Isaiah Jackson should be a first-round draft pick tonight. (Vicky Graff Photo)
If all goes as expected tonight Isaiah Jackson will be another NBA first-round draft choice produced by John Calipari at Kentucky. Jackson has been invited to the draft by NBA officials — a sign they expect him to likely go in the top 20 picks.
If not, they have to assume he is a lock to go in the first round but remember a couple of years ago when Keldon Johnson thought he might be a lottery pick and was not selected until the end of the first round. Of course, last year Immanuel Quickley was tabbed as a second-round pick by many but went in round one to the New York Knicks and had a fabulous rookie season.
College basketball/NBA draft analyst Jay Bilas said this week he believes Jackson is an “undervalued talent” in the draft.
“Kentucky did not have the kind of season that was expected, and so Jackson was in and out of the lineup early,” Bilas said. “His athleticism and his energy level, his rim protection, his defense, his ability to guard multiple spots and his versatility really stand out, that he can block shots, he can rebound and get stick-backs.
“He’s just an elite athlete that can run the floor and impact the game with his athleticism.”
Bilas thinks the team picking Jackson knows he has a big upside.
“He’s not yet an offensive player. That’s coming, I think. And I think he can get there,” Bilas said. “But heck, he had seven or eight blocks in a game, if I remember right, earlier this year, and you don’t get that by accident. His motor is really good.
“I think if Kentucky had had a better year, he’d be a little bit more on sort of the average fan’s radar about how good he is and can be.”
