HOOPLOG: Bobby Jackson

A whole new look NBA

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 23:01:57 -0800

Just to recap, here's the moves made in the past 24 hours or so:

The Bulls signed Ben Wallace (and acquired P.J. Brown and one year of his contract for Tyson Chandler's enormously long/overpriced deal)
The Hornets went insane and signed Peja Stojakovic, Bobby Jackson, and traded for Tyson Chandler.
The Lakers signed Vlad Radmanovic.
The Clippers signed Tim Thomas.
The Hawks signed Speedy Claxton.

Like I said...a whole new NBA. And the free agent signing period hasn't even officially began.

Kings Trade for Tubby White Guy, Foreigner

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 15:10:50 -0800

Rejoice Greg Ostertag fans, rejoice!

The Kings have acquired Vitaly Potapenko and Sergei Monia for Brian Skinner in a deadline-day trade, various sources are reporting.

As for Skindog, the first of the Philly Three to be peddled: We'll miss ya, dude. Not in a Bobby Jackson, Chris Webber way. Hell, not even in a Maurice Evans, Eddie House way. But we'll miss you. Your block on Marion in Albuquerque was the highlight of the 2005-06 preseason. Thank you.

Now, on the the new parts. Here is the only sentence I should have to post on Vitaly Potapenko to give you an idea of who he is: Seattle coach Bob Hill benched the Ukraine Train for being overweight and out of shape. Flashbacks, anyone?

That said, Pomme-Frites (yes, that is our first attempt at dubbing Vitaly) is damn near a 7-footer, so we have a tall guy not named Jamal Sampson we can actually stick in for Brad. (Skindog was 6'9 in heels.) VP is making $3 million this year, and will make $3.3 million next season. After that, the contract is over.

Now about this Sergei Monia fellow. You want to know how hard it is to find information on him? I'm not even sure his name is spelled "Sergei Monia." Sports Illustrated spells it "Sergei Monya," and HoopsHype calls him "Sergey Monya." He's a Russian rookie, seeing very limited in Portland. A profile on NBADraft.net said Sergei "hs a nice midrange jumper and is a solid 3pt shooter, but his best attribute is his team defense, he knows how to help teamates and he's a pretty good one on one defender too." The stats say differently, as Sergei's FG% is around 37% for the season. He has, however, been trapped on the bench of a cruddy Portland team.

No word on whether he and now-estranged Russian Blazer buddy Viktor Khryapa had a Franchise-Cuttino relationship that could lead to some issues.

I don't expect either newbie to make a major difference immediately - I mean, has Skinner been making a difference? Sergei is a bit younger than Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia and much more raw (it would seem), so I don't anticipate him affecting their PT any. Monia seems like a solid Petrie chip, though.

Pomme-Frites could get some minutes in relief of Brad, though he is actually allergic to the ball on offense. Some blocks and a decent rebound percentage when he's in is all we should hope for.

(he most disturbing part of all this is that if someone asked me which NBA player I most resemble, I'd probably have to say Sergei Monia. Except less Russian looking.)

Grizzlies' Jackson Not Making a Fashion Statement

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 15:29:18 -0800

In the MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL, Ronald Tillery reports, Bobby Jackson had been consumed by a desire to wear rubber wristbands that honored his late mother, Sarah. Sure, he already owned more than a few. But those bands were shaded in the Sacramento Kings' colors.

Memphis' Stoudamire held out with injury

Sat, 12 Nov 2005 21:20:26 -0800

Memphis Grizzlies guard Damon Stoudamire was held out of Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks with an ankle injury. Stoudamire turned his left ankle during Memphis' loss at Cleveland on Friday night, but was able to continue playing. The injury was not believed to be serious, and he was not listed on the pregame injury report. Stoudamire had more discomfort before the game, prompting the late lineup change. Bobby Jackson made his first start of the season replacing Stoudamire.

Offseason Overview: Memphis Grizzlies

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 09:33:10 -0800

Lots of names, but not a lot of fantasy help. So it’s been in Memphis for the past few years, and it doesn’t seem like things will be much different this year. While the cast has changed, the story remains the same, with very few players that you can plug into your lineup on a consistent basis. That said, let’s see if we can find a few gems:

The stud: Pau Gasol, F
After bursting onto the fantasy scene as a rookie, Gasol has spent the last three years disappointing his owners by failing to live up to the statistical standards he set for himself in his first season. Sure, the problem is the minutes, not the player, but nonetheless you have to assume that he won’t hit 2 blocks or 8 boards until the strategy changes. He’s going to be a nice pick around the 4th round, but no sooner.

The support: Damon Stoudamire, PG
OK, I’ll admit, this is pretty much a total guess. Between Stoudamire and Bobby Jackson, it’s hard to say for sure that Stoudamire will get enough minutes to really be a worthwhile fantasy player. Nonetheless, he hits a lot of three pointers, so he will certainly find his way onto plenty of fantasy teams this year as a second PG.

The supporting support: Mike Miller, G/F
Players like Mike Miller can be extremely frustrating to own, but you’re not going to find them on the waiver wire too often. Sure he won’t help much in boards, assists, or defensive categories, but he shot over 50% last year and managed 1.8 3’s per game.

The sleeper: Shane Battier, SF
Battier isn’t really a sleeper, as I don’t expect him to blow up this year, or even really improve on his numbers at all. But I think that a lot of FBB players overlook Battier simply because he doesn’t excel in any one category. But he averages around 10 ppg, 6 boards, a block, a steal, and a three, with good percentages. He won’t hurt you anywhere – and that’s more than you can say for a lot of players on fantasy rosters.

The slacker – Eddie Jones, SG
The end may be nigh for Eddie Jones as a viable fantasy option. Last year, he was in pretty much the perfect situation for himself – as a spot-up third option behind Shaq and Dwayne Wade. But his scoring dropped by 5 points, and he didn’t really look all that great. Now he’s in a crowded Memphis backcourt, and I can’t see him getting anywhere near the 35.5 mpg he got last year. Look for Jones to be bouncing on and off the waiver wire all year long.

West hopes experience will aid Grizzlies (AP)

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 00:15:20 -0800

Jerry West made it clear Monday what he expects to gain from shaking up the Memphis Grizzlies lineup. ``We want to win some playoff games,'' West said as he welcomed Eddie Jones, Bobby Jackson and Damon Stoudamire to Memphis. The three NBA veterans join the Grizzlies in the team's biggest one-blow roster shake-up since the franchise moved from Vancouver four years ago.

RealGM Ranks the League

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 13:52:01 -0800

Is this a joke?

Let's laugh through the Patrick Austin's RealGM team rankings together, okay?

He has the Heat at #1, ahead of the Spurs. Whatever. The Rockets are at #3, which is laughable considering the Pacers are at #4. The Rockets would have a tough time convincing people they were the third best team in the West. Hell, they're only the third best team in Texas.

Pistons at #5, Nets at #6. I think the Nets are top-ten material if they get SAR, but #6 is probably high. The rampant love for the Cavaliers spreading like The Clap puts Cleveland at #7 on the list.

I urinated myself when I saw Austin put the Knicks (yes, those Knicks) at #8. In the whole league. Not a typo. Here's Austin's take:

"You have to give credit to Zeke for landing Larry Brown. That move alone will put NY back into serious playoff contention."

Serious playoff does not equal the eighth best team in the land. That ranking means that the Knicks will be one of the eight best teams in the league. Sixteen teams get into the playoffs. Err, moving on...

Dallas is way low at #9. The Mavericks might be the second best in the West. The Lakers show up at #10, where Austin proclaims that Kwame "could bust out and become a new Jermaine O’Neal." Don't hold your breath (or maybe do).

Philly's spot at #11 made me vomit in my mouth (note to wannabe NBA writers: when all a really bad team from a really bad division does is re-sign its own overrated players and prays that one the most overpaid players in all of sports gets healthy, that's not a good offseason).

The Nuggets show up at #12, probably five spots too low. It's a tough team, a physical team and it's a shooter away from the Western Conference Finals, in my estimation. The Bulls land at #13, which is about right, if a bit high. The Wizards follow at #14.

The Suns (yes, they of the 2004-05 WCF) land at #15. Inexplicable. Austin said, "Dealing away Quentin Richardson and the rights to Nate Robinson for Kurt Thomas could backfire big time." Yeah, who needs one of the better defensive bigs in the L when you could have a 5-foot-6 back-up rookie point guard and a shooter with a bad back?

Finally, we arrive at the Kings at #16. Austin says, "This team is slowly but surely falling further back in the West." And I'm sure with CWebb, Divac, Christie and Bobby Jackson still on the roster, we'd be poised for a ring? Whatever.

What follows is a mess with little rhyme or reason -- Seattle, Boston, Golden State (Austin writes that the team will surprise many - what? by missing the playoffs? no surprise here!), Portland, Utah, Milwaukee, Memphis, Minnesota, Charlotte, the Clips, Toronto, Orlando, New Orleans and Atlanta. Those last four look about right, though Toronto should be the worst team and N.O. shouldn't be much better.

Ah, August. Assinine opinion is here!

Jason Hart to the Kings?

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 09:04:12 -0800

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Bobcats will trade PG Jason Hart to the Kings for a future second-round pick.

Hart has two years and about $3 million left on his current deal. He started in Charlotte last year, and had a good offensive rating of 112, according to B-Ref.

Assist-to-turnover ratio is good (9.3-to-2.6 per 48 last year), good defensive marks in his two seasons with San Antonio.

He's not going to be a Bobby Jackson for us, but he seems more than capable of running the offense for us while Bibby takes his 12-14 minutes of rest.

I also think this puts the Eddie House Era on ice.

Most Viewed

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 15:54:02 -0800

The Sacramento Kings acquired guard Bonzi Wells from the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in a long-anticipated trade for guard Bobby Jackson and center Greg Ostertag.

Mock Draft, pt 2

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 18:36:11 -0800

For picks 1 through 13, check out Friday's post.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves
Who they will take: Antoine Wright
Who they should take: Francisco Garcia
Minnesota is a team that needs to draft based on attitude. They way under-performed last year, and they need to plan for a future without dead weights like Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. I like Garcia here because of his passing ability, but Wright isn’t a terrible choice.

15. New Jersey Nets
Who they will take: Martell Webster
Who they should take: Ike Diogu
New Jersey, if they could, would spend their draft pick on a great doctor to make sure Jason Kidd and Vince Carter stay healthy next year. While they should take a rebounding PF, they’ll go for the Kerry Kittles of the future in Martell Webster. This pushes Carter to the 3 and Jefferson to the 4. I’d much rather have them at 2 and 3, respectively.

16. Toronto Raptors
Who they will take: Ike Diogu
Who they should take: Ike Diogu
Toronto is in a tough spot. They’ve got Alston, Rose, and Bosh as defiinite starters. They took Granger at 16, but now they wish they had taken a big there, so they could take Garcia here. That said, there’s not a spot for Garcia and Bosh needs help down low, so they go for the top-rated big left on the board in Diogu.

17. Indiana Pacers
Who they will take: Francisco Garcia
Who they should take: Francisco Garcia
Indiana is my pick to win the East next year. Last year everything that could have possibly gone wrong did, and now they’ve got Artest coming back with a vengeance. Yikes. They could really use some size to back up Jeff Foster and Dale Davis, but Garcia is too good to pass up here.

18. Boston Celtics
Who they will take: Roko Ukic
Who they should take: Johan Petro
Payton isn’t long for the C’s, so Ukic is actually a pretty good pick here. But really, how far will you get with Mark Blount and Raef LaFrentz in the middle?

19. San Antonio (in trade with Memphis Grizzlies)
Who they will take: Joey Graham
Who they should take: Joey Graham
Joey Graham keeps slipping and slipping, and finally San Antonio moves up to get him, giving Memphis their first round pick (#28) and Beno Uridh, who will take over at point for Jason Williams, who has fallen into Jerry West’s doghouse.

20. Denver Nuggets
Who they will take: Martynas Andriuskevicius
Who they should take: Rashad McCants
Denver is pretty sure they want Andriuskevicius here … and the fact that Phoenix is salivating over him means they definitely take him, because he won’t be around for them at 22. They’ll stash him in the D-League for a couple years and once Marcus Camby breaks down for good, he’ll be ready. Hopefully.

21. Phoenix Suns
Who they will take: Johan Petro
Who they should take: Jarrett Jack
Phoenix is dying to get some defense, and Petro should be a decent backup for Kurt Thomas. But I’d like to see them get a successor for MVP Steve Nash. Let Jack grow under Nash’s Canadian wing for a few years.

22. Denver Nuggets
Who they will take: Rashad McCants
Who they should take: Rashad McCants
As a team that ran into a couple of rough stretches offensively last year, this is a great pick. If they treat him like the Bulls treated Ben Gordon, he could be invaluable to this team and a great competitor.

23. Sacramento Kings
Who they will take: Jarrett Jack
Who they should take: Charlie Villanueva
The Kings look for the next Bobby Jackson in Jack, who is a nice value pick here.

24. Houston Rockets
Who they will take: Wayne Simien
Who they should take: Wayne Simien
He’s the guy they’ve targeted since day 1. Villanueva is tempting but they don’t need 2 passive guys in the paint. Simien is a nice fit here.

25. Seattle Sonics
Who they will take: Charlie Villanueva
Who they should take: Charlie Villanueva
It’s between Villanueva and Chris Taft, and Villanueva has at least some upside. Taft seems like a bigger version of Terrence Morris.

26. Detroit Pistons
Who they will take: Linus Kleiza
Who they should take: Salim Stoudamire
The Pistons are deep just about everywhere so they’ll take Kleiza and stash him in the D-league for a year or two, but really, they could use a one-dimensional shooter like Stoudamire for late-game situations.

27. Utah Jazz
Who they will take: Luther Head
Who they should take: Luther Head
The Jazz prayed for Jarrett Jack to fall here, but they’ll have to settle for Head. Ha!

28. Memphis Grizzlies (from San Antonio)
Who they will take: Julius Hodge.
Who they should take: Julius Hodge.
Jerry West loves Hodge, and after the deal with San Antonio, they’ve got Udrih and Hodge to play the point, 2 of "Jerry’s guys".

29. Miami Heat
Who they will take: Mile Ilic
Who they should take: Salim Stoudamire
The Heat go for Shaq’s new backup, but they should be concerned about the short window that they have to win it all. Stoudamire would be a better choice.

30. New York Knicks
Who they will take: Chris Taft
Who they should take: Chris Taft
Hey, why not? At least he’s tall.

Kings keep Jackson

Mon, 23 May 2005 15:38:37 -0800

The Kings have decided to pick up next season's $3.3 million option on oft-injured guard Bobby Jackson, removing him from the free-agent pool....

Jackson's Return Ignites Kings to 132-107 Dimming of Suns

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 20:36:01 -0800

After missing 57 games, Sacramento's Bobby Jackson returned to the lineup to spark a King-size team effort to handily beat the Phoenix Suns in a 132-107 regular-season finale.

Kings head to playoffs on real high, crush Suns 132-107

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 15:32:30 -0800

Bobby Jackson had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in his first game in four months, and the Sacramento Kings wrapped up their fifth consecutive 50-win season with a 132-107 victory over the Phoenix ...

Kings Preview, Part II

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:17:27 -0800

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m all for the big hype. Boxing, football, playoffs, whatever the game, the more hype preceeding it means the more excitement in watching it. That said, here’s a detailed look at the Kings’ roster, who I expect the Sonics to face in the first round, starting with the guards.

GUARDS
Mike Bibby
I spoke a bit about Bibby on Thursday, but as he’s the absolute catalyst for this team, he bears a bit more scrutiny. According to 82games, the Kings lose 6 points per 48 minutes when he’s off the court, and gain 3.5 points when he’s on. Bibby can take it to the hoop or launch from the outside with equal ease, and he obviously stands out from Frodo in this aspect. However, the rest of his game is really not that much better than Ridnour’s. Bibby has been stellar in the playoffs, averaging 18 points and providing more than his share of clutch baskets. His 3-point and FT percentages are higher in the playoffs than the regular season, meaning anyone waiting for him to choke is going to have to be extremely patient. He’s suffered from a sore right ankle this year, but it’s nothing that should inhibit him come playoff time. His defense is less than stellar, especially on the ball, something Frodo may be able to take advantage of.

Against the Sonics: 17 ppg, 5 apg, 4 rpg, 13% 3-points
Entire year: 20 – 7 – 4, 37%

Cuttino Mobley
Acquired in exchange for Doug Christie earlier this season, Mobley’s posted impressive stats with the Kings since the trade. That said, the Kings actually play better with him on the bench, at least on the defensive end. With Mobley sitting, the Kings allow 3 fewer points per 48 minutes as opposed to when he’s playing, and the team’s offense doesn’t change regardless of if he’s wearing a warmup jersey. Mobley likes to put the ball up early in the shot clock, so the Sonics would be wise to make sure to find him in transition defense. In his limited playoff experience, Mobley put up some good numbers for the Rockets (14-5-3) in their first-round loss to the Lakers last year. The Kings occasionally use Mobley at SF, with Jackson/Bibby in the backcourt, but he will get the majority of his minutes at the 2. He went crazy against the Sonics from long-range in their game in February, hitting on 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Of course, Ray Allen lit Cuttino up in turn, scoring 34 on his end.

Against the Sonics: 18 ppg, 3 apg, 3 rpg, 41% 3-points, 40% overall FG
Entire year: 17 – 4 – 3, 45% 3-point

Bobby Jackson
Jackson has been sidelined since January with a bum left wrist, and many in Sac are starting to wonder if the injury is as bad as he says it is. Jackson incurred the ire of King fans last post-season with his less-than-frenetic play. He chalks it up to injuries, and says he won’t return to the lineup until he’s at 100%. All that said, you might wonder why so many make such a big deal about the 6th man on a team that’s fading from the playoff picture. Here’s why. When Jackson got hurt the Kings were 17-7. Today, they’re 45-30, meaning in the interim they’ve gone 28-23. Put another way, if the Kings had maintained the pace they set with Jackson in the lineup, they’d be 53-22 right now, or three games better than the Sonics. A lightning-quick player with a never-ending stream of energy, Jackson is very capable of taking the ball to the hole, and the thought of him matched up against Frodo’s matador defense has any Sonic fan worried sick. Jackson has been a key player in the Kings’ playoff success of the past 3 years, and if he returns for the post-season, it will be a definite blow to the Sonics’ chances.

Against Seattle: 10 ppg in 21 mpg
Season: 12 – 3 – 2, 85% FT

The Rest
Eddie House
House put up some decent numbers earlier this year in Charlotte, before moving on to the Kings by way of Milwaukee. Now on his 5th team in 4 years, House was a standout performer at Arizona State, averaging 23 ppg his senior year. At 6’1”, he’s a bit small for a 2-guard, and Ray Allen should have no trouble finding his range with House in his face. When paired with Jackson (6’1”) or Bibby (6’2”), the Kings will have difficulty containing Allen. Don’t expect House to score anything in the paint beyond fast-break opportunites; 90% of his shots come from the outside.

Maurice Evans
After 3 years out of the league, Evans has found a role on the Kings in the absence of Jackson. At 6’5”, Evans is an exceptional rebounder for a guard, has no trouble scoring anywhere on the floor, and could see time at both guard spots and the 3. If Rashard is healthy, don’t expect to Evans matched up with him, though, unless Rick Adelman has designs on playing golf a little earlier than usual this offseason.

Kevin Martin
The “other” K-Mart, he’ll likely be very comfortable on the bench in the playoffs. Other than the month of January, Martin has been seeing most of his action from the sidelines. When he did play, Martin (6’7”) spent his time at the 2 and 3 slots, and the rookie from Western Carolina showed he’s not much of a foul shooter or a 3-point bomber.

Mid Season: Pacific Division / Sacramento Kings

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:35:25 -0800

Another team with a high profile player asking to be traded. At least this time, the team didn t listen, but it s just before the trade deadline so nothing is set in stone just yet.

p://www.nba.com/playerfile/predrag_stojakovic/index.html?nav=page">Peja Stojakovic was quite upset that his friend and team leader Vlade Divac was not resigned and ended up with their rivals wearing the blue and gold of the LA Lakers once again.

ovic stayed in team mode after his request and after a slow start the Kings did take it to most teams and have played well enough to be considered dangerous. Mike Bibby and Brad Miller and Chris Webber have been more consistent contributors to the team s success, but I don t think Stojakovic is playing the McGrady and Carter game of not trying to play his best.

e trying to sustain a winning environment while allowing some of their bench players and young guys get some experience under their belt. It seems unlike the Suns, the Kings know that their bench will come into play when the playoffs start and all too often, the playoffs are a test of bench strength.

move the Kings pulled this season so far was to pry Cuttino Mobley away from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Doug Christie and filler. The Kings were in dire need of some scoring when backup point guard Bobby Jackson went down for the rest of the season with what appears to be a league wide epidemic of wrist injuries. Mobley has paid off well for the Kings, after a slow start he s become a good weapon along side Mike Bibby s shooting and passing skills.

better than their record would indicate, but once again, they have to be taken seriously once the playoffs start, although they may have a hard time beating teams like the Spurs and the Suns, they are capable of putting together strong runs and win streaks that could see one of the Western Conference favourites crying after the first round of the playoffs.

trong >Mike Bibby
Best Addition: Cuttino Mobley
Rookie To Watch: Kevin Martin
Sparkplug: Mike Bibby