Isaiah Jackson, a freak in the service of the defense

quipe : Kentucky Wildcats (Freshman)

age: 19

Height: 2m09

Weight: 93 kg

Wingspan: 219 cm

Position: Winger-Strong / Pivot

Current comparison: Alize Johnson

2020/2021 statistics: 8.4 points (54%), 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 20 minutes per game.

We have already talked about it in our dedicated profile BJ Boston, and in the one devoted to French Olivier Sarr, more Isaiah Jackson is a prospect coming out of a collectively frustrating Kentucky season. In the doldrums of folk coaching exercised for far too long by John Calipari, prospects are lost there like the number of victories, as impossible to find! If it was difficult to pull his pin out of the game in this sinking team, Jackson let it be seen, as BJ Boston, very nice promises on the floor to recruiters who traveled to Lexington. It is perhaps for this reason that the freshman left the program for the NBA Draft after only one season. This will allow him to get out of a rather nauseating environment, while enjoying, thanks to his young age, all the potential that the NBA promises him, because he has everything to succeed! As proof, he will undoubtedly be the first Kentucky player called by Adam Silver on July 29. Presentation.

You’ve gotten used to it if you’ve been following our Draft profiles for several years now, but each tank has its share of freaks now, in a league that is increasingly stingy with extraordinary athletes. Isaiah Jackson is a player cataloged in that mold, with impressive natural physical qualities in the service of a defenseman of enormous potential. First, because the interior of the Wildcats has proven that he is a machine against Kentucky this season, and this on a limited playing time with 2.6 blocks per game in 20 minutes! Which gives us a total of 5.2 blocks per game over 40 minutes, quite simply crazy about versatility because he went to seek his catches as much on the outside at the drive as in the duel at the post, and also a lot in return for a counterattack or coming to the aid of the weak side. Beyond that, his rather hybrid physique since he is tall, long and rather light make him a TNT stick on legs. He owes much of his growing popularity in mock drafting to the skill he already has at crushing pick and roll adversaries, since he is very lively and mobile on his feet. Its long arms and its relaxation do the rest to annoy the outside world, even at sea! Even if he is only 2m09, he therefore has everything to be a modern pivot that coaches love today, used as a sole indoors in small-ball, able to move like an outdoors in defense. Isaiah Jackson is also a player who will bring points on transition with his good top speed.

MINUS: NO ADDRESS

So if Isaiah Jackson were such a stunning prospect offensively as he is defensively, he would be selected in the top 10 for sure! Unfortunately that’s not the case, and Kentucky’s mobile interior is severely lacking in attacking attributes. It’s simple, for his first year in the NBA, the franchise that chooses him must know that it will attack almost 4 against 5, because Jackson really does nothing to make the difference against the seasoned adults he will meet. He has no shooting at the moment, and while his free throw percentages are interesting (70%), he certainly cannot stray right now. His hands are bad too, and this is the biggest worry, because Jackson is definitely not comfortable handling the ball, whether at post or post-up, even though he will not be asked to. make it happen in the big league. If he could become a rim-runner interesting, it is also too delicate for the moment with a quality of screens which leaves to be desired. Finally, his defense being his big strong point, he will have to learn to channel himself to reproduce much less bad fouls in the future in the NBA. Having such a versatile and dissuasive interior is good, but if he can only play 10 minutes per game, he will quickly become unusable and forget about rotations.

BEST FIT: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (25th choice)

Isaiah Jackson is an extremely interesting prospect to recover from the lottery or at the end of the first round for many teams, because it provides certain guarantees on its adaptation to the NBA. If he keeps the same engine and arrives determined in a rotation, we could very quickly observe a player whose hype with the fans will rise after a few large sequences of defensive choking, and a few dunks too! Some imagine him arriving in the Top 14 of this Draft, for the good and simple reason that his shooting could develop one day, and it is true! However, betting on an Isaiah Jackson who would become a sort of strong-winger capable of sanctioning on his own once served high would be very bone, although not impossible. Today, he is far from a reliable scorer, and perhaps his future lies more in a role of classic rim runner at the conclusion of transitions and pick and rolls. One thing is certain, he brings a lot more promise in the category of the best circle protectors of this Draft compared to a Yves Pons or one Nehemiah Ketha. But will it be just as easy to integrate? We therefore think that it is towards the Los Angeles Clippers that his road could be the happiest, in a squad which should learn from its mistakes after the 2021 playoffs where a pivot like Ivica Zubac, manhandled away from the racket, showed his limits. Jackson would bring new possibilities a Tyronn Read more and more notice in its tactical approach. Let’s not forget that we are talking about a 19-year-old player, and therefore a long-term project that is still being sought technically, which will not prevent him from appearing on many highlights Firstly !