First, Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times provided a brief synopsis of what went on in last night’s game:
Thoughts on Jackson from SBN’s Golden State of Mind and Others
I wasn’t as mad as Stephen Jackson, who was so peeved that he was relieved from action. Jackson was in a heated match-up with Kobe in the first quarter. They were yapping, playing hard, etc. Jackson picked up five four fouls in fewer than eight minutes, which led to him popping off at the mouth and getting a T. Moments later, he picked up foul number five.
He checked out of the game. Next thing you know, he was gone from the bench. He never returned. I was told Nellie gave him the rest of the game off because he was frustrated and emotional.
So when I got Nellie after the game, I expected him to downplay it. I expected him to say he wanted to give his guy a break. It was no big deal. He wanted to play the youngsters anyway.NELLIE: “I’m not going to comment on that.”
Red flag.
Of course, by the time I got to the locker room, Jackson was gone and his teammates were hush. Something’s up, I think.
So, even before the news of the suspension broke late tonight, it was clear that “something was up.” Golden State of Mind weighed in:
It's abundantly clear that around the league most people in the know realize that:
- Stephen Jackson is not as good as he thinks he is
- Jackson is not worth the contract extension Robert Rowell gave him
- Nellieball and the overall lack of talent on the Warriors roster has seriously inflated Jackson's stat line last season- Antoine Walker towards the end of his first stint with the Boston Celtics comes to mind.
This could be a very toxic situation. The Warriors are going to lose a lot and lose via lot of dumb ways this season. That's just the nature of a young team without any proven superstars or even All-Stars. I wouldn't be too surprised if at some point during the season the Rowell, Jackson (hey he shouldn't have signed up for the suck if it was going to drive him this crazy) and company admit their mistake and negotiate a contract buy out.
Two technical fouls from your "captain" in three PRESEASON games? As Allen Iverson would say-- We're talking 'bout preseason man!
This IS a joke.
As is often the case with situations like this, Jackson’s made his point. He’s not going to play hard for the Warriors this season, and he might just do his best to sabotage the locker room. Given those realites, the Warriors should trade him. But given those realities, who would ever want him?
Could the Warriors at least get a draft pick for Jackson, or will they be forced to buy out his contract? Time will tell, but performances like last night certainly won’t help.
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