I will for sure be clapping when Jack gets introduced. I may even go out to the team bus when the game is over to say I wish him the best.
I hope the fans give Jack a nice ovation on Wed. He played hard every night for us and was often times the only guy with any intensity out there on the court ready to kick some ass. Jack's recent stats:
Jack should be welcomed back. He's a great guy and a solid combo-guard. He's Jerryd Bayless without the steroids! Besides, there's always this: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q4ZN2KOaN30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q4ZN2KOaN30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Blake has gotten into a couple of shoving matches lately. With Oberto in SA and Bassy in Minny. That would be fun if him and JJack squared off!
Jack has been starting in the backcourt with TJ Ford, so Brandon will probably be the primary guy on him... Blake will still have his work cut out for him keeping super quick TJ from getting to the hoop alla Parker. I heard JJack boo'd in many games last year, often when he would check in for the first time. He was boo'd heartily when his name was mentioned over the PA at last year's RG draft party, and a big cheer went out the moment it was announced he was traded even before it was revealed who for. There are classy fans in Portland, but boo's roll over the top of polite clapping pretty easily and I'm guessing the scapegoaters will seize the chance to express themselves If I were there tonight I'd stand up and clap when he was announced to be a bit more demonstrative of my support for the guy. He has some limitations as a player, but dude's head and heart seemed to be in the right place when he was playing in Red and Black. STOMP
I think the TJ Ford problem (he always killed us against either Blake or Jack) might cause a shuffle of the defensive assignments - with Batum on Ford, Blake on Jack and Roy on Daniels. We will see. Wish I had tickets for this game - I always loved to watch Jack barrel his way to the rim - sort of like what we hope Bayless will grow into. With Dunlevy and Granger out - Jack has the green light to do it all night long and his game flourishes. Sort of like Devin Harris got crazy good once he got in a system where they told him to attack the rim without mercy and run the offense around him.
I don't think Jack should be booed, but what does he deserve "respect" for? He was neither a very good player nor a long-time Blazer.
Jack played hard. He may not have always played well, but he played hard, and he kept his nose clean. I can respect that. He will get a cheer from me.
He was a nice player that worked hard, was a team player, gave us everything he could, was willing to stick his neck out for his teammates and it seems did not want to leave. Why not respect him? Wish we had more guys like him and honestly - wish we could have shipped Sergio instead of him for Bayless.
No reason, but that seems like a more passive statement. "Why not respect him?" That, IMO, is true for a lot of players, including ones who never played for Portland. The comment I responded to, that he "deserved respect" made it sound (to me) like he was really someone that demanded unique respect, moreso than other non-jerk humans.
We need to shut Jack down! He has been a good scorer for them this last month. We need to jump on this team and not look back.
Yeah, I see no reason why people would boo him. Our fans are better than that. But I do see Jack going off for at least 30 tonight, and wanting to prove something against us.
