers, but he’s not putting up consistent numbers.

His minutes and score averages out to be 35.5 minutes and 16 points per game. He’s a decent back-up guard, although I must admit his assists are looking pretty good.

As far as the Bayless vs. Jack debate goes, I think that Bayless will be just as good as Jack is at getting to the basket and more reliable at finishing at the rim as well as distributing the ball without committing the same kinds of turnovers. He just needs time. Perhaps Jack has reached a turning point in his career, I’m happy for him if he has, but I don’t miss him.

"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."

by Seijeff on Jan 5, 2009 9:27 PM PST reply actions

Jack

has proven to be irreplacable as a scapegoat.

Last year, Jack inspired some of the most vitriolic invective I’ve ever seen on a sports blog, anywhere. While disturbing at times, it was also quite creative in its way; hatred in theme and variation delivered up with baroque curlicues and flourishes.

As a fallguy, Travis has proven to be far less inspiring. Just a dull endless, litany of “poor shot selection” and “low BBIQ” commentary that drones on and on and on ad nauseum. It makes for rather tiresome reading after awhile. I think the fanbase here need to find themselves a new and better patsy for the stimulation of it rancorous muse. I’m hoping that when Martell gets back, he can be that guy. His draft day selection in lieu of Chris Paul and Deron Williams will always make him an inviting target for the acerbity of the Blazer faithful. Hopefully, he can build on that strong foundation with some subpar outings in his first few games back.

by knickfan on Jan 5, 2009 9:51 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

I wish Travis was a sexier target of viriol...

then maybe he would be traded by now. As it stands, he flies under the radar (and is still on our roster).

by Bust a Bucket on Jan 5, 2009 10:08 PM PST up reply actions

Two words

Dean Demopoulos

"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5

by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 5, 2009 10:28 PM PST up reply actions

thanks

for trips to dictionary.com out of this post, its been awhile. =)

December 18, 2008.

"Roy is Roy, and if I were to bet my life on a game of 5-on-5, I’d bet on whichever team Roy was playing on." by HurraKane212

by maid tu rek on Jan 5, 2009 10:36 PM PST up reply actions

four

December 18, 2008.

"Roy is Roy, and if I were to bet my life on a game of 5-on-5, I’d bet on whichever team Roy was playing on." by HurraKane212

by maid tu rek on Jan 5, 2009 10:37 PM PST up reply actions

fore

if you like golf

by Bust a Bucket on Jan 5, 2009 11:03 PM PST up reply actions

i didnt even have a clue it would have its own spelling

ive only played put-put, and only a few times at that. ive always resented golf as a self important-old-white-money game, and refused to get involved even when i had money. i have a friend in sales that gets paid to smooze clients on the golf course and he absolutly loves it. i kan understand his enthuziazm, but its still makes me sik, and a small patr of me hates him for it.

December 18, 2008.

"Roy is Roy, and if I were to bet my life on a game of 5-on-5, I’d bet on whichever team Roy was playing on." by HurraKane212

by maid tu rek on Jan 6, 2009 7:56 AM PST up reply actions

lol

another great Knickfan post.

Hey, Knickfan, what do you think about the relative merits (particularly on the defensive end of the floor) of David Lee and LaMarcus Aldridge? I think you may be uniquely qualified to discuss this.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 5, 2009 10:37 PM PST up reply actions

Nice

You’re probably right about shifting targets. You, of course, have heard that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Perhaps the distance helps.

If, as you say, Webster comes back and relegates Outlaw to the bench and we don’t see Trout for a while… but we do witness a “litany of perimeter jumpers,” I and others will probably start posting about how we need Travis on the floor to drive to the hoop (somehow forgetting along the way how rarely that happens).

It did sort of hurt to watch JJ play defense, though. It hurts watching Trout play D as well. Hard to get over that.

Buck Williams for the hall of fame

by Phizbin on Jan 6, 2009 6:51 AM PST up reply actions

I miss the man-crush posts

by tominhawaii on Jan 6, 2009 8:49 AM PST up reply actions

No, LaMarcus needs to be the Dedicated Whipping Boy

Travis is just Travis. While his play towards the end of last year had him spoken of in high terms, we know what we are getting with Travis. And as a late first round pick, you can’t complain much.

LMA, on the other hand, has had all sorts of stuff written about him suggesting he has potential to be a TD or a KG; potential he has yet to live up to. So LMA needs to be beaten up on BEdge, for his utter failure to dominate the NBA in his third season.

Next year, Oden will be DWB when he fails to be Bill Russell.

by EngineerScotty on Jan 6, 2009 1:36 PM PST up reply actions

there are many posters here

who more or less dislike the whole team, one by one, the only exceptions being brandon and joel. but i still have hopes that either or both may attract “friendly fire” if they allow themselves to be injured any more.

ignacio

by ignacio on Jan 6, 2009 3:30 AM PST reply actions