Jack Mentoring DeRozan And Weems

By Ryan McNeill
for HOOPSADDICT.com

Published: October 19, 2009

Lost in the tidal wave of some of the flashier moves the Toronto Raptors made this summer, veteran point guard Jarrett Jack barely caused a ripple besides the media writing about his friendship with franchise star Chris Bosh.

Hardly the kind of stuff that holds the curiosity of Raptors fans for more than a day or two.

It’s what has been going on behind the scenes that will intrigue Raptors fans as Jack has jumped into a valuable big brother role of sorts with his younger teammates.

Last week I walked into the Raptors locker room before the game to see Jack talking with Sonny Weems about what he’ll do on the defensive end based on specific offensive sets the Wizards run.

This kind of tutelage wasn’t a one time thing.

“I see a lot of potential in both of them,” Jack told Hoops Addict after a tough loss to the Rockets. “Being young guys I think they have a tremendous amount of growth ahead of them.

“DeMar (DeRozan) is being thrust into a starting role and for a 20-year-old rookie that’s not easy. So anything I know from my five years in the league, I’m going to try to help him as much as I can. Sonny’s coming from a situation in Denver where they pretty much had an established rotation and now he’s getting the opportunity to play more. I’m trying to help him because he hasn’t had much game experience. As you can see he’s a great talent and athletic… if he can start to think about the game more than the sky is the limit for him.”

A lot of times younger players don’t heed the advice of veteran teammates. Not Weems and DeRozan. They both realize they have plenty to learn about playing in the NBA, even if it comes from a player with only five years of experience.

“It means a lot to me because it means I have someone on the team who I know cares about me,” Weems told Hoops Addict when I asked what having Jack offer advice means to him. “He cares about how my season goes. He cares about how I want to make my money and feed my family. It’s real important to me that he takes the time out of his day to do that. Whatever he says to me I’m going to listen to that because he knows the up and downs of the league.”

Even DeRozan, a much heralded lottery pick, easily admits he can learn a lot from Jack this season.

“It’s helpful, man,” DeRozan told Hoops Addict after a tough loss to the Rockets. “He’s been helping me understand the offense, and really, the defense as well. He’s showing me how to set up my man and how to get easy buckets. Just how to get out in transition and grow (as a player).”

Just as Jack helps other players grow, he’s growing and maturing as a leader himself. Watching him interact with his new teammates on and off the court it’s easy to lose sight of the fact he’s just five years removed from college himself and is a player still soaking up knowledge from teammates and coaches himself.

According to his new head coach, Jay Triano, his ability to communicate and connect with his new teammates is why his leadership strikes a chord with his younger teammates.

“Players listen to the coaches, but when it comes from your peers sometimes it gets through better,” Triano explained when asked about why having players take leadership roles is so important. “Jarrett’s been very vocal his entire career and I think he is starting to feel more and more comfortable with his role here. I welcome his opportunity to speak to all the young players. We’ve got some young guys and he’s been around the league for a little bit and we’ve always said we could use some more communication. He’s the kind of guy who brings that.”

Despite being a player just a few years into his NBA career, Jack’s personality and passion for making his teammates better are two of the reason why he’s become a leader on and off the court here in Toronto.

It’s a shame the rest of the media in Toronto are so slow on picking up on one of the feel good stories unfolding during the Raptors preseason.

2 Comments on "Jack Mentoring DeRozan And Weems"

Lu Galasso on Mon, 19th Oct 2009 9:58 am

The Raptors needed a backup point guard badly and it’s nice they found one who’s a good leader as well. Ex-teammates in Portland really missed him last year, probably more for his leadership ability than his talent. He’s a good mentor for the young guys and he doesn’t stop talking on the court.

Milt Palacio on Wed, 21st Oct 2009 8:53 pm

Derrick Martin was a good mentor for T Ford and Jose….

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Jack Mentoring DeRozan And Weems

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