Nothin' But Nets
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The Importance Of Jarrett Jack

By Anthony Parisi

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The Brooklyn Nets acquired Jarrett Jack from the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason expecting Jack to come in and be the team’s backup point guard. Jack started off the season backing up Deron Williams, but the injury bug hit Williams, giving Jack a chance to start and Jack has played exceptionally well in the starting lineup. He has played so well that even when Williams was healthy Jack remained the starter. Williams is currently out of action with a fractured rib and while Williams has been out, Jack has carried a hefty load for Lionel Hollins team and that has meant playing a massive amount of minutes.

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Jack has played in over 30 minutes in eight of the Nets last nine games and he has played in over 40 minutes in two of those games. Jack has played hard whenever coach Hollins has called his name and he has become much more vocal since being inserted into the starting lineup. Jack has been the Nets most consistent player lately and with Williams remaining on the sidelines, Jack will need to keep up this level of play. Jack had 16 points and 8 assists in a Nets win against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in 39 minutes of action. The Nets were up big all game against the Kings but Sacramento kept fighting and it seemed that whenever the Kings were about to go on a run and take the lead, Jack would hit a big shot to keep Brooklyn in control.

Jack isn’t the long term solution but he certainly has the experience and prowess to be a productive player for the Nets. Jack has been a career long backup for the most part and when given a chance to start Jack has proven that he can get the job done. Jack and Darius Morris are the Nets only two active point guards and until Deron Williams gets back, Jack will be playing a ton of minutes. On Thursday night, the Nets travel to Los Angeles to meet Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and the dangerous Clippers. Usually a key matchup in this game would be Deron Williams against Chris Paul, but with Williams out, Jack will need to take on the tough task of going up against Cp3.

After playing 39 minutes on Wednesday night, it will be interesting to see if Jack has enough energy to play at his best and hang in there with Paul. Paul is as difficult of a cover at the point guard position in the NBA and Jack will certainly have his hands full. Jack has been one of the few Nets players that has been consistent lately and the acquisition of Jack during the offseason is proving to be a brilliant one by Billy King and the Nets front office.

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