There's a new sheriff in town, Jack. His name is Jack, Jarrett Jack.
The New York Knicks have managed to overcome an 0-3 start and various adjustment problems only to bring it back to the .500 mark with their current three-game win streak.
Besides the last three heroic 30-plus-point performances by unicorn Kristaps Porzingis, all these wins have something else in common — a starting point guard in Jarrett Jack.
The once injury-riddled floor general took over Ramon Sessions' starting spot after a horrid start — changing the overall dimension of this offense and providing the much-needed veteran leadership the Knicks lacked.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s on the bench or if he’s starting playing one minute or 48 minutes,” said center Enes Kanter, according to Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I see him, he’s speaking every time. He’s the leader of this team he just tries to help everybody.”
Jack doesn't have flashy numbers, still failing to score in double figures in any of his four games this season, but he has seen his assist total got from two, to five, to nine, to 10; as his minutes increased under Jeff Hornacek.
The 24-year-old's natural feel for the offense and willingness to get his teammates involved has created a new-found chemistry between players — one unlike any other after a series of scoring point guards that have ended up in Madison Square Garden.