Isaiah Jackson's foul troubles continue to haunt him and the Indiana Pacers, and that is a major concern for the team.
During the Pacers' preseason loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, he picked up five fouls in roughly 16 minutes of play. This has led to some concern from Indiana's perspective as Jackson prepares to take on a bigger role.
In an episode of the "Setting the Pace" podcast, Michael Facci pointed out Jackson's foul problems and how that may be a concern for Indiana this season.
"This is another game where Isaiah Jackson has been in foul trouble. He had five fouls in about 16 minutes of gameplay. That is everything that you hope not to see. He did have a couple of steals, but it's five fouls in 16 minutes. That's crazy. He wouldn't be able to really be on the floor long if this is a regular season game," Facci said.
Pacers fans should not be surprised by Jackson's foul troubles.
The Kentucky alum averaged 7 fouls per 100 possessions during the 2022-23 NBA season (fourth-most in the league) and 8.4 in 2023-24 (led the league). Furthermore, in the five games he played last season, Jackson picked up three or more fouls in three of them. This includes Indiana's overtime victory against the Boston Celtics, when he fouled out in 25 minutes of play.
After long-time Pacers big man Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason, the team has been tasked with finding his replacement. As it stands, they are going to run a center-by-committee and utilize multiple options, rather than settle on a single replacement.
Indiana will rely on numerous big men to step up and take on expanded roles as it looks to navigate through life without Turner. However, it seems that Jackson is going to be the most important center for the Pacers' success this season.
It looks like the Michigan native is going to be the Pacers' starting center this season. Even in a committee, he will have a lot of pressure to fill Turner's shoes and contribute at a high level on a consistent basis with this expanded role.
There is a lot to like about Jackson. He has elite athleticism, has proven he is a good fit in Indiana's system, and he has the tools to be a defensive game-changer.
Jackson is an intriguing player, but until he fixes these foul concerns, his and the Pacers' ceiling may be capped.
The Pacers need Isaiah Jackson to work out his foul problems
If Jackson is going to be the Pacers' starting center this season, he needs to become much more disciplined. Otherwise, he is going to continue finding himself in foul trouble. This, in turn, will limit his availability and the impact he can have on the court.
Perhaps the 23-year-old's biggest problem is that his foul troubles stem from his over-aggressiveness on defense.
Jackson consistently attempts to chase blocks and swat at different players with the ball to disrupt their rhythm. Additionally, he brings a lot of energy whenever he steps out onto the court. This is mostly a good thing, but it can backfire, which it does defensively as he bites at pump fakes and moves too fast for his own good.
If Jackson cannot address this area of his game, then that will prove to be a big problem for him and the Pacers.
Frequent fouls will force Jackson out of the game often. This will mess up his and Indiana's rhythm, and it will be hard for the team to work on its chemistry and cohesiveness.
Additionally, if he is in foul trouble, he will become less impactful as a rim protector and defender in an attempt to play it more safely. This would not be a good development for him as it would take away some of the biggest parts of what makes him special.
In order for Jackson to fix these mistakes, he must become more disciplined, not take unnecessary swipes at the ball, and slow things down. This should work itself out over time. However, until it does, this will be important to monitor.
If the big man can make the adjustments needed, then he will be in a good spot. However, if he doesn't, then Indiana may have to look elsewhere for center production, leading to him possibly becoming the odd man out.