On Defense
Josh Jackson is becoming a better defender. The more playing time Jackson gets allows him to correct mistakes and become and get more coaching on proper positioning and awareness. His athleticism is also a big advantage on the defensive side of the ball. It allows him to accumulate steals and blocks at a high pace. Jackson has had some big nights on the defensive side of the ball. On February 18 he had four blocks against an elite team in Baylor and on February 13 he had five steals against another elite team in West Virginia.
On Offense
Offensively, Josh Jackson does many things. 16.5 points per game may not jump off the screen, but how and why he gets those points are key to his NBA success. He is on a team that has many juniors and seniors including fellow Wooden Award candidate, Frank Mason III. This means that often times Jackson is the second or third option purely because of circumstance.
Even though he is not alway the primary option, Jackson will get his. His aggressiveness is his most valuable offensive skill. He attacks the rim hard whenever he drives and is constantly looking for the offensive rebound, where he gets 2.3 per game. Jackson’s size opens up repertoire as he is able to expose mismatches on offense with post up game and an ability to draw fouls, where he gets to the line 5.4 times per game.
Even though he is projected as a wing, Jackson comes with a valuable playmaking ability. With his 3.1 assists per game, he makes his teammates better every time he steps onto the court. This originates from his great handles, unselfishness and his readiness because he always has his head up when he dribbles.
Jackson will have the occasionally game where he explodes offensively. He has put up 20 or more in a game eight times this year. His best game came against Texas Tech, in which he had 31 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. His full repertoire was on display.
But Jackson’s offense does have its flaws. He is not a great shooter. He does hit 1.0 threes per game at a 37.8% clip, but that can be deceiving. Since he can hit college threes, he’ll be a good NBA midrange shooter, maybe. He only shoots 57.1% from the free throw line, which can often be a more reliable test for NBA shooting than the college three point line. His shot isn’t the prettiest. He has a relatively low release point and doesn’t get his shot off super quickly, which, in the NBA, will make it harder to get his shot off and it would get blocked more.