GG Jackson's shot creation is worth betting on

The Memphis Grizzlies are taking a gamble on GG Jackson, a prospect with skill worth betting on in today's NBA

Gregory “GG” Jackson II is the latest Memphis Grizzlies draft pick, as they landed the youngest player in the draft with the 45th pick last week. It was a whirlwind for Jackson. He reclassified into the 2022 high school graduating class, and flipped his commitment from North Carolina to South Carolina. Once projected as the number one pick in the 2024 NBA draft, a rollercoaster freshman season forced his stock to plummet down into the middle of the second round.

Now, Jackson is with the Memphis Grizzlies, and there’s the intention he’ll be on one of the team’s 3 two-way contracts next season. He’s now focused on putting his freshman season at South Carolina behind him to actualize his full potential.

“I think GG, self-admittedly, didn’t have the best freshman year,” Executive of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman said after the draft. “There’s things how he handled his approach to the game that he would very much take back as well. We see someone who, for his size, is incredibly skilled. We see someone who's a hard worker, and who’s committed to doing the hard work. He’s looking forward to prove to everyone what he’s capable of developing into as a basketball player.”

Jackson also cleared the air on his freshman year, a sign of self-awareness, humbleness, and eagerness to change his approach to the game.

“I want to apologize for how I acted at times towards my teammates and coaches, that was not me, that's big-headed GG, I'm little-headed GG,” Jackson told South Carolina reported on draft night.

Now that’s addressed, there are a ton of areas Jackson has to work on the court, the reasons why he’ll need to fine-tune his game with G League reps. A good chunk of it boils down to his decision-making with the ball — possessed a 0.8-to-2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio (worst among early entrant prospects, per Barttorvik), and an effective field goal percentage of 44.4% (4th-worst). Let’s add some context though:

• GG Jackson was 17 years old playing college basketball for the first 10 games of the season. He had to have been the youngest player in the conference.

• Jackson was tasked with so much offensive responsibility — usage rate of 29.6% (6th-most among early entrants), and 16.7% of his possessions came in isolation (98th percentile, per Synergy Sports).

• South Carolina was not a good college basketball team, especially offensively — 339th of 363 in points per game, 347th in field goal percentage, and 328th in assists per game.

• SEC competition!

Struggles ensued to prove it wasn’t the ideal situation for GG Jackson. Through the rollercoaster though, his shot creation stood out at the top.

While his game wasn’t efficient — making just 20.3% of his shots in isolation (23.3 eFG%, per Synergy Sports) and 34.7% (40.0%) of his jumpers as the pick-and-roll ball-handler — Jackson flashed oodles of skill in his situation, showing why he has been heralded as a top prospect dating back to high school.

I’m going to get the yikes attempts out of the way first. These shots reflect what Jackson has to work on as a decision-maker, identifying when not to go into cook mode and throw the offense out of wack. The offensive system may not do him favors, and these are shots that a more proper infrastructure (the NBA or G League) could correct.

The products of these attempts came from several factors. I’ll throw the context out there first: the system isn’t good and didn’t flow. Jackson also over-dribbled, pounding the ball with no intention to generate an advantage against his defender. He also committed himself to tough spots — whether it was from a drive, his footwork, or firing with a tight contest. Getting into an environment predicated on ball movement and ‘0.5-second’ decision-making should bode well for Jackson, and should trim these shots from his shot diet.

Stepping to the other side, his makes and some of his misses can leave you in awe. The tricks in his bag are incredibly advanced for a player his age.

Sure, some of these misses won’t be the shots you want GG Jackson taking within the flow of the offense. However, you live with them because of the upside he shows as a shot creator — which is easier for me to explain with the makes.

Some of these moves from Jackson can just blow you away. His footwork is so advanced and skilled for a player his age, managing to find space within air-tight defenses to rise for a jumper. While the fadeaway is naturally a tough shot, having it in your toolbox is a great “space creation” tool, often highlighting good touch and balance. Though at times over-dribbling, a product of an apparent “let GG cook” system, his dribbling package in size-up’s is crazy and mesmerizing — putting the ball on a string to dissect the defense into an ideal shot (by his standards).

GG Jackson has the shot creation worth betting on.

It’s going to take time for it to materialize, and time is what Zach Kleiman wants to give the talented young wing. The Grizzlies frankly don’t have anyone on the roster — specifically among its young wing rotation (Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Vince Williams Jr.) — with his combination of size and shot creation. Granted, his overall game needs a lot of refinement, and may rank at the bottom among the group. However, he’s in a class of his own with shot creation.

Am I saying he’s going to be a star? No. Or a starter? Not necessarily, but not out of the realm of possibilities. Could he wind up a long-term answer as a “bench bucket-getter?” The odds could be very good for that possibility.

I look at his skillset within this Grizzlies’ system in today’s NBA and fall back to this “player comparison”: could he do what Rui Hachimura did in the postseason? A big, skilled forward that can hurt defenses from 3 and in the mid-range. That’s my vision of an optimized GG Jackson with the Grizzlies.

The biggest responsibility for Jackson and the Grizzlies/Hustle coaching staff is harnessing his shot creation and the rest of his tools in a healthy manner. There are a lot of bad habits to remove for his game — over-dribbling, forcing shots, and tunnel vision. However, there are tools within Jackson’s bag that are worth tapping into from a shot creation standpoint — though his more optimal role will be as a play finisher as a roll man or cutter.

Regardless of what you think his upside is, or what the Grizzlies’ plan with him should be, GG Jackson is a great gamble to take with the 45th pick. 6’9” wings with a 7’0” wingspan are hot commodities in the NBA, especially when they possess legitimate shot creation and skill. The big wing has been an archetype Zach Kleiman has coveted since taking over the Grizzlies in 2019. We don’t know how it’ll go, as Jackson does have a long way to go into becoming a rotation player on a championship contender.

Nonetheless, GG Jackson’s skill level and shot creation are intriguingly undeniable; it’s worth betting on, as he would add a dynamic the Grizzlies don’t possess and have been vying in this franchise’s current iteration.

Film found from Synergy Sports

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