reflections
June 20th, 2007 Marc Jackson: Hornet or FA in July?

By 808Hornetsfan

HornetsNews.com continues it’s look at the three important free agents that could be leaving the Big Easy in early July. Which guys will the Hornets retain, and which will the Hornets let walk this summer? We continue our preview with veteran F/C Marc Jackson.

Marc Jackson

2007 Season: 56 games, 25 starts, 7.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Despite the Hornets using two first round picks in the 2006 draft on a forward and center, Jackson continued to play hard and surpassed rookies Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons on the depth chart. Coach Scott was impressed by Jackson’s aggressive play under the rim, and decided it was best for him to play behind Tyson Chandler at center. 17 of Jackson’s 25 starts were at PF, but he was only able to average around 9 and 3 a game. In seven starts at center, Jackson played much better as he averaged 12 and 6 a night.

His long-range shooting abilities are also a plus, making his value much higher. Although he won’t demand a high salary, Jackson would like to have a little extra bank in his pocket if he’s going to be coming off the bench for another two or three seasons. In fact, at age 32 Marc has never started more than 35 games in one season, and that was in his rookie season with the Warriors. He may not get a starting job elsewhere, but he could get a better opportunity to play with a different team. And with the Hornets waiting to get a return on their two draft choices, Jackson’s playing time would probably decrease to give the younger guys a chance to shine.

Marc JacksonMarc Jackson

It’s going to come down to whether or not the team wants to wait another season to see if they made the right choices in drafting Armstrong and Simmons. Jackson is the only thing standing in their way in terms of playing time. If you look at it in a different way, you’ll see that Jackson’s play was inconsistent. His best games of the year were played in the month of April, when he averaged 13.1 ppg and 7.5 rpg.

The forward and center positions are not something the Hornets have to worry about, so it looks like Jackson will move on this offseason. It will be interesting to see where he lands, and if he’ll be in a better situation. His longest tenure with a team has only been two seasons, so he may never get a long term deal at this point in his career.

Sorry to see you go Marc, but we need to move on. It’s time to see what our younger players can do, and if the risk pays off. I think I speak for a lot of Hornets fans when I say that Marc Jackson will not be wearing a Hornet’s uniform next season.

Marc Jackson: FA

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