| Perfect Compliments? Authored by Billy Ray - August 25, 2005 - 1:45 pm
One is a 6 foot speedster one year removed from the New York City playgrounds where he became a legend, closely following in the foot steps of his famous cousin. The other a 6'3” tough defender who tries to model his game after that same famous cousin. One is known for highlight reel passes and the other is known for his hard-nosed defense. One is one year removed from high school, the other one year removed from the NCAA championship game.
Usually when a team is comparing players side-by-side in ways such as this, it is because the team is paring down who to draft. But, in the Portland Trail Blazers case, it is simply scanning down the roster.
When General Manager John Nash set out to acquire a veteran point guard to push Sebastian Telfair he most likely did not envision that player coming from this years draft, but that is exactly how it has panned out.
Jarrett Jack is expected to battle Telfair for minutes when training camp opens in the fall. While it's widely expected that Telfair will be the opening night starter, that does not mean that Jack will not contribute to the Blazers.
At 6'3” and slightly over 200 pounds, Jack has the ability to play against bigger point guards that may give Telfair trouble, as well as possibly play some shooting guard beside Telfair. Jack also may be considered to have more experience than Telfair, which should help Jack receive minutes. After 3 successful years at Georgia Tech, he may be considered the slightly more seasoned player.
On the flip side of the point guard coin is Telfair, an electric, lightening fast point guard who is well known for his playmaking abilities. Telfair is considered to be the more offensively gifted of the pair as well as more of a pass first point guard. But Telfair is still considered small by most NBA standards weighing in at just 170 pounds.
But what could be the biggest key to the Trail Blazers point guard position? Complimentary parts.
When looking at two players to analyze their impact on a team the first thing that could be said about Telfair and Jack is that they are opposites. Telfair is an offensive spark plug that likes to finesse his opponents for points. Jack is a defensive spark plug who likes to muscle his opponents for his points.
But these assets give the Trail Blazers a huge advantage. While most teams only have the luxury of a certain style of point guard play, the Blazers have two. Not many teams have the benefit of breaking down a point guard using quickness when one player is in, and breaking down the same point guard with strength when the other player is in.
The question is, will this translate into wins? It is hard telling as both point guards are extremely young and inexperienced as a whole. But one thing is guaranteed, both players will push each other to prove that they are the most worthy of the minutes.
There is no way of telling this early if either point guard will be successful in the NBA. But when looking at the strengths—and especially their differences it could make for a very exciting point guard tandem in the future. |
