Memphis Grizzlies: 5 reasons Jaren Jackson Jr. was a bad pick
By Amaar Burton
No. 3: Jackson wasn’t very productive in college
Michigan State has been one of the better college basketball programs in recent memory. Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo keeps the Spartans in the national title conversation seemingly every year while cranking out NBA players on a regular basis.
It was status quo this past season, when Michigan State was a popular Final Four pick in the preseason and boasted two 2018 lottery picks on the roster (Jackson and sophomore forward Miles Bridges).
But even considering that he played on a deep and talented team, Jackson’s numbers did not stand out, which is a bit concerning for a player that was drafted No. 4 overall.
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Jackson averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a freshman.
The blocks are great. Swatting three shots a night in college is something that some of the NBA’s most prolific shot-blockers did not accomplish.
But the scoring and rebounding numbers certainly don’t pop off the page.
Jackson’s went scoreless in his third collegiate game, against Stony Brook. He scored three points (1-for-6 shooting) against North Carolina and five points (2-for-5 shooting) against Notre Dame. He scored two points apiece in Big Ten contests against Purdue and Penn State. He had one rebound in a game against Maryland and zero rebounds in a game against Northwestern.
Jackson’s college stats were similar to those of 2017 NBA first round pick Zach Collins, a center who averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman at Gonzaga while also sharing the court with future pros. Collins was drafted No. 10 overall. As a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers, he played 15 minutes per game and averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Will Collins become a good NBA player down the road? Maybe. But the Grizzlies had a chance to land a franchise-changing star in this draft, and instead they took a good but maybe not great prospect in Jackson.