Phoenix Suns: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 exit interviews

3. Josh Jackson is a franchise pillar, despite areas for improvement

When Josh Jackson fell to the Phoenix Suns with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the fanbase and the front office were both ecstatic. When he came out for the first two and a half months of the season and struggled, the “draft bust” talk quickly rose to the surface.

Luckily for the Suns, he adjusted to the speed and talent of the NBA, started studying film for the first time as a basketball player and kept grinding away. The results showed on the court, as Jackson started looking like the top-five rookie he was supposed to be.

Just look at how his day-and-night numbers compare from 2017 to 2018:

• 2017 Josh Jackson: 38 GP, 21.6 MPG, 9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, .378/.239/.564 shooting splits
• 2018 Josh Jackson: 39 GP, 29.2 MPG, 17.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG, .440/.279/.685 shooting splits

Jackson credited changing pace and adjusting to the physicality of the game with his drastic midseason improvement.

"“I think I was playing at one pace a little too much and just becoming a little too predictable when I’m gonna attack the basket or when I’m not,” he said. “So just being able to try to confuse the defense a little bit and try to change paces really played a part in having offensive success for me down the stretch.”"

Though playing through an 82-game season came with its fair share of struggles for the rookie, once he realized how quick and talented everyone else was, the game started to come to him thanks to his competitive fire.

"“Even when he struggled early on, he kept fighting,” Booker said of his fellow franchise pillar. “He was bringing it every day and the game finally slowed down for him and you see the strides that he made.”"

There’s still plenty of room for improvement, however. It’s possible Jackson misses both NBA All-Rookie teams thanks to his horrendous start to the season, and cutting down on turnovers, improving his jump shot, becoming a lockdown defender and working on his shot selection remain areas for improvement.

In his first NBA offseason, Jackson mentioned building his body, getting stronger and working on his ball-handling as major areas he wants to focus on. Oh, and obviously his 3-point shot, given that he converted just 26.3 percent of his long range attempts.

"“I feel like I’ve made some pretty good progress [with my shot mechanics],” he said. “I didn’t really think I shot the 3-ball too well this year. I don’t necessarily think I shot it bad, but like I said, there’s always room for improvement.”"

Booker and Jackson both said they plan on spending plenty of time in the gym together this summer, praising the other’s work ethic and noting how important it is they stay on each other to continue improving and help lead this team forward in 2018-19.

Jackson summed it up best: “Ultimately, it’s gonna come down to us.”