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2018 Orlando Magic NBA Draft Review: Justin Jackson always holds promise

By Philip Rossman-Reich

COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Justin Jackson #21 of the Maryland Terrapins handles the ball against the Bucknell Bison at Xfinity Center on November 18, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Justin Jackson #21 of the Maryland Terrapins handles the ball against the Bucknell Bison at Xfinity Center on November 18, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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The Good

The intro to the video above — using the opening lines from the original X-Men movie — pretty much explains why the Magic would take the risk on an injured player.

He is a 6-foot-7 wing player with extremely long arms and great athleticism. His overall game is relatively put together too. He is a gifted shooter and can provide a lot of value.

Throw out his injury-riddled sophomore season. That does not quite grasp what he can do.

In his freshman year, he averaged 10.5 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game while posting a 52.4 percent effective field goal percentage including shooting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc.

This is the kind of player the Magic likely envision seeing. Someone who can spread the floor with his 3-point shot and can rebound well for a player at his small forward position. Maybe they can see him playing some stretch-4. He was listed as a power forward at the NBA Draft Combine.

There is not a whole lot of tape to go off of and the should injury seems serious enough to cause him to slip from a possible lottery pick to the second round, but it is easy to see what there is to like about him.

Jackson is a very patient player. It never feels like he is moving too fast and he can do a good job recognizing what the defense is giving him.

At the college level, he was able to use his size to get around players and his strength to go through them. That will likely change in the NBaA. But he has the smarts to know when to attack and when to pull up from three. He already has the makings of a solid 3-point shooter if he can extend his range and get healthy.

Jackson not only reads plays well offensively, but he has good instincts defensively. He is a pretty good rebounder for a small forward already and has good blocking instincts. He knows how to use the length and wingspan he has well and can turn on the jets quickly to chase opponents down.

There is a promising package there for sure. Something that a lot of teams would have been excited for. Certainly, if he had a full year healthy to show what he could do. It certainly raises the question of why he decided this was the time to enter the NBA Draft.