In CR's game recap, he called JJ the poor man's Mr. Big Shot becaue he never fears stepping up and taking shots when it counts most.  That got me thinking, is that more than just a throwaway comparison?

The more I thought about, the more I love the comparison of Jack to Billups. Not that I had been looking for a similar player to JJ, but that is really apt. Billups had some trouble earlier in his career and when he finally settled down became a great PG; the kind of guy opposing fans hate b/c he always comes through when it counts. Jack still has the bad turnovers but you would have to think that with a bit more experience (and a coach that really gets on him for the TO's) that he could turn into a similar player. Alright this really got my interest so I looked up their profiles. They are both 6'3 and Billups has just 5 pounds on JJ. In their first 4 seasons, their stats across the board are eerily similar with the only significant difference being that JJ shoots better from the field. I'm going with Billups' first 5 because he had some injuries and wasn't playing full seasons. Also, I'm sort of just averaging the numbers in my head, but don't worry, I'm good at math.

Billups - 11 points, 3.5 assists, 2 TO's, 1 steal, 2.5 boards, .38% field, .34% from 3, .85% from the line

Jack - 10 points, 4 assists, 2 TO's, 1 steal, 2.7 boards, .44%, .34%, .85%

Billups' career started decent but was marked by instability as he played for 4 teams in his first 5 years and had some injury issues. His 7th season saw him finally settle down with the Pistons (his 5th team) and that's right around when his play became consistent and he earned the nickname Mr. Big Shot.

While I have generally been pretty ambivalent towards JJ (he does some good and some bad), this comparison makes me feel a lot better about him. It's obviously premature to predict the overall arc of his career, but this just makes me feel better about his potential. I come away with the idea that just a couple things could help him become a Billups-ish PG. First, he needs to learn when to pick his spots better. Take over scoring when necessary, distribute when other guys are hot, don't drive-jump-TO if there's nothing there, etc. Pick your spots. Second, and maybe this is dumb, but he needs the Pacers to be a bit better. I imagine it's a bit tougher to pick your spots when it feels like the team isn't going to be able to do it. Billups got markedly better assist and point numbers when he finally went to a balanced team. It seems like if the Pacers were just a bit better overall, it would be easier for JJ to pick his spots and make the right play rather than feel the need to force it. Third, don't get injured, keep steadily improving, learn to be a leader. Ultimately this is the difference between finishing his career as a 6th man-type who gets traded a couple more times and turning into a Billups type top level performer. The skills are there, he just needs to keep improving and he could theoretically be the PG of the future (he's only 25 years old).

Overall, it's always impossible to see a career path before it happens but in this situation, there is a clear target path for JJ to take and he really has the potential to do it.  He can score, distribute, play D and make big shots.  If he learns to play more consistently, he won't be the poor man's anything.

Thoughts?