Still almost a month away from the May 16 NBA Draft Lottery and some real clarity about where one-and-done Kansas star Josh Jackson could land in the NBA, one factor in his stock is discernible: Jackson is the best small forward available.
For months, experts have raved about the 2017 draft class and its point guards, and Jackson’s name often comes up after Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball in terms of most-coveted prospects. But even with the buzz increasing around Duke freshman small forward Jason Tatum’s stock, Jackson’s versatile game and defensive approach make him the primary target for a team looking to add a wing.
A 6-foot-8 20-year-old from Detroit who finally officially turned pro earlier this week, Jackson’s name takes the No. 1 position on a big board of small forwards, according to a [feature David Aldridge wrote for NBA.com][1].
Jackson, who averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Bill Self’s Jayhawks during his one season, ranked ahead of the aforementioned Tatum (easily his biggest non-point guard competition for a top spot in the draft), Florida State freshman Jonathan Issac and Indiana sophomore O.G. Anunoby.
In compiling the list, Aldridge, a veteran NBA reporter, ranked the college and foreign players based on who, in theory, would be best suited to step onto an NBA floor tonight and make the most significant impact. To do so, he used intel from general managers and coaches around The Association, as well as college coaches.
While discussing who Jackson might be comparable to, Aldridge’s conversations led him to the names of two NBA Finals MVPs: all-league San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard and Golden State veteran Andre Iguodala.
> “I freaking love him,” an executive of
> a team likely to have a high lottery
> pick told Aldridge. “This guy’s
> getting better as he goes, so I can’t
> see how he can’t be Iguodala — a guy
> who can defend and pass, and who’s
> becoming a better shooter. I know the
> Kansas people, and in terms of work
> and all that stuff … they were
> absolutely in love with him as a kid —
> not a little bit, a lot. He has
> (Andrew) Wiggins’ athleticism with
> character off the chain.”
Since Jackson decided to play at Kansas we’ve heard the Wiggins comparisons, but the Iguodala one is unique and intriguing. Casual fans may know the 6-foot-6 wing, now 33, as a phenomenal veteran role player for Golden State. But earlier in his career Iguodala gave his teams in Philadelphia and Denver those intangibles and so much more. Iguodala averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 2009-10 — arguably his best stat-stuffing season — for the Sixers.
The fascinating aspect of Jackson’s potential is that the Iguodala comparison is only the baseline. Jackson could turn into an even more devastating version of Iguodala, and that’s likely why someone invoked the name of MVP candidate Leonard. No one saw the Spurs’ 6-7 small forward turning into one of the best players on the planet before the 2011 draft, but evaluators look at Jackson’s skill set and competitive nature and envision greatness.
Leonard didn’t enter the league as a player anyone feared as a 3-point shooter, yet he has turned himself into a threat. During his just-completed sixth regular season, the former San Diego State stud shot 38.1% from long range while setting career-highs in makes (147) and attempts (386).
In order to one day become an all-league type of talent Jackson will need to follow a similar path. He arrived at KU with questions about his jump shot, but steadily improved throughout the season to finish at 37.8% on 3-pointers, after making less than 30% in both November and December.
Aldridge reported some wonder how the NBA’s deeper 3-point arc will impact Jackson’s shot-making from deep, but one Pacific Division executive didn’t seem too worried about it.
> “There’s a lot less of a concern now
> than there was in the early part of
> the season, maybe the middle of the
> season,” the executive said. “He shot
> 40 percent the last month, month and a
> half of the year (Jackson shot 48.1
> percent, 25 of 52, behind the arc the
> last seven weeks of the season). He’s
> been the best player in his class. He
> has that kind of pedigree. If he can
> consistently shoot from NBA range, he
> does so many other things well he’s
> going to be a good NBA player.”
*– See David Aldridge’s SF big board for the 2017 NBA Draft: [Kansas’ Josh Jackson sure thing in small forward group full of surprises][2]*
**Team’s chances of winning the lottery**
Boston (from Brooklyn) – 25%
Phoenix – 19.9%
L.A. Lakers – 15.6%
Philadelphia – 11.9%
Orlando – 8.8%
Minnesota – 5.3%
New York – 5.3%
Sacramento – 2.8%
Dallas – 1.7%
New Orleans – 1.1%
Charlotte – 0.8%
Detroit – 0.7%
Denver – 0.6%
Miami – 0.5%
[1]: http://www.nba.com/da-big-board-small-forwards-2017-draft
[2]: http://www.nba.com/da-big-board-small-forwards-2017-draft
