| Paging Dr. Jasikevicius Authored by Andrew Perna - February 22, 2006 - 11:54 pm
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Jasikevicius has scored in double figures only twice in the teams last twelve games, while receiving limited playing time due to the superb play of Anthony Johnson, Fred Jones, Stephen Jackson, and Peja Stojakovic.
In the first few months of the season NBA fans got a glimpse of just how much of a force Jasikevicius can be on the court. His court vision and deadly jumper have been a very valuable asset for coach Rick Carlisle. Despite his lack of time at the point guard position, he has totaled five or more assists eleven times, and has an impressive assist per turnover ratio of 2.0 – higher than Tony Parker, Steve Francis, and Gilbert Arenas, who are all considered among the NBA’s elite playmakers.
Pacer fans have welcomed him because of his intense play, and the fact that his desire carries over onto the rest of the team. Jasikevicius, who recently broke the team record for most three-point field goals made by a rookie, has also helped soften the loss of Reggie Miller.
He has showcased his incredible shooting touch on several occasions. Against Cleveland on Thanksgiving he scored 17 points on 5-6 shooting from beyond the arc. A few weeks after Thanksgiving Jasikevicius torched the Sonics for 16 points on 4-5 shooting from downtown, and then in his first trip to Madison Square Garden hit four three-pointers that led the Pacers to victory.
A former member of Euroleague champion Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, Sarunas has brought a different style of play to Pacers than most fans are used to. Indiana has grown accustomed to a slow, grind-it-out kind of offense with Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest in the paint. However, with the departure of Artest and the recent injury to O’Neal, Coach Carlisle has been forced to use a much more open and faster paced offense.
The new offense has had positive effects on Stojakovic, Stephen Jackson, and fellow rookie Danny Granger, but Carlisle hasn’t used Jasikevicius as often in a system that could be optimal for his style of play. While he has been plagued with a few nagging injures, and understands the effects injures have had on the team. He told Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, “The days we play hard, we’re shorthanded. The days we’re full, we don’t play hard. We can’t put two and two together; it’s as simple as that.”
The All-Star break provided Sarunas with a good opportunity to rest his body from the daily grind that is the NBA, as well as participate in the Rookie Challenge game. But it remains to be seen whether or not he will receive more playing time in the next few weeks. The combination of Stojakovic and Jasikevicius could become a perimeter duo to reckon with in the Eastern Conference.
Certainly one that’s a lot easier to watch than pronounce.
Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
