Jarrett Jack to play both guard positions for New Orleans Hornets
The New Orleans Hornets acquired Jarrett Jack on Saturday 20 November in a five-player deal with the Toronto Raptors, and Hornets head coach Monty Williams said that 27-year-old point guard
will play both guard positions for them this season.
Jack, who was acquired from the Raptors along with David Andersen and Marcus Banks in exchange for Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic, was expected to be Chris Paul’s backup, but the first-year
coach believes that Paul and Jack will complement each other.
“Bringing Jack in here really gives us a good backup point guard who can also play the shooting guard spot,” Williams said. “All of this stuff looks good on paper, but I’m the one that has
to figure out ways to get everybody on board right away.”
Superstar point guard, Paul, who was the primary reason why the Hornets are trying to make their team stronger, also expressed his excitement for having Jack as his backup and backcourt partner.
Paul believes that Jack, who is averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 assists per game this season, will bring a lot of firepower off the bench.
“I'm excited. Jack is like a brother to me,” said Paul. “I talk to him on a regular basis. He brings experience and knows how to play the game. Coming up the bench he will be huge for us.”
Hornets’ general manager Dell Demps was also thrilled after the deal was finalized, although he said that dealing a young talent like Bayless and veteran shooter Stojakovic was not an easy
decision for him, especially after helping them start the season with an 11-1 record.
“We are excited about the players acquired today and feel that our short-term and long-term goals will benefit from this move,” said Demps. “Peja has been a valued contributor as a Hornet
for years, and we wish both Peja and Jerryd all the best in their future and thank them for their recent contributions in helping us get off to a strong start.”
Jack, Andersen, and Banks are expected to make their debut on Monday 22 November, when the Hornets go up against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center.
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