Phoenix Suns: 5 goals for Josh Jackson’s rookie season

4. Shoot 33 percent from three-point range

Defense needs to be Jackson’s bread and butter as a rookie, but that doesn’t mean his biggest area for improvement should be put on the back-burner by any means. For the Suns’ newest first round pick to prove himself as a franchise pillar alongside Devin Booker, he’s got to fine-tune that shot of his.

Though Jackson converted 37.8 percent of his 2.6 long range attempts per game in college, the NBA three-point line is another animal entirely. Jackson’s release doesn’t project to translate well to the next level, which is why fine-tuning his stroke should be a long-term goal for the coaching staff.

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As a rookie, Jackson’s focus will be on doing whatever it takes to earn minutes on the wing, but if he can even display a robust efficiency from three-point range on limited attempts, the Suns will benefit from having a foundation to build upon.

After watching Jackson go 3-for-16 from deep in Summer League play, perhaps 33 percent efficiency from long range– an underwhelming mark — might actually be too lofty a goal.

But Jackson still earned All-Summer League First Team honors despite his 42.5 percent shooting from the field and 18.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc, showing he can still make an impact even without a red-hot perimeter stroke.

In his first NBA season, if he can post even average three-point efficiency, it’ll go a long way in reassuring everyone that either his unorthodox release can work, or that his stroke can be tweaked to be more effective at the next level.