A Royal Pain
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How Well Did Justin Jackson Perform In His Rookie Year?

By Rafe Wong

SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 26: Justin Jackson #25 of the Sacramento Kings greets fans prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 26, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 26: Justin Jackson #25 of the Sacramento Kings greets fans prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 26, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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This article will analyze how Justin Jackson performed in his rookie season and what grade he deserves for the year.

A Royal Pain continues its series where our squad grades how each player on the current Sacramento Kings’ roster performed during the 2017-2018 NBA season. Today’s articles will feature Justin Jackson who the Kings selected in last year’s draft.

Offense

For the year, Jackson averaged 6.7 points a contest while shooting 44.2% from the floor and 30.8% from the three-point stripe. As a scorer, Jackson had a subpar year. A player who was known as a solid perimeter shooter in college basketball did the opposite of that while repping purple and white. Constantly throughout the season, Jackson had good looks from beyond the arc but was unable to take advantage of the opportunities.

The only consistent part of Jackson’s game was his ability to drive to the basket. His go-to floating jumper helped him immensely in recording a 44.2% clip for the year.

Defense

Jackson’s defense was below average, to say the least. The rookie recorded a defensive rating of 114.8 which was ranked last amongst his current teammates. For Jackson to improve on the defensive end, he needs to be a smarter and more active defender. Although he has good length for his position, Jackson cannot solely rely on his athleticism to have success on defense. He is going to need to rely on his motor and intellect in order to succeed.

Final Thoughts

Jackson’s rookie season was tough. Although the former North Carolina Tar Heel got better as the year went on, he still needs to vastly improve in all aspects of his game.

In my opinion, two goals Jackson needs to have this summer are enhancing his three-point shooting and defense. Like I mentioned above, Jackson had a lot of good looks from the perimeter. So if he is able to get those makable shots in, it will help the Kings’ offense greatly.

On the defensive side, if Jackson is able to develop into a better defender it will make him at the very least a role player in the Kings’ rotation. The Kings struggled mightily on defense last season, so if Jackson can become a guy who improves Sacramento’s defense, Dave Joerger will give him more playing time.

Overall, I do not see Jackson becoming a star for the Kings or even a starter. But I do think he has the capability to become a solid backup player for Sacramento going forth. If he is able to improve his game, especially his perimeter shooting and defense, it would be a huge step forward in his development process.

Grade: D-

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