Motor Jackson

Josh Jackson surveyed the floor, considering his offensive options. Iowa State's defense was doing it's job though and there weren't many. Always looking to set up teammates, Jackson darted a pass to the corner once he saw LaGerald Vick standing alone. Monte Morris' mama, unfortunately, didn't raise no dummy. Iowa State guard Morris read the pass, stole the ball and made a run for the fastbreak layup. Jackson wasted no time, rocketing after Morris and correctly filling the lane behind him. Jackson lept and denied Morris at the rim, blocking his shot. His patience and defensive understanding are completely upstaged by his raw athletic ability to live as vertically as he does. Jackson blocked Morris's shot once again in the same game, somehow closing out on him in seemingly one giant step. These events don't describe highlights in Jackson's mixtape reel. They won't be examples his agent brings up to potential GM suitors. But those plays, within the context of this game, personify his playstyle and perhaps who Josh Jackson is off the court, too.

Jackson’s shooting against Iowa State on Jan 16 2017 wasn’t the flashiest, attempting 11 shots and only sinking 3. He missed both of his 3 point shots as well, in his 27 minutes on the court. What separates Jackson, to me, from other prospects in the early lottery is his almost infinite motor. Even with a poor shooting night, he still grabbed 8 boards that night, 3 being offensive. He still set up his teammates for quality looks 5 times. His aforementioned blocks were clearly my favorite stat, but it’s his general hustle on the floor that impresses me the most. Scoring or not, in rhythm or not, Jackson will help his team win.

-Who did we think he was?

Expectations on Josh Jackson have always been high. Along with fellow potential 2017 draftee Harry Giles, Jackson has been in talks to be the number one pick well before the college season even started. His combination of explosive athleticism, defensive tenacity, court intelligence and versatility made him appear to be NBA-ready at the age of 19. Going back further, Jackson was already at the top of his class as a freshman in high school. The rap on him hasn't ever changed. He's a multi-dimensional nuclear athlete with lateral quickness and a "shut it down" vertical. Jackson also boasts an impressive basketball IQ and makes quick reads while defending. These tools allow Jackson's presence to be felt on both sides of the court.

-Kansas Improvements

While at Kansas, it’s clear Josh Jackson has heard the criticisms of his game. The obvious and loudest complaint was about Jackson’s shooting. His overall shooting while at Kansas couldn’t be called bad. He shot the ball 429 times overall, hitting 220 of his attempts. He shot at about 38% from the 3 on 90 attempts. The story his overall stats don’t tell is how much better Jackson got offensively as the season progressed. I’m most impressed by his ability to add weapons on offense mid-season. Jackson evidently cannot stop improving.

In November, his first month as a Jayhawk, he averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds a game and shot the 3 at 30%, while playing 27 minutes a game. In December, he jumped up to 15 points and 6 and a half rebounds a game while playing essentially the same amount of minutes. A month after that, in January, he averaged 17 points a game with 7 and a half rebounds on an increased 32 minutes per game. Jackson also improved his efficiency behind the arc, shooting the 3 at 38%. This progress culminated in February, where he averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds while shooting the 3 at a dumb clip, 48%, in 35 minutes on the floor. Jackson was getting more minutes per game and clearly putting them to good use. Not only did he increase his offensive output, he also became more efficient.

My favorite offensive progression I saw with Jackson was on March 19th when Kansas faced off against Michigan State. Josh Jackson was raised in Michigan and was matched up with his friend, Miles Bridges. It was an amazing display of what Jackson could be capable of offensively if he focused on it, after mastering his defensive fundamentals à la Kawhi Leonard. His creativity in making space, his improving handle, his touch at the rim, his foot speed and his great playmaking were all on display. Jackson started his offensive exhibition​ by showing out. His teammate Dwight Coleby caught a rebound and acquiesed the ball to Jackson, who immediately took advantage of the footspeed advantage he had over his defender, Miles Bridges. Jackson was already in motion when he received the pass, but he also somehow boosted his speed three times during his race down the court. While clearly beating Miles Bridges, he also blows by Alvin Ellis III and finishes at the rim.

This is an obvious speed advantage that Bill Self, Kansas' head coach, had been exploiting all year. What's not obvious, but brilliant, is Josh Jackson imitating a young fella that played for Kansas a few years prior, Andrew Wiggins. The two have been compared with each other due to their similar body types and the apparent Kansas connection. But Jackson has taken the similarities even further, learning from Wiggins' time in the NBA. Wiggins was battered with the same complaints Jackson has received in college: suspect shooting and a weight problem. In response, Wiggins developed an array of post moves that have been surprisingly successful. Jackson, unsurprisingly, has followed this standard model of "Hey, you're not actually good enough" and worked on his own offense. Whether he got the idea from watching Wiggins or listening to Bill Self doesn't really matter. What does matter is how fucking good Jackson looked against Miles Bridges in the post.

Jackson’s best post up on Bridges was visually brilliant. But like most post moves, the excellence of the play becomes more apparent as you slow the action down. Jackson was calling for the ball right outside the paint, with Bridges draped all over him, insistent on stopping Jackson. Devonte Graham directed the pass to Jackson, overthrowing it in the process. Nonetheless, Jackson catches it and turns his back to the basket, considering his options. Jackson twitches to the left and Bridges doesn’t bite, holding his defensive ground. Less than a second later, Jackson makes his decision with extreme confidence, dribbling twice into Bridges, taking a step right and then spinning back to his left shoulder. This move eliminated any chance Bridges had at stopping the shot. Bridges doesn’t even contest as Jackson uses his verticality and body control to bank in the left shoulder fadeaway. I don’t think Josh Jackson is a Post God. He needs more moves and needs to be able to get shots off against defenders that actually contest. What I find impressive is his willingness to vastly improve in an area of weakness. Not only did Jackson’s shots start falling, which shows up in his stats, he added a small offensive arsenal that should translate in the NBA. Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend had this to say about Jackson’s shooting:

“Unbelievable. He can score from in there, midrange, and everybody told us he couldn’t shoot, but he’s shooting it pretty good.”

Grammar aside, Kurtis Townsend is correct. Josh Jackson had this to say about his performance against Michigan State:

"One thing the coaching staff told me before the game was just to make sure I didn’t come out too excited, and I tried to keep that in my head. And I came out and was still just a little too excited. I tried to force stuff a little bit. But as the game went on, I felt like the game started slowing down. It came to me a little bit more.”

-NBA Comparisons

I've read many pieces comparing Josh Jackson to a number of NBA players. Kawhi Leonard, Tracy McGrady, Andre Igudala, Andrew Wiggins, etc. I find the Leonard comparison to be pretty on point, not to give Jackson too much praise. Leonard's shooting was levels better than Jackson's and he'll never have the tools that Leonard possesses. Nonetheless, I think Jackson getting to Leonard's level isn't impossible. Jackson may follow a different trajectory into the role of another player he's been compared to, Jimmy Butler.

I say this because if you read a pre-draft Jimmy Butler scouting report, you might mistake it for a report on Jackson. Butler was usually described as a tough, defensive minded, all around prospect. Many pundits and writers capped his ceiling as a solid role player that did many things well but nothing outstanding. The same has been said of Jackson, that he's very good at most basketball actions, but doesn't do anything that would separate him from other prospects high in the draft. To me, like Jimmy Butler, I think Josh Jackson possesses a deceptive basketball intelligence along with the work ethic and natural athleticism to make his ceiling as a superstar a reality.

-NBA ready?

The skillset Josh Jackson possesses is as NBA ready as you can hope for in the draft. Every team needs a player that can defend and that plays consistently as hard as Jackson does. He possesses a deep versatility that few in the draft can claim and checks many more boxes than he leaves open. Jackson's first step is blisteringly confident, blowing by NBA-level defenders is within his grasp. His drives to the basket will be highlight fodder for years to come. The elite court vision and ball handling he displays makes him a threat as a scorer or a distributor. As a defense, having Jackson in transition means you've already been scored on. He gracefully yet forcefully zooms on the fastbreak but isn't afraid to dump the ball to teammates to make the smarter play. Defense tends to translate in the NBA and Jackson should be excellent at stopping NBA offenses once he gets his sea legs.

These traits would be a game changer for many teams in the lottery. The Phoenix Suns could definitely use a slashing, defensive wing next to Devin Booker. Covering up his atrocious defense should be of the utmost concern for Phoenix. Though young, the diversity of lineups that Philadelphia could use with a core consisting of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Josh Jackson and Dario Saric could be interesting. However, their need for an elite point guard prospect makes any of that pondering somewhat irrelevant. The Orlando Magic could definitely use an excuse to dump Mario Hezonja’s minutes and replace him with Jackson. His playmaking and rebounding alongside pushing in transition could help unlock Aaron Gordon’s offense.

Putting Josh Jackson's defensive potential in the hands of Tom Thibodeau sounds like a good idea. Pairing Jackson on the wing with Andrew Wiggins sounds like an even better idea. They mirror each other physically but do have key differences in their game. Jackson could be a defensive model for Wiggins, showing him how to maximize the tools he already possesses. Wiggins could help smooth out Jackson's offense, adding more moves and polish to his game. Bolstering the Minnesota Timberwolves' defense while also adding a natural passer like Jackson would help on both sides of the ball. The Minnesota Timberwolves themselves would be a goddamn track team. Karl Towns, Ricky Rubio, Zack Lavine and Andrew Wiggins are all quick for their position, with the latter two being among the most althetic players in the league. Pace is important in today's NBA, but roasting through defenders with sheer speed and aggression could be more important to their offense.

The team Josh Jackson could help the most would be the Los Angeles Lakers. I don't even know where to start, honestly. I almost don't know what LA can do if they don't add a defensive minded player. Their situation on defense reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs this season. Kawhi Leonard played with teammates that were either out of their prime or were never stoppers in the first place. He had to not only do his job, but also pick up all the slack around him on defense. LA is in this defensive situation, but for a different reason and obviously without a plug like Kawhi. The teams core is one of the youngest in the league, which means inexperience, which means bad defense. Not just bad defense, the worst in the league with a defensive rating of 110.6. You can score all you want, but being a constant turnstile isn't winning you games. That's why I've never been a proponent of LA drafting Lonzo Ball, there's not enough boxes checked with him. Most elite guards have a pit bull next to them to relieve the former of his duty to defend the opposing elite guard. James Harden and Patrick Beverley are a good example of this, while Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the epitome. The Lakers' new management has stated that they need an alpha on the team. Someone that is constantly vocally motivating his team and exemplifies the brand of basketball they want to play. Josh Jackson isn't the centerpiece in your team's core of players and he wouldn't be that for the Lakers either. What he should be, unless he becomes literally Scottie Pippen, is the ultimate​ "do everything" floor general that embodies your team's culture and charisma. Jackson should be an Andre Iguadola type of player, the Ron Artest of your team. Not the primary option, maybe not the second option, but the glue that keeps those options together and working with constant cohesion. Something that Jackson doesn't do is take nights off. I think this maturity and work ethic would rub off positively on the Lakers. Every player that's considered part of LA's young core has had flash after flash of being immensely talented. Despite his body composition, Brandon Ingram has made vast improvements in his body control and has shown a level of basketball intelligence that should be envied at his age. Julius Randle has shown new dimensions to his game that critics thought were impossible. D'Angelo Russell has scoring bursts that look unstoppable and will hit passes that remind me just why I thought he'd eventually be an all-star. But they're terrible. This team is so terrible. What can change that? Reliability. One of the main compliments I've given Josh Jackson is for his persistent mindset. I call it the 'Naw, fuck that" mentality. Jackson may shoot terribly in a game but he'll be setting up Brandon Ingram with good looks throughout regardless. Jackson is a layered player that will pass, block and rebound his way to efficiency. He'll shoot 1/40 and still bring value to the table with his versatility and consistency in those areas. The same can't be said of a few other prospects in the draft lottery window, who aren't as multi-faceted. At Kansas, he averaged sixteen points during the last ten games before the tournament. The main complaint on Jackson is his shot, but it seems to have been somewhat adjusted near the end of the season. His athleticism and consistency would give the Lakers a new look offensively and defensively, finally adding the last piece to their young core.

My secret hope is that the Lakers draft him and his influence makes Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle grow fros too. Fro team. With Ingrams shorts? That’s some real shit.