A fortnight before their search for redemption begins with a trip to defending champions Perth, the Breakers will be encouraged by the early sounds emanating from their old friend and new point guard.
Jackson is healthy after a long stint on the sidelines spent working on any weaknesses and, having pulled on a Breakers singlet for the first time in 18 months, he again feels likes home.
But it's something of a broken home, where Jackson now finds himself. Last year's 11-17 record and second-bottom finish were a long way removed from the heights of the American's consecutive championship-winning campaigns.
The Breakers and their fans could reasonably expect Jackson to be a catalyst in returning to those halcyon days, but the player saw himself as merely a piece in the puzzle.
"Nah, not at all, man," he said of any potential pressure associated with righting the ship. "I'm not a saviour - I'm just another piece and just trying to get this team rolling.
"It's pretty much the same group - just a few new faces around - so there's no pressure. I've come in here and we've got to do a better job than what we did last year."
Indeed, Jackson will look around him and see many familiar faces when the new ANBL season tips off next month. Alex Pledger's still at centre, Tom Abercrombie and Mika Vukona remain the forwards and a maturing Corey Webster has stepped off the bench to join Jackson in the back court.
That bench, however, does have a different complexion - with new additions Ekene Ibekwe, Rhys Carter and Tai Wesley bolstering the roster - and Jackson's priority is adjusting to the new recruits' games.
It's a process that began last weekend at the preseason blitz tournament in Brisbane, where the Breakers went 1-1 as Jackson scored 25 points. And in addition to learning about new teammates, the 28-year-old was also putting into practise the personal improvements he has made since leaving New Zealand for an injury-plagued season in Slovenia.
"It felt great, man, to finally get back out there and get the first game," he said. "It's been a long time since I've been on the court, due to injuries, but I felt good.
"I've pretty much stayed the same [player] but I just wanted to work a lot on my shooting and my mobility. I had an extremely long summer but I basically had no vacation -- I just worked, worked, worked and tried to get better and stronger."
That will be music to the ears for a franchise that will likely live and die by Jackson's performance. While there were mitigating factors - a new coach, new rule interpretations and a porous defence - last season's slide can also be attributed to a downgrade at the point.
Kerron Johnson was too young and too inexperienced to fill his predecessor's considerable shoes, leaving the Breakers to struggle for production out of the point guard position. If Jackson has in fact come back down under with an amended shot - perhaps the only weakness he displayed in his first stint at the club - the Breakers back court could be lethal.
Jackson will certainly be able to have his way with opponents in the paint, playing under the new rules that limit defenders' contact, but he was more concerned with how the changes could impinge upon his impact at the defensive end.
"You just have to watch film a lot and then try to assess how aggressive we can be. [The changes] take away a lot from our aggressiveness but hopefully we'll be able to defend without fouling and hopefully our defence will generate more steals."
Next week's double-header against the Sydney Kings in Christchurch and Dunedin provides another opportunity to test the limits of that aggression, along with another chance for the revamped squad to settle.
"We still have a lot to learn, because we have a few new guys and have just added in the guys from the Tall Blacks, so it's good to assess where we're at," Jackson said. "We're an athletic team, running the court, working on our defence and trying to adjust to the new rules. That'll definitely be beneficial heading into the new season."
- By Kris Shannon of APNZ
