With Ish Smith signing on with Detroit Pistons, and point guards committing rapidly, does former Net PG Jarrett Jack become a short-term option for the Philadelphia 76ers?
Sometimes the path forward is obscured. where even the best laid plans and intentions are faced with so much activity, that the dust is kicked up and the chaos becomes impossible to navigate. Right now, that seems to be where the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves.
As the Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2016 free agency, there was a huge spectrum of expectations. Would the team jump right in? Would they have the meetings with top free agents? Would they settle in for the dust to settle, and then make intelligent and more precise moves?
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So far, it appears that the team is settled in for the long haul this free agency season. That can prove to be a wise decision, as the fastest money in NBA free agency is more about the headlines than the calculated fit.
To spend the huge dollars, the first teams out of the gate must make decisions upon their roster, oftentimes cutting a player to free up enough cash for the imminent headliner deal. But what of those players who find themselves looking for an NBA team as a result?
Former Brooklyn Net point guard Jarrett Jack is one such player. At the age of 32, and having played 11 seasons in the NBA, he is a venerable addition to any team, particularly a young roster like that of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jack is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in January, and it’s likely that injury encouraged the Nets to part ways here and seek other point guard options. But this was not his first injury. Jack also injured his foot while playing for the 2012 New Orleans Hornets and missed nearly half the season. With this ACL injury on the road to recovery, Jack is likely to have minutes restriction to start the season. But that should not be an impediment to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have T.J.McConnell, whose rookie season surpassed all expectations. And with the signing of Ben Simmons, the team will have the offense run through his position, whether forward or guard. So Jack would be a nice fit in that regard.
Jack adds some offense, averaging over 12.0 points per game his past two seasons, while shooting for a 44.0 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. He is savvy as well, generating rebounds, assists, and steals. But most of all, he’s been there and done that, and that will be invaluable to a young team with a new influx of rookie talent.
The problem with Jarrett Jack is the shot selection. If the 76ers can focus him on isolation shots, driving to the basket or flipping back out to the perimeter, the team will have good results. Jack needs to get a clean look on his treys, and needs to be in the right lineup for consistent success.
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But as the point guards commit, there will be fewer options for the Philadelphia 76ers to choose from. Since the team is already committing to Ben Simmons and T.J. McConnell as the future, a short one or two year deal to this veteran might be an ideal bridge. We may be running out of viable options.