Brooklyn Nets: Moving On From Jarrett Jack
Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack is out for the season, so what does the rest of the season look like at point guard?
Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack suffered a torn ACL in a Jan. 2 contest against the Boston Celtics.
Jack was having a pedestrian season with a league-average 15.0 PER. But when Jack was on the court, he did a great job of moving the ball around with a 35.3 assist percentage, which is the best rating in his career. He is also a consistent two-way player with 0.6 offensive win shares and 0.7 defensive win shares.
While Jack may be an average point guard by league standards, he has been strides better than the alternatives. He’s a proven starting point guard capable of leading a team on the offensive end, but the Nets will have to move on for the remainder of the season.
The Nets say guard Jarrett Jack will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and small medial meniscus tear in his right knee.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 3, 2016
One week removed from the game, the Nets have turned to Shane Larkin as Jack’s replacement. Since being inserted as a starter, Larkin is averaging 27.8 minutes per game and is shooting 14-for-31 (45.2 percent) from the field in four games. He has a prime opportunity to make a name for himself in his third NBA season.
Larkin, 23, needs to improve on offense. He has a turnover percentage of 19.7 percent this season, which is up from the 15.4 turnover percentage he had last season.
Larkin and Jack are two similar players. They both are good defensively and have good assist percentages. Joining the Nets could prove to be a good move for Larkin with the ability to learn from Jack.
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Brooklyn is Larkin’s third stop in as many years. He played 91 games and made 22 starts in his first two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks. Including this season, Larkin has improved each year as a shooter, ball handler and defender.
He has a 52.9 true shooting percentage this season after a 50.4 percentage last season. His assist percentage has improved from 19.4 percent last season to 27.9 percent this year. It is imperative for his own growth that he elevates his game with the starting opportunity provided for him at Jack’s expense.
In college, Larkin’s offensive game is what won him the ACC Player of the Year award in 2013. He had 4.3 offensive win shares during that season and also had a 7.4 Offensive Box Plus/Minus (OBPM). He had a 60.0 true shooting percentage during his award-winning season. He assisted on 26.1 percent of field goals and had a turnover percentage of 15.4 percent.
Defensively, Larkin was also very good. He had 2.4 defensive win shares and a 3.2 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM).
Larkin has improved his defense while in the NBA, but is still taking time to adjust on the offensive end. Larkin signed a two-year, $3 million deal with the Nets in the offseason, giving him the opportunity to show the Nets and all NBA teams what he is capable of doing.
The Nets will also use combo guard Donald Sloan in the point guard role. In two games since Jack’s injury, Sloan has played 20 minutes per game. Sloan has bounced around a lot in his five NBA seasons, playing for five different teams.
As a point guard last season, Sloan averaged 7.4 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game with the Indiana Pacers. He started 21 of the 53 games that he played in, and averaged 20.9 minutes per game. This is the best statistical analysis to predict how Sloan will step into his new role with the Nets.
Sloan, 28, has not played well this season. He has a 12.1 PER and has 0.1 win shares. His 24.4 turnover percentage is not great considering his usage percentage is 15.8. However, Sloan does have a 34.5 assist percentage.
The Nets will need to rely heavily on Larkin to run the offense and keep possession of the ball. He has a great opportunity to improve as an offensive player.
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The remainder of the season should focus on development for Larkin and Sloan. Jack still has three years remaining on his contract following this season. So both Larkin and Sloan will provide good backup options going forward. Their in-game experience will provide the best opportunity for their development.