Though right-handed, Jackson attacks to his favored left side off the dribble and finishes his move with a short left-handed bank shot from the left side of the board for a bucket. Two days earlier against the Utah Jazz, Jackson made seven paint shots with his left hand. Full disclosure before we get too far into this: I was in the Memphis front office when the Grizzlies drafted Jackson in But now you see him bringing the ball up full court; he has better awareness of his teammates in front of him.
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. Jackson noted that he fell short of that threshold the year he won Defensive Player of the Year, playing only It would be a tremendous windfall for both Jackson and his team in this case, because it would solve a bit of a collective bargaining agreement problem for the Grizzlies.
That outcome, obviously, would make the Grizzlies a tad nervous, even if they can outbid rivals and Jackson has shown no interest in fleeing. Other teams sizing up cap-room scenarios for a run at a potentially strong free-agent class likely had already circled Jackson as a potential target, if not the top one. The good news, for both the Grizzlies and Jackson, is that he seems well on his way to nabbing one of the 15 All-NBA spots.
Jackson has work left to do, obviously, but his season is tracking toward the best possible solution to a potentially thorny problem in Memphis.
Jackson, of course, is not the only player having an exceptional season who should be rewarded on Thursday. As a reminder, 10 players have already been named All-Star starters based on voting by fans, players and media. After that, 14 more β seven each in the West and East β must be selected. With those guidelines, here are the 13 other players besides Jackson who I believe should be honored Thursday:.
