Jack and Bosh are back together again

Like a couple of kid college roommates – which they used to be, in fact – Jarrett Jack and Chris Bosh were mugging for the cameras and goofing for the media during Jack’s introductory Raptors news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Fans can only hope they stay together longer this time than they did in the first go-round as teammates, when Bosh bolted for the NBA after just one season alongside Jack at Georgia Tech.

And with all the palaver about Bosh’s future when he can become a free agent at the end of the next NBA season, his new/old teammate figures it’s time to start the recruiting process right now.

Jack said:

“As soon as I pretty much got the call that Indiana wasn’t going to match, I said, 'we’re going to take this year, make the most of it as possible' and hopefully we’ll try to get him around here for a few more years.”

Bosh, of course, has never committed to either staying or going when he might be able to flee the only franchise he’s ever played for but he sounded at least a little bit like a guy who’s happy with the moves the Raptors have made and someone who’s glad to have another close friend as a teammate.

“I’m really happy to see him. He’s a really good friend to me, and that’ll make it easier, and he can play ball, too. It’s like killing two birds with one stone, he’s a good dude, a good locker room guy and he can ball. Any time you can have that, it’s a good thing.”

So, does that mean Bosh is coming back?

Yeah, right.

“For sure, I’m really excited about next year. Not too excited to the point I was last year (when he and Jermaine O’Neal were supposed to terrorize the East) but just looking at it, I think we have the chance to have a good team if we do the right things.”

Jack, a 6-3 guard, was termed “an ideal fit for this roster” by Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo, who stole the restricted free agent away from the Indiana Pacers with a four-year, $20-million contract.

Jack started thinking about the Bosh factor right after his agent called with news of the Toronto offer.

“Soon as I got off the phone with him, I called Chris and he thought I was playing a prank on him … I told him it was serious and the next day it hit the media,” he said.

“It’s unbelievable, not many times in this league do you get the chance to play with someone you really call a friend. Me and him were talking about the last time we played each other, it would be something to be teammates again and it came to pass now.”

-30-

Comments

[mark]

In unrelated news, Demar DeRozan wants Raps fans to help him decide on a nickname through Twitter. My suggestion is The Reason. As in, the reason we can forget about the high-flying days of VC!

[doug]

to all the Matt Barnes lovers out there he has been signed by the Magic to a two-year deal, i never saw his usefulness here but a lot like him...now if he was named Marvin Barnes and not Matt then I'd be interested, to younger readers you need to google him, messed up personal life but ball skills galore...

[Paul]

This is like a bad chick flick!!! Maybe I can get my wife to watch games with me, after filling her in on the relationships invovled.

Thanks BC.

[Richard Spackman]

Doug:
Caught the Presser. Interesting to say the least. :) Did you find out what the salary numbers are? If it's 4x$5=$20.0 M., then we have $.854 M. for anything else. However, if it's $4.4385+8%+8%+8%=$20.0 M.,then we have a productive $1.4155 M. to work with. This might matter.

We now have at least 5 point-guard-capable players and at least 5 shooting-guard-capable players, and 7 people for two positions. Which two go?

Do we still have $3,279,031 available in Trade exceptions? If so, why are we trying to overpay Delphino?

Blogger's note; Don't know about the numbers, no one's saying; no idea who might go, if they can deal Banks or Ukic they'd be the two; and there are NO trade exceptions

[Imran Pirani]

Hey Doug,

Fun watching the press release today but there was no Jersey presentation or concluding remarks on raptors.com. Could you tell us faithful readers what number Jack will be wearing next year?

Blogger's note: Can't tell you because I don't know

[Dana]

Hey Doug, I think the the big difference this year is that Brian is not putting all of his eggs in one basket and also he has had a chance to see what some players would be able to accomplish this past year. I think a lot of people felt like the Raps were one or two players away so there was some reluctance to tinker too much. This year like his first year those questions were not so much in the forefront. I know we have to wait and see what chemistry develops after the JO experiment but nobody can say Brian sat on his hands this year.

[Unregistered]

Can someone explain to me why is there Ukic/Banks on the roster? Trade 'em away for some rebounder/defender/slasher.

[Rob]

"-30-"

You just being sure we know you have nothing else to say, or are the summer interns drinking on the job again? :-)

[Christian]

BC mentioned about possibilities of other trades (Ukic in particular)... What do you think is the value of Roko in the market right now? Is he someone that we can trade for a respectable back-up for Hedo?

Blogger's note: I don't think too many GMs can turn a third string point guard, even one with some promise, into a rotation small forward

[Eric]

Not once did I hear Jack talk about how great it'll be to play with Andrea Bargnni. All this talk about winning games, how much fun it'll be next year...... but no mention of the 50 million dollar man? How strange. You'd think at least 1 of these guys would be excited to play with a 7'footer who runs the floor and stretches the D.........hmmmm. The magnetic draw of Andrea Bargnani. You just know that everyone wants to play with him and, even more so, compete with him!!!/!! What a warrior.

The team looks much deeper now and that's good but remember yall....... this team was complaining that it needed to get 'leaner' just over 12 months ago. They were too deep! Then they became not deep enough. If there's one thing I want to see gone, it's the culture of excuses! lol. You can have Doug Smiths apologizing for you forever- he'll beleive you even when you contradict yourself- but if you don't win, you don't win.

I do like Chris' look today. "We haven't won any games yet." True!

Blogger's note: When's your vacation? Your act, simple and one-trick-pony that it be, is wearing thin.

Blogger's note: Well, it seems you weren't paying very close attention as it turns out. Of course, had you done that, it would have made your point even more irrelevant and we can't have that.
A direct Jarrett Jack quote:
"For a team, you really have to have some balance. If I’m in the starting lineup and you have Jose and Chris and Andrea and Hedo, those guys definitely have to get their touches and their opportunities at the basket. If I come in off the bench, I might have more opportunities to be aggressive and keep the game going."

[Tim W.]

Unregistered: "Can someone explain to me why is there Ukic/Banks on the roster? Trade 'em away for some rebounder/defender/slasher."

Yes, because GM's around the league are clamouring for 3rd and 4th string PGs, one of whom is being paid $4 million over the next two seasons, in order to get rid of a rebounder/defender/slasher who might actually help the team.

Honestly, do people think before they post around here? If you want to get rid of a player so much, why on earth do you think anyone else would have any interest in them?

[anthony.mackay]

Sign Rasho to a 2 year deal, pass on Delfino so we have a little more flexibility and lets get it crack'in !

Our starters can make it rain from mid range and 3 probably with the exception of Da Roz but he shouldn't be putting up too many jumpers anyway. Those young springy legs better be running the break and flushing it down in traffic

HORNS UP ! Jose can still run pick and roll with Bosh and Turk but I wanna see Turk run it with Bosh... crush the rim or give it up to a Turk mis-match, Andrea mis-match since his man will have to come out of the paint to guard him or to Jose 4 3 !

[horsetickler]

Yes, they're good friends, that's good, CB and TJ were good friends too, let's hope this works out better.

And good use of "palaver" there Mr. (word)Smith, not too often the newspaper sends me running to the dictionary.

[k.e. slickke]

Perhaps we should always call Delfino, Carlos 'Bird Rights' Delfino. This will help to clear up the misconceptions on him 'tying up money'.
Eric, you are 100% right. did he mention Hedo or Jose or DD or Evans or....There is a definite pattern here. A conspiracy perhaps. Maybe a player should have to hold a roster sheet in front of him and mention every player on it. Then he could say he's friends with each and every one of them. Unless of course he has been roommates with one. Then maybe we could cut some slack, eh?

[Arlene]

What happened to Pops Mensah-Bonsu? Is he still a Raptor, or is he one of the bodies that got traded in deals last week. So much has happened, kinda lost track. Thanks.

Blogger's note: Unrestricted free agent

[Tabber]

Doug, a favour please? Ban Eric, all he does is fill up space and make people wonder about the future of mankind, with such ignorant and oblivious turkeys around and possibly breeding.

[Mark]

Hey Doug, I've been noticing during the past few weeks that all of our new players are being presented with the black alternate away jerseys. Is there any possibility that they could become our primary away and the red can become the alternate away?

The reason I ask is that our away jerseys used to say TORONTO on the front back in the late 90's - early 2000's, but they changed because management wanted us to be recognized as "Canada's Team," or something like that... Do you think that's still an issue?

Blogger's note: I don't know if that possibility exists, I know they really liked the black. I dont think what's written on the front is an issue, although I would prefer Toronto, personally.

[Chris]

I love Jack on the roster - I would also like to see Roko hang around as the third PG and watch him develop.

as for the depth of the roster / capablities of the players, the # of different lineups through the game are going to be something. I think Jay is probably better suited to handel those combos than Sam was (to use a baseball analagy I think Sam is more AL and Jay is more of an NL manager - better at multiple moving parts).

[DL]

-30-

is a journalist code they put at the end of article to signify its end.

Do I have that right Doug

Blogger's note: You do, indeed; it was only by force of habit that I put it on the blog post, I generally only put it on stories that I file to the paper

[doug]

2 things on this particular blog, article i need to rant about..

what is it nowadays with nicknames??..it drives me crazy maybe the Chris Berman effect as what he did at first was funny, entertaining but 15 years later hearing his act is tiring, when I played sports guys on the team got their nicknames honestly by guys on the team,,,,I was called a nickname as my buddies went to the horse races and there was a horse there that had my last name with "Keen" as the first name it won them money as they bet on it so i was always known as "keen", another guy was called "spindley" as that's what he was spindley, and another "crazy legs" as his legs when he was running were all over the place , literally crazy legs....so this age of the "nickname " is just not right, leave it up to teammates not the Chris Berman's of the world or fans , teammates get it right..

and next rant why the heck do people care about press conference's? they are what they are, player introduced etc...blah,blah,blah...plus if I was a GM. I would hold very few pressers as to me it shows a pecking order that need not exist although players know it they don't need to be reminded of their place on a team...as their was nothing for Wright, George although they are what they are I think they are a unneccssary evil as they accomplish little...

o third rant people quit replying to Eric...he loves playing the devil's advocate he surely is not as dumb or as oppositional as he presents himself, lord help us if he is...

[josh]

How much $ would it take to sign Pops?
If he can be had for the minimum why not buy out Banks and give that roster spot to Pops?
I know you don't get the lover affair with him.
but i'd sure rather have his energy and positive attitude. along with his career avg of 15 REB per 36 MPG.
Than watch Banks sulk in his suit for another 2 seasons!

Blogger's note: There's no way Pops makes more than the minimum, which is just over $700,000 for him, I believe. And coupled with the nearly $9 million (all counting towards the cap and tax) it would take to buy out Banks, I'm pretty sure I can be safe in saying spending $10 million to get Pops on the roster for a year is not something they would even contemplate. Would you?

[brad]

What was Marcus Banks like in the locker room last year, or your opinion of how he was around the team? Has he just given up, or is there even a remote possibility that he will work hard and compete next year? I know its impossible to say but would love an opinion - even just what he is like around the other guys.

Blogger's note: Certainly wasn't a distraction or anything like that that we saw. A rather non-entity, actually. He was away a lot after he had he foot surgery

[Edgar]

Re: Delfino

I have a feeling that Delfino will be on the roster next year no matter what. BUT if he continues to chase some unicorn contract offer, BC should give him 1 year at up to 4 or 5 mill (generous considering the only other NBA option he has is his 1million dollar qualifying offer). This would work for all sides because:

- Delfino would get his money this year

- BC would get the wing he wants

- Delfino would become a unrestricted free agent next summer

- BC wants to keep flexible in the long-term

- Delfino gets to avoid going back to Russia (he’s stated he really wants to playin the NBA right now - during his prime)

- BC gets the option of having trade bait in an big expiring contract at a time when (tradeable after Dec. 15)

- Delfino gets the opportunity to play himself into a nice new contract

- BC gets a player who is playing his ass off in a contract year

That’s what I call a Win-Win.

[Andrew]

Doug, one thing I love about this blog is all the drama and u proving those haters wrong! haha, kind of kidding...

ps who writes "associated press" articles for the Raptors/NBA?

Blogger's note: They have several stringers; not sure who was there today or who's done Raptors stuff lately. Sometimes they pick up CP copy out of here

[Mahdi]

Hey Doug, I know people have already asked this question before but do you think after the signing of Jarret Jack that BC will try to pursue Linas Kleiza if the Delfino thing doesn't work out?

I mean they both play pretty similar styles of game, but Kleiza has more promise and if given the chance could prove to be a consistent scorer coming off the bench and a good back up for Hedo.

Blogger's note: If Delfino falls through, all they are going to offer anyone is a minimum value contract, likely just for one year. I don't imagine Kleiza has interest in that, but if he does, I'm sure they'll call