The Brooklyn Nets lost their third game of the preseason on Wednesday night but they also may have suffered a bigger loss. Jarrett Jack was ejected from the game after committing a flagrant 2 foul on Boston's Jonas Jerebko and it is very possible that he could be facing a suspension for a game or two in the regular season, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Jack said he is hoping that he doesn't receive a suspension for the foul and that he didn't mean to hit him as hard as he did. Jack had the ball stolen from him at midcourt by Jared Sullinger who passed it up to Jerebko, Jack chased down Jerebko and hit him hard without making much of an attempt to go for the ball and he called it a "frustration foul."
Earlier this preseason Trevor Booker was suspended for a flagrant two foul he committed in a preseason game but his was different in that it came during a dead ball and he hit Roy Hibbert in the head. Booker's incident certainly seemed worse and he only got one game so it is possible that Jack gets off with just a fine.
The Nets have the lowest expectations they have ever had since moving to Brooklyn this year and the point guard position is a huge part of that. Jack is the starter by default and his play will determine whether Brooklyn has a chance at another playoff berth or if they will be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Last season Jack was the backup behind Deron Williams and he had a very bad year as he struggled with turnovers and his plus/minus was the worst of anyone who qualified in the league.
Despite his bad year Jack is still the best option the Nets have at point guard as his backup is Shane Larkin and they also have Donald Sloan and Ryan Boatright on the roster. The rest of the Nets starting lineup is respectable but the lack of solid point guard, which is the most important position in basketball, is the main reason people have no confidence in them this season. If Jack were suspended it would likely just be one game and no big deal but the Nets can't afford anything to happen to their point guards as they are weak there as it is and for a team with playoff aspirations every game matters.
