The Indiana Pacers should give rookie Isaiah Jackson more playing time

Over the weekend we learned that Myles Turner has a sore left foot and while the team is in Los Angeles he will seek a second opinion. With Turner out of the rotation, the Indiana Pacers now have one less big man to play in the frontcourt.

In Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Indiana Pacers decided to split Myles Turner’s rotation minutes between three-year center Goga Bitadze, second-year Pacer Oshae Brissett, and veteran Torrey Craig.

The Indiana Pacers dressed 11-players in their 139-133 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, and forward Isaiah Jackson was the only Pacer not to see the floor.

Although Isaiah Jackson is just twenty-years-old, this is the perfect opportunity for the Indiana Pacers to give him significant minutes.

The Indiana Pacers currently sit with a 15-29 record on the season and with how they have played this season, they have a better chance of landing a top-four pick in this years’ NBA Draft than they do of reaching the NBA play-in game.

As the Indiana Pacers front office sits here weeks before the NBA Trade Deadline with a roster full of players they could move, this would be a consequential time to allow Isaiah Jackson a spot in the rotation to see how he plays with different players on the team.

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We have seen that Goga Bitadze and Domantas Sabonis can play together in short spurts, but we have not gotten the opportunity to see what a frontcourt of Domantas Sabonis and Isaiah Jackson could look like.

Rick Carlisle has had nothing but high praise for Jackson’s defensive abilities, and the Pacers are currently 22nd in defensive rating. Jackson will have hiccups as all rookies do, but the best way for him to learn the Pacers defensive system and learn the tendencies of his teammates is by playing with them.

Over the weekend Isaiah Jackson was assigned to the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants. The Mad Ants defeated the Westchester Knicks 132-104. Jackson finished the game with 25-points while hitting all five of his three-point attempts and grabbing four rebounds.

After returning from his hyperextended knee injury, Jackson got to see the floor in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that game, Jackson only played four minutes and was a -9 in that span.

Jackson struggled during that stretch and has been out of the rotation ever since. We have seen Jackson play at the end of games in blowouts, but we have yet to see him have any other noteworthy minutes during a regular-season game.

The role for Isaiah Jackson might change after the NBA Trade Deadline, once the Pacers make a decision in which direction they’re headed, but for now, it appears that Jackson is going to be on the outside looking in.

Difficulties of being a Rookie

Rookies that get drafted to franchises that have deep and balanced rosters can get buried in the rotation. The Indiana Pacers are one of those teams, but the on-court product has resulted in almost twice as many losses as they have wins.

Waiting till mid-February to give Isaiah Jackson a more solidified role is understandable as the team tries to maintain or increase the trade value of multiple players, however, Jackson needs the reps to grow as a prospect.

In Aaron Holiday’s rookie season it took him until Victor Oladipo was sidelined with an injury to get consistent minutes. He showed flashes during the remainder of the year and eventually replaced Doug McDermott in the playoff rotation against the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers were hesitant to move Holiday because they liked what they saw. In fact, there were reported rumors that the Pacers and Celtics had conversations of sending Aaron Holiday with Myles Turner in a trade to acquire Indiana-native Gordon Hayward.

Of course, that deal never happened, but the Celtics wanted Holiday and the Pacers were hesitant to part with their second-year prospect.

If you recall, the Pacers sent Aaron Holiday to the Washington Wizards (along with the 31st overall pick) for Isaiah Jackson in the blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade.

Although the front office soured on Aaron Holiday’s play over the next few years, they at least gave him opportunity after opportunity to earn his permanent spot in the rotation, before veteran T.J. McConnell was awarded that role.

Isaiah Jackson is much younger and less experienced than Holiday, but he deserves the same opportunity. The likelihood of Torrey Craig,  Goga Bitadze or Myles Turner being a part of the Pacers’ future is slim.

In a season where losses are piling up faster than wins, it would be ideal for Isaiah Jackson to be a permanent fixture in the Indiana Pacers’ rotation.

Allowing Isaiah Jackson the opportunity to play through his struggles will help him and the Pacers’ coaching staff decipher what areas he needs to improve on before he hits his first NBA offseason.

The potential is there for Isaiah Jackson, but if he never sees the floor, how will he maximize that potential? You can only learn so much from watching on the sideline and working with coaches in practice.

Jackson needs the on-court reps to fully develop into the player the front office and coaching staff believe that he one day will become.