5 best NBA Draft prospects in the 2017 Final Four

Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina

No. 34 on The Step Back Big Board

Per Game Stats: 31.7 minutes, 18.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 44.7 percent shooting from the field, 38 percent on 3-pointers

Josh Jackson may no longer be with us thanks to Kansas’s Elite Eight loss, but he’s not the only Jackson on NBA Draft radars this year. Justin has been the leader for UNC this season, and is another candidate to be a 3-and-D wing that goes late in the first round or early in the second. The 22-year old has even climbed into the lottery on a few big boards.

After excelling as a role player for last year’s runner up, Jackson has taken a huge step forward this season in his creation ability. He’s been fantastic at creating off screens, a potential role at the NBA level, and his shot has been completely reworked, resulting in a potential future as a floor spacer. He’s a high-level passer for the small forward position, and he rarely turns the ball over, posting just a 9.3 percent turnover rate on a 25.8 percent usage.

NBA-level defense could be an issue for Jackson, as he has relatively low athletic indicators, such as steal and block rates, and his thin frame means that he’s likely to be relegated to the perimeter exclusively, limiting his ability to play as a small-ball four despite his height. Jackson has solid lateral quickness, so he probably will not have a low floor on this end. His value is almost purely as an offensive player, though. How he handles Oregon’s bevy of talented and crafty wings will be an interesting test in the Final Four.