Post by Majic on Sept 24, 2021 11:14:27 GMT -5
Josh Jackson
SF
6'8
210
20
Kansas
A consensus 5 star prospect coming out of high school, Jackson has been on the radar of scouts for a number of years. Thought to be one of the best high school prospects ever he made a splash in his lone year at Kansas. Jackson was able to showcase his all around talent and earned numerous honors, including First Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-American.
Jackson has unbelievable versatility on both sides of the court. From an offensive standpoint he can be the engine driving an offense. He has the ability to be a go-to scorer and a quick first step that allows him to drive the basket. Even though he isn't the strongest player, he has a great feel for the game that aids him in going against bigger defenders.
Jackson has a noticeable presence in the post no matter what end of the floor he is on. He does a great job of utilizing his high basketball IQ and sound fundamentals to get in position to snag rebounds. He played as a small ball 4 for the Jayhawks at times and scouts think that will help his transition.
He is a sneaky good distributor of the ball and can operate as a point-forward at times. He has great passing vision and accuracy, rarely turning the ball over or making a bad play.
Defensively, Jackson is an excellent team defender as he plays within the scheme and is rarely out of position. He doesn't have the biggest wingspan for his size but does a great job of utilizing his instincts and tenacity to fill up stat sheets defensively. He averaged almost 2 steals per game and over 1 block per game in college, scouts are very excited to see that translate.
As mentioned, Jackson will need to bulk up a bit to remain as effective as he was in college. He isn't “weak” and has functional strength, but he won't be confused for a bodybuilder.
Scouts biggest concern is easily his shooting stroke. He has poor shooting mechanics and most think he will need an overhaul of his shooting motion. He has a low and slow release and is rarely effective from any form of distance. Teams drafting him will need to be patient and hope a shooting coach can get him up closer to league average.
Jackson is a very exciting prospect that blends a strong offensive game with a reliable defensive stopper. He is still young and teams can expect some growth from his game. How great he becomes will depend on how well his overhauled shooting mechanics turn out.
