The Brooklyn Nets appear to have achieved their goal of getting under the luxury tax this season after agreeing to a buyout with Deron Williams, and they have quietly had a solid offseason by signing some less talked about guys for cheap that can contribute.
With Williams gone, though, the Nets are left with a bit of a hole at the starting point guard spot. The three point guards left on the roster are Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake and Shane Larkin, and it seems like Jack would be the starter by default out of that group.
"If that's the position they want me to fill, I'm definitely very ready to do so, it's not my first rodeo as far as being thrust into the (starter's) role if that were to be the case. So it's something that's not foreign to me and (I'm) definitely ready for the challenge," said Jack about potentially starting this season, according to the New York Daily News.
Jack has a leg up on Blake and Larkin for the starting role because he was in Brooklyn last year and is comfortable with the system and the players he will be playing with. Jack also had a pretty good year for the Nets last season, mostly off the bench, averaging 12 points and 4.7 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.
All three point guards on the Nets roster would ideally be bench guys, but they need one of the three to start. Jack and Blake have both been full-time starters before, but at this point in their careers Jack is more equipped to start, and therefore he likely will.
The only way that Jack wouldn't start this season would likely have to involve a trade, but that is highly unlikely because the Nets are not willing to bring on more payroll at this point. Jack had moments last season where he outplayed Williams and took over as the starter, moving Williams to a bench role, but he was unable to sustain that success throughout the year and Williams eventually earned his starting job back.
The Nets might have a shot to be a playoff team again this year in what should be a weak Eastern Conference, but the play at the point guard position could have a huge effect on how well this team does. If Jack is able to hold his own as the starter, that will bode well for the Nets, but if he struggles with consistency, like he usually does, the Nets might be in trouble. Larkin is a nice guy to have for depth purposes, and Blake is a solid veteran presence, but neither of them are likely going to be asked to handle a starter's workload. The onus at the point guard position this season for the Brooklyn Nets will fall on Jack's shoulders.
