Jarrett Jack: The Worst Contract in Cleveland
By Matt Shantz
Coming off the best season of his career for the Golden State Warriors, Jarrett Jack joined the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer with hopes of helping to build a contender out of the annual bottom dwellers.
During his only year in Golden State (2012-13), Jarrett Jack blossomed into an ideal role player. Not only was he able to take control offensively while Stephen Curry rested, but played significant minutes alongside of the star point guard as well. This two point guard lineup was particularly dangerous for the Warriors as it allowed Curry to have some time off-ball, which allowed Jack the freedom to breakdown the opposition’s defense.
This success, both individual and team, earned Jack a four-year contract with an annual salary of $6.3 million (fourth year is a team option). Cavaliers’ management and coaching staff envisioned a role that was much the same for Jack in Cleveland, but with Kyrie Irving instead of Steph Curry.
Like most elements of the 2013-14 Cleveland Cavaliers, Jarrett Jack failed to live up to the expectations that were upon him, or the lofty contract that he signed. Statistically, Jarrett Jack regressed in almost every single category during his first season in Cleveland: field goal percentage (-4.2%), 3-point field goal percentage (-6.3%), assists (-1.5/game), offensive rating (-5), and defensive rating (-2.2), to simply name a few. To put it mildly, Jarrett Jack has been disastrous during his time in Cleveland.
To make matters worse, and intensify the spotlight on how bad Jack has been, he was arguably outplayed by undrafted rookie Matthew Dellavedova. Their basic stats, outside of shooting percentages, still give an advantage to Jack:
| Player | Age | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Dellavedova | 23 | 72 | 17.7 | .412 | .368 | .792 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 4.7 |
| Jarrett Jack | 30 | 80 | 28.2 | .410 | .341 | .839 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 9.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/5/2014.
On the other hand, the advanced stats show that Dellavedova generally contributed more positively while on the court, with a far superior net rating and a more wins shares:
| Player | G | PER | TS% | FTr | 3PAr | TRB% | AST% | STL% | TOV% | ORtg | DRtg | WS/48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Dellavedova | 72 | 10.7 | .534 | .162 | .524 | 5.4 | 22.0 | 1.3 | 15.9 | 111 | 111 | .078 |
| Jarrett Jack | 80 | 11.5 | .498 | .213 | .265 | 5.6 | 22.7 | 1.3 | 14.8 | 102 | 110 | .049 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/5/2014.
And for his production, Dellavedova is making just $490,180 … or roughly $5.8 million less than Jarrett Jack.
With two (maybe three) years remaining on his deal, Jarrett Jack is little more than a bloated contract, one that will haunt the Cavaliers if he is unable to regain his form of years past.