Gregory "GG" Jackson II: 6'8.25" 214 lbs 6'11.5: wingspan. 15.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.8 bpg, 38.4% fg%, 32.4% 3%, 67.7% ft%.

GG Jackson is one of my favorite prospects in the class, yet he is polarizing. Jackson is the youngest participant in the NBA Combine who many have said should have have stayed in the class of 2024, that he would be the top pick. That leads me to ask why is he frowned upon as prospect this year by many despite scoring 15.4 ppg in the SEC as a 17 and 18 year old who showed flashes unlike just about anyone else. Jackson has unteachable traits that scream more star power than all but the practically consensus top 4 picks. Let's start with the positives that are basic. Jackson scores inside and out, rebounds, runs like a deer, has crazy ball skills in a power forward frame while just having turned 18 years old. That allows upside for enormous levels of shot creation and an elevated floor just on athletic traits alone. There are flaws, but many teams in the lottery would like to change their franchise's trajectory, and GG Jackson presents more things he CAN DO than many other guys regarded in similar drafting ranges. Jackson, to me, projects as a long time NBA player who needs some development in order to hone his skills, get stronger and learn the NBA game and then he can be a 2 way wing or big with the ability to score off bounce and stretch floor while being a positive rebounder with plus athleticism.

Strengths:

• Very good positional size for 3 or 4 in NBA.

• Runs very well and has very good first step in half court.

• Excellent handle for his age and size.

• Can score facing up and on catch.

• Creates bad matchups for defense as he is too quick for bigs and too big for wings.

• Rim runs very well.

• Rebounds well and can bring ball up and alleviate the process of passing to outlet man.

• Demonstrates good shooting form and touch in games and looks great in workouts.

• Is not yet, but can be a good defender on the perimeter with quick feet.

• I believe he will be a good shooter in time with less responsibility to create individually marring his percentages.

• Should be a good NBA cutter and finisher as he moves off ball well already.

• In a congested offense, he shined when center was out.

Weaknesses:

• Questions on mentality and unselfishness but I chalk much of that up to youth.

• Shot selection.

• Far more turnovers than assists. 86 turnovers to 27 assists.

• Struggled at the rim on non-dunks.

• Did not take over games like typical potential stars can but he was 17 in an older league (SEC).

• Sheltered kid who would be leaving home for first time.

Swing Skills: GG Jackson CAN become a star with a good development plan and qa group that is patient enough to let him cultivate his already impressive game into a more well rounded game on both ends. GG will need to prove his "bag"/ ballhandling package isn't fools gold and really will allow him to create his shot excellently as I believe he can. Jackson shoots poor shots and hardly passed but much of that whether fairly or not can be attributed to a poor supporting cast at South Carolina. Jackson can easily become a good NBA rebounder and defender with attention to detail improvement most young guys naturally improve in the NBA. Jackson hits his ceiling if he can shoot well off of the dribble and becomes a good NBA defender because he should rebound well quickly, is already a plus athlete and much of his offensive game can improve just by adding strength to his youthful strength which will greatly add to his finishing numbers and make him more versatile on offense when facing up. I do not have a comparison for Jackson but I expect him to develop into a quality 4 man in the NBA with star potential due to shotmaking, youth and athleticism that I view as rare.

Tier: Long-Term Starter

NBA Player Comparisons: Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo

Gregory “GG” Jackson is the best PF in the draft. He’s a dominant force on the offensive end as he can do things with the ball in his hand that most 6’9” Power Forwards can only dream of. He’s so explosive, agile, and fast for a guy his size that he seems fake. He’s elite from mid-range and he’s a decent 3-point shooter. He's got a great jump shot. He plays like a wing and does that a lot due to his frame and talent. He’s a natural wing due to his size and explosiveness. He’s a solid passer and usually doesn’t make dumb passes like some his age. He will definitely grow in this area. His shot selection can be questionable at times which is definitely his biggest weakness. He's a great off-ball defender. He's a leader on that side of the ball. He's good at getting defensive and offensive rebounding. He’s the youngest player in the 2023 NBA Draft which makes him an extremely appealing prospect.

• Jackson is the youngest prospect eligible for the draft this year as he was born on December 17th, 2004.

• Height w/o shoes: 6'8.25"

• Wingspan: 6'11.25"

• Max vertical: 37.0"

• South Carolina went 11-21 in the 2022-23 season, and did not play in a post-season tournament.

• Criticized his coach during an expletive-laced Instagram post following a 2-point loss to Arkansas on February 4, 2023.

Bio: South Carolina, December 17, 2004 (18), 6’8.25”, 214 lb, Forward

Stats:

Strengths:

• Athleticism

• Explosion

• Shot making

• Fluidity at size

Weaknesses:

• Efficiency

• Lacks experience against high level comp

• Might not accept a smaller role

• Occasionally turnover prone

Rundown:

GG has people who think his ceiling is as an NBA superstar, others don’t have him in their top 20. Ups and especially downs were highly apparent at South Carolina. He struggled to consistently hit his jumpers, and he had some decision making issues. Jackson is extremely young however and should be just fine. He’ll wow you with his weirdly awesome athleticism, explosion, shot creating burst, and overall scoring prowess.

Shades of: Pascal Siakam

OFFENSE Reclassified still really young Great athlete big impact on glass Not used in traditional big man sense Need to work on shot selection and turnovers , Pre determines reads a bit Is a focal point of the offense, asked to do a lot Can create his own shot like a Big Wing but very raw still trying to determine how translatable his creation is and what to make of his 21 turnovers to 6 assists Flashes of intriguing shotmaking like stepbacks crossovers especially in the midrange decent to good handle , can control it well, not yet creating an advantage flashing impressive ball-handling and body control on takes to the rim. Showing confidence in his jump shot, Jackson doesn't hesitate on catch-and-shoot chances, and the rhythm he demonstrates on some of his off-the-dribble moves, both into drives and pull-ups, suggests he's closer to being a big wing than an actual big.

DEFENSE Good defensive impact on space in P&R , has great size and frame Passionate defender , Makes a good impact even with some youth driven mistakes very good footwork esp getting around screens defensive feel not great atm Low rebounding (11.8 percent) and shot-blocking (3.4 percent) rates also raise questions about his physical and defensive presence around the basket.

GG Jackson- South Carolina (PF) Age:18.5yrs 6’9 215 (Pascal Siakam)

GG is one of the highest upside players in this entire draft and the youngest as well. His combination of size, athleticism and versatility as a basketball player is extremely intriguing. He showed the ability to create for himself off the dribble and shoot the ball from distance but had some consistency issues. He was not playing with much talent around him at South Carolina to help him succeed. For a guy his size he is a gifted player on both ends with upside to be elite on both ends he could take some time to develop just like Siakam in the G league.

(31.9 mpg)(15.4ppg, 0.8ast, 5.9rb, 38.4fg%, 32.4 3pt% 5.3 3pa)

By being the youngest player in this year's draft, that alone makes GG Jackson the most difficult player to evaluate. He was the number one ranked prospect in the class of 2023 before he reclassified and played this past season. His scoring ability immediately stands out. There's no doubt that his inefficiency and shot selection hurt his draft stock for this year. There's also no doubt that his isolation scoring output and potential is awesome! The athleticism, change of direction, handle and high release point on his jumpers are amazing tools to continue to build upon. Overall, I think he has fantastic offensive capabilities. His ability to seal off his defenders for easy buckets at the basket, where he shot around 60%, was a special ability he displayed. He seems to work efficiently as a catch and shoot player as well as a lob threat. Jackson has a turnaround fadeaway in the mid-range that the often uses, and the way he shoots those turnaround fades is very similar to Anthony Edwards'. I really like the tools and ability that he displayed, but the inefficiency does not really back that up. Again, this was a really tough evaluation, and while he certainly looked like the youngest player at all times in college, he was still a 15 point per game scorer with amazing tools to build off of. He did not really show a high level of playmaking ability; that was evident when you watched and when you look at the raw statistics (0.8 assists to 2.7 turnovers per game). He certainly knew how to kick it out to open shooters, and that was just the gravity that he attracted as the best offensive player in a South Carolina system that did not fit them well. He had a lot of lapses defensively, allowing a lot of backdoor cuts. His 6'8" frame with a 7-foot wingspan is definitely one that bothers his opponents. He really battles out there, contesting on a ton of shots and was good fighting over the screens, and that's giving credit to how light and nimble of a player he is. That has also led to some highlight blocks; his highlight blocks came a lot from being a weak side defender, and I really like his weak side defense. A really young player with really high upside as a scorer. He is certainly a risk, but this is a player that you should be willing to take a risk on.

• Player Comparison: Shades of Keldon Johnson and Jerami Grant

• Projected Draft Position: Picks 15-30

• Best Fits: Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers