It didn’t get the attention of the big Dallas trade, but Minnesota’s last-second trading-deadline move for Marc Jackson could be the big difference-maker in the West. The Timberwolves broke a five-game losing streak and are 4-1 since Jackson came from Golden State.
“He’s got a big body,” Wally Szczerbiak said. “I come off his screens and I get a clear look at the basket. That’s a nice luxury to have. He’s not built for a bunch of clowns like they have in Golden State. He’s more of a guy who needs to play with players who know how to play. He makes them better, and we make him better.”
Jackson is averaging 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. At 6 feet 11 inches and 270 pounds he has solidified Minnesota’s front line, and the T’wolves are regularly outrebounding teams.
“This kills me, kills me, kills me,” said Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich, whose team tried to pry Jackson from Golden State, which got only Dean Garrett for him. “He is professional, confident, tough, skilled. He’s got a good face-up shot that makes him versatile. He can hit those 18-footers. He’ll battle.”
Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson after his team got hammered by Minnesota last week: “They have put an emphasis on getting angular gazelles.”
