Sixers' Pierre Jackson ready to make an impact
Baylor product took a circuitous route from and back to the Sixers, but now, with a new deal, he is ready to play.
LAS VEGAS - If you look at the highs and lows of Pierre Jackson's short NBA life too quickly, you might get the bends. He was selected 42nd overall by the 76ers two years ago, only to be traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal that got the Sixers Nerlens Noel. He spent the season in the NBA Development League, averaging 29.1 points a game. He then was brought back by the Sixers after his lone season and joined their Orlando Summer League team. Seven minutes into his first game, he ruptured his Achilles' tendon on a non-contact play. That meant a year of rehab, a year away from the court and a year of doubt.
But the Sixers and president Sam Hinkie had enough confidence in Jackson to sign him for the year, in essence taking care of all his rehab. Yesterday, it all paid off when the team announced it had signed the Baylor product and Las Vegas native to a contract. The deal is for four years and is partially guaranteed.
"It's unexplainable," the 5-10 point guard said before the Sixers lost to the Brooklyn Nets at the Thomas and Mack Center yesterday in the Las Vegas Summer League. "I was devastated when I got hurt. Throughout the whole year, Brett Brown and Sam communicated with me . . . I was just keeping my faith up and knowing that they were still interested in me and were ready for me to get back right. [Tuesday, when he signed the contract] was a big day for me. Sam is a great guy, and it was a big day for me and my family.
"They didn't have to do that at all. That means a lot about the organization and what Sam has got going on here. I'm just glad to be a part of it."
How much he'll be a part of it, as far as playing time, remains to be seen. Jackson doesn't have a problem creating for himself with tremendous speed and quickness. Brown undoubtedly wants to see him create more for others, as well as the explosiveness that hasn't fully come back since the injury.
"We haven't seen the explosiveness that he has, but I think it's mental," said assistant Lloyd Pierce, who is directing the Sixers' squad in this tournament. "I don't think he's lost it; he just hasn't showed it, yet."
Jackson, playing at three-quarter speed, scored nine points in the loss, but, just as you think he's going to explode on a drive to the hoop, he downshifts more times than not. That will have to change quickly if he hopes to stick on the main roster after training camp.
"I'll never stop working, and it's been obvious throughout my basketball career since college," he said. "Obviously, you want to support your family, and I want to continue to do that while playing in the NBA. I'll go through training camp and see what the team needs are and what players we have. That's going to be fun. I think we're going to be really versatile. I can score, I can pass, and we'll be able to play off of each other. I feel good. I have no complaints right now."
Game stuff
The Sixers fell to 0-4 in Vegas with a 75-68 loss to Brooklyn. They will now play only one more game, 4 p.m. tomorrow against the Houston Rockets.
The Sixers were done in by a first quarter in which they fell behind, 23-7. Scottie Wilbekin led the team with 11 points, but shot only 5-for-15, including 1-for-7 from three. Besides Pierre Jackson, J.P. Tokoto and Charles Jackson scored nine for the Sixers.
Center Jahlil Okafor was excused from the game by the team to attend the ESPYs in Los Angeles, where his college coach, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, was up for coach/manager of the year.
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