He played in a dumb organization, though. Rodney looked truly horrible, like playing himself out of the league bad at times with Cleveland because he didn't seem to have a defined role and was becoming frustrated and disinterested. Could be the same with Jackson, where he gets around some guys who actually have their head together and it all starts clicking. Sometimes there are valuable things that wind up in the dumpster and get overlooked because they are covered with actual garbage.
I used to put together AAU and rec teams. It almost always was players no one else wanted, players from horrible teams. But I would talk to them, see what they were like, explain how I saw them fitting into the team I was putting together and decided whether to put them on the team. Most of the time, we did really well, made it to the finals or semis. It's amazing what players can do if they know why they are there and their role on the team.
I wasn't that high on Hood but he's a good character guy who understands the game and obviously had some mental/confidence issues that playing for a team like Portland solves. Jackson is another wing who can't shoot and has gotten by in his basketball life because he's athletically gifted. I think that speaks to a poor work ethic more so than because he plays for Phoenix. I just don't think he's the type of player Olshey would bring in. Mikal Bridges on the other hand would be a great fit, but the asking price is probably too high.
That isn’t true though imo. I watched Jackson in college and he always seemed like one of the smarter, more instinctual players on the court. Haven’t really followed him in the NBA honestly, but I also don’t think that’s something that just disappears. Might just need a different environment to bring it out of him.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I thought pretty highly of Jackson coming out of college. Seeing him play in the NBA it's pretty clear to me that most of his advantages in college were because he's more athletically gifted than most at that level. In the NBA you have to have athleticism, skill, understanding of the game, and a good work ethic. He doesn't check all those boxes for me. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong as it's pretty difficult to know without a trade to a team like Portland actually happening but for me I would rather not pay a price to find out. There are better players in my opinion to target.
Being disorderly trying to get in a VIP area at a music festival or something like that. He was also arrested in college.
meh. We need to remember that we do have Dame as our leader. Nurk was a petulant child before he found Dame. I care more about his game.
It comes down to if the coaches think he will work hard enough to improve his shooting. So far under 30% from deep.
I did say it was minor, to compare him to Nurk is hilarious though. Do all the current Blazers combined even have one arrest? Except for Kanter being a "terrorist" lol. The arrest in college was quite concerning. He got in a heated argument with a girl and she went and hid in her car because he was threatening her. He started kicking the car and did an alleged $3000 damage to it while screaming at her to get out so he could "beat her ass." Good character guys don't do shit like that. The fact that he got arrested again is proof he doesn't get it. You guys can make excuses for him because he's supposed to be "good" at basketball but I don't want him on the Blazers.
Josh jackson would be a great pickup. I think getting out of the Suns joke of an organization and with Dame being a true leader he would come around. Dont think he would be very expensive. If i was more confident we were keeping Hood then I would not want him, but Hood is taking more money elsewhere.