Jaren Jackson Jr.
Strengths:
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Weaknesses & Concerns:
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Profile:
Strengths:
Physical tools and athleticism
The first and most obvious strength of Jaren Jackson Jr. is his elite physical profile & athleticism. Standing at 6’11.25” in shoes with an incredible 7’5.25” wingspan and a strong 236 pound frame (7.2% body fat) that fill only continue to fill out more as he grows older, he certainly looks the part of an NBA big man. His height and wingspan are comparable to current NBA big men such as: Anthony Davis (6’10.5” tall, 7’5.5” wingspan), Festus Ezeli (6’11.5” tall, 7’5.75” wingspan) and LaMarcus Aldridge (6’11.25” tall, 7’4.75” wingspan). Along with his elite physical tools, Jackson is a tremendous (and smooth) athlete for his size, showcasing tremendous footwork on both ends of the floor, high level leaping ability and more than adequate speed in the open court. His footwork is particularly good for a big man, as he’s able to stay in front of perimeter players in space at a high level. And while he didn’t participate in any of the athletic testing portions of the NBA combine, his athletic abilities are clearly apparent when watching him play.
Shot Blocking & Rim Protection
Jaren Jackson Jr. averaged 3.03 blocked shots per game in his only year of college, which would rank him 7th in all of Division 1 basketball. This was one of the many reasons why he was able to win the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. This past season, Jackson proved that he had great shot blocking instincts, whether he was guarding the ball or being a help defender. Like most elite shot blockers, he’s also able to block shots with either hand, but he favors his left. Jackson definitely has the tools to be one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Synergy shows that he was in the 99th percentile when defending shots around the basket that weren’t considered post-ups, only allowing 0.425 PPP on these types of shots, which further proves how elite of a rim protector he was in college and how good he can be in the NBA.
Perimeter Defense
Even though Jaren Jackson Jr. is almost 7 feet tall, his perimeter defense for his size and position is pretty impressive. He’s able to defend in space and challenge guards with his length and ability to move his feet. This doesn’t mean that he’ll be able to lock down every guard on the perimeter, but he’ll be capable of getting key stops when switched onto guards. Surprisingly enough, he was in the 95th percentile when defending in isolations, giving up only 0.4 PPP (30 FGA’s) according to Synergy. He was also in the 87th percentile when defending spot-ups, giving up 0.723 PPP on 56 field goal attempts. There are plenty of numbers to back up his defense and this is one of the reasons why his floor is pretty high.
Defensive IQ
Along with his rim protection and perimeter defense, Jaren Jackson Jr. has really high IQ on the defensive side. As mentioned earlier, his shot blocking instincts are next level and he positions himself really well when he needs to come help from the weak side. There aren’t many questions around his ability to contribute on the defensive end in the NBA, and there’s a good chance that he will be one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman for a reason, and everyone will soon understand why.
Rebounding
While someone might think that he isn’t a great rebounder as he only averaged 5.8 rebounds a game this past season, it’s important to remember that Jackson only played 21.8 minutes per game. He averaged 10.6 rebounds per 40 minutes, which shows that he is more than capable of grabbing rebounds. His total rebound percentage was 15%, which would rank 164th out of all NCAA players who played at least 700 minutes. While this isn’t great, it’s important to remember that he played alongside Nick Ward, who had a 21.2% total rebound percentage. He isn’t the same level of a rebounder as some of the other bigs in this class, but he has all the tools (height, length, and athleticism) to pile up boards in the NBA.
Perimeter Shooting
At 7 feet tall, Jackson shot just under 40% from 3 on 2.7 attempts per game. His shot isn’t perfect, but he’s proved to be able to knock shots down at the collegiate level. His near 80% free throw shooting bodes well for his shot translating to NBA range, but it’s something to pay attention to because his mechanics are just ‘okay’ (more on this later). He was in the 72nd percentile in spot-ups according to Synergy at 1.034 PPP. Looking at strictly catch and shoot opportunities in the half court, he scored 1.139 PPP which would put him in the 70th percentile. All of these numbers, along with the eye-test, are reasons to believe in his shot translating to the next level.
Transition
Jackson is also a force in transition, scoring 1.298 PPP which would land him in the 87th percentile. He’s capable of doing a lot of different things in transition. In Michigan State’s game at Maryland, Jackson blocked a shot that led to Michigan State getting out in transition and ended with him knocking down a wide open 3 as the trailer. He’s shown the ability to sometimes grab the rebound and push the ball up the court, and it’s known that he can fill the lanes and finish with a dunk or a lob in the open court.
Offensive Upside
Jackson has one of the highest ceilings in this draft class. He’s shown that he’s capable of shooting from the perimeter, taking a few guys off the dribble on hard closeouts, and he’s able to finish with both hands around the rim. Being able to do all of this for a man with his size is very impressive. If he perfects all of this, he will be able to be used in so many different situations. He can be a dangerous player in pick and pop, or pick and roll scenarios (67th percentile as the roll man in P&R’s at 1.111 PPP). If he continues to work on his handles and strength, he will also be able to drive pass slower big’s if they try to match-up with him on the perimeter. Another thing that might go unnoticed is how successful he was in the post. He placed in the 98th percentile scoring 1.226 PPP. While people don’t always talk about his post game, these numbers definitely prove that it should be something to keep an eye on. Jaren Jackson Jr. has so much upside on the offensive end of the floor that he will be really scary if he perfects even half of these things.
Age
Jackson is one of the younger guys in this draft class, still being just 18 years old (turning 19 in September). This is very intriguing for some teams that believe in his developmental arc because he has a lot of time left to develop into a star. He’s already shown how mature his game is on the defensive end, and he has plenty of time to develop and mature his offensive game.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Passing & Playmaking
Although Jackson is underrated as a ball handler and in transition, his decision making isn’t always the best. He doesn’t have the awareness to make quick passes when he’s rolling to the rim either and that will definitely hurt him in the NBA. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to develop the skills to get his teammates open looks. Every now and then, he will make a nice pass that impresses, so the potential is there, but it far from consistent. He turns the ball over a little bit too much and some would say he’s turnover prone, but hopefully that will improve with experience.
Shooting?
As mentioned earlier, Jackson shot just under 40% from 3 on 2.7 attempts per game. That’s impressive for someone his size, but there are fair concerns on whether or not it will translate into the NBA and from NBA range. His mechanics are just okay, and he’s much better as a set shooter, needing time and space to get his shot off. With quicker and longer players in the NBA, will he be forced to rush his shot? It definitely helps that he has the height to shoot over most people though. I think this isn’t a huge concern as he’s proven that he can shoot, but it’s definitely something to pay attention to.
Shot Creation?
Some people might worry about his ability to create for himself or be a primary scoring option on a team. These would be fair concerns and he wasn’t great in college. Some Synergy numbers back this up as well: 20th percentile in isolation scoring 0.6 PPP and 40th percentile on drives to the basket scoring 0.96 PPP. But honestly, he doesn’t even need to greatly improve this part of his game to be successful in the NBA, although it would definitely raise his stock. He’s taken a few guys off the dribble and used his body and length to get to the rim. He practically never shot pull-ups off the dribble though as he only took two of those attempts all year. Will he ever need to stop on a dime and pull-up from 15 feet? It’s possible but that isn’t a necessity for him to reach all-star status.
Foul Prone
One thing that was worrisome about Jackson was his inability to stay out of foul trouble. He averaged 3.2 fouls per game in just under 22 minutes. He fouled out five times throughout the season, and some of them were under 18 minutes of playing time. Additionally, he ended with four fouls on 13 different occasions. Unfortunately, no matter how good he is on the defensive end, it doesn’t do a team any good if he’s stuck on the bench in foul trouble. This is another thing that will probably improve with time and experience, but he needs to learn how to play defense without fouling.
NBA Fit:
Position: 4 or 5
Role: Defensive anchor + floor spacing big
Ideal Team Fit: High level guard play with an established primary option
Draft Range:
Considering his elite defensive skills and his capability of shooting the ball, a lot of teams will be in love with him. If he doesn’t improve any other skills, but proves that he can translate his shot to the NBA, he’s already a defensive anchor and a stretch-5, and that’s very valuable in today’s game, especially because he’s also able to switch onto guards and defend the perimeter. His ceiling is one of the highest in the draft and he’s one of the youngest players in the draft. So much is already in his favor, there is a very little chance that he falls outside the top 5.
Projected Draft Range: 2-5
- 18 year old, 6’11.25” big from Michigan State
- 7’5.25” wingspan and 9’2” standing reach
- 5 star recruit and #9 on the ESPN 100 coming out of High School
- Son of Jaren Jackson
Strengths:
Physical tools and athleticism
The first and most obvious strength of Jaren Jackson Jr. is his elite physical profile & athleticism. Standing at 6’11.25” in shoes with an incredible 7’5.25” wingspan and a strong 236 pound frame (7.2% body fat) that fill only continue to fill out more as he grows older, he certainly looks the part of an NBA big man. His height and wingspan are comparable to current NBA big men such as: Anthony Davis (6’10.5” tall, 7’5.5” wingspan), Festus Ezeli (6’11.5” tall, 7’5.75” wingspan) and LaMarcus Aldridge (6’11.25” tall, 7’4.75” wingspan). Along with his elite physical tools, Jackson is a tremendous (and smooth) athlete for his size, showcasing tremendous footwork on both ends of the floor, high level leaping ability and more than adequate speed in the open court. His footwork is particularly good for a big man, as he’s able to stay in front of perimeter players in space at a high level. And while he didn’t participate in any of the athletic testing portions of the NBA combine, his athletic abilities are clearly apparent when watching him play.
Shot Blocking & Rim Protection
Jaren Jackson Jr. averaged 3.03 blocked shots per game in his only year of college, which would rank him 7th in all of Division 1 basketball. This was one of the many reasons why he was able to win the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. This past season, Jackson proved that he had great shot blocking instincts, whether he was guarding the ball or being a help defender. Like most elite shot blockers, he’s also able to block shots with either hand, but he favors his left. Jackson definitely has the tools to be one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Synergy shows that he was in the 99th percentile when defending shots around the basket that weren’t considered post-ups, only allowing 0.425 PPP on these types of shots, which further proves how elite of a rim protector he was in college and how good he can be in the NBA.
Perimeter Defense
Even though Jaren Jackson Jr. is almost 7 feet tall, his perimeter defense for his size and position is pretty impressive. He’s able to defend in space and challenge guards with his length and ability to move his feet. This doesn’t mean that he’ll be able to lock down every guard on the perimeter, but he’ll be capable of getting key stops when switched onto guards. Surprisingly enough, he was in the 95th percentile when defending in isolations, giving up only 0.4 PPP (30 FGA’s) according to Synergy. He was also in the 87th percentile when defending spot-ups, giving up 0.723 PPP on 56 field goal attempts. There are plenty of numbers to back up his defense and this is one of the reasons why his floor is pretty high.
Defensive IQ
Along with his rim protection and perimeter defense, Jaren Jackson Jr. has really high IQ on the defensive side. As mentioned earlier, his shot blocking instincts are next level and he positions himself really well when he needs to come help from the weak side. There aren’t many questions around his ability to contribute on the defensive end in the NBA, and there’s a good chance that he will be one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman for a reason, and everyone will soon understand why.
Rebounding
While someone might think that he isn’t a great rebounder as he only averaged 5.8 rebounds a game this past season, it’s important to remember that Jackson only played 21.8 minutes per game. He averaged 10.6 rebounds per 40 minutes, which shows that he is more than capable of grabbing rebounds. His total rebound percentage was 15%, which would rank 164th out of all NCAA players who played at least 700 minutes. While this isn’t great, it’s important to remember that he played alongside Nick Ward, who had a 21.2% total rebound percentage. He isn’t the same level of a rebounder as some of the other bigs in this class, but he has all the tools (height, length, and athleticism) to pile up boards in the NBA.
Perimeter Shooting
At 7 feet tall, Jackson shot just under 40% from 3 on 2.7 attempts per game. His shot isn’t perfect, but he’s proved to be able to knock shots down at the collegiate level. His near 80% free throw shooting bodes well for his shot translating to NBA range, but it’s something to pay attention to because his mechanics are just ‘okay’ (more on this later). He was in the 72nd percentile in spot-ups according to Synergy at 1.034 PPP. Looking at strictly catch and shoot opportunities in the half court, he scored 1.139 PPP which would put him in the 70th percentile. All of these numbers, along with the eye-test, are reasons to believe in his shot translating to the next level.
Transition
Jackson is also a force in transition, scoring 1.298 PPP which would land him in the 87th percentile. He’s capable of doing a lot of different things in transition. In Michigan State’s game at Maryland, Jackson blocked a shot that led to Michigan State getting out in transition and ended with him knocking down a wide open 3 as the trailer. He’s shown the ability to sometimes grab the rebound and push the ball up the court, and it’s known that he can fill the lanes and finish with a dunk or a lob in the open court.
Offensive Upside
Jackson has one of the highest ceilings in this draft class. He’s shown that he’s capable of shooting from the perimeter, taking a few guys off the dribble on hard closeouts, and he’s able to finish with both hands around the rim. Being able to do all of this for a man with his size is very impressive. If he perfects all of this, he will be able to be used in so many different situations. He can be a dangerous player in pick and pop, or pick and roll scenarios (67th percentile as the roll man in P&R’s at 1.111 PPP). If he continues to work on his handles and strength, he will also be able to drive pass slower big’s if they try to match-up with him on the perimeter. Another thing that might go unnoticed is how successful he was in the post. He placed in the 98th percentile scoring 1.226 PPP. While people don’t always talk about his post game, these numbers definitely prove that it should be something to keep an eye on. Jaren Jackson Jr. has so much upside on the offensive end of the floor that he will be really scary if he perfects even half of these things.
Age
Jackson is one of the younger guys in this draft class, still being just 18 years old (turning 19 in September). This is very intriguing for some teams that believe in his developmental arc because he has a lot of time left to develop into a star. He’s already shown how mature his game is on the defensive end, and he has plenty of time to develop and mature his offensive game.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Passing & Playmaking
Although Jackson is underrated as a ball handler and in transition, his decision making isn’t always the best. He doesn’t have the awareness to make quick passes when he’s rolling to the rim either and that will definitely hurt him in the NBA. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to develop the skills to get his teammates open looks. Every now and then, he will make a nice pass that impresses, so the potential is there, but it far from consistent. He turns the ball over a little bit too much and some would say he’s turnover prone, but hopefully that will improve with experience.
Shooting?
As mentioned earlier, Jackson shot just under 40% from 3 on 2.7 attempts per game. That’s impressive for someone his size, but there are fair concerns on whether or not it will translate into the NBA and from NBA range. His mechanics are just okay, and he’s much better as a set shooter, needing time and space to get his shot off. With quicker and longer players in the NBA, will he be forced to rush his shot? It definitely helps that he has the height to shoot over most people though. I think this isn’t a huge concern as he’s proven that he can shoot, but it’s definitely something to pay attention to.
Shot Creation?
Some people might worry about his ability to create for himself or be a primary scoring option on a team. These would be fair concerns and he wasn’t great in college. Some Synergy numbers back this up as well: 20th percentile in isolation scoring 0.6 PPP and 40th percentile on drives to the basket scoring 0.96 PPP. But honestly, he doesn’t even need to greatly improve this part of his game to be successful in the NBA, although it would definitely raise his stock. He’s taken a few guys off the dribble and used his body and length to get to the rim. He practically never shot pull-ups off the dribble though as he only took two of those attempts all year. Will he ever need to stop on a dime and pull-up from 15 feet? It’s possible but that isn’t a necessity for him to reach all-star status.
Foul Prone
One thing that was worrisome about Jackson was his inability to stay out of foul trouble. He averaged 3.2 fouls per game in just under 22 minutes. He fouled out five times throughout the season, and some of them were under 18 minutes of playing time. Additionally, he ended with four fouls on 13 different occasions. Unfortunately, no matter how good he is on the defensive end, it doesn’t do a team any good if he’s stuck on the bench in foul trouble. This is another thing that will probably improve with time and experience, but he needs to learn how to play defense without fouling.
NBA Fit:
Position: 4 or 5
Role: Defensive anchor + floor spacing big
Ideal Team Fit: High level guard play with an established primary option
Draft Range:
Considering his elite defensive skills and his capability of shooting the ball, a lot of teams will be in love with him. If he doesn’t improve any other skills, but proves that he can translate his shot to the NBA, he’s already a defensive anchor and a stretch-5, and that’s very valuable in today’s game, especially because he’s also able to switch onto guards and defend the perimeter. His ceiling is one of the highest in the draft and he’s one of the youngest players in the draft. So much is already in his favor, there is a very little chance that he falls outside the top 5.
Projected Draft Range: 2-5
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Extra Notes:
In an interview at the NBA Draft Combine, Jaren Jackson Jr. talked about how he has worked on a lot of things but has focused on conditioning and his shooting mechanics/range in the offseason. |
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