Player Breakdowns: Frank Jackson, Future Pelicans Star?
By Alex Stokes
Frank Jackson was the 31st overall pick in the 2017 draft. Originally selected by Charlotte, Jackson was traded to the Pels for Dwayne Bacon (40th pick) and cash considerations.
Unfortunately, as you may have heard, Jackson suffered a right foot fracture (fifth metatarsal), and after undergoing surgery, he is still expected to miss 3-4 months, so it is unlikely we will see him in action this year.
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Whilst we will have to wait for him to grace the hardwood, let’s look at what we can be excited to see when Frank Jackson is healthy again.
In the NBA draft combine, of all the participants, Jackson finished 1st in the shuttle run in 2.7 seconds, 5th in the 3/4 sprint in 3.14 seconds, tied 4th in the standing vertical leap with 34.5 inches and 2nd in max vertical leap with 42 inches. This shows some real athleticism from the guard.
If we compare that to some current NBA players, we can put this into perspective.
Devin Booker’s results were:
Shuttle Run – 2.75 seconds
3/4 sprint – 3.28 seconds
Standing Vertical – 27.5 inches
Max Vertical – 34.5 inches
Jamal Murray’s results were:
Shuttle Run – N/A
3/4 Sprint – N/A
Standing Vertical – 33.5 inches
Max Vertical – 39.5 inches
D’Angelo Russell’s results were:
Shuttle Run – N/A
3/4 Sprint – N/A
Standing Vertical – 30.5 inches
Max Vertical – 39 inches
Bradley Beal’s results were:
Shuttle Run – N/A
3/4 Sprint – 3.28 seconds
Standing Vertical – 33 inches
Max Vertical – 39 inches
Jrue Holiday’s results were:
Shuttle Run – N/A
3/4 Sprint – 3.21 seconds
Standing Vertical – 28.5 inches
Max Vertical – 34 inches
Finally, and maybe the most interesting to compare, Zach Lavine’s results were:
Shuttle Run – 2.8 seconds
3/4 Sprint – 3.19 seconds
Standing Vertical – 33.5 inches
Max Vertical – 41.5 inches
Comparing Jackson to all of the above, he finishes 1st in the shuttle run, 1st in the 3/4 sprint, 1st in the standing vertical and 1st in the max vertical. This is even comparing him to the two-time NBA dunk winner.
Jackson’s results are most comparative with Lavine’s, who is known for his athleticism, and Jackson beats him in every category. All of the above are high-level NBA players, which puts Jackson in good company.
Whilst looking at that, we can agree that Jackson is a physical phenomenon, but can he do anything else, can he shoot? In short, yes. Jackson in his one year at Duke posted a true shooting percentage of 59.8%, shot 54.3% from 2 and 39.2% from 3. Jackson did only manage 10.9 points per game, but with other players like Luke Kennard, Grayson Allen, Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles, there were a lot more high-volume scorers.
Again, to compare this against the above players from their time in college, and Kyrie Irving, it shows how well Jackson performed.
Kyrie Irving’s results were:
TS% – 69.7%
2PT% – 56.9%
3PT% – 46.2%
Devin Booker’s results were:
TS% – 60.0%
2PT% – 52.7%
3PT% – 41.1%
Jamal Murray’s results were:
TS% – 59.0%
2PT% – 50.2%
3PT% – 40.8%
D’Angelo Russell’s results were:
TS% – 57.3%
2PT% – 47.9%
3PT% – 41.1%
Bradley Beal’s results were:
TS% – 57.5%
2PT% – 54.1%
3PT% – 33.9%
Jrue Holiday’s results were:
TS% – 53.2%
2PT% – 52.8%
3PT% – 30.7%
Zach Lavine results were:
TS% – 54.5%
2PT% – 49.4%
3PT% – 37.5%
This ranks Frank Jackson 3rd in TS%, only behind Irving and Booker, two great shooters, 2nd in 2PT%, again behind Irving and 5th in 3PT%, but above Beal, Lavine and Holiday. This illustrates just how good of a shooter Jackson is. All of the above, except Holiday, were lottery picks. Dell Demps may have found a steal in Jackson.
So how come Frank Jackson fell into the second round?
There are some limitations to his game. Whilst he is athletic, he is 6″3 and a half in shoes and has a wingspan of 6″7.5, so whilst not small, he is not huge.
His steals and blocks were also very low, averaging just 0.6 steals per game and 0.1 blocks in his time at Duke.
The most worrying, is his lack of assists, averaging just 1.7 assists in 24.9 minutes. His playmaking ability has been questioned, which for a point guard, is a key component. With the players who were around him at Duke, you would have expected this stat to be much higher.
Whether Jackson will see much playing time, only time will tell. There is a lot of depth in the guard position, with Jrue Holiday, Rajon Rondo, Jordan Crawford, Ian Clark and E’Twaun Moore all ahead of him in the pecking order. So, unless there is a major drop-off in performance or some injuries (which, with the Pelicans, there is a good chance of this happening). Jackson may see limited time, featuring only in blowout games.
Jackson is only 19 and does not turn 20 until May 2018. Training with the likes of Rondo, whose playmaking is one of the best in the league, will surely help his development.
Next: Player Breakdowns: Ian Clark, The Hopeful Sharpshooter
If Jackson can live up to his potential, he can be a real asset for the Pelicans, not just for the future, but potentially later this season and have a long and successful career in the NBA.