JackJumpers confirm first import signing, with veteran point guard also linked to club
The Tasmania JackJumpers have secured their starting back court for next year’s NBL season, with a pair of Americans with international experience to join forces. SQUAD >>
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A PAIR of guards who have both represented the USA at international level will form Tasmania’s starting back-court for its inaugural NBL season.
The JackJumpers officially unveiled athletic shooting guard Josh Adams as their first import on Tuesday morning, and a short time later it was revealed Josh Magette had also agreed to terms with the league’s newest franchise.
Adams, 27, had a standout college career for the Wyoming Cowboys, and after overcoming a near fatal car crash having signed his first professional contract in 2016 has spent several years in Europe with a stint in China.
Josh Magette has agreed to a deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, sources told ESPN. Magette, a 6'1 point guard, was part of the USA Basketball Select Team ahead of these Olympics.
— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) July 20, 2021
Magette, currently with the American Olympic squad having been picked in the country’s Select Team which has been training with the main group for the past three weeks, is an experienced point guard who has built a highly impressive career.
The 31-year-old has 26 games of NBA experience — 18 with the Atlanta Hawks in 2017-18 and eight with the Orlando Magic in 2019-20 — and has the second most assists in the history of the NBA G-League.
In the 2019-20 G-League season Magette averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 assists and two steals through 29 games.
Adams, who played against Tasmanian Hugh Greenwood and was a teammate of Boomer Nathan Sobey at Wyoming, hopes a move to Australia can help reignite his love of the game after several tough years in Europe.
“It has always been a league that has intrigued me,” Adams said of the NBL. I talked to coach [Scott] Roth extensively, and really bought into his vision, and the fact that he is a player’s coach.
“It’s somewhere that I can go and be free and live a very good lifestyle from what I’ve heard, and really redevelop my love for the game of basketball, get healthy.
“I’ve had a couple of rough situations in Europe that have kind of skewed my view of basketball in the professional stance.
“I’m looking to go somewhere where the club believes in me as much as I believe in my abilities and to rediscover my love for the game, and most importantly just have a positive impact on those guys in the locker room, the people in the front office and all the good fans that are going to support us this year.
“[To] help build a new program up from the ground, I think that’s an incredible opportunity … and I’m just very excited to be a part of the process.”
Adams has built a reputation as a high flying, high volume scorer, and looks set to be give a licence to thrill at the JackJumpers.
However it won’t come at the expense of the greater good.
“I’m more of a team guy, I’m going to feed off the energy of those guys, I’m going to feed off the energy of the fans, and I want to do what’s best for the club, what’s best for the team, and put that above myself at all times.
New recruit Josh Adams is gonna bring some heat 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D5BRkrubQI
— Tasmania JackJumpers 🜠(@JackJumpers) July 20, 2021
“I do love having the freedom and the power to motivate guys behind me but I’m not going to do that with my words, I’m going do that with my work ethic on the floor.
“If you look back over the course of my career, not to be arrogant or anything like that, but my resume is kind of littered with highlight plays this has gotten me to this level.
“But I don’t want that to be something that overlooks the rest of my talent and overlooks myself as a person and as a leader.”
‘Elite athleticism’: High-flying US guard joins JackJumpers
HIGH flying American guard Josh Adams has created his slice of JackJumpers history, becoming the first import to sign with Tasmania’s NBL club.
The 27-year-old former US college star with Wyoming has inked a one year deal with the side.
In his junior season at Wyoming, Adams was named Mountain West Conference Tournament MVP as the Cowboys won the title.
During his senior year he averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, led the MWC with 94 made three-pointers and he set the record for single season scoring at the school with 740 points.
Adams finished his collegiate career tied for first all time at Wyoming in games played, second in threes made, third in games started, fifth in scoring and steals, and sixth in assists.
Undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Adams signed a summer league contract with the Denver Nuggets, featuring in four games, before signing with Russia’s Avtodor Saratov in the VTB United League in late July.
Two weeks later he narrowly avoided a fatal car crash, which sidelined him from the court for a year.
Adams has since spent time playing in Europe _ most recently with Italian team Virtus Bologna, which won the Italian League in 2021 _ with Toronto’s G-League affiliate and in China.
“Josh is a really exciting player and is set to wow all JackJumpers fans when he is on the court. He has elite athleticism, and we believe his skillet is a perfect fit for what we are trying to build,” coach Scott Roth said.
“Josh has a tremendous amount of international experience and has been exposed to the NBA. He has also been a winner across the world and will be a strong addition to the culture we are creating at the JackJumpers.”
One local spot remaining on JackJumpers NBL roster
JACKJUMPERS coach Scott Roth believes several of the franchise’s foundation signings will have a “chip on their shoulder” as they look to silence critics for the team’s roster direction.
Tasmania’s NBL team has just one local main spot remaining following confirmation Fabijan Krslovic and Jarrad Weeks — who thrilled local crowds during a stint with the Hobart Chargers in 2016 — have both signed two year deals.
They join former Perth trio Will Magnay, Clint Steindl and Jared Bairstow, Sam McDaniel and Jack McVeigh as the Australian contingent moving to the state.
The JackJumpers roster has come under fire on social media, but Roth remains unwavering it is a group, which will be bolstered by three imports, can make an impact.
“I think one thing that’s very apparent … is the character of the guys that we’ve brought in here,” Roth declared.
“It’s been my number one goal to bring in culture builders, guys that are team guys first.
“We have really good players, the seven that we’ve signed, but we have high character guys who want to build culture, that want to do it right.
.@JackJumpers must be bringing three of the greatest imports the @NBL has seen #NBL22https://t.co/SL2am7Xafi
— The Tea Man (@Teaman04) July 7, 2021
“I think a few of these guys have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, they are out to prove people wrong.
“I think that’s kind of the MO of maybe the state of Tasmania, it’s always been one of those states that I think is overlooked at times.”
Weeks, who turned 32 last Sunday, parted ways with New Zealand mid season and finished as an injury replacement with the Sydney Kings.
Jack Jumpers doing their best to ensure Cairns don’t repeat as wooden spooners in 2022. This squad would be reasonable underdogs to the 2019 Wellington Saints. https://t.co/lQNrxU2RoW
— Sam Garriock (@Sam_Garriock) July 7, 2021
Despite the tough campaign he is confident he still has plenty of good basketball to offer.
“It was definitely a hard season, not just for me but obviously for everyone. Obviously a different season with the mutual release and everything like that, moving from the Breakers to the Kings,” Weeks said.
“But a very difficult season off the court as well. I’m looking forward to putting all that behind me and putting my best foot forward and showing the league … the player that I used to be and the player that I still am.”
Krslovic emerged as a starter for Cairns by the end of the 2020-21 campaign, and feels a move to Tasmania under Roth will turbocharge his ambitions.
“Speaking to Scott about what I can do to take the next step in my game and develop that consistency, I was sold pretty much right away.
“I’m pretty happy with how I went last year, I think I had some really, really good stretches, some good patches, and I just want to make that the norm.”
JackJumpers sign slam-dunking star
THE JackJumpers have snared shot-blocking monster and slam dunk specialist Will Magnay who will use the NBL’s newest franchise as his stepping stone into an NBA career.
A former Brisbane Bullet and Perth Wildcat, Magnay, 22, of Queensland, joins the JackJumpers after a stint with NBA team New Orleans Pelicans earlier this year.
Fresh off ankle surgery to fix spurs and ligaments, Magnay also played for the Florida-based Erie BayHawks in the NBA G-League this season.
The JackJumpers were proud to unveil their newest player on Monday, adding the towering centre to forwards Clint Steindl and Jarred Bairstow, and guards Jack McVeigh, Sam McDaniel and Sejr Deans.
They may not have Magnay for long.
“I believe I’m an NBA player, so I want to be in the NBA,” Magnay said.
“A lot of hard work goes into that, but I think I can get back there.”
Tasmanian basketball fans will not be left wondering what 208cm will bring to the table.
“A lot of blocked shots, a lot of dunks, and just playing my arse off doing everything I can to get a win.
“I will play as hard as I can and do whatever I can to win.”
Magnay, who had never heard of Tasmania’s aggressive stinging ant, was in demand for the NBL season.
He chose the JackJumpers because of the development opportunities offered by coach Scott Roth.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for me to develop and grow and get to that next level,” Magnay said.
“When I’m in Tassie that will be my whole focus, doing what I can to win and Scott seems to be the right person to develop my skills and keep pushing.
“It’s a unique opportunity to start a franchise and build a winning culture so I am very excited for that part of it.”
For Roth, it was a recruiting coup.
“Will was one of the guys on the free market that everyone was after,” Roth said.
“I was one of his biggest fans last year following him in Brisbane and seeing what he could do.
“I mentioned to numerous NBA people I thought he had NBA talent and could be in the NBA very soon.
“He’s young and got a lot ahead of him and this is a great opportunity to come on-board and help start this franchise and be a face of the JackJumpers.”
JackJumpers to ‘go out with a bang’
It’s likely to be their last game as the NBL’s reigning title holder, so the JackJumpers plan to play like champions against the Cairns Taipans in Hobart on Saturday night.
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