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Arizona Republic
Jacobsen Benefits from Trade
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 27, 2004
ATLANTA - A lot has been made about Joe Johnson's emergence for the Suns since he slipped from the shadow of Penny Hardaway.
But even before Hardaway was traded to New York in the Stephon Marbury deal, Johnson was starting and getting significant playing time.
The hidden beneficiary of that deal was Casey Jacobsen.
The 6-foot-6, second-year swingman has seen his playing time jump to more than 25 minutes a game since the trade.
In the club's past three games, Jacobsen has averaged almost 35 minutes a game. He starts in a small lineup with Amare Stoudemire out because of toe and ankle pain. And the Suns may be playing small for a while.
Stoudemire was initially expected to miss only a couple of games after Portland's Ruben Patterson fell on Stoudemire's sprained left ankle and jammed his right big toe.
For more Phoenix Suns coverage, check out www.azcentral.com, Arizona's homepage.
Then Stoudemire said he'd probably miss the team's entire five-game trip that continues tonight against the Hawks at Philips Arena.
Now, he is saying his return could come after the NBA All-Star break Feb. 13-15.
"One of these days he's going to wake up without any pain, and that's when he'll play," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't know when that will be. It's still day to day."
The Suns could place Stoudemire on the injured list and activate Scott Williams.
"I don't foresee that because I don't foresee Amare being out that long," D'Antoni said. "Maybe I'm kidding myself."
In the meantime, Jacobsen is taking advantage of the minutes freed up by the trade and Stoudemire's injury.
After shooting 37 percent overall, 31.5 percent from three-point range and 68.6 percent from the free-throw line last season, Jacobsen has improved all three. He's hitting 43 percent overall, 42.4 percent on three-point shots and 83.9 percent from the line.
He ranks 12th in the NBA in three-point field-goal shooting and would be 23rd in free-throw accuracy if he had enough attempts.
While he spent the off-season working on his shooting, Jacobsen said there's more to his improvement than that.
"The biggest difference between last year and this year, besides just having another year of experience, is consistent minutes," he said. "I don't know any player on the planet that wouldn't benefit from getting consistent playing time."
He can thank more than his shooting for those minutes, though. D'Antoni credits Jacobsen's defense.
"He's one of our better defenders, with Joe, right there," D'Antoni said. "As a team defender, nobody does it better than Casey.
"Hopefully with time, as we go along, he's figuring out how to score. If he throws in eight to 10 points a game, that's a huge lift for us."
Jacobsen has proved to be much more than a shooter. He's willing to take the ball to the basket. But his defense is perhaps the biggest surprise.
"Obviously, on certain people if you're isolated on their best guy, you're in trouble," D'Antoni said. "But he has a knack of figuring it out.
"He'll get blown by one time, next time he won't get blown by. He knows the angles real well, uses his body real well. He does a good job of figuring it out, and we're not afraid to put him on anybody."
And Jacobsen is glad to get the work.
"I'm still trying to figure out things I can improve on every single day to get better, let alone having to worry about whether I'm going to play 20 minutes or zero in a game," he said. "I definitely appreciate the opportunity, and I'm trying to repay coach D'Antoni by playing my butt off every day in practice and games."
Jacobsen Benefits from Trade
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 27, 2004
ATLANTA - A lot has been made about Joe Johnson's emergence for the Suns since he slipped from the shadow of Penny Hardaway.
But even before Hardaway was traded to New York in the Stephon Marbury deal, Johnson was starting and getting significant playing time.
The hidden beneficiary of that deal was Casey Jacobsen.
The 6-foot-6, second-year swingman has seen his playing time jump to more than 25 minutes a game since the trade.
In the club's past three games, Jacobsen has averaged almost 35 minutes a game. He starts in a small lineup with Amare Stoudemire out because of toe and ankle pain. And the Suns may be playing small for a while.
Stoudemire was initially expected to miss only a couple of games after Portland's Ruben Patterson fell on Stoudemire's sprained left ankle and jammed his right big toe.
For more Phoenix Suns coverage, check out www.azcentral.com, Arizona's homepage.
Then Stoudemire said he'd probably miss the team's entire five-game trip that continues tonight against the Hawks at Philips Arena.
Now, he is saying his return could come after the NBA All-Star break Feb. 13-15.
"One of these days he's going to wake up without any pain, and that's when he'll play," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't know when that will be. It's still day to day."
The Suns could place Stoudemire on the injured list and activate Scott Williams.
"I don't foresee that because I don't foresee Amare being out that long," D'Antoni said. "Maybe I'm kidding myself."
In the meantime, Jacobsen is taking advantage of the minutes freed up by the trade and Stoudemire's injury.
After shooting 37 percent overall, 31.5 percent from three-point range and 68.6 percent from the free-throw line last season, Jacobsen has improved all three. He's hitting 43 percent overall, 42.4 percent on three-point shots and 83.9 percent from the line.
He ranks 12th in the NBA in three-point field-goal shooting and would be 23rd in free-throw accuracy if he had enough attempts.
While he spent the off-season working on his shooting, Jacobsen said there's more to his improvement than that.
"The biggest difference between last year and this year, besides just having another year of experience, is consistent minutes," he said. "I don't know any player on the planet that wouldn't benefit from getting consistent playing time."
He can thank more than his shooting for those minutes, though. D'Antoni credits Jacobsen's defense.
"He's one of our better defenders, with Joe, right there," D'Antoni said. "As a team defender, nobody does it better than Casey.
"Hopefully with time, as we go along, he's figuring out how to score. If he throws in eight to 10 points a game, that's a huge lift for us."
Jacobsen has proved to be much more than a shooter. He's willing to take the ball to the basket. But his defense is perhaps the biggest surprise.
"Obviously, on certain people if you're isolated on their best guy, you're in trouble," D'Antoni said. "But he has a knack of figuring it out.
"He'll get blown by one time, next time he won't get blown by. He knows the angles real well, uses his body real well. He does a good job of figuring it out, and we're not afraid to put him on anybody."
And Jacobsen is glad to get the work.
"I'm still trying to figure out things I can improve on every single day to get better, let alone having to worry about whether I'm going to play 20 minutes or zero in a game," he said. "I definitely appreciate the opportunity, and I'm trying to repay coach D'Antoni by playing my butt off every day in practice and games."
