Jarrett Jack played more minutes with the Nets than Deron Williams last season, so his face is already a familiar one. But with Williams now gone, Jack has even more of a stronghold on the team’s starting point guard spot.
Jack flew out to Las Vegas to take in Las Vegas Summer League, and spoke with reporters about his new role. The New York Post reported that Jack greeted every player on the Nets Summer League roster following the team’s most recent victory Sunday afternoon. He also said he spoke with Williams, and wished him well in his new situation:
“He was in good spirits about going back to his hometown team,” Jack said. “I thought he might just need a change of scenery, which is cool.
“In professional sports, our happiness is a thing we don’t get to control a lot, so it seems like he’s happy with the new situation, and I’m definitely happy for him and hope he does well.”
Jack demurred the idea that the leadership role is being thrust on his shoulders, but wanted people to believe from his actions that he was being a leader:
“Will I talk more or less [now]? Who knows,” Jack said after the game. “A lot of people, when [moves like this] happen, they try to assume and put things on their shoulders too much.
“That’s part of my purpose for coming down here. A lot of guys want to lead, but you don’t necessarily want to get people to follow. I want to come out here and lead with my actions and be part of what we’ve got going on.”
Jack had a few big moments in Brooklyn, hitting two game-winning shots and playing some inspired playoff minutes. But he also finished the season ranked 70th out of 83 qualifying NBA point guards in ESPN’s “Real Plus-Minus” metric, which accounts for strength of teammates and opponents, and 79th in “wins above replacement.”
New York Post — Deron Williams’ exit ushers in a new Nets leader
