In an offseason that was full of predictions on who would be an X-Factor for this Indiana Pacers roster, there were not many who could have seen Quenton Jackson coming.
Many fans were fixated on rehabilitating first-round draft busts from the 2023 class in Ben Sheppard or Jarace Walker (or maybe even both), when the answer was hidden in plain sight in the gap year that gave all these players the opportunities they should've embraced.
Jackson has been a revelation this year in place of first TJ McConnell, who has yet to play a game due to a hamstring injury, and then Tyrese Haliburton, when injuries hit the team's point guard rotation.
However, with McConnell nearly returning and Haliburton not far behind him, it seems like Jackson's run of opportunity is coming to a close. He will be slotted back into a low-usage bench role. To do that would be a massive mistake and deeply idiotic for both the Pacers' current and future plans of winning a championship.
Having proven so much in so little time, Jackson's play must not be impeded by the 34-year-old point guard who will not be with the team much longer. It's time to consider QJ as part of the team's succession plan, and to give him the minutes and respect he deserves with that title.
Quenton Jackson plays both ways, and wins games doing it
An underappreciated aspect of working your way up from a G League contract is the hunger that it brings and the self-starting nature of the players who escape the "minor leagues" of the NBA.
The Pacers have two of these players, with Jalen Slawson making a similar, albeit less successful, push for a rotation spot, and it's saving them so far this year.
Jackson has been the team's best perimeter defender, while Andrew Nembhard takes on a larger on-ball role and Aaron Nesmith works back from his hamstring strain. He has been a spark plug off the bench, pushing his personal scoring average to double digits.
The 25-year-old Texas A&M product has also taken on a larger playmaking role as the team continues to struggle to field a full rotation of capable players.
By and large, this is someone who has continued to show success with more and more on his plate. The Pacers should be investing in him and trying to see just how far that can go, not burying him behind an old, admittedly beloved reserve point guard.
McConnell deserves a role, but so does Jackson. Crucially, only one of those guys can really help this team in the considerable future. Ideally, they can coexist, but if TJ starts stepping on the toes of the better player, the Pacers cannot afford to play favorites and give McConnell a role simply because of his history with the franchise.
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