Hoops Habit
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: 8 quality free agents who will accelerate rebuild

By Tony Pesta

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Derrick Jones Jr. #5 of the Miami Heat looks on in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 10, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Derrick Jones Jr. #5 of the Miami Heat looks on in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 10, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 9
Next
Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

5. Josh Jackson

The fourth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, Josh Jackson, has had a less than inspiring start to his NBA career. Like many other lottery picks for the Phoenix Suns, Jackson flamed out quickly. After a devastating leg injury cut his season short last year, the Suns dealt Jackson to the Memphis Grizzlies for close to nothing.

It seems the Grizzlies weren’t betting too high on Jackson either, as they elected to decline his $8 million fourth-year option. Jackson began the year in the G-League before eventually returning to the NBA and being a pleasant surprise for Grizzlies fans.

In the final five games of the season, Jackson put up 16.6 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the floor and 38.2 percent from the 3-point line. He played a pivotal role in helping them win three of their last five games, further pushing them into the eight-seed of the Western Conference.

Related Story. Cavs: Potential amnesty clause would end Kevin Love's tenure. light

In his short time with the team, Jackson has made a big impact. He posts the third-best Offensive and Defensive Ratings on the roster and ranks second in Net Rating (minimum 300 minutes played). Though his sample size is smaller than most members of the team, his usage rate was the fourth-highest. This is an encouraging sign for such a young and unproven player.

Jackson is only 22 years old and is capable of blossoming into a talented scorer. He converted on 43.8 percent of his drives to the hoop, only slightly less than the Grizzlies’ best scorers in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Furthermore, he knocked down a team-high 11-of-23 catch-and-shoot attempts from the 3-point line in the month of March.

Sure, Jackson has a lot to prove. A five-game stretch isn’t necessarily anything to overreact to. Especially considering that Jackson remains a below 30 percent shooter from deep for his career. However, this burst of production could be an indication that the rest of the league gave up on Jackson too early. For the Cavaliers, could it really hurt to offer him a one-year deal and see where his ceiling truly is?

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers