NBA Draft 2016: BTBP Big Board 1.0
By Adam McGee
23. Demetrius Jackson – Point Guard (Notre Dame)
Words by Andrew Snyder
Jackson’s 2015-16 season: 16.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 47.3% FG
Hey look, Notre Dame has another point guard that’s going to get drafted in the first round! One season after Jerian Grant rode an ACC Tournament Championship wave into the first round, his former understudy and backcourt mate Demetrius Jackson looks poised to join him.
Jackson is remarkably similar to Grant, just smaller. He can score at the rim, he’s a slightly above average three-point shooter, he’s a good playmaker, and he’s a surprisingly good rebounder for his size.
The worry with Jackson is that his size will make things tough for him against the bigger point guard in the NBA. It’s easy to imagine him getting crushed on screens and getting bullied by guys like John Wall.
His three-point shooting may also struggle with the deeper three-point line. He’s only a solid shooter as it is, much like Grant was last season, so it’s not like he’s well above 40 percent shooting against worse defenders and with a closer three-point line. For comparison Grant’s three-point percentage dropped from 31.6 percent his final season at Notre Dame to 14.8 percent this season with the Knicks.
It’s probably unfair for me to judge Jackson’s long-term projection on Grant’s shortcomings, but they’re both Notre Dame point guards with similar skill-sets so it’s tough not to take notice.
His lack of size may mean Jackson ends up being a career backup rather than a lead guard. If his shooting translates to the NBA that could change, but for now I think he’ll be more Trey Burke than Kemba Walker.
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