- Radio DePaul Sports
NBA Draft Prospect Review: GG Jackson
Ryan Hinske
As March approaches, we brace ourselves to watch the most exciting performances by
the most exciting players in the sport of basketball. An incredible run in March Madness can
propel players to the top of the NBA Draft the following summer. Excited? Well, unfortunately,
you won’t be watching projected lottery pick Gregory “GG” Jackson dominate with his explosive
scoring in this year’s tournament. The former UNC commit decided to stay in his hometown of
Columbia, South Carolina for his college career, playing for the SEC’s University of South
Carolina. Even with the greatest men’s basketball player the school has ever seen, the
Gamecocks are last in the SEC standings and have no hope for an NCAA Tournament
appearance. All the more reason to talk about this scoring phenom before March rather than
during March.
GG is a 6'9", 210 pound forward who is the youngest player in the 2023 NBA Draft class,
turning 18 in December 2022. You heard that right. I am a freshman like GG, but he is more than a year younger than me. How is this, you ask? Because he was born in 2004, Jackson
turns 19 in the calendar year 2023. Therefore, he could reclassify to the class of 2022 and get to
the NCAA as young as possible.
GG is generally described as an on-ball scorer with insane offensive upside that plays
like a guard despite his lengthy frame, taking his man off the dribble and creating space with his
handle, but lacking a general understanding of the game and a consistent shot selection. In fact,
he is so ball-dominant that he is 35th in percentage of shots taken in all of D1 basketball (31.5%
of all UofSC shots are Jackson’s), something an SEC player rarely achieves.
My notes when watching GG are much more complicated. Let’s start with the criticisms
(please keep in mind that I consider these “criticisms” to be areas of GG’s game that he needs
to work on rather than weaknesses; he is only 18 and has a decade of development ahead of
him).
He is very streaky, and he tries to shoot his way out of it. He is a strong offensive rebounder who can find space among the trees, but he doesn’t have good box-out awareness
when rebounding defensively. This carries over to offense when he often drives into double
teams. He just needs to develop the ability to be aware of both the basketball and the players
around him at the same time. He is sometimes knocked off balance when driving and can be
unsure at times when decision-making in the paint. This pairs with his lack of verticality when
finishing layups at the basket. He is good at avoiding contact at the rim, but considering his
athleticism, he doesn’t go up as strong as desired, which may be a problem when facing lengthy
NBA defenders such as Evan Mobley and Jaren Jackson Jr. This may also explain his lack of
free throw opportunities considering his usage.
In terms of his jumpshot, GG needs to top off his release point. I feel like he’s capable of
developing a jumper that's harder to defend than the one he currently utilizes. He does
have a good arch on his shot and understands his hot zones. He has very underwhelming
playmaking ability and off-ball understanding, but he has a great repertoire of cutting angles. I
just wish he would have more off-ball possessions so that he could develop his cutting and extra
passing to an NBA level.
Defensively, he is a solid shot blocker who can keep his body out of the way and still
deflect shots. He can get in passing lanes as well and is hungry for fast breaks. He has great
hands and reaction time, especially in the post. However, his off-ball defense leaves a lot to be
desired, as he loses his opponent often when seeking steals and rebounds.
His greatest skills are his shot creation and putback ability, something that reminds NBA
scouts of Josh Smith. When I first saw this comparison, I quickly grew a fascination with the
similarities between the two, and it helped me form scenarios for Jackson’s future NBA career.
Smith was drafted 17th in the 2004 NBA draft to an underachieving Atlanta Hawks team
that never got past the second round of the playoffs during his decade in Atlanta. The Georgia
native was immediately 2nd team all-rookie. He had some good years with the Hawks, shooting
45% and averaging 15.3 PPG. He was explosive on offense and could hold his own on defense,
averaging 2 blocks during his stint with the Hawks. Then, he went to Houston. That Rockets
team finished 1st in the Southwest Division with 56 wins, but in 78 games with Houston, he
averaged only 23 minutes per game and fought for minutes by being a "chucker"; These kinds
of players you don't want on your team because they settle for bad looks as they try to shoot
their way to more minutes. He shot a rough 31.2% from 3 on 3.5 attempts per game, so
Houston cut him loose. He was only 29; he should've been rounding out his prime, but he
proved that he didn't have a place on a good team, and that a decade with plenty of touches
with a bad team did not prepare him for a run at a championship.
Although I don’t imagine scouts referencing Smith’s downfall when comparing him to
GG, I fear that Jackson may have this career outlook if he is drafted to a bad team. If he is on a
similar team in the NBA to South Carolina in the SEC that demands more on-ball pressure, he
may not develop the off-ball and playmaking skills that he could develop on a mid- to high-level
NBA team over the course of many years. I do not see Jackson’s ceiling being the leading
scorer on a championship squad, but I can absolutely see him being an ultimate safety blanket
for a high-level team who can get a bucket and take over with his athleticism. I just think he
needs the right situation, and that’s why I don’t see an NBA team taking him in the lottery. I have
him being selected anywhere between 14th and 20th, and hopefully, whoever drafts him takes
their time developing championship-level skills that bring Jackson glory.
To learn more about GG Jackson, the rest of the 2023 draft class and the future of the
NBA, tune in to NBA Tomorrow on Radio DePaul Sports every Tuesday at 12:00 PM
Central.