With the first of two picks they received in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Kings were able to continue their strong night. After selecting De’Aaron Fox with the fifth pick, the Kings added a very good two-way player in Justin Jackson.
At 6’8” Jackson will be the replacement for Rudy Gay at small forward for the Kings. At UNC, Jackson was a player that got better every season, and he was named the ACC Player of the Year last season. Considering the conference that he was in, Jackson winning this award was truly impressive. He beat out players like Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard, and Dennis Smith, who were all taken ahead of him.
Jackson saw a big jump in his production in his junior season, mainly because of his much-improved three-point shooting. From his sophomore season to his junior season, Jackson’s three-point percentage went up eight percent. This improved shooting from beyond the arc helped Jackson average six more points per game for the Tar Heels.
Since Jackson is able to guard multiple positions, he has a lot of value in today’s NBA. However, he must sustain how he shot the ball from beyond the arc in his junior season.