NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Justin Jackson

Strengths

Although Jackson doesn’t quite have all of the physical attributes you’d look for in a draft prospect, he has plenty that should still hold their own appeal.

Jackson measures in at 6’8″ tall with a 6’11” wingspan, has good quickness, and above average athleticism. The best way to describe Jackson is as being fluid. He looks in control getting out in front of his opponents on the break, and sliding across or chasing around screens to contest shots.

Jackson isn’t blisteringly fast, but he certainly isn’t a slouch, and knows how to combine his various physical gifts in a coherent fashion.

The shooting demonstrated by Jackson in his junior season would be a tremendous asset to any NBA team, as he showed a real competence in knocking down shots from both mid-range and beyond the three-point line. The question is whether that was just a blip on the radar, or a decided and sustainable improvement from his freshman and sophomore shooting struggles.

Finishing the year with percentages of 44.3 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range (on 7.1 attempts per game) is commendable, but what might be most important in trying to gauge Jackson’s longer term viability as a shooter is the range he has developed.

There are 45 percent college three-point shooters who come to the NBA and struggle with the extended three-point line, but Jackson is a player who frequently knocked down shots from way beyond the arc with UNC.

Sticking with Jackson’s offense, he’s a high-IQ player and a willing passer who will likely benefit from his mid-to-late first round status, rather than landing with a team more desperate for a talent who can take a leading role. Jackson’s game seems tailor-made to making a positive impact within the flow of a game and a team’s system.

Defensively, Jackson may not be the most versatile, but he shows excellent ability and desire to close out and contest shots, and will trouble opponents with his length.