Isaiah Jackson 2021 NBA Draft Profile

The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Isaiah Jackson 2021 NBA Draft Profile.

Isaiah Jackson Background

Position: Power Forward

Size: 6-foot-10, 206 pounds

School: Kentucky

Class: Freshman

2020-21 stats: 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.6 blocks, 0.8 steals, 54.0% FG, 0.00% 3PT, 70.0% FT

Jackson continually improved throughout his one season at Kentucky. Now, he is a solid prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Although he was courted by a lot of schools as a four-star recruit, Jackson decided to go to Kentucky to play for John Calipari. He started 18 of 25 games played and ended up averaging 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Despite Jackson playing well, Kentucky struggled and finished with a 9-16 record, which left them out of the postseason.

Following the season, Jackson entered his name into the 2021 NBA Draft. He is currently projected to be a mid to late first round pick.

Strengths

Jackson’s biggest strength is his shot blocking. He demonstrates good timing and jumps quickly to protect the rim. Jackson will deter other players from going into the paint. His ability to rotate and help guards when they are beat with his shot blocking is incredible. He averaged 2.6 blocks per game, but 5.0 blocks per 40 minutes.

His rebounding is also solid. He averaged 6.6 rebounds per game and 12.7 rebounds per 40 minutes. Jackson uses his great leaping ability to high-point the basketball. He shows good recognition of how the ball will come off the rim and has the movement skills to go and get it over bigger players. Jackson will be able to rebound at an NBA level from day one.

He is very athletic for his height. This obviously helps him with his shot blocking and rebounding, but also does in other ways. He is a threat when he runs the floor in transition and has the ability to guard multiple positions because he moves well. Jackson’s ability to run and jump well at his size is truly rare.

Weaknesses

Jackson will not stretch the floor with his shooting. His mid-range shooting is inconsistent and his 3-point shooting was non-existent at Kentucky. He attempted two threes and missed them. To be a more well-balanced player, who can be used during crunch time, he needs to be able to space the floor.

While Jackson can finish in transition, he isn’t the most successful in the half-court. He doesn’t have great post-moves in his game. Because he doesn’t have the shooting or post-moves, he is more of an effort player on the offensive end. Jackson can score on alley-oops and offensive rebound opportunities, but really needs to add more to his offensive game.

Adding strength to his frame will be vital for Jackson to be able to battle down low. At 6-foot-10 and 206 pounds, he will likely be used as the center in the new small-ball NBA. If he is matched up against most NBA centers, he will be overpowered. The problem then becomes that he might have to play at forward, but he doesn’t stretch the floor. Adding muscle would help him be more effective as a center.

Projected Draft Range: Mid to Late First Round Pick

Go to our NBA page for more articles and updates!

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!