Kansas one-and-done star Josh Jackson isn’t going to be named NBA Rookie of the Year. Ben Simmons, drafted in 2016, Jayson Tatum, taken third this past draft, or Donovan Mitchell, picked 13th, will take home the prize.
But if hardware existed for in-season improvement, Jackson would be leading the pack, which bodes well for his chances of passing those having better rookie seasons.
A look at Jackson’s improvement since the All-Star break, compared to some other rookies from this past draft:
Player (Team) | Min | FG pct. | PPG | RPG | APG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DONOVAN MITCHELL (Jazz) Pre-All-Star break |
32.1 | .439 | 19.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 |
Post-All-Star break | 36.9 | .435 | 22.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
JOSH JACKSON (Suns) Pre-All-Star break |
23.5 | .406 | 11.2 | 4.1 | 1.2 |
Post-All-Star break | 30.9 | .438 | 18.7 | 5.9 | 2.5 |
KYLE KUZMA (Lakers) Pre-All-Star break |
29.5 | .450 | 15.7 | 5.9 | 1.8 |
Post-All-Star break | 35.6 | .452 | 17.4 | 7.4 | 2.0 |
DENNIS SMITH (Mavs) Pre-All-Star break |
29.3 | .394 | 14.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 |
Post-All-Star break | 30.6 | .396 | 16.1 | 3.5 | 5.9 |
JAYSON TATUM (Celtics) Pre-All-Star break |
31.1 | .475 | 13.5 | 5.1 | 1.4 |
Post-All-Star break | 29.2 | .487 | 15.2 | 4.9 | 2.2 |
LONZO BALL (Lakers) Pre-All-Star |
33.9 | .356 | 10.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 |
Post-All-Star break | 34.9 | .370 | 10.1 | 6.4 | 7.6 |