NBA Draft 2023: Latest stock watch including Jett Howard and GG Jackson
Stock: Neutral
GG Jackson – South Carolina – 6’9, 215 lbs – Freshman – December 2004
Jackson reclassified up from the 2023 high school class this summer, joining a pretty bare South Carolina roster and the results have been mixed. First-year coach Lamont Paris has given Jackson free reign on offense.
Jackson has spent most of his time playing on the perimeter as a four-man and has shown some interesting shooting flashes. Per Synergy, he’s taken 96 jumpers (47 catch and shoot, 49 off the dribble). I hold long-term optimism on the jumper given he is in the 72nd percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers, and 77th in unguarded jumpers, and the mechanics are smooth. Jackson gets into trouble when taking long, contested twos, which he loves to do right now.
Jackson has shown some real shake with the ball in his hands and can create space for shots. His iso attempts though are more midrange jumpers than rim attempts right now, and he’s shooting 27% on “other twos”. You’d like to see him get to the rim and bend defenses better. His passing has waned at times and I don’t think he processes the game at a super-high speed. The defense has been pretty subpar, both from an effort and instincts standpoint.
My biggest question with Jackson is does he know how to play within a team context? His usage and shot selection can be attributed to his team’s lack of guard play, but there are still plenty of times you want to see him be a more-willing ball-mover. It’s worth noting that Jackson is one of the youngest players in this class, turning 18 just two weeks ago. I had him as a late lottery pick entering the season and that’s kind of where I am now. Playing against a tough and physical SEC schedule will be an interesting data point, but I’m not expecting great results.
His runway to be a useful NBA player is long at this point, and he’s going to require a ton of development. If he can find his niche and hone in on his strong suits, there’s certainly a good NBA player there. It will likely be on his second contract though.