When you think of the most NBA-ready, complete, well-rounded players to suit up as Tar Heels, who are some names that come to mind?
Cameron Johnson has the height, shooting and dunking ability, plus he plays solid defense. Coby White can shoot and drain perimeter shots with the best of NBA talent, while Harrison Barnes is still playing like a superstar in his 12th NBA season.
One of the most NBA-ready players to come out of Carolina, particularly in recent years, is 2017 National Champion Justin Jackson. He’s a tall, fast small forward who can knock down jump shots, convert rim-rocking dunks and lock down ball-handlers with his long wingspan.
Despite his collegiate success, which included 895 career points, 50 games with double-figure scoring and – most importantly, 16 points in the 2017 National Championship victory over Gonzaga, Jackson hasn’t matched that same level of success in the NBA.
He was drafted 15th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, but is now on his sixth NBA roster since. Jackson’s actually playing with the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ G-League affiliate, but he could soon find himself up in The Big D.
In the Legends’ 115-111 victory over the Austin Spurs on Sunday night, Jackson dominated with 35 points, nine rebounds and seven made 3-pointers.
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Jackson, listed as a small forward, far exceeded his season average of 21.1 points per game. This type of outing is certainly worthy of a call-up, particularly with how banged up the Mavs are right now.
Dallas’ starting small forward, Josh Green, is currently out for a couple weeks with a right elbow sprain. Starting power forward Grant Williams and second-string Maxi Kleber are both out with injuries, too, giving Jackson a pretty clear path to a call-up.
Jackson already spent parts of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 NBA seasons as a Maverick, so he already knows the system. Dallas could certainly benefit from Jackson’s skill-set, particularly in its current roster state, so don’t be surprised to see him back in the NBA real soon.
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