Isaiah Jackson is a solid center for the Indiana Pacers and deserves a long-term role. But the Pacers will never be able to trust him as their full-time center, especially once they re-enter the title picture.
After Myles Turner shockingly joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, Indiana opted to run a center-by-committee, led by Jackson. The Pacers signed him to a three-year, $21 million deal, even though he was fresh off an Achilles injury and had only been a backup before.
Though this move reportedly baffled some execs, it wasn't hard to figure out why the Pacers did this. It's clear they like what the Michigan native brings to the table. He is incredibly athletic (and still is despite his Achilles injury), plays with a lot of heart and energy, and is just a good basketball player who can provide solid defense and scoring at the rim.
They bet on their guy, and that was obvious when he was their starting center on opening night. He's not Turner, but if Jackson can develop and take his game to that next level, he may be able to establish himself as their next center of the future.
The season is still young, and the Pacers are still figuring things out. But unfortunately for them, while Jackson has played well for the most part, he has not given the team many reasons to believe they can trust him as their full-time starter. Especially when they become championship contenders once again.
Isaiah Jackson still has a lot of room to grow
In 22 games this season (including 14 starts), Jackson is averaging 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 61.1% from the field in 19 minutes.
These numbers are fine, especially for someone who hadn't played an NBA game for nearly a full year before this season. However, that's a big part of the problem. He's doing fine and hasn't truly elevated his game.
Jackson has never had a jumpshot, and that's no different this season. He has not taken a single three-point field goal this season, and only 1.8% of his shot attempts have been from at least 16 feet out, according to Basketball Reference. This isn't the end of the world, considering that's not what the Pacers expected from him, but it doesn't bode well for him.
This is especially true given the emergence of Jay Huff, who is averaging 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 35.4% from deep in his last 15 games.
Huff is nowhere close to as athletic or quick as Jackson is. But he doesn't really need to be, and he's still probably providing more defensive value even beyond his shot-blocking (though his 2.3 blocks per game currently leads the NBA).
Additionally, while it has gotten better, Jackson still gets into foul trouble way more than the Pacers want him to. He is currently averaging 8.1 fouls per 100 possessions, which is the fifth-most for any player in the NBA. This is typically a sign of playing overly aggressive defense (such as unnecessarily swiping at the ball, constantly going for blocks, and making up for getting beat in coverage).
Most of those apply to the Kentucky alum, and it's a problem.
Jackson is overall playing good basketball, and it's important to remember that he is just 23 years old taking on an expanded role for the first time in his career. However, if he wants to solidify himself as a full-time starter in Indiana, he needs to make the changes needed for the team to trust him.
If the Pacers make it back to the NBA Finals in 2027 with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, would they feel comfortable starting Jackson at center? Probably not. And that doesn't bode well for his long-term role with the team.