[JNixonParticipant]

28: Reggie Jackson, 6’3 208, PG/SG, Boston College, Jr.

A guy I talked about before the season as a potential breakout player, Jackson proved me right and showed his complete arsenal as an NBA prospect. Developed a lot of skills in his 3 years in college, and improved every year he was in school by a good bit. Physically, there is a lot to like about Jackson. He’s going to see most of his time at PG with the ball in his hands and his tools are outstanding. He has good height at 6’3 and a solid, wiry frame for the position that can easily get stronger and put on weight. The thing that stands out most though is his 7’0 wingspan, with will make him a huge threat on D and will allow him to play and defend a lot of SG’s effectively. Jackson is also a big-time athlete, with great speed, quickness, explosiveness and very strong leaping skills. Clearly has a lot of intrigue.

On offense, Jackson has grown up and played a huge role for a BC team with a lack of shot-creators. His biggest development came as a shooter, where he went from a 29% 3-point shooter to 42% on 1.5 more attempts. Has good touch, and with time, his feet set, and space he’s a knock down guy. He lacks consistent NBA range and has a deliberate release though. Shoots a bit of a set shot, similar to Jeff Teague. Has the ability to knock down shots and clean up his release when pulling up off the bounce. Improvement has been encouraging, but still needs to work on his shot, mostly his mechanics. As a slasher, he’s big-time. His athleticism and physical tools allow him to get into the lane. Dynamite 1st step. Explosive, long, and creative enough to finish amongst the trees. Has some quick crossovers he likes to use to free himself. Can slash left and right effectively. Likes to make flashy plays with the ball, but doesn’t overdo it. Got WAY better each year about playing at different speeds, and it showed very much last season. Made him harder to defend. Will rise and make flashy finishes, especially if he sees daylight. Capable of the emphatic dunk in traffic. Sometimes will get too pretty though, and miss badly. Added strength will help him better deal with contact. Is very good at using the pick and roll to create for himself and others. Has enough passing ability, vision, and unselfishnesss to play PG, but he’s easily more of a scorer than a true playmaker. Doesn’t have the best playmaking instincts. Never consistently played PG at BC. A nice threat on the drive and dish. Good offensive rebounder, who can get the occasional tip-slam if you’re not careful.

On D, Jackson was only OK as a Junior despite being very solid his 1st 2 years (due to his offensive role?). Ha s the length, athleticism and potential to defend both guard spots in the future. Needs to play with as much energy as he does on offense. Likes to gamble, and will be a threat as a ball-thief because of his active hands and long arms. Sometimes leaves his team D out to dry because of his risk-taking style. Fundamentals aren’t great right now. Pretty good rebounder.

Jackson’s development is great, as he’s clearly improved his IQ and has worked on all of his weaknesses as a player. He’s still kind of rough around the edges, but he’s a guy that has grown up. His style of play, athleticism and raw talent reminds me of Jeff Teague. If the team that picks him develops him as a PG, he will be able to play sparingly early on as an energizer off the bench as a guy who can play on or off the ball effectively. It will probably take time, but Jackson has the tools to be a very good role player in the NBA.

27: Nikola Vucevic, 6’11 260, PF/C, Southern Cal, Jr. (20 years old)

Vucevic has developed a good bit over his career at USC, and he’s now finally getting the recognition he’s deserved as a late 1st round pick in this draft. His production was very strong across the board, and he’s got a game that’s mature for his age and will likely translate. Physically, Vucevic is a 6’11 frontcourt guy who has a wide and sturdy 260 frame and a very massive 7’4 wingspan. In terms of athleticism, Vucevic isn’t an athlete. He isn’t explosive at all, lacks leaping ability, isn’t particularly quick, and doesn’t run the floor very well.

Offense is where former Trojan makes his hey as a prospect. He possesses outstanding touch around the rim, and has the hands, length and body to be a factor carving out space and receiving passes. Good feet. Has a turnaround jumper and a jump hook that are both very effective. Sometimes struggles finishing against athletic and longer defenders due to his lack of suddenness and athleticism. Can operate low or at the high post. Can hit 15 ft shots easily, and possesses range to the college 3 that will only get better. Future floor spacer and pick and pop threat. Has the ability to put the ball on the floor for 1 or 2 dribbles, but he doesn’t have the athleticism to beat many guys off the bounce to create. A decent passer in the low or high post, and plays pretty unselfishly. Not a transition player. Isn’t at his best running up and down the floor. Solid free throw shooter for a big man. Nice offensive rebounder.

Defensively, Vucevic has problems and will likely struggle. He lacks athleticism and lateral quickness, so he’s not going to factor all that much despite his solid fundamentals. He has the length to contest shots effectively, but he probably will struggle in pick and roll D and will likely need to play for a team that plays good team D to not be exposed as much. Not going to be a big shot-blocking threat, other than timing blocks that will come with his length.

Vucevic has some things going for him. His soft touch, wide frame, face-up potential, smart style of play and his ability to score down low will be good for him. He’s going to struggle on the defensive nd of the floor though. He’s simply not athletic enough to be more than a guy who simply contest shots, as he will struggle with quicker players and pick and roll D. He will be a player though, possible starter if he goes to a team that works around his bad D. He’s a lot like a Mehmet Okur-type, and could carve out a similar career (probably not an All-Star appearance though) as he adds polish.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

^^^^^Aran Smith Can You NOW Officially Give this Man a Job At NBADRAFT.NET Site?…lol

[JNixonParticipant]

I reached out to Aran today, and he’s going to allow me to do as many as 10 profiles, so look out for those!

[MagikKnickParticipant]

 Have you ever considered starting your own blog or website or something? I mean, your basketball knowledge is like top-notch beyond anyone elses I know…if your good at something you might as well try and get paid from it…
 

[JNixonParticipant]

I would but I suck at creating thinks from scratch. I leave that kind of thing up to BKKnicksfan and all the brainiacs who can do that. I definitely like the idea of adding and making content to go on those kinds of though.

[Author]

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