Mark Jackson says Isiah Thomas' critique of his game is one of the nicest compliments he has ever received, but it sure doesn't sound like it.
   
According to Thomas, now the coach of the Indiana Pacers, Jackson was never fast. He isn't big, his shooting ability doesn't scare anybody, and his first-step quickness is sub-par. Heck, Jackson's athletic ability, in a league full of super-human talents, is probably below average.
   
But wow, can he pass.
   
"Mark is truly amazing. When you look at the guys at the top of the assists charts -- Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Oscar Robertson, myself -- all of us were gifted in some way," Thomas said. "All of us had speed, or jumping ability, or a size advantage that enabled us to do things that other point guards couldn't do."