When the Indiana Pacers drafted Isaiah Jackson in the 2021 NBA Draft, fans were curious to see what this talented center out of Kentucky could do in the NBA.
Kevin Pritchard traded away former first-round pick Aaron Holiday to acquire the rights to the draft pick of Isaiah Jackson. Zach Pearson and I share our thoughts on the Indiana Pacers’ rookie.
Aaron had struggled to find his spot in the rotation consistently, as TJ McConnell had taken his spot in the second unit, so finding Aaron a new home might have been the best thing for both he and the Indiana Pacers.
The next question that Pacers fans were asking is: “Why did we just draft another big when we already have (had at the time) Sabonis, Turner, and Bitadze?”
It was a valid question, but the Indiana Pacers front office and coaching staff felt that Isaiah Jackson was capable of playing the 4 or the 5.
Rick Carlisle raved about Jackson’s defense and how terrific he was at blocking jump shots and how he was a natural lob threat, something this Pacers team hasn’t had in a big man since Ian Mahinmi.
Jackson was a different type of player this team needed to add, but it was clear that he needed some serious time to develop as a young prospect before getting thrown into the fire against established NBA experience.
In his Summer League debut, fans were eager to see Jackson out there with Chris Duarte, the first time the Pacers have had two-first round prospects since acquiring Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush in the same draft.
He did not disappoint and showed flashes of athleticism, defensive upside, and knocked down some threes as well. It was an impressive Summer League for Jackson, but with the loaded frontcourt on the Pacers’ NBA roster, it was clear that finding a spot in the rotation would be a challenge.
In the 5th game of the season, Isaiah Jackson was inserted into the rotation to matchup against the lengthy and spry Toronto Raptors team. During this game, unfortunately, Isaiah Jackson suffered a scary injury (hyperextended knee) that kept him out for the next twelve games.
After returning from injury, Isaiah Jackson continued to get spotty minutes in the rotation as the team was prioritizing playing veterans ahead of him just weeks before the trade deadline.
The door opened for Isaiah Jackson in the middle of January when the Indiana Pacers announced that Myles Turner had suffered a foot injury and would be out indefinitely as they examined the severity of this injury.
Isaiah Jackson took advantage of this opportunity and began to get consistent runs with the team in their 5-game west road trip.
He averaged 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 15.4 minutes per game.
After Domantas Sabonis returned to the lineup after suffering an injury on the road trip (an ankle sprain against the Lakers) Isaiah Jackson did not play against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played in the next game against the Mavericks, but the DNP-Coach’s Decision against Oklahoma City was confusing.
Although Sabonis was healthy, he entered the health and safety protocols after the Mavericks game, and this once again opened a huge spot for Isaiah Jackson to get significant minutes with the team.
Jackson was awarded the first start of his young NBA career against the Los Angeles Clippers where he posted a career-high 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 0 fouls in 29 minutes of play.
Fans were ecstatic to see the human pogo stick throwing down multiple lobs, knocking down a three with a beautiful form, and staying out of foul trouble, which is something he has struggled with all season long. On top of that, his control and touch around the basket are fantastic.
That feel-good moment lasted all of two days because, in the next game for the Indiana Pacers against the Orlando Magic, Jackson injured his ankle just 22-seconds into the game and would miss the rest of that game and then 6 of the next 7 games.
As the 2021-22 season comes to a close, Isaiah Jackson has shown great potential as he fought through adversity to see the court in his first year of NBA basketball. Is his game similar to that of Myles Turner?
Isaiah Jackson’s potential has everyone excited for this next season, a new roster, and a path that allows him more minutes. His verticality is off the charts and the offensive output gives the Indiana Pacers a new dimension to play with. A real lob threat.
Although he hasn’t been able to showcase it as well at the NBA level, Isaiah Jackson does have a solid shooting frame. When he was with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, he went 5/5 from behind the arc to score 25 points in a 132-104 win over the Westchester Knicks.
In the last 10 games he played before entering concussion protocols, Jackson shot just 6 threes total over those games, making only one which was against the Hawks.
His shot is something that I believe will develop as he continues to work with NBA coaches and teammates. His rookie season can be summarized by pick and explode instead of pick and roll in any action he is in, which is no problem for the rookie.
So, how is he at all similar to Myles Turner? Defense draws the most comparison.
In his most recent 10 game sample, Jackson is averaging 2.6 blocks per game. He even had a career-high 5 blocks against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before Myles Turner left with an injury of his own, he was averaging 2.8 blocks per game.
Darius Bazley nearly gets Jackson on the pump fake, but he is able to keep on two feet and then block his shot twice. His only negative throughout his rookie season has been falling for those fakes and being too jumpy down low leading to fouls.
This was a great moment of growth and poise for Jackson to be able to recover. Look familiar at all?
While Turner’s recovery is much different in this situation, the ability to time their attempts is fascinating and just proves how scary that paring can be.
Jackson is thriving more with his second jump and athleticism, and Myles is thriving with his timing and precision – knowing when to attack the ball.
Stat Talk
Another shared stat between the two big men? Rebounds.
Myles Turner in 42 games played this season averaged 7.1 rebounds a game. Isaiah Jackson in his last 10 starts averaged the exact same, 7.1 rebounds a game.
Rebounding is stretched between more positions as the NBA game moves to more three-point attempts, but offensive rebounds are still very important. Jackson has Turner beat here (role variations are a factor) scoring 2.7 a game to Turner’s 1.5.
Looking at their rookie seasons, the one main difference is simply Myles Turner played more games. Turner played in 60 games and started 30 of them during his rookie season.
Isaiah Jackson has played a lot less this season because Myles is the starter and the Pacers have 1,000 centers on their team. Jackson has played in just 31 games total, starting just 12 times. There are still seven games remaining this season.
Myles Turner’s rookie stat line: 10.3 points per game on 8.8 attempts, 5.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and shot 49.8% from the field while shooting 21.4% from three on 0.2 attempts. He averaged 22 minutes a game.
Isaiah Jackson’s rookie stat line: 7.7 points per game on 5.4 attempts, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and shot 55.9% from the field while shooting 30.8% from three on 0.4 attempts. 13.6 minutes played.
However, Isaiah has been much different towards the end of the season than the bits and pieces of playing time he had to start the year. In fact, his numbers are much better in his last 10 game sample than his whole year.
Jackson’s last 10 games: 11.6 points per game, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 57.7% from the field on 7.8 attempts. He averages 21 minutes a game.
The potential remains strong for Isaiah. As the Pacers get ready to end the 2021-22 NBA season, a busy offseason is in store for the front office. Their new young core of players and draft potential is just that, potential.
Drafting will be key and draft positioning will be just as important for the Indiana Pacers as they continue to mold a new era of Indiana basketball.