Jaren Jackson has been rising up the draft boards the past few months. Would he be a good fit for the Memphis Grizzlies?
Jaren Jackson is a special talent who has been skyrocketing up draft boards. He was around the seventh or eighth pick in many mock drafts at the beginning of the season. Now most mock drafts have him being selected in the top five now. With the Memphis Grizzlies continuing to drop in the standings, they may be able to get Jackson, if they so chose to do so.
Rising Stock
Jaren Jackson’s draft stock has been rising thanks to a strong second half of the season. He’s always been in the consensus top seven for the 2018 draft, but now he’s as high as #2 on some mocks — ahead of other big men like Marvin Bagley and Mo Bamba. While he may lack the explosiveness of Bagley and Deandre Ayton, Jackson’s game is more complete than there’s thanks to his ability to defend. His safe floor should lead to him being a top-five pick, says the folks at sportsbettingdime.com.
Jackson has the ability to stretch the floor, which is needed out of big men in today’s league. He shoots over 40 percent from deep, and you’d think that would translate into at least a decent 3-point shooter at the next level. He also shoots 79 percent from the free throw line, which is very good for big guys.
These stats show that he’s a better offensive player than many people thought, causing his draft stock to rise.
How High Can He Go?
A realistic high for him is probably being the third pick. I don’t see him doing enough to be taken before either Luka Doncic or Deandre Ayton. It all just depends on what teams have those top picks though. The majority of teams would probably still take Doncic and Ayton no matter what happens the rest of the season.
Jaren Jackson should be safely in top five based off of how he has played this year. He’s a guy who can have an impact on both sides of the floor. He doesn’t have the same superstar potential as some of the other top prospects in this class. That may keep him from really being considered for the top picks.
It all depends on which teams hold the picks. He would be a very safe pick for any team in need of another big guy. Even if his shooting doesn’t translate great to the next level, he can still impact the game in other ways. He should be a great defender due to his versatility.
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Would He Fit In Memphis?
The Memphis Grizzlies already have a couple young bigs with Ivan Rabb and Deyonta Davis. Would they be interested in adding another in Jaren Jackson? With Marc Gasol in Memphis and the team committed to him, Jackson may not get the playing time he desires.
Ivan Rabb and Deyonta Davis may be better off as role players on this team and coming off the bench. If the Grizzlies draft Jaren Jackson, he could start right off the bat at power forward. He could come in right away and contribute on the defensive end, which would be a great help to Gasol who is only gonna get older.
Jaren Jackson could help the Memphis Grizzlies win games next year. He’d be a nice addition to a squad, that if healthy, could make a run at the playoffs. It may not be very likely but with no draft pick there’s no reason to tank so they may as well go for it.
Jaren Jackson is going to contribute from day one. He will help, whether that’s in Memphis or somewhere else. He’s going be a special player, and he could blossom as a Memphis Grizzly.