Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson explains missed workout with Boston Celtics before draft

http://celticswire.usatoday.com/2017/12/02/phoenix-suns-rookie-josh-jackson-explains-missed-workout-with-boston-celtics-before-draft/




Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson explains missed workout with Boston Celtics before draft









On one fateful day in June, it became clear that the Boston Celtics and Josh Jackson were not meant to be.
Just a few days before the draft, the entire Celtics brass was flying cross-country to Sacramento to work out Jackson, who they were strongly considering for the number three pick. When their flight landed, they learned the workout was off and a precious day in the craziest week of the year has been wasted.


Agent BJ Armstrong canceled the workout, as speculation grew that Jackson didn’t want to be drafted by Boston so he could go to a team where he could have a bigger spotlight. Jackson says it was simply a mix up.


“It was just miscommunication between me and my agent – couldn’t set up a workout,” Jackson said Saturday before the Suns faced the Celtics. “The day they were supposed to come in, I wasn’t aware and wasn’t prepared. So I’m not going to work out if I’m not prepared.”


Jackson rejects the notion that he wanted to slide his way into a situation where he didn’t have to fight for playing time.

“I’m not threatened by anybody, ever. I welcome competition.”


Jackson said the Celtics didn’t try to reschedule and that was that. But he still didn’t know what was going to happen draft night.


“I had no idea. I honestly felt draft night that I could have gone anywhere from one to five. I just came in with a clear mindset, not knowing where I was going to go. Just make the best of whatever situation I was in.”


Now Jackson is a core franchise piece in Phoenix, who are at ground zero of their rebuild. He has plenty of playing time and will have all the attention and opportunity for glory.


“I love it here in Phoenix, love my teammates. We could be doing a lot better, but we’re young with a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow.”


Jackson has his room to grow and may end up with everything he wanted. But it was a strategic failure on his part if he wanted to win right away. Jayson Tatum has been one of the league’s top rookies and would have been the front-runner for rookie of the year if Ben Simmons had played one game last year before he went down.


It worked out well for both teams, at Tatum is already excelling in many areas where it looked like Jackson had a distinct advantage.


If there’s any question whether Jackson regrets what happened, intentional or not, it doesn’t appear Jackson concerns himself with having regrets.



bob




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Bob. I call bull manure on Jackson's denial.

worcester wrote:Bob. I call bull manure on Jackson's denial.

worcester,

It was a dung denial.


bob


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Fock him we don’t need him, I don’t like his game, he’s the next Cory Brewer

Who cares about Jackson? We have Tatum, and I am sure that none of us nor anyone in the front office would trade Tatum for anyone else in last year's draft at this time.

I'm sure that we all will watch Jackson's career and wish he becomes a big fat nothing.

I agree with Worcester, his current story is complete BS. We all remember how it played out.

gyso

Miscommunication?   Does his agent English no speak?

Hard to believe in this day of multiple ways of virtually instant communication they messed it up.

beat

Tatum is better anyway.


KJ

I never wanted Josh Jackson.

I was going to write a new thread, but I might as well put it here.

How did Danny pull off his big bluff? Philadelphia was nuts to make that deal. Say there was a Danny 2.0 as GM of Philly. He would have faked the Fultz hype and selected Tatum thinking the real Danny was going with him the whole time.

This is a very bad look for the 76er GM.

Danny has been piling up genius trade after trade beyond the Brooklyn heist. He got Isaiah. I think he got I.T. through the pieces of a trade from Cleveland. Getting Crowder. Everything Danny has done since trading the Big Three and hiring Brad Stevens has been gold. Finding Baynes and Theis. Getting Morris when he had to trade Avery. The list is too long to compile. It has become complex. He is the equivalent of the Lakers winning 33 straight games or what that was. He is playing GM at an Auerbachian level. If the titles start rolling in, he could become one of the top GMs of eternity.

It makes one forget every bad move he ever made.

The Kyrie deal took the cake.

Danny did seem to drool over Fultz. It seemed that was the move he had to make. Isaiah was down to one more contract year. He must have been bluffing. Danny performs GM duties as if he is a professional poker player. That is my conclusion. I don't think he wanted Fultz ever. I think he always wanted Tatum.

Of course it's impossible to ever know the full truth, so we are stuck with speculating.

I was ready to toss Danny out with Doc, just get a clean slate going.

I was wrong. Sometimes I am wrong. On the game thread I brought up Mark Gasol. Oops.

I thought about it a bit more. Ainge would have to trade Hayward and maybe some late 1st round picks, Rozier, whatever.

Gasol would have to fit in with Horford. This would be based on the win now strategy. I'm sorry I brought it up. I appreciate folks giving me the lowdown.

I thought maybe we need another big, but now I'm thinking please play more Baynes and Theis.

It's exciting times. Danny still has the most assets of every team. He added to them. Irving is great. Jaylen Brown is also emerging.

Does anyone still doubt the Celtics are a true championship contender as is? Is anyone really that afraid of Cleveland? Do we not play GS as good as any team? Is there not still time to go for the trading season and signing free agents for Danny to tighten up anything that might be missing? Is this the case of not being one piece away, but rather a bit of tinkering around the edges is all that's needed to win #18?

I hate to mention injuries, but I do reserve the right to use the injury card, if applicable, if this is hyping up early season fool's gold.