2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 11: Love and hate edition

What to love: The defense, mostly. Kansas’ Josh Jackson is the most complete wing defender in the class, which is made more valuable by his ability to switch onto smaller players and potentially larger ones once he adds strength to his frame. He does a good job of moving laterally to cut off penetration from guards and has excellent court awareness. Jackson has been an effective weak side rim protector for the Jayhawks as he’s largely played at the power forward spot. He is also averaging 2.2 steals per 40 minutes. Add in his playmaking ability on offense as a 6-foot-8 wing and that’s enough for him to be the second best prospect in the class in my mind.

What to hate: If Jackson pulls up for a jump shot, avert your eyes. The freshman’s funky shooting motion has produced a totally unreliable jumper that limits his effectiveness on offense. Jackson has made just nine of his 38 3-point attempts this season and as a result, teams are now playing way off him along the perimeter. That eliminates the value of his quick first step, allowing defenses to control his penetration into the paint. Because Jackson’s mechanics are basically going to have to be rebuilt once he leaves Kansas, there’s little ability to project just how well he’ll shoot at the NBA level. That makes the 19-year old a much more difficult fit on some of the teams likely to be picking at the top of the draft like Miami, a franchise that already has a non-shooting wing in Justise Winslow, and Philadelphia who has the shaky shooting Ben Simmons ready to take over ball handling duties.

Learn more about Josh Jackson at The Step Back.