http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1896236
Jackson's a buried treasure
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Peja Stojakovic is upset his best friend left the Kings.
Vince Carter wants out of Toronto. Sam Cassell wants a long overdue raise. And Baron Davis is currently trading insults with the owner of his team.
So you can imagine how mad Bobby Jackson is going to be when he sees this list and realizes he's still not on it.
As preseason camps start, the players in the chart are all slotted to be starting point guards in the NBA, and Jackson isn't one of them.
In fact, if you take a look at every opening-day roster across the league, there will be very little argument that Jackson could start, right now, for at least half the 30 teams.
Add in the fact he made only $2.9 million last year, one season after winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award, and there are even fewer teams who would hold on to their overpaid, spoiled point guard if they had a shot at Jackson.
But here's the rub.
They and Jackson, as it stands now, are going to have to wait another 82 regular-season games plus playoffs before perhaps the fastest player in the NBA becomes available on the free-agent market.
After seven seasons, the last four in Sacramento, Jackson has played behind both Jason Williams and, currently, Mike Bibby, while becoming the best point guard in the NBA not to have a starting spot.
He very well might be the best player in the NBA not to have a starting spot.
Last year, he shared the backcourt with Bibby and averaged 23.7 minutes per game, despite being injured. The year before that, he averaged 28.4 minutes per game when Bibby was injured through the start of the season.
This year ... who knows?
But one thing is for sure – Jackson runs by his defender. He runs around him. On the fast break, the 6-foot-1 guard runs right over his defender, with a full gear to spare.
He doesn't break down defenses. He runs drills around them while they swipe at shadows. But at the same time, he isn't getting any younger, and guys with this type of speed don't live forever.
Jackson already has played in 460 games and missed another 82 due to injury. He is 31. He placed fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2001, second in 2002 and won it in 2003.
Yet, he doesn't complain. He doesn't make crazy statements to the media or demand trades through his agent.
The fact you don't even know who is agent is tells you all you need to know about a point guard who has averaged 13 points per game off the bench over the last three years.
The sad part, though, is that in those last three years, his body is showing more and more signs of wear and tear. In 2002, he played in 81 games. In 2003, he played in 59 games. In 2003, he played in only 50.
Bobby Jackson faces the fact that, physically, his best basketball might be behind him. He not only should have been a starter last year, but several years ago. But because of circumstances beyond his control, he is still a sub.
Of course, it's hard to blame the Kings.
Bibby, the starter, led the team in scoring during its latest playoff run, averaging 20 points-per-game in addition to 7 assists-per-game on 43-percent shooting from long range.
He hit big shot after big shot and is one of the best point guards in the league.
But Bibby made $9.5 million last year. Over the summer, the Kings cited budget concerns and elected not re-sign fan favorite and lockerroom leader Vlade Divac.
Stojakovic felt betrayed. Chris Webber was dragged into the mix for previous comments. The team built on chemistry and camaraderie is now one divided.
Jackson still doesn't have a starting spot, while Greg Ostertag is one injury to either Webber or Brad Miller from hearing his name in the starting lineup.
It all went down during the summer of 2002.
Bibby was traded to the Kings the season before and helped the team to 61 wins in 2002-03 and what would have been a shot at the franchise's first NBA title if the Kings hadn't lost to the Lakers in seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
Believing that they were on the verge of bigger and better things, the Kings signed Bibby, who would have become an unrestricted free agent after one more season, to a seven-year, $80.5 million deal.
In 2002, Jackson already was under contract through the 2004-05 season, making $13.5 million over five years.
Of course, Bibby's numbers have continued to improve. But is he twice as good per season as Jackson? Is he three times as good, as his salary would indicate?
Or, with starting minutes of his own and an offense to put his signature on, would Jackson's numbers grow at the same rate?
That is the real agony of this situation. As the 2004-05 season begins, Bibby is at the peak of his game, and we still have no idea how good Jackson is.
Jackson's a buried treasure
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Peja Stojakovic is upset his best friend left the Kings.
Vince Carter wants out of Toronto. Sam Cassell wants a long overdue raise. And Baron Davis is currently trading insults with the owner of his team.
So you can imagine how mad Bobby Jackson is going to be when he sees this list and realizes he's still not on it.
As preseason camps start, the players in the chart are all slotted to be starting point guards in the NBA, and Jackson isn't one of them.
In fact, if you take a look at every opening-day roster across the league, there will be very little argument that Jackson could start, right now, for at least half the 30 teams.
Add in the fact he made only $2.9 million last year, one season after winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award, and there are even fewer teams who would hold on to their overpaid, spoiled point guard if they had a shot at Jackson.
But here's the rub.
They and Jackson, as it stands now, are going to have to wait another 82 regular-season games plus playoffs before perhaps the fastest player in the NBA becomes available on the free-agent market.
After seven seasons, the last four in Sacramento, Jackson has played behind both Jason Williams and, currently, Mike Bibby, while becoming the best point guard in the NBA not to have a starting spot.
He very well might be the best player in the NBA not to have a starting spot.
Last year, he shared the backcourt with Bibby and averaged 23.7 minutes per game, despite being injured. The year before that, he averaged 28.4 minutes per game when Bibby was injured through the start of the season.
This year ... who knows?
But one thing is for sure – Jackson runs by his defender. He runs around him. On the fast break, the 6-foot-1 guard runs right over his defender, with a full gear to spare.
He doesn't break down defenses. He runs drills around them while they swipe at shadows. But at the same time, he isn't getting any younger, and guys with this type of speed don't live forever.
Jackson already has played in 460 games and missed another 82 due to injury. He is 31. He placed fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2001, second in 2002 and won it in 2003.
Yet, he doesn't complain. He doesn't make crazy statements to the media or demand trades through his agent.
The fact you don't even know who is agent is tells you all you need to know about a point guard who has averaged 13 points per game off the bench over the last three years.
The sad part, though, is that in those last three years, his body is showing more and more signs of wear and tear. In 2002, he played in 81 games. In 2003, he played in 59 games. In 2003, he played in only 50.
Bobby Jackson faces the fact that, physically, his best basketball might be behind him. He not only should have been a starter last year, but several years ago. But because of circumstances beyond his control, he is still a sub.
Of course, it's hard to blame the Kings.
Bibby, the starter, led the team in scoring during its latest playoff run, averaging 20 points-per-game in addition to 7 assists-per-game on 43-percent shooting from long range.
He hit big shot after big shot and is one of the best point guards in the league.
But Bibby made $9.5 million last year. Over the summer, the Kings cited budget concerns and elected not re-sign fan favorite and lockerroom leader Vlade Divac.
Stojakovic felt betrayed. Chris Webber was dragged into the mix for previous comments. The team built on chemistry and camaraderie is now one divided.
Jackson still doesn't have a starting spot, while Greg Ostertag is one injury to either Webber or Brad Miller from hearing his name in the starting lineup.
It all went down during the summer of 2002.
Bibby was traded to the Kings the season before and helped the team to 61 wins in 2002-03 and what would have been a shot at the franchise's first NBA title if the Kings hadn't lost to the Lakers in seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
Believing that they were on the verge of bigger and better things, the Kings signed Bibby, who would have become an unrestricted free agent after one more season, to a seven-year, $80.5 million deal.
In 2002, Jackson already was under contract through the 2004-05 season, making $13.5 million over five years.
Of course, Bibby's numbers have continued to improve. But is he twice as good per season as Jackson? Is he three times as good, as his salary would indicate?
Or, with starting minutes of his own and an offense to put his signature on, would Jackson's numbers grow at the same rate?
That is the real agony of this situation. As the 2004-05 season begins, Bibby is at the peak of his game, and we still have no idea how good Jackson is.
