Why is everyone so down on Marc Jackson? Everyone is saying he didn't prove himself and this and that. What did Cato do to deserve the money he got? Its not about looking and finding another Hakeem, centers like that comes along every so often. What the Rockets need is someone who will command attention in the post, not scared to rebound (Taylor), and plays hard. Jackson is all of the above. As a starter, Jackson avg 37min, 16.5pts, 9.5 rebs, and about 7 ft attempts per game. Even as a starter, he only attempted about 13.5 shots a game. Its true he's not a shot blocker, but that doesn't make you a good defender. Everyone wants to say he hasn't proven himself, people forgot he played overseas for 5 years to hone his game. I could only think of him as getting better with a better team, not worse. People are quick to point out the Rockets don't need a guy who can score because they have Cat and Francis. Has anyone seen the West lately? If you have a perimeter oriented, jump shooting team in the west, you will not make it. The attack has to be diversified for you to be a serious contender. I personally would like to see Cat take less shots and Steve to get his assist up to about 8-8.5. If the Rockets are going to be serious about improvement, they need a legit big man to compete in the west. I also think its important to know Jackson hit 80% from the ft line and got there as a starter. That means other teams big man in foul trouble,thus opening up the lane for Steve and Cat. Remember, the Rockets won most of thier games against the East not the West. With the East improving and the west improving, you will have to have some consistency in your games and not solely depending on jump shots.
I cannot agree with you more. Some people remind me of the dog with a bone in its mouth crossing a river. He sees another dog in the water with a bone(its reflection) and wants that bone too. Many fans including some of the more experienced and popular posters are calling for the Rockets to get that supreme center. First, where is that center when the closest you had to that just left town, essentially to, and for, a team which sees itself as a contender. Apparently the Rockets do not see themselves as that. Jackson is more than sufficient for the Rockets needs. Not only are his statistics good enough, he is way more experienced than a Rookie, he is heavy at 270lbs, and knows key members of the Rockets team. I would not say he has stopped improving so I expect him to get even better. I say add him to Cato and Collier and give them the opportunity to grow. I am sure two of the three if not all three will turn out to be invaluable. Believe me a supreme center is not out there now and the Rockets will have a more than average chance at him whenever he appears. In the meantime do we drop the bone to go after a phantom bone?
His statistics won't be as "inflated" on the Rockets team. He played for the Warriors last year. They didn't have any low post performance. True, he did take advantage of the opportunities, but if you are expecting those type numbers with the Rockets, you won't be seeing them.
Let me pitch my 2 cents in here. I agree that Marc Jackson is the best man for the job. All in all, I think he is our best and most viable option with Jelani McCoy second. Trading for Lafrentz is always an interesting idea, but I have yet to hear of anything that would indicate that that is a legitamate possibillity. I have heard alot of things recently about Marc being soft, numbers inflated, and all that junk, but I am still impressed with his abilities, and what he could contribute to the team. Either way, with Hakeem gone, I feel we will likely see some improvement in Cato this year, though in my opinion it could be so small as to be completely negligible. But all in all I think we "could" (key word: could) be surprised by Cato. I'm thinking Collier was still an unquestionable mistake. With all that said, I think Jackson is the guy we should secure to a deal, and the best able to alleviate a position that for the Rockets could be disasterous.
TedRuxpin Have you ever heard of Antwoin Jamison? Scoring over 50 on two consecutive nights seems to be pretty good low post presence to me!
We don't have to have a super star at center to be a good team. I haven't seen Marc play, but if he's tough, a good rebounder, a decent defender, and has some offensive skills then I think we should sign him to a reasonable (read non-Cato-like) contract. If he can bring energy and stability to the post, then we should go for it. Having established w/rapport w/Cat and Eddie won't hurt either. Chemistry means a lot. Let's not worry about stats...unless you're a fantasy freak. Marc may not be what we wanted, but he may be what we need! Marc may not be what we wanted, but he may be what we need!
Fantasy wise he was a top 5 center in the league after Dampier's departure,I picked him up and then traded Dream Marc doesent really rely on just his post game,actually I think he is at his best around midrange,shooting his soft jumpers and crashing the boards after a shot is taken.He does need some more speed but at center not many players are going to be wipping by him and if they do we have a new weak side shotblocker in Griffin.Jackson isnt all that good at defense and cant jump at all but he can put his big body on you and that can throw off a players shot just as much as blocking or contesting a shot sometimes.I think he is a really good fit for this team but I still think he will resign with GS,JMO.
He doesn't block shots very well. Not to say he can't. He doesn't have very good dexterity (hand/eye coordination). That is the downside. The upside is that he can: 1) Score. There will be nights when it's not clicking for our usual scorers (backcourt). It's nice to have the option then, and it's icing when everyone's clicking. 2) Rebound. The Rox aren't the worst rebounding team out there, so technically this isn't a major weakness. But that's only because our guards are good rebounders. If we have a post man doing that work, and he can pass it to the guards, add another 4-20 points off the fast break. We need another rebounder inside to make it over the hump. 3) Give 100% every night. For this reason alone, he's the anti-Cato. Where Cato gives an average of 15% a night... Not enough emphasis can be put on effort when discussing a potential post player for your team. It is the most important factor there is. Give me Marc or give me death. Wait, I'll skip death. I'll take Pig if Marc's not available.
