Phoenix Suns: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

3. Josh Jackson belongs

Other than Mike James garbage time minutes, Josh Jackson was really the only bright spot for the Suns on a night where everything was an unmitigated disaster. Though he only recorded 11 points and two rebounds in his 32 minutes, the No. 4 overall pick didn’t look intimidated by the moment.

In his first career start, he nailed his first triple from the corner. A few plays later, he was rewarded by Bledsoe for running the break and threw down a one-handed stuff that brought the home crowd to its feet.

Jackson would only shoot 4-for-10 from the floor overall, but he worked hard on the defensive end and didn’t shy away from shooting the ball. (If anything, he might have been a little too aggressive on that front.)

"“We know he’s a rebounder, we know he runs the court, multitalented, very fast, very quick,” Watson said before the game. “His shot is progressing quicker than we thought it would. “He’s gonna make some mistakes, but it’s always gonna be an aggressive mistake. What I don’t wanna see happen is for him to start thinking the game too much, and that’s where he makes most of his turnovers — he overthinks the game.”"

Jackson didn’t commit a single turnover when all was said and done. When asked about getting the start, the rookie said it was nice to be starting as a rookie, but quickly brushed it off by shifting his focus to how the team needs to come out and compete.

When asked whether he was prepared for the speed and physicality of the game, Jackson was similarly stone-faced.

"“Yeah, everything I expected,” he said bluntly. “Pretty much the same as preseason or the Summer League.”"

Jackson’s not afraid of the challenge of being an NBA starter at age 20. He’s not intimidated by the speed or talent at this level, despite being a rookie whose first game came was a 48-point defeat. Whether that’s craziness or boldness I’m not sure, but one thing’s for certain: Josh Jackson already believes he belongs, and he’s probably right.