Jaren Jackson Jr.

[Catchall]

I think Jackson Jr. is the PF version of Myles Turner, and I mean that as a compliment. His measurables and strengths are very similar to Turner, but I call him the PF version because he doesn't normally play from the pivot or with his back to the basket as much as Turner did at U. Texas.

[DET_Athletics]

the more I see of this guy the more I think he would be the absolute perfect PF next to Andre Drummond.

[GimmeDat]

I see a bunch of mentions of PF here, but he's a long 6'11 whose bread and butter seems under the rim at both ends. I would say C, especially in this day and age.

I like him a lot, he's probably 6th/7th on my board right now, but I have to say, when I watch him something about his body or movement just makes him look a bit goofy or raw to me.

[daisytank]

Reminds me of cheick diallo

[The-Power]

I see a bunch of mentions of PF here, but he's a long 6'11 whose bread and butter seems under the rim at both ends. I would say C, especially in this day and age.

I like him a lot, he's probably 6th/7th on my board right now, but I have to say, when I watch him something about his body or movement just makes him look a bit goofy or raw to me.

I wouldn't say his bread and butter seems to be under the rim on offense. The other night they guarded him with Guards/SFs – and he guarded perimeter players mostly – which is why they fed him the ball more in the second half. Still, he struggled to impose himself because he isn't an advanced interior player at all at this point. His jumpshot, on the other hand, looks really solid even when he misses. I project him to be a more perimeter oriented offensive player in the NBA.

On defense he's obviously capable of playing Center at the college level but out of the gate I expect him to be a PF in the NBA. His help defense is the most promising aspect of his game in my eyes and NBA teams would be smart to make use of that in order to give him confidence for further growth. If he was to start I definitely see him as the type of player who starts at the 4 and then switches to the 5 once teams size down in their line-ups by taking the really big guys out of the game. Perfect 4/5 hybrid on defense. And it is possible to let him start at the 4 because he can defend out on the perimeter reasonably well and he should be able to stretch the floor a bit.

Not sure where to rank him exactly but he's in my top 6 (and because of that the draft has a top 6 for me at this point instead of a top 6), somewhere in the 3-6 range at the moment (certainly behind Doncic, and for the time being behind Bamba). Let's see how the rest of his season goes.

[reanimator]

His age is a huge selling point (for me) compared to some of the other prospects, especially as a bigman whom often take longer to peak.

[Chuck Everett]

I like that he is the son of a former NBA player. He will understand the NBA as a game and a business.

[Catchall]

I think he'll probably turn out better than Noah Vonleh and not as good as Myles Turner. He's got great tools, but he's so young and raw right now, it's hard to say there isn't some risk with him. At the very least, he looks like he'll be a plus defender. I'd really love to see him be able to put the ball down and make a few plays off the dribble.

[The-Power]

I think he'll probably turn out better than Noah Vonleh and not as good as Myles Turner. He's got great tools, but he's so young and raw right now, it's hard to say there isn't some risk with him. At the very least, he looks like he'll be a plus defender. I'd really love to see him be able to put the ball down and make a few plays off the dribble.

And he will be a capable catch-and-shoot option. This combined with his plus defense (at least) and I don't see bust potential with him. He's one of the safest picks, imo. He probably just lacks the upside some of his peers have, even though I can still imagine him becoming an All-Star if he develops well (say Paul Millsap level (not that Millsap is a great comparison style-wise, though)).

[The-Power]

Dominant defensive performance, especially on Colson. Just way too many unnecessary and stupid fouls but this is a learning process for him and he'll get used to what he can and cannot do. Better this than a big who doesn't try to defend and challenge every shot.

[Don7]

Dominant defensive performance, especially on Colson. Just way too many unnecessary and stupid fouls but this is a learning process for him and he'll get used to what he can and cannot do. Better this than a big who doesn't try to defend and challenge every shot.

Ouch Ayton!

Yeah i like him , still not sure about three point shoot , not because of percentages it looks weird.

[The-Power]

Dominant defensive performance, especially on Colson. Just way too many unnecessary and stupid fouls but this is a learning process for him and he'll get used to what he can and cannot do. Better this than a big who doesn't try to defend and challenge every shot.

Ouch Ayton!

Yeah i like him , still not sure about three point shoot , not because of percentages it looks weird.

This has been the story of his life as a prospect. Every time scouts would say ‘shot goes in but looks weird‘. At some point, however, I'm inclined to believe that his shot works, period. Look at Horford who's shot looks awkward as hell but goes in at a ≈36% rate. Jackson is rushing some of his 3's recently which is why is percentages are relatively low at the moment but when he has his feet set then most of his shots are either in or look really good.

He's a good FT-shooter and has shown a good touch on his midrange shots. Even if he never gets much higher than 33% on 3's this year I fully count him as a future floor spacer. He'll never be a great offensive player so I don't care much about off-the-dribble moves at this point but there's no way he won't be able to knock 3's down at a high-enough level to keep defenses honest in a couple years.

On defense I look at him as 4/5 hybrid who protects the rim, can switch onto the perimeter well-enough to play effectively against small-ball line-ups, embraces the physicality and rebounds the ball. With that defensive profile, a player who can knock down (semi-)open 3's reliably and grab some offensive boards – depending on where he's placed in a given set – while playing within himself and moving the ball quickly is enough for me to have him in the Top 5 this year.

[No-Man]

Dominant defensive performance, especially on Colson. Just way too many unnecessary and stupid fouls but this is a learning process for him and he'll get used to what he can and cannot do. Better this than a big who doesn't try to defend and challenge every shot.

He was breath-taking re-adjusting and blocking shots, influence on so many, he mirrors smaller guys everywhere, his D is Udoh-like.

I really like him, probably not as fluid on O or athletic, but he reminds me of Bosh at times, or a more skilled Ekpe.

[doordoor123]

Dominant defensive performance, especially on Colson. Just way too many unnecessary and stupid fouls but this is a learning process for him and he'll get used to what he can and cannot do. Better this than a big who doesn't try to defend and challenge every shot.

He was breath-taking re-adjusting and blocking shots, influence on so many, he mirrors smaller guys everywhere, his D is Udoh-like.

I really like him, probably not as fluid on O or athletic, but he reminds me of Bosh at times, or a more skilled Ekpe.

It’s his motor. His motor reminds me of a young Bosh.

[The-Power]

Dominant performance against Nebraska. I looked at the statsheet and saw they only gave him credit for 3 Blocks again. Seems like unless it's a blatantly obvious rejection he doesn't get credit for getting a piece of the ball. Not that it matters much given that with just a little scouting you can see how many shots he actually alters. My point is that BPG underrate both his shotblocking ability and his impact on altering shots. It's incredible how difficult he makes it for opponents to get off a good shot anywhere near him without even jumping much. His inside and outside defense, aside from fouling too much, has been superb.

On offense, he does look more and more comfortable in trying new things and he seems to get more touches as well. He had a handful of drives to the rim and although he has ways to go as a finisher, the fact that he can put the ball on the floor without looking awkward on his way to the rim is very promising. Izzo uses him mostly as a perimeter player but on the few occasions where he gets into post-up position he looks more assertive and at some point his little hookshots are going to fall at a higher rate.

All in all, his learning curve looks steep. He could be a handful in March even on offense and I'm sure by then we're going to see some midrange pull-up jumpers as well. On defense he's already a force and quite frankly only foul trouble is keeping him from being the most dominant defender in college. Yes, he might even be more impactful than Bamba. I have been, and still am, I huge fan of Bamba and higher on him than most. But Jackson gives him a run for his money as the best non-high-volume scorer. Given his age and his superior offensive skill-set (seriously, that jumper is going to be a weapon on kick-outs and in the PnP and he will be able to drive to the rim on hard close-outs or when there is an open lane) I'm inclined to move him up as high as #2 – Bamba's spot – on my big board. Still believe Bamba has the higher defensive ceiling but Jackson has the potential to be a future DPOY himself so that his offensive advantage could very well outweigh the difference on defense.

[Mulhollanddrive]

What's his ability to bang down low and finish close to the rim?

Most of the reason why he's shooting lesser % than the Ayton, Bamba, Bagley is because he doesn't seem to get alot of easy finishes at the basket like a traditional C.

[hadzi dogg]

What's his ability to bang down low and finish close to the rim?

Most of the reason why he's shooting lesser % than the Ayton, Bamba, Bagley is because he doesn't seem to get alot of easy finishes at the basket like a traditional C.

Part of that reason is because unlike Bamba and Ayton and to a lesser extent, Bagley, Jackson is playing exclusively at Power Forward. MSU is loaded with plodding big men with limited range (Nick Ward, Xavier Tillman, Gavin Schilling, Genny Goins). Typically Jaren will be hovering around the 3 point line to allow space for Ward, Bridges, Winston and Langford to attack the basket.

[The-Power]

He went 5-6 on 3's yesterday (and was fouled on the one he missed). Over the past four games he's 10-15 on 3's which means his 3P% is now up to 43.2. Add to this his 81.5% on FTs and those numbers bode well for his future as a stretch big.

A PF who has tremendous upside as a help defender, can switch onto smaller players, can play the 5 especially when teams go smaller while providing elite rim protection, knocks down open shots efficiently and just plays hard, doing all the dirty work you ask of him. Any team would be lucky to have him.

[doordoor123]

I really think Jaren Jackson is special and should go top 4. His upside is tremendous and he has a high floor. With his energy I could see him being a really good post player in the future, when he develops that part of his game. No offense to Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley, but none of them have the athletic ability that Jackson has. And that kind of ability/floor is what translates in the NBA.

[No-Man]

I think he'll probably turn out better than Noah Vonleh and not as good as Myles Turner. He's got great tools, but he's so young and raw right now, it's hard to say there isn't some risk with him. At the very least, he looks like he'll be a plus defender. I'd really love to see him be able to put the ball down and make a few plays off the dribble.

He is almost certainly going to be better than Turner, there is no doubt in my mind