Dallas Mavericks: 5 options for pick No. 5 in 2018 NBA Draft

2. Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C — Michigan State

Former Michigan State Spartans big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has some NBA pedigree in his background. He is the son of former NBA veteran shooting guard Jaren Jackson, a member of the San Antonio Spurs championship team back in 1999.

The younger Jackson stands at 6’11” with a 7’4″ wingspan and a 9’1″ standing reach, so he’s certainly not a shooting guard. Instead, Jackson is a power forward and center with rim protection written all over him. He posted a career-high eight blocks against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Dec. 5 in a 62-52 victory.

He averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.0 assists per game as a freshman for Michigan State in 2017-18. Jackson started in 33 of 34 games he appeared in in his lone season with the Spartans.

One thing that also helps Jackson’s profile is his ability to shoot the 3-pointer. He wasn’t shy as a freshman, shooting 38-for-96 (39.6 percent) from behind the arc in 2017-18. He has a skill-set the Dallas Mavericks could definitely use in their arsenal and again, he’s got an NBA background with his father.