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Interesting read on how Portland might use both Jarrett Jack and S.Telfair. Looks like the contrasting styles might play well with different personnel on the floor.
Telfair and Jack are very different players, which could make them an effective combination through the early season. The 6-foot, 165-pound Telfair — who went directly from high school to the NBA last year — is water bug-quick, can get to the basket on anyone and is a fancy-pants passer. But he had trouble finishing at the basket during the preseason and has difficulty defending the bigger point guards. The 6-3, 200-pound Jack has an NBA body, with a nice touch out to 3-point land, and his defense seems solid for a rookie.
McMillan is going to give him a chance to play regular minutes immediately and see if he deserves them. “They both play like young point guards,” McMillan says. “You see some bright spots, but then you see the inexperience, the youth. “Sebastian is trying to figure out what is going on. He’s like a Ferrari. He wants to go. When he has to set an offense, the engine is boiling over. Understanding situations and how to run a team is going to take some time with him. He’s always played an uptempo style, always depended on his speed. He has to learn to use that speed and run a team. Right now, he’s inexperienced — it’s as simple as that. He’ll look good some nights, and then he’ll look really bad. “Jack could be a little bit more seasoned, because he spent that time in college, had that teacher, was in a lot of big games. Though (the Atlantic Coast Conference) is not at the NBA level, it’s really good competition. He understands a little better right now slowing up, running a team, attacking, handling the pressure situations.”
McMillan will carefully observe how Telfair and Jack fit in with their teammates. The coach hints that Telfair may work better with reserves such as Ruben Patterson and Travis Outlaw, who are most effective in an uptempo game. Jack may be better with Zach Randolph and Joel Przybilla, whose skills are better suited for the halfcourt. “Maybe Sebastian’s better with the second group,” McMillan says. “Until you get a little ways into a season — maybe even a year or so — you won’t know for sure. Sebastian has speed, and I don’t want to take that away. When Jack comes in, we’re probably going to look a different way — more of a halfcourt, executing type of team. With Sebastian, we’ll run and probably use more screen-and-roll. “There’ll be some nights I finish with Sebastian, some nights I finish with Jarrett, and maybe
some nights I finish with Steve (Blake). There are no guarantees. It depends on who we’re playing, how (the point guards are) playing and the matchups.”
Now, game #1 for Jarrett turned out pretty good - 3/7, 7 pts, 1-2 FT, 0-1 3pt, 1 board, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, 14 minutes. Telfair played many more minutes but had mediocre stats, including 3 assists/3 turnovers. Stay tuned.......