I don’t think it is much of a stretch when I say that Golden State Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson is a “sensitive soul”. At the same time, I would probably be stating the obvious when I say that team coach Don Nelson has a little “prima donna” within him. Which begs the following question: Can Jackson and Nelson co-exist in Oakland?
I suppose it depends on who is telling the truth in their “he said-he said” episode. But probably the most recent episode harkens back to last Friday when Nelson benched Jackson in the first quarter of the Warriors’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday. Subsequently, Jackson, hurt feelings and all, went back to the old “I want to be traded” mantra.
But at least for the moment, Jackson, in a phone interview with the Contra Costa Times, is saying the right things. Tidbits such as:
“I’ve got no choice but to go out there. I’m just going to do my job. I don’t want to be fake. I’m just going to go and play basketball and handle my business.”
So as spats tend to do, a sitdown meeting between Jackson, Nelson and Warrriors general manager was scheduled – presumably to clear the air. Meetings and the like are all well and good, but also bear in mind that this form of dysfunction has been ther modus operandi in Oakland for some time.So I am going to assume that regardless what happens during this meeting, the team wants to get Jackson, after his two game suspension, out on the floor.
That would at least allow the team to gauge any interest in the enigmatic swingman and his current contract, which is in its final year at $7.6 million; then there is the 3-year extension which begins during the 2010-11 season and totals at $27.8 million. So I would venture to say that a buyout is highly unlikely.
So where does that leave Jackson in the grand scheme of things? Unless some team takes a leap of faith (and financial suicide) and assume Jackson’s contract, don’t expect Golden state to deal him anywhere. After all, they’re noyt going to just throw away 20 PPG, 6 RPG and 5 APG like yesterday’s garbage. Even Riley is mindful of the fact that he is going to want to get some value for any trade offers coming his way.
Suffice it to say, things – at the very least – will get interesting in Oakland. As current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens would say, “Get out the popcorn”.
Captain Jack A Good Soldier For Warriors – For Now
I don’t think it is much of a stretch when I say that Golden State Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson is a “sensitive soul”. At the same time, I would probably be stating the obvious when I say that team coach Don Nelson has a little “prima donna” within him. Which begs the following question: Can Jackson and Nelson co-exist in Oakland?
I suppose it depends on who is telling the truth in their “he said-he said” episode. But probably the most recent episode harkens back to last Friday when Nelson benched Jackson in the first quarter of the Warriors’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday. Subsequently, Jackson, hurt feelings and all, went back to the old “I want to be traded” mantra.
But at least for the moment, Jackson, in a phone interview with the Contra Costa Times, is saying the right things. Tidbits such as:
So as spats tend to do, a sitdown meeting between Jackson, Nelson and Warrriors general manager was scheduled – presumably to clear the air. Meetings and the like are all well and good, but also bear in mind that this form of dysfunction has been ther modus operandi in Oakland for some time.So I am going to assume that regardless what happens during this meeting, the team wants to get Jackson, after his two game suspension, out on the floor.
That would at least allow the team to gauge any interest in the enigmatic swingman and his current contract, which is in its final year at $7.6 million; then there is the 3-year extension which begins during the 2010-11 season and totals at $27.8 million. So I would venture to say that a buyout is highly unlikely.
So where does that leave Jackson in the grand scheme of things? Unless some team takes a leap of faith (and financial suicide) and assume Jackson’s contract, don’t expect Golden state to deal him anywhere. After all, they’re noyt going to just throw away 20 PPG, 6 RPG and 5 APG like yesterday’s garbage. Even Riley is mindful of the fact that he is going to want to get some value for any trade offers coming his way.
Suffice it to say, things – at the very least – will get interesting in Oakland. As current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens would say, “Get out the popcorn”.
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