New Orleans Pelicans: Top players to watch in NBA Summer League

2. Frank Jackson

Missing the entire 2017-18 season due to foot injuries, Frank Jackson returned and had an up-and-down rookie season. He had trouble getting playing time to start the year, but after the All-Star break he saw his playing time practically double, going from playing only 15.2 minutes per game to 29.4.

Jackson seemed to improve as the season went on and ended his season on a high note, scoring double-digits in 10 consecutive games before suffering a season-ending concussion. Coming into this season, the biggest thing for Jackson is to see more consistency.

It is not abnormal to see a young player in the league struggle with consistency, and Frank was certainly not immune to that. The main aspect where he needs to find consistency will be with his perimeter shooting. Jackson went through two months last season where he shot less than 20 percent from 3-point range, but still managed to end the season shooting a bit more respectable 31.4 percent from behind the arc.

For point guards in today’s league, it is almost a necessity to have an outside shot. If you don’t have one, then you better be an elite defender, otherwise it’ll be difficult to find your way onto the court.

If Jackson wants to keep receiving playing time and have a meaningful role on the team during the regular season, he will need to be able to come in and be able to knock down open shots when given the chance. There is no question he has the skills required to do this, it’s just a matter of him putting it all together on a consistent basis.