2018 Orlando Magic NBA Draft Preview: Who is Jaren Jackson Jr.?

The Bad

While there are a lot of signs Jaren Jackson Jr. could be one of the best players in this Draft and his potential is great, it is all potential at this point. His college stats and college play were something of a grab bag — moments of brilliance followed by moments of frustration.

Was some of that his role? Did Tom Izzo ask Jaren Jackson Jr. to play a certain style or a certain way to benefit his team? Jackson certainly was a not a featured player offensively. On the usually senior-laden Michigan State team, the offense ran through other players. It made sense for Izzo to use Jackson’s other skills more prominently.

Still, it is hard to ignore some concerning statistics.

Izzo only played him about 20 minutes per game. He was hardly getting the usual minutes for a starter. A big reason for that was some freshman inconsistency (remember he is one of the youngest players in this Draft overall). There is always a bit of youthful exuberance.

Still, 3.2 fouls per game in just more than 20 minutes per game is a little much. That projects out to just less than six fouls per 40 minutes. Essentially, Jackson would have fouled out if left to play major minutes.

Maybe this was part of the strategy. Izzo may have told Jackson to play with reckless abandon and just be a presence in the paint. Maybe Jackson is just overeager.

Regardless, Jackson could not stay on the floor. And shot blockers who do not understand positioning, get themselves into trouble quickly. Not just with fouls, but also with the very purpose they are in there for.

Jackson will have to learn how to gain control and discipline with his shot blocking to stay on the floor. And that is obviously the most important thing, he has to stay on the floor.

That control will come on the offensive end too. His game is still very raw. And he is prone to wild forays to the basket. It is all so inconsistent.

And his rebounding was not impressive. He posted fewer than 10 rebounds per 40 minutes. His slight frame still had him getting pushed around on the block.

And discipline here is also a big problem. Jackson has great length but is not overly explosive attacking the basket or leaping. That could hurt him as a rebounder in the NBA.

Control will be the key to Jackson unlocking his potential fully. If he can do that, he has a lot of positive tools.