Phoenix Suns: 3 goals for Josh Jackson in 2018-19
3. Don’t force it
Every NBA team wants its top-five draft pick to try to dominate, to believe he’s better than his competition, to go all out on every possession. In Josh Jackson’s case, however, that very competitive fire — and accompanying desire to prove himself right away — has actually held him back in the NBA so far, and will continue to do so as long as he tries to force the issue.
After being so used to having the physical, athletic and intellectual advantage over his opponents during his one year at Kansas, Jackson came into the league believing he was ready to dominate. As he admitted many times last season, realizing everyone was as quick, strong and smart as he was presented quite an adjustment process.
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The numbers reflected this gradual acceptance, as well as his dedication to watching film for the first time in his basketball career. In 2017, Jackson averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 turnovers in his 21.6 minutes per game, shooting an atrocious 37.8 percent from the field, 23.9 percent from 3-point range and 56.4 percent from the free throw line.
In 2018 though, Jackson let the game come to him, stopped forcing drives at breakneck speeds and picked his spots better. This resulted in a dramatic turnaround on the stat sheet, as he posted 17.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 turnovers in 29.2 minutes per game on .440/.279/.685 shooting splits.
Unfortunately, Jackson reverted right back to bad habits in NBA Summer League, almost as if his success to close out his rookie season convinced him he needed to go out and crush inferior competition in Las Vegas. With a plethora of wings on the roster now, Jackson needs to play composed basketball, limit turnovers, take smart shots and attack the basket without forcing it if he wants to prove himself to new head coach Igor Kokoskov.