Josh Jackson might be that wing player the Lakers need

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Photo Via: Missy Minear

Much has been said about the stellar guards in this upcoming draft.

Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz are two of the top guards in this class which seems to be the theme of this NBA Draft. Guards. However, there are some wing players that deserve the hype the guards are getting, too. More specifically, Josh Jackson of the Kansas Jayhawks

Josh Jackson is an athletic, versatile wing that can play positions 1 through 4. He pretty much gets everything done on the floor. Running the floor? Check. Defending at a high level? Check. Using athleticism to finish near the rim? Check. Making plays for his teammates? Check. 

Besides making perimeter shots on a consistent level, there really isn’t much that Jackson can’t do. He makes the winning plays for a basketball team that makes every team want his services.

However, with his draft projection is the top three, there are only a few teams with a chance to get him once the draft begins. 

The Los Angeles Lakers hope they are one of those teams. Not only because Jackson is a tremendous player, but they can only keep their pick if it is in the top three. 

Josh Jackson via: Rich Sugg / TNS
Josh Jackson can do almost everything on the court. Which is why so many scouts are intrigued with this prospect. Via: Rich Sugg / TNS

A previous article discusses Lonzo Ball’s fit with LA should he get drafted there. Now, we take a look at Josh Jackson’s fit with the Lakers should he get selected by LA. 

Let’s take a look. 

Defense

It is a pretty straightforward argument. The youthful Los Angeles Lakers have been pretty bad on defense this season. They don’t have a guy athletic enough to defend the perimeter on a consistent level. Enter: Josh Jackson. In his lone season at Kansas, Jackson ranked top 15 or better in defensive categories such as steals, blocks, defensive ratings, defensive win shares, and defensive plus/minus. Yeah, he’s a pretty good defender by the looks of it. A further breakdown of Jackson’s defense can be found below, courtesy of @LakerFilmRoom.

Versatility

Josh Jackson is one of the most versatile players in this draft. He can play positions two through four due to his all-around skillset. This would help the Lakers indeed, who can use another swiss-army knife next to Brandon Ingram. Jackson would allow them to throw different kinds of effective lineups during their games. They could go small with Jackson at the 4 spot or go big with Jackson at the two spot. Different options like this make things easier for a team because it allows teams to match up against their opponent. 

He is capable of attacking and finish at the rim with his athleticism and being a distributor despite not being the main playmaker. That type of player gives a team so many options and can instantly make them a better team. 

Video courtesy of Tobias Berger Go-to-Guys

Josh Jackson gets it done on both ends of the floor. 

He can do anything a coach asks him to do whether it is to defend the opposing team’s best perimeter player or make plays on the offensive end of the floor. The only thing holding his game back is his perimeter shooting. While he has shown he is capable of hitting shots from the outside, he has to prove that he can knock them down consistently at the next level. 

Jackson is a winning player, and the Lakers could be in for a treat if they decide or are able to draft him with their top 3 selection.

Josh Jackson’s defensive ranks in the Big 12 conference can be found here.

Special thanks to @LakerFilmRoom for the defensive scouting video.

*Featured photo credits go to Nick Krug*

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