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Utah Jazz: 5 options for pick No. 52 in 2018 NBA Draft

By Mason McFee

Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /
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Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images /

2. Justin Jackson, SF/PF — Maryland

No, this is not a slide about current Sacramento Kings forward Justin Jackson. Yes, I recognize they play the same position, and they actually look a bit alike physically; and yes – he’d be a great fit for the Jazz.

Royce O’Neale. Jonas Jerebko. Rodney Hood. Alec Burks. Ekpe Udoh. Those are the players after Utah’s starters that logged the most minutes for the Jazz. With maybe the exception of Royce O’Neale, do any of those players scream athlete? The answer you probably chose is “no,” so enter Justin Jackson.

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Trading John Collins already is a very bad idea for the Utah Jazz, especially for Kyle Kuzma
Trading John Collins already is a very bad idea for the Utah Jazz, especially for Kyle Kuzma /

The J-Notes

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    • Jackson is 6’7″, 225 pounds and (as the picture above shows) built. Did I mention he has a 7’3″ wingspan?

    Now before we go any further, I want to acknowledge that Justin Jackson actually regressed shooting the deep ball in his sophomore campaign, plummeting to 25 percent after shooting a scorching 43.8 percent his freshman season on roughly the same amount of attempts per game (3.2 per game to 3.6, respectively). His 82.8 percent showing from the free throw line (up from 69.8 percent his freshman season) lessens any concerns about his shooting ability though. His main calling card? His defense.

    Jackson is coming off a torn labrum, which will cause him to fall in the draft, but that should/would be okay with Quin Snyder and co.

    Jackson actually participated in the NBA Draft Combine last year, but opted to return for his sophomore season at Maryland. While he was at the combine, he was pitted against other NBA prospects. In one game, he logged five steals, and logged eight steals and three blocks overall.

    While it shouldn’t be viewed as a surefire indicator of his potential at the next level, who’s to say he couldn’t learn a trick or two from Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert and join him in the starting five sooner than later?

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