{"id":39351,"date":"2021-05-03T15:44:39","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T19:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=39351"},"modified":"2021-05-03T02:20:54","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T06:20:54","slug":"isaiah-jackson-2021-nba-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/05\/03\/isaiah-jackson-2021-nba-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Isaiah Jackson 2021 NBA Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Isaiah Jackson<\/strong><\/a> flew under the radar due to the Kentucky Wildcats’ disappointing season<\/a>, but he’s now quickly flying up draft boards for good reason.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Jackson 2021 NBA Draft Profile<\/h2>\n

College Career<\/h3>\n

Jackson committed to Kentucky as a five-star prospect out of high school. That’s not a surprise as Kentucky is a hotbed for top talent, but the team’s 2020-21 season was disappointing as a whole. Jackson, however, was one of the shining stars.<\/p>\n

In 25 games, 18 of which were starts, Jackson averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. This all came on just over 20 minutes on the floor per game.<\/p>\n

Jackson was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and All-Defensive team. He also led Kentucky in blocks, rebounds, field goal percentage (54 percent).<\/p>\n

Strengths<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Shot-blocking. That stands above and beyond as Jackson’s top strength. He’s an excellent rim defender and will bring this to the NBA.<\/p>\n

Overall, Jackson simply thrives on defense. He’s strong down low, can guard other bigs, and is also an excellent rebounder.<\/p>\n

The defense is there and will be his bread and butter. Jackson, however, is very athletic and plays with a high motor. NBA teams will love to build on his offensive potential, and he has all the tools to be a great two-way player.<\/p>\n

Weaknesses<\/h3>\n

Jackson’s weaknesses come in his underdeveloped offensive game. At only 19, there’s plenty of time to work on this.<\/p>\n

He’s not a floor stretcher by any means, and may not ever develop into a three-point threat. With that being said, he can add a midrange and improve his free-throw shooting.<\/p>\n

His athleticness helps him on defense, but he needs to add strength on offense. He sometimes struggles in the post and in traffic, so bulking up is a necessity.<\/p>\n

NBA Comparison<\/h3>\n

Jackson projects as\u00a0Bismack Biyombo<\/strong><\/a>, but at the same time can evolve into a better offensive player. At worst, Jackson is going to consistently be a top shot-blocker and rack up a ton of rebounds.<\/p>\n

2021 NBA Draft Projection<\/h3>\n

Jackson has the potential to sneak into the late lottery, but he projects as a mid-first-round pick.<\/p>\n

Main Image: Embed from Getty Images<\/a>