Brooklyn Nets: Should We Expect More From Jarrett Jack?
By Adam McGee
After what looked like a solid start, things have unravelled just a little for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have lost four straight games, and now with a record of 4-6, need to start looking to get back on track.
One of the biggest disappointments of all has been the lack of impact of Brooklyn’s bench though, as more was expected from guys like Jarrett Jack.
When Jack arrived in Brooklyn in the summer as part of a three-team trade that saw Sergey Karasev join him in Brooklyn, and Marcus Thornton and Tyler Zeller land in Boston, it seemed like there was plenty of cause for optimism.
Shaun Livingston, who had conducted the Brooklyn second unit’s offense throughout most of last season, had signed with the Golden State Warriors, and in Jack it seemed like they may have found a ready made replacement. Dare I say it, some may even have expected Jack to be an upgrade.
Instead, ten games into this new season, it would be difficult for Nets fans to greet Jack’s play with anything more than resounding indifference.
Jack has shown himself to be a regular contender for Sixth Man of the Year throughout his career, the sort of guy who can provide instant offense off the bench, yet so far in Brooklyn it hasn’t really been on display.
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So far, the 31-year-old combo guard is averaging 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per night. Although Jack is making 53.4 percent of his shots from the field, his three-point shooting has been dismal, averaging only 14.3 percent from deep.
Jack’s overall play is perhaps even worse than those numbers indicate too, as they’re being padded out by one big game against the Golden State Warriors last week. In the type of performance that the Nets would want to see much more regularly from him, Jack shot a perfect ten-of-ten from the field on his way to 23 points.
For his career, Jack averages close to eleven points per game, but it’s not just his scoring that needs to improve.
Since Joe Johnson called his teammates out for being selfish last week, the Brooklyn Nets have failed to win a game, but it doesn’t seem like Johnson was wrong, and for one, Jack’s early play has definitely been more selfish than it has been at times previously in his career.
Without a massive fluctuation in minutes, comparing Jack’s ball handling duties from this year to last year isn’t a pretty sight for Nets fans.
In Cleveland, Jack averaged 4.1 assists per game with only 1.7 turnovers, while in his brief time in Brooklyn, Jack’s down 1.4 assists, but still turning over the ball at the same rate despite playing slightly less.
Jack’s struggles on that side of the game meant that Lionel Hollins was forced to try Jorge Gutierrez as his first backup point guard against Portland, a move which didn’t particularly end well.
If the Nets want to turn things around, they can’t be relying on the inexperience of guys like Gutierrez, it’s the veterans like Jack that need to step up.
On the whole, Brooklyn’s play from their starters has been pretty good to start the season. What they need now is for their clearly talented bench to kickstart a return to form, and they would expect Jarrett Jack to lead the way.