The play of former UNC basketball wing Justin Jackson this summer and fall has helped earn him a spot on the Boston Celtics opening day roster.
Jackson, who previously signed a training camp deal with the Celtics, showed some good portions of play down the stretch of the preseason to make one of the final two roster spots.
The 6-foot-8 wing has five years of NBA experience and with the Celtics down a few wings heading into the season, it was a good match.
“For me, it’s just kind of being a floor spacer offensively, being able to shoot, play off close-outs,” Jackson said. “And then defensively, just trying to use my height, my length to hopefully guard some different positions. They like to switch a lot here, and so there’s really no position, guarding-wise, because you end up guarding everybody.”
Prior to this stint with the Celtics, Jackson also spent time on a 10-day contract with Boston last season and was part of the Celtics summer league roster.
Jackson is the former 15th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers before his rights were traded to the Sacramento Kings. In 255 career NBA games, Jackson has averaged 6.5 points in 18.7 minutes per game.
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