1. Isaiah Jackson
Reason for potentially falling: Raw fundamentals
Isaiah Jackson is a really interesting prospect coming out of Kentucky. Some boards have him as high as the early teens while others have him closer to 20. Depending on how the draft in front of him shakes out and how other team’s big boards are, I could see Jackson falling to 22.
Jackson has a lot of potential if he reaches his ceiling in the NBA the problem with him is that he is fairly raw. While every rookie is raw to an extent, Jackson is the perfect example of a potential boom-or-bust prospect.
He is either going to have one of the highest ceilings in this draft or he will be out of the league in five years. How he transitions into the league and develops will determine which route he goes.
His averages in college are not the most exciting, which plays into the raw factor and how much time it might take him to hit that ceiling. At his best, though, Jackson could be an athletic rim-running center that can contribute to floor spacing with his mid-range shot. He is solid defensively and should be a good rim protector as well.
While exciting, this is not the kind of pick the Los Angeles Lakers should make in this draft. The Lakers need someone closer to their ceiling that can help right away and that is not Jackson. However, it still would not be surprising to see them get convinced by the raw potential he has and simply cannot pass on the value.