JACKSON WANTS OUT IS CONFIRMED; HERE'S WHY
Apparently, he said so in an interview he gave to Dime Magazine while at a party in New York with Al Harrington.
Fan response could (and does) include:
- Something else is going. Jax's about face didn't happen so quickly without something else happening. Nellie or Riley forced the issue.
- He heard his name in trade rumors, and figures he'll preempt it.
or more convincingly:
- Jax played Robert Rowell (Warriors president and owner Chris Cohan's right hand man) like a fiddle: He got a contract extension - while still under contract for another 18 months - in the middle of last season, claiming he "wants to be a Warrior for Life." He got his money, then he leaves.
The last is plausible.
But here is what Warriors Update thinks: For Stephen Jackson, its about winning.
And the Warriors front office consistently proves Cohan's financial position comes first. Sure, they wouldn't mind winning; after all, how long can they dupe fans into watching a consistently bad team?
Look at the evidence:
First, Rowell breaks up the '07 playoff team but nixing the very reasonably priced Baron Davis extension Mullin had negotiated.
Then they sit idly by while Nellie doesnt give his young talent time on the court to evaluate what he has. Worse yet, Nellie plays head games with the young talent and talks to them through the press.
Rowell then "fires" Mullin, the only front office person with NBA credentials, and gives the GM job to Nellie's side kick Larry Riley.
Finally this off season, they sit idly while free agent player after player find new homes, giving new hope to numerous franchises. Many players who signed reasonably priced contracts, including Shawn Marion, fit well into Nellie's system and could have helped move the team into playoff contention.
But the fact remains: for the Ws, positive cash flow comes first.
And now the players see it. Some cant do anything about it, locked into contracts with no leverage. Others - the D league pickups (thank you once again, Chris Mullin) mostly - are just thrilled to be in the NBA.
But others (read: Stephen Jackson), understand whats going on, have leverage and are being vocal about it.
Jax did want to be a Warrior for life when he signed the contract. Then again, he believed the Warriors wanted to put together enough talent win a championship. But now, he sees it differently.
A lot can be said about Stephen Jackson. His volatile personality. His league leading turnovers. His "never met a shot I didnt like" on court attitude. His techincals (second only to Sheed last year). But he, more than BDavis, led the Ws to a winning season and the playoff victory over top-ranked Dallas in '07.
And he is smart. Smart enough to see whats going on.
If - and its a big if - the Warriors are headed in a championship direction, they won't be there for several years. That much they have made clear.
Jax understands that, and realizes he can't wait that long.
Honestly, who can blame him? Who would want to play their last 4 or 5 years for a team striving for mediocrity?
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As Always, Go Ws!
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